There’s been lots of buzz lately about the various medical conditions researchers have connected to our genetics. You’ve probably heard me talking about reporting about it on TV from time to time. It’s a fascinating world and one that may help the medical community develop better treatments or preventive care.

But did you ever wonder how well the ‘consumer’ versions of these DNA tests work? How accurate they are? I did. We found over 30 companies that would test my personal DNA. The costs range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. I took four of the test as an experiment. I wanted to see if my predictions to see if my results come back the same. It was a pricey, yet painless process—cheek swab, spit test and mail it in.

Before revealing my at-home DNA test results, let me share some tips to think about when considering a genetic test.

PROS: You can find out if you're predisposed for something like a blood clots. And knowing this, you may consider taking a blood thinner. Or let's say you find out you have a gene that causes breast cancer in women. It doesn’t guarantee you will get cancer, but you could start getting mammograms earlier.

CONS: The biggest con to these tests is that they aren’t always accurate. Also, a positive result doesn't mean you'll develop a disease. The test can only tell you if you have a genetic mutation associated with the disease. Your likelihood of getting it could be low or high and you wouldn’t know.

As scientists discover more variations in our DNA and what they mean, this technology will be more useful as a health prevention tool.

I will admit, I was curious, and excited to see my results. They showed up a month later with no real surprises as far as my genes go. Although it was fascinating that not all the results gave me the same diagnosis. For instance, one test said I’m higher risk of Crohn’s disease, while another said my risk was small.

So alas, the debate continues on. Perhaps at this point, the golden question to ask yourself may just be, “do you really want to know?” One thing is certain, we live in a world where the advancements in science and technology are remarkable. As genetic mapping techniques get fine tune, the sky is the limit in terms of the potential benefits.

Be sure to tune in to Dr. Sanjay Gupta every weekend on HOUSE CALL. You'll find the answers to your medical questions Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on CNN.

The stats are scary. And debt is nothing new to most of us. In fact, the losses in the stock market and falling home values combined was more than most people’s salary last year according to Standard & Poor’s.

1) Get a grip

Determine whether your debt problem is run of the mill or out of control. One signal that you have too much debt is that you borrow from one credit card to pay off another credit card. Another bad sign, if you can only make minimum payments on your credit card. Or if you don’t know how much total debt you have. If the above describes you—get help.

2) Prioritize

Paying it down requires making it a priority. If you have credit card debt, pay off the one with the highest interest rate first. Always pay more than the minimum payment. You have to cancel any spending that isn’t essential and put it towards paying down your credit card debt or debt. Practice some tough love: You have special channels beyond basic cable – get rid of it. Re-evaluate your memberships. If you only hit the gym once a year, get out of that contract now.

3) Don’t pay when you don’t have to

Stop the hemorrhaging of money. Get out of paying “courtesy overdraft fees” of as much as $20 to $35 by linking your savings account to your checking account. Better yet, don’t write a check for more than your balance. These days you can even check your balance from your cell phone. Out of network ATM fees are brutal these days, with some banks charging three bucks for the privilege of getting access to your own money. Use a bank with a large network.

Watch Gerri every Saturday at 9:30 am Eastern Time on "Your Bottom Line"

Remember when you were a kid walking through the toy store and you spotted a toy you just had to have? And you felt the aching desire to immediately possess that exact G.I. Joe soldier or souped-up Barbie Dream Car?

Well, as you all know, I’m still a kid at heart, but instead of toys, these days I'm into more grown-up, traveling-news-correspondent-friendly items, like luggage. (That's a sad revelation, maybe, but true.)

For a long time, my bag of choice was a small Briggs and Riley case that had just enough room to hold everything I needed - my chargers, laptops, iPod, Kindle, makeup, toiletries, passport, pens, and a notepad - and still fit under the seat of the smallest commuter jet. It was almost perfect - except I had no room to carry a book, newspaper, or my personal camera. I needed a new bag.

And the one that caught my eye after many months of searching was a beauty made by Tumi. It was good-looking, compact, functional - the dream bag. But I didn’t buy it. I thought the Tumi was way too expensive (and this was pre-recession!). Instead, I trekked over to Target and bought a similar bag for about one-tenth of the price.

