If you feel frustrated or intimidated whenever you take your car in for repairs, you're not alone. According to the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau, auto repair fraud consistently ranks among the top consumer complaints they receive.

Although most auto repair shops are legitimate, some unscrupulous operators will rip off inexperienced car owners by performing unnecessary or unauthorized repairs, substituting counterfeit or used replacement parts, or even doing such shoddy work that lives are endangered.

Here are tips for becoming a more informed consumer and a few common scams to avoid:

Try to have a trusted repair shop already lined up before you need one. Ask friends or your auto insurance company for recommendations, or search the Better Business Bureau's website (www.bbb.org) for accredited businesses. Also:

• Ask the state Attorney General's office (www.naag.org) whether any complaints have been filed against prospective mechanics.
• Look for mechanics currently certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (www.ase.com) or who belong to your insurer's authorized repair network.
• If your car's warranty is still in force, you may be required to use only authorized dealerships.

If your car needs major work, gather several estimates for comparison. Once you've chosen a shop, ask for a detailed estimate (with no sections left blank) before you authorize repairs. Specify that you must be called to grant permission before additional repairs. Make sure the work order clearly specifies:

• Repairs to be done.
• All fees, including parts, labor, storage, loaner car, etc.
• Whether new, reconditioned, or used parts will be used.
• Acceptable payment methods.
• Completion date.
• Diagnostic or reassembly charges if you decide to get a second opinion or have the work done elsewhere.

Make sure the final repair bill contains itemizes all work completed and parts used. (Ask them to show you the work done and replaced parts.) Also have the bill spell out any guaranteed items (including exclusions), in case problems occur later and you need contractual proof.

Watch out for these common scams:

• They give you a verbal estimate then charge a higher price. Always get it in writing.
• A shop lures you in with low-cost specials (oil change, brake inspection, etc.), then pads the work order with other repairs you don't want or need. If in doubt, have the initial work done and get a second opinion on the rest, unless there's an immediate safety issue.
• Charging for services that are covered under the car's warranty. (Always read your warranty carefully.)
• Dishonest mechanics have been known to inflict intentional damage during an inspection in order to boost needed repairs.
• They don't want to return replaced parts to you, which could mean the work wasn't actually done, or they used inferior parts. (Keep in mind that there could be discarded parts lying around that they could pass off as yours.)
• Going against your car manufacturer's recommendations. If your manual recommends getting an oil change every 10,000 miles but the mechanic says every 3,000, make sure there's a good reason.
• Offers to waive the deductible - for example, offering to install a used part and bill your insurance company for a new one. This insurance fraud could land you in a world of hurt.
• High-pressure sales tactics.

Just because you don't completely understand what goes on under the hood doesn't mean you can't protect yourself against auto repair scams. To learn more, visit the FTC's comprehensive Auto Repair Basics site at www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0211-auto-repair-basics.

Weddings have always been big business, but I was shocked to see how expensive they've become in the 17 years since my wife and I got married. According to the annual Real Weddings Study, the average wedding in the U.S. now costs $28,427, and that doesn't even count the honeymoon.

Wait, it gets worse.

Among the more than 17,500 surveyed brides who got married in 2012, the average amount paid for a wedding dress was $1,211. On average they also spent $204 per wedding guest and dropped $12,905 for the reception venue.

There are many ways to rein in wedding-related costs while still having a memorable event. Here are a few suggestions:

Create a budget. Unless you're a professional wedding planner, you'll probably be floored by how many expenses weddings can amass, including: wedding and engagement rings, invitations, postage, marriage license, clergy and location fees, flowers, bridal gown and groom's tuxedo, rehearsal dinner and reception, photography, catering, DJ or band, limousine, parking attendants, tips, gifts for wedding participants and honeymoon expenses.

Shop around. Bridal expos are a good way to meet a lot of vendors and gather ideas. Just don't get caught up in the excitement and commit to anything before you've done follow-up research. Some tips:

• Bring along someone from the wedding party as well as a trustworthy friend who isn't emotionally and financially connected to the wedding.
• You may feel pressured by vendors to sign contracts or put down deposits, but it's probably wiser to take their contact information and research them first.
• Create a separate email account for wedding vendor communications. Once you sign up for one offer or contest, believe me, your inbox will be swamped.

