Consumer News: Mortgage rates declined this week, falling below 7%

Sellers are cutting prices as buyers balk

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Home-price cuts are becoming more common as the housing market gradually shifts toward buyers.

• Typical price reductions still hover around $10,000, but repeated cuts are increasingly standard as listings linger.

• Some of the nations priciest metros show the largest dollar discounts, while lower-cost markets offer the biggest percentage bargains.

Inflated home prices during the pandemic put homeownership out of reach for millions of Americans, but some of those prices are starting to come back to earth.

More home sellers have begun to slash asking prices sometimes more than once as affordability challenges reshape buying behavior and force a reset in expectations. According to new data from Zillow, these increasingly common discounts are helping bring long-stalled listings back into buyers budgets and fueling what has become the most active fall housing market in three years.

Although the typical individual price cut has remained relatively stable at about $10,000, homes are sitting on the market longer, and sellers are responding with multiple reductions. Many homeowners still stand to make a profit even after trimming their price, thanks to years of substantial home-value appreciation.

Seller flexibility

Most homeowners have seen their home values soar over the past several years, which gives them the flexibility for a price cut or two while still walking away with a profit, said Kara Ng, a senior economist at Zillow. These discounts are bringing more listings in line with buyers' budgets, and helping fuel the most active fall housing market in three years. Patient buyers are reaping the rewards as the market continues to rebalance.

The growing frequency of markdowns illustrates how quickly conditions are evolving for both buyers and sellers. Many sellers are leaning on agents to help them understand local market dynamics and price their homes appropriately a service sellers identified as the most valuable in Zillows Consumer Housing Trends Report. Buyers, meanwhile, benefit from clearer insight into how much wiggle room exists in list prices.

Where prices are falling most

Some of the steepest reductions appear in the countrys most expensive housing markets. Median cumulative discounts from the original list price include:

• San Jose: $70,900

• Los Angeles: $61,000

• San Francisco: $59,001

• New York: $50,000

• San Diego: $50,000

These large dollar amounts reflect high baseline home prices, even if the percentage cut isnt as dramatic.

Where smaller cuts pack more punch

In more affordable metros, smaller reductions translate to much larger savings relative to local home values. Pittsburgh leads the nation in relative discounts: a typical $20,000 price cut equals roughly 9% of the metros median home value. New Orleans buyers typically see a similar 9% reduction, followed by Austin (8.4%), Houston (8.2%), and San Antonio (7.9%).

Holiday deals come with new financial risks

Consumers facing high costs may be tempted by buy now, pay later (BNPL) and deferred-interest credit card offers
Advocates say both products can mask significant fees and steep retroactive interest charges
Experts urge shoppers to proceed cautiously and avoid promotions that seem too good to be true

As the holiday shopping season ramps up during what advocates call an ongoing affordability crisis, consumer experts are urging shoppers to think twice before accepting promotions that promise painless financing. The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) warns that both buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans and so-called no interest credit card promotions can trap people in costly debt at a time when household obligations are already at historic highs.

Buy now, pay later loans can make unaffordable purchases look cheaper than they are, and zero-interest credit card promotions can be a risky hidden time bomb, said Lauren Saunders, associate director at NCLC, in a news release.

Despite their appeal, these products often come with fine-print pitfalls and, according to the group, a weakened regulatory environment is leaving consumers more exposed than in past years. With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) pulling back from aggressive oversight, advocates say its more important than ever for shoppers to protect themselves.

BNPL loans can mask high fees and repayment issues

BNPL services are marketed as an interest-free way to stretch out payments, but NCLC warns that lenders often charge late fees, bounced-payment fees and other add-ons that can quickly raise the true cost of a purchase. Consumers have also reported trouble cancelling BNPL loans when orders are returned or cancelled a problem that has left some paying off financing for items they never kept.

Managing several BNPL plans at once can be equally hazardous. With different due dates across multiple providers, shoppers may inadvertently trigger overdraft or nonsufficient-fund fees, compounding their financial strain.

Deferred-interest credit cards can deliver steep retroactive charges

Deferred-interest credit card promotions may be even more dangerous. Ads commonly promise no interest for 12 months or 0% until 2026, but the catch is buried deep: if the entire balance isnt paid off before the promotional period ends, the lender retroactively charges interest on the full purchase amount going all the way back to the original transaction date.

NCLC offers a stark example: a shopper who buys a $2,500 laptop under a one-year deferred-interest plan at 31% APR and pays down everything except $100 by the deadline would still be hit with roughly $430 in back-dated interest on the entire purchase.

Dont let deceptive financial promotions with huge, delayed charges ruin your holidays, said NCLC senior attorney Chi Chi Wu. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is. Dont let predatory lenders put you on the hook for this years holiday spending into next year and beyond.

Tips for safer holiday financing

For shoppers considering BNPL:

• Consider skipping purchases you cannot pay off immediately

• Review all fees and be cautious about BNPL-linked subscriptions

• Track payment dates closely and avoid juggling multiple BNPL plans

• Monitor total BNPL debt and know your right to cancel automatic payments

For those weighing interest-free credit card deals:

• Avoid deferred-interest promotions altogether

• Dont stack multiple deferred-interest purchases on one account

• Pay more than the minimum payment each month to reduce risk

A perfect storm of economic and environmental pressure is driving rates higher

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Auto insurance premiums have risen sharply across the U.S. in the past 1824 months.