And even though the Target bag did the job just fine, my Tumi treasure-bag stayed with me. When I passed by the Tumi store, which is too-conveniently located just downstairs from the CNN studios in New York, I would look longingly in the window, imagining myself at a JFK gate, laughing merrily, holding a piping-hot coffee in one hand and my perfect Tumi bag in the other - the envy of all the other passengers. Then I would look down at the bag I actually bought, and sigh...

Well I must have dropped enough hints, because eventually my best friend bought me a bag from Tumi.com. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the exact model I wanted. So, receipt in hand, I headed to the Tumi store to exchange the bag for the one I wanted, which, as it turned out, was $100 cheaper. The person at the store offered me store credit, but I wanted the $100 to be refunded to my best friend's credit card (I’m a really great friend.) The Tumi guy said it wasn’t possible. To get a refund, my friend would have to send the bag back to Tumi.com and pay for shipping.

That's a bad policy at any time, but especially in a recession. And, with companies looking to cut costs in any way they can, my bet is that many are thinking that customer service is expendable. Well it's too bad: I really liked Tumi and their products, but I find the idea that I have to spend someone else's cash just because they bought me the wrong gift indefensible.

Now all of you readers have had some notable customer service interaction I am sure - whether good or bad - and I'd like to hear about them. E-mail me your customer service stories at ali@cnn.com so we can reward the good companies and reprimand the bad.

Oh, and to be fair, below is the response I got from Tumi. My friend still hasn't gotten her $100 back:

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Please see our response below.

Tumi is committed to providing our customers with superior product, exceptional service and a unique brand experience.

We are continually looking to upgrade our systems and policies in order to achieve this goal. Given the nature of our company owned vs partnered stores and our e.commerce relationship with our web provider, all of our systems are not currently aligned to allow for a seamless transaction/return exchange at the point of sale.

We are currently assessing and upgrading our limitations in order to accomplish this goal, and apologize that we are not in a position today to rectify your situation.

We will, however, do whatever we can to make sure your TUMI experience is superior. Please let us know what you would like to satisfy your need."

My response to Tumi is that I don't want special favors. I'll stick with the credit, but I hope they'll change their policy willingly.

Ali Velshi is CNN's chief business correspondent

Believe it or not, now is the time to consider more saving and giving.

That’s according to Jeff Rosensweig, an associate professor of International Business and Finance and the director of the Global Perspectives Program at Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business in Atlanta, Georgia.

An economist and expert on global economics, Rosensweig says today’s consumers need to watch their debt, spend responsibly and consider giving to those most affected by the current economic crisis.

He talked with CNN.com/Live.

Question: What’s the number one thing consumers need to be doing?

Rosensweig: They need to be very careful about going in debt. So many people pay such high interest rates – I call it the “debt trap.” People get a credit card and they pay 18 percent or 27 percent. They’ll never pay out of that.

I think people can be looking for bargains, they shouldn’t be afraid to buy, but do not get into a debt trap.

Question: If you are in a debt trap, what should you do?

Rosensweig: The first thing you should do is there are free credit counselors.

You don’t have to go pay someone and consolidate the loans. There are a lot of private places, almost like charities as well as government places that help to get people credit counseling.

Then the thing to do is to pay off the highest-interest-rate loans first. Get rid of that high interest rate.

People work hard their whole lives and they end up at age 60 and they have nothing. It’s amazing because for more than half the Americans, that’s their story and it’s not that they didn’t work hard, but it’s because they abused credit.

You can use credit when it helps you, but don’t abuse it.

Question: If you have debt, how can you save?

Rosensweig: For the nation as a whole, we don’t want people to save too much. We need people to go out and buy things so that their neighbors continue to have jobs.

But I do think that you have to try and save 20 percent of your income if you have a good income, if not, at least 10 percent. Even though you might be giving up things now, and not just wild luxuries, but things that hurt, remember that with these high interest rates we’re talking about –literally, with an 18 percent interest rate if you let it go and you don’t pay it all back, four years from now you’ll owe twice as much.

So you’re cutting into maybe not just fat now, but fat and muscle by cutting down and trying to save, but it’s going to be all muscle you are cutting into in four years.

Now it might be trips or eating out, but in four years it could be eating anything decent. I’m not saying don’t go out every once in awhile, but you have to say to yourself, “Is that really worth blowing 100 bucks or 200 bucks?”

Question: We keep hearing that we are supposed to spend to help the economy, but how can we balance that with the need to pay off debt and save?

