The Consumer Memo, 11/12: Goodyear raising tire prices

A biteGoodyear is raising tire prices. Spokesman Jim Davis says Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. will raise the price on all consumer replacement tires sold in North America by 6 percent starting Dec. 1. Davis says higher raw material costs are behind the move. The increase is the company’s first since September 2008, when it raised prices more than 10 percent.

Ford moving Fusion’s
Selling fastFord Motor Co. said the Fusion sedan has become one of the 10 best-selling U.S. vehicles for the first time on record demand. Fusion sales this year reached 151,137 through early November, topping the full-year sales record for the midsized model of 149,552 in 2007, the company said in a statement. The 15 percent gain in the first 10 months of 2009 made it the most popular car for a U.S.-based automaker, Ford said.

Biting off too much?
Burger King franchisees sued the hamburger company this week over its $1 double cheeseburger promotion, saying they’re losing money on the deal and the company can’t set maximum menu prices.The National Franchise Association, a group that represents more than 80 percent of Burger King’s U.S. franchise owners, said the $1 promotion forces restaurant owners to sell the quarter-pound burger at a loss.

Rates fall
Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed home loans fell to the lowest in five weeks, providing a boost to potential buyers and those who want to refinance. The average 30-year rate declined to 4.91 percent from 4.98 percent. The 15-year rate was 4.36 percent, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Smart phone sales
Smart-phone makers sold 12.8 percent more units in the third quarter as overall global mobile-phone sales increased 0.1 percent, researcher Gartner Inc. said. Apple Inc. enlarged its share of smart phones to 17.1 percent from 12.9 percent a year earlier as it expanded in Europe. Research in Motion Ltd. grew to 20.8 percent, while Nokia Oyj slipped to a 39.3 percent share in smart phones.

Frequent-flier changes
US Airways Group is rejiggering the number of frequent-flier miles customers will need to cash in for free flights. The shift, effective Jan. 6, will require fewer miles for off-peak travel, but more miles for high-demand flights — such as Paris in July, or anywhere around holidays.