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.
Google and its parent company, Alphabet, have agreed to a $68 million settlement to resolve claims that the company’s voice Assistant recorded private conversations when nobody meant to switch it on. Cash is available to a broad group of people who bought Google devices or used the Assistant over the past decade, and the window…
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…
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…
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…
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…
More than 443,048 people who paid into a credit-repair pyramid scheme run by Financial Education Services are about to get money back. The Federal Trade Commission announced in March 2026 that it is mailing more than $10.9 million in refund checks to consumers who were charged illegal upfront fees and lured by recruitment promises between…
Krispy Kreme customers who placed online orders before the company’s late-2024 data breach could receive payments without needing to submit proof of harm, according to settlement terms tied to the incident. The breach, which Krispy Kreme first learned about on Nov. 29, 2024, disrupted online ordering across parts of the United States and triggered an…
As health costs climb, one account type offers a rare triple break from the tax code: the health savings account. Under Internal Revenue Code section 223, HSAs combine deductible contributions, tax-free growth and tax-free withdrawals for qualified care, a structure that federal agencies describe as “triple-tax advantaged.” With 2026 contribution limits already set, the stakes…