Rosensweig: This is what we nerdy economists call “a fallacy of composition.” If you add up the whole country and compose the whole country, we need the country to be spending.

But we are all individuals. As individuals, we can’t carry a country of whole country of 300 million people. If we do our patriotic duty by spending as much as we can, we are doing a little bit for the economy but we are just one little pebble on a lake of 300 million people. So we each need to look at our own individual situation and say “What can I do?”

I have a very secure job as a professor and therefore I do feel a sense of responsibility. One thing that I am doing is  –whereas many people are cutting their giving to charities – I’m doing just the opposite. I feel that I am blessed to still have my job so I am really ramping up my giving.

That’s how I think I can do my part. There are people out there really hurting. I am even targeting my charity in terms of “What about people who are becoming homeless,” and that type of thing.

It’s always good to give and it’s good psychologically. It’s good to realize that things could be bad for me, but it’s all relative.

CNN.com/Live will have expert financial advice and news coverage throughout the day, including President Obama’s address to the nation at 9 p.m. ET tonight.

As the economy stalls and the housing market continues in crisis, many Americans are wondering where we go from here.

Consumer questions include  what to do with their money, whether they should continue to invest and what the government is going to do to help with mortgages.

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox is a personal finance expert and author known as "The Money Coach" who answered some of those questions on CNN.com/Live.

QUESTION: Is it a good time to put more money in my 401(k)?

Khalfani-Cox: One of the biggest questions for employees these days, who are in fact dealing with the job situation, dealing with the housing crisis, is what else should I be doing because of the stock market? I frankly believe it’s a huge mistake for people to stop making contributions to their 401(K), which is their employer sponsored retirement plan.

One of the biggest problems with stopping your contributions is that you never know just quite when to jump back in. For most people they make the mistake of trying to get back in the market once the tide is turned.

People typically think “Oh, once the market has recovered and I see some evidence that stocks are starting to come back, that’s when I’ll start to invest again” and by that time you’ve typically missed the boat.

Needless to say, if you stop making contributions to that 401(K) or even your 403(b) plan, you’ll also miss out on any potential employer match.

As long as you have a significant time frame ahead of you before you are facing retirement, if you have 10 plus years, I think you’ll be just fine to continue investing in your 401(K).

CNN.com/Live will have expert financial advice and news coverage throughout the day, including President Obama's address to the nation at 9 p.m. ET tonight.

It is estimated a third of Americans suffer from some type of insomnia.  Millions of pregnant women are among those complaining about lack of sleep.

Changing hormone levels, heartburn and the inability to get comfortable are some of the reasons moms-to-be can't get a good night's sleep.

The National Sleep Foundation has some tips for trying to minimize sleep loss during pregnancy:

1)  Go left.  Try to avoid lying on your back for long periods of time. Sleeping on your left side improves blood flow and the flow of nutrients to the baby. Bend your knees and place pillows between your legs, under your abdomen and behind your back.

2) What's that burning? Heartburn can be a real problem for pregnant women. The condition often surfaces while lying in bed. Eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. Avoid spicy, acidic and fried food.

3) Drink up. Water that is! Fill up on fluids during the day, but cut down several hours before bedtime.

Finally, if it is okay with your doctor, exercise at least 30 minutes a day. A low impact workout is important for both mother and baby and may help promote a good night's sleep.

Judy Fortin's Health Minute segment runs daily on HLN from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET weekdays.

Stocks Friday plummeted on fears that the banks might be nationalized by the federal government. The move took the S&P 500 index to its lowest levels in nearly 11 years. Are we going to lose all our money?

1) Get perspective

The average balance is just $50,000, which is enough to keep a couple going for a couple of years in retirement at best. The average 401(k) balance dropped 27 percent last year from $69,200 to $50, 200 according to Fidelity. The short answer is: No, the stock market isn’t going to drop to zero. Let’s put this in perspective – compared to last fall, there are some reasons for optimism. First, the focus of concern has moved to the economy and away from whether the nation’s banking infrastructure will collapse. That’s a big improvement. Recessions come and go but we can’t do without a banking system.

