The financial news that actually matters
A general consumer finance category covering everyday money decisions, budgeting, saving, debt management, credit behavior, and personal financial improvement strategies.
Buying a new vehicle has quietly become one of the largest financial commitments a household will make outside of a home, and the latest figures show just how far the bar has moved. The average price of a new car has pushed close to $50,000, and the monthly payment that comes with it now runs…
Drivers have caught a small break at the pump this month, but the relief looks better on a weekly chart than on a household budget. The national average price of gasoline has eased in recent days, yet it remains sharply higher than it was a year ago — a reminder that a modest dip does…
The back-to-school shopping season is shaping up to be more expensive this year, and the reason traces back to the same trade policy reshaping prices across the economy. Retailers and industry groups are warning that notebooks, backpacks, clothing and electronics will cost more this summer as tariffs and higher supply costs land on price tags….
Thousands of Arizona car buyers are receiving refund checks after federal and state regulators found that a Phoenix-area dealership tacked hidden fees onto vehicle purchases and leases. The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 5,790 checks totaling more than $2.3 million to consumers harmed by Coulter Motor Company’s undisclosed add-on charges. The payments, which began going…
Nearly 6.9 million people whose genetic data was exposed in the 2023 breach at 23andMe are now set to receive a share of a $46.75 million settlement after a federal bankruptcy judge approved the payout. The ruling arrived through the Chapter 11 case of Chrome Holding Co., the entity formerly known as 23andMe Holding Co.,…
People affected by the First Financial Security data breach stand to receive up to $500 in cash compensation along with two years of free credit monitoring under settlement terms. The Federal Trade Commission has weighed in on how consumers should evaluate these dual-benefit offers, drawing on its experience with the Equifax breach settlement to guide…
On July 14, 2025, TTAM Research Institute closed its $46.75 million purchase of nearly all assets belonging to the company formerly known as 23andMe. That same day, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed suit against Chrome Holding Co., the corporate shell that 23andMe became after the sale. The deal transferred a genetic database that includes…
The lowest-income renter households in the United States now retain just $210 a month after paying rent, the smallest inflation-adjusted cushion ever recorded. The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University published the finding in its State of the Nation’s Housing 2026 report, describing a rental market where high costs and weak construction of…
Gas Express LLC, a company linked to Circle K convenience store operations, formally reported a data breach to Massachusetts regulators in January 2025, triggering consumer notifications and a claims process that offers affected customers a flat $50 payment without requiring proof of harm. The deadline to file a claim falls on September 3, giving customers…
American grocery shoppers hunting for the lowest prices are finding their best deals at warehouse clubs, according to Consumer Reports’ latest ranking of the cheapest U.S. grocery chains. The evaluation placed bulk-format retailers like Costco and Sam’s Club at the top, ahead of traditional supermarkets, at a time when food costs remain a persistent pressure…