After you've settled on vendors, get signed contracts that specify dates, products, prices, deposit and payment terms, cancellation policies, liability insurance and whether tax and gratuities are included.

Here are a few suggestions for trimming costs:

• Date flexibility. You'll get more bang for your buck offseason - a June wedding might cost 20 to 30 percent more than one in April or October.
• Have your florist use in-season flowers.
• Daytime weddings are often cheaper than evening events.
• Instead of a hotel, consider less-costly alternative reception venues like community centers, museums, city park clubhouses or other public facilities looking to earn extra income. Ask whether they have their own tables, chairs, sound and lighting systems; if not, add equipment rental costs into the equation.
• A buffet dinner reception could save you $15 or more per guest compared to a plated dinner, because you're not paying for table service. Save even more by hosting an afternoon reception and serving lunch or hors d'oeuvres.
• If you're hosting a large reception, have a smaller display cake for the cutting ceremony, with a sheet cake stored in the kitchen.
• Serve wine, beer and one signature cocktail, instead of offering a full bar.
• Consider renting or buying a second-hand wedding dress from a consignment shop, or an online specialty site. The same goes for grooms wear.
• Hiring a disc jockey instead of a live band will save hundreds of dollars; plus you get a broader selection of music and a built-in emcee to move things along.

One last budgeting tip: Limit the number of guests to ensure you can have a meaningful interaction with each. Remember, spending just one minute apiece with 300 guests would take five hours.

By Jason Alderman

My wife recently enrolled in graduate school, so like millions of other Americans we've paid close attention to news about student loan programs. One recent example: A key component of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act will result in several significant modifications to the how federal student loans are offered and processed.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the changes will save approximately $61 billion over the next 10 years - money that will partially be used to expand the Pell Grant program for low-income students, beef up community college funding and eventually lower monthly loan repayment amounts for lower-income earners participating in the Income-Based Repayment Plan.

Here's an overview of key changes:

As of July 1, all new federally backed student loans are now issued directly through the Department of Education's Direct Loan program, thereby eliminating the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), which had allowed banks and other private lenders to offer federally guaranteed loans. The government is essentially eliminating banks as the middleman for these loans.

Affected loans include subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans for undergraduate and graduate students, PLUS Loans for parents and PLUS Loans for graduate and professional degree students. Under Direct Loan, the latter two actually have lower interest rates than they did under FFELP (7.9 percent vs. 8.5 percent); and, the approval rate for parent loans tends to be higher.

Private lenders will continue servicing student loans already on their books and may continue offering student and parental loans that are not federally guaranteed, just as they always have. Such uninsured loans typically have higher interest rates but may allow larger loan amounts.

Another feature: For federal loans granted beginning in 2014, lower-income graduates with outstanding Stafford or Grad PLUS loans who opt for an Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan will see their monthly repayment amount capped at 10 percent of income, compared to the current 15 percent, provided their loan debt qualifies as high relative to income and family size. Go to www.studentaid.ed.gov and search "IBR" to read about eligibility requirements.

These changes do not impact the process of applying for federal grants, loans or work-study programs or change the amount of federal aid that students are eligible to receive. The first step for students interested in receiving federal aid is still to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov, from the school's guidance counselor or financial aid office, or by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.

Most of the savings reaped by eliminating the FFELP will be applied toward the Federal Pell Grant program. (Pell Grants are scholarships given to students from lower-income families that needn't be repaid.)

Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011), the maximum Pell Grant amount increases by $200 to $5,550, where it will remain until 2013-2014. In addition, from the 2013-2014 through 2017-2018 academic years, the amount will be indexed for inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers), capping out at $5,975.

For more details on the budgetary impacts of this Act, visit the Congressional Committee on Education and Labor's website, www.edlabor.house.gov and search "SAFRA" (Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act).