2) Consider other angles

There is a tendency to focus on returns. You shouldn’t just obsess over your 401(k) balance. You should also look at the number of shares you’ve purchased. You’ve been adding to the total number of shares throughout the decade – and are buying now at lows. What’s more, your entire 401(k) doesn’t need to be in stocks. You need an intelligent mix of investments to make sure your money grows over time.

Catch Gerri Willis every Saturday on Your Bottom Line at 9:30 am Eastern Time.

On Wednesday, President Obama unveiled his administration's $75 billion plan to stem the growing tide of foreclosures in America. The plan aims to help up to nine million Americans who are struggling to meet their monthly mortgage payments even while their home values plummet.

The Bush administration drew criticism for relying on lenders and servicers to voluntarily modify the terms of troubled mortgages… a tactic with less-than-stellar results.

Obama has taken a broader approach to the foreclosure problem, looking to help not only those who are defaulting on payments, but also those who are at risk of falling behind in the near future. Let's take a look at some of the specific most interesting measures in the plan designed to tackle this overwhelming problem.

1) The plan includes billions of dollars of incentives for servicers to modify their loans.One important point here, the changing of loan terms is still voluntary for servicers. Even so, the incentives are designed to be too good to pass up: for each modification, the servicers receive $1,000, plus another $1,000 per  year for three years if the borrower stays current. On top of that, the government will give $500 to servicers and $1,500 for mortgage holders if they modify at-risk loans before the borrower falls behind.

2) The plan aims to help homeowners who owe more than their houses are worth. That's a state known as "underwater." And right now, a lot of homeowners are drowning. According to Zillow.com, home prices have fallen 17.5 percent nationwide, back to levels of the fall of 2004. The plan is to assist borrowers who owe more than 80 percent of their home's value to refinance and reduce their monthly payment and the new mortgage cannot be more than 105 percent of the current market value of the home. So you may still be underwater… but you’ll be a heck of a lot closer to the surface.

3) Obama plans to work with Congress to change bankruptcy laws to allow judges to modify mortgages during bankruptcy.Judges could then reduce the loan balance, which would decrease the value of the mortgage. That scares investors and servicers, and would encourage them to modify mortgages themselves before they ended up in bankruptcy court.

These are just a few of the major provisions in President Obama's very complex plan. In the end, the administration is hoping to bring payments down to 31 percent of a borrower's income, which is considered the threshold of affordability. It's an ambitious goal given how deep in the hole many borrowers now are. Plus, most indicators say the housing market is going to be bad for a while: housing starts and applications for building permits - a good indicator of future construction activities - both hit all time lows in January.

Ali Velshi is CNN's chief business correspondent

In the fall of 2007 I gave birth to a screaming 8 pound 2 ounce little girl. The nurses in the room cooed, I cried while family and friends joined in the joy of a new life entering the world. This may seem like a very ordinary delivery scene, but it could not be farther from the truth. My little miracle would not be a part of this world without the help of a skilled reproductive endocrinologist – a fertility doctor.

I have been thinking a lot about my situation while helping CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen research this week's Empowered Patient column about infertility. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.1 million married couples are infertile. An infertility diagnosis means a couple has had one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse without a pregnancy or the woman suffers from multiple miscarriages. The American Society of Reproductive Medicine says 85 to 90 percent of  infertility cases are treated with conventional medical therapies like surgery or medication.

For people facing infertility, the process of diagnosis and treatment can be emotionally and financially difficult. I have talked to many friends over the years who have also struggled with infertility.

We have come up with a Top Three list of things you should never say to a friend who is having fertility issues:

“JUST RELAX” Infertility is not something that goes away, and a pregnancy will not spontaneously happen, if the couple relaxes. A vacation is not going to cure it. During my treatment, my doctor told me it was a legitimate medical condition that needed attention.

“I HAVE A FRIEND WHO…” A) stopped trying and got pregnant. B) adopted and got pregnant. C) ate a special herb and got pregnant. Friends and stories are great, but when it comes to infertility, offer to listen and learn about the condition, and avoid friendly advice.

“ARE YOU PREGNANT YET?” There are only two answers to this question, and if the answer were yes, you would probably know. Treatment takes a lot of time and commitment. It can take several cycles, which can take months, and may not always result in pregnancy. Every month could be The Month. Trust me, your well-intentioned comment could come at the worst possible moment, the moment your friend finds out that it isn’t The Month.

If you aren't sure what to say or how to show your support, here is a site that you may find helpful.