• A mix of inflation, rising repair costs, severe weather, and riskier driving behavior is driving the increase.

• Industry analysts warn that higher rates may persist into next year unless claim volumes stabilize.

It's not just food and housing costs that are driving the affordability crisis. Auto insurance premiums are climbing at their fastest pace in decades, leaving millions of drivers puzzled and frustrated as renewal notices arrive with double-digit increases. Industry experts say the spike is the result of a perfect storm of economic and environmental pressures, many of which are outside insurers control.

While inflation has cooled in many sectors, its lingering impact continues to weigh heavily on auto coverage. The cost of new vehicles surged during the pandemic, and while prices have moderated, they remain elevated. Replacement parts, from bumpers to computer chips, also cost more than they did just a few years ago.

That means newer vehicles are not just more advanced but also more expensive to fix. Even a low-speed collision can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs because of sensors and electronics embedded in the body panels.

Repair shops have higher costs

Labor shortages in auto repair shops have driven wages higher, adding even more pressure to the final repair billand, ultimately, to insurers payouts.

Another major factor: Americans are driving differently. Data from transportation agencies shows that speeding, distracted driving, and fatal crashes have risen notably since 2020. Claims are not only more frequent but also more severe, resulting in higher settlements and higher medical payments.

Insurers say that trend has forced them to recalibrate premiums to reflect the increased risk on the road.

And then theres the weather

The rise in extreme weatherhailstorms, floods, hurricanes, and wildfireshas also delivered costly blows to insurance companies. Comprehensive claims, which cover non-collision damage, have jumped in many regions.

In states like Texas, Florida, and Colorado, severe weather has contributed to some of the highest year-over-year premium increases in the country. Cars damaged by hail, swept away in floods, or destroyed during hurricanes now represent a growing share of insurers losses.

What drivers can do

While rising premiums may be unavoidable, industry experts say consumers still have options:

• Review and adjust coverage levels to reflect current needs.

• Compare quotes across multiple insurers, as pricing varies widely.

• Ask about discounts for telematics programs, safe driving, bundling, or low-mileage usage.

• Improve credit scores in states where credit-based insurance scoring is allowed.

Unfortunately, many in the industry predict that rates may continue climbing through the next renewal cycle, though the pace could slow if claim frequency drops and repair costs stabilize.

For now, however, consumers should prepare for a marketplace where premiums reflect a mix of economic volatility and changing risk patterns on American roads.

Cybersecurity firms report an uptick in impersonation ahead of Black Friday

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Retail giant Amazon has issued a major security alert to its roughly 200220 million current Amazon Prime members globally, cautioning them about an uptick in sophisticated phishing attacks.

• The typical scam involves fake emails, text messages or calls telling a Prime subscriber that their membership is about to renewor that a payment method has failedthen directing them to a counterfeit login page to harvest their credentials and payment details.

• Amazon reports it shut down more than 55,000 phishing webpages and disabled over 12,000 phone numbers tied to impersonation fraud in the past year.

In a cybersecurity update earlier this year, Amazon alerted its massive Prime subscriber base that fraudsters are targeting the e-commerce giants customers with an array of impersonation designed to steal login credentials and payment information. That warning has been borne out.

According to several security firms, scammers are posing as Amazon representatives or as Prime-renewal notices to trick users into handing over sensitive data.

The most common ploy begins with an email, SMS or voicemail claiming the users Prime membership is about to renew at a higher cost, or that their account has been compromised and needs verification.

A conspicuous Cancel subscription or Update payment method link then leads to a fake Amazon login page. Once credentials are entered, scammers can gain control of the victims Amazon account and, potentially, any other online accounts using the same password.

Amazon warns that many of these spoofed messages contain personal details such as the recipients name, item history or even the last digits of their payment card data likely harvested from unrelated data breaches or dark-web sources in order to lend the email a veneer of authenticity.

What Amazon is doing

In its notice, Amazon states it has:

• Shut down over 55,000 phishing websites and blocked more than 12,000 phone numbers tied to impersonation .

• Introduced verified-sender badges (for example, in Gmail/Yahoo) so genuine Amazon emails carry the official smile-logo icon;

• Urged users to check their Amazon accounts Message Center for legitimate communications rather than relying solely on email links.

How users can protect themselves

Experts and Amazon alike recommend these steps:

1. Never click links in unexpected emails or texts. Instead, open the Amazon app or manually navigate to amazon.com (or your local site) and check your account status.

2. Enable two-step verification (2SV) on your Amazon account so that even if your password is stolen, the attacker still needs the second factor.

3. Use a strong, unique password for your Amazon account and avoid re-using the same password across multiple sites.

4. Monitor your credit-card and bank statements for unfamiliar charges, and respond quickly if you suspect youve entered credentials on a fake site.

5. Forward suspicious messages to Amazons abuse address (e.g., stop-spoofing@amazon.com) or report via the Report A Scam page in your region.

Why now?

Analysts say the timing of the alert is no coincidence. With large sale events like Prime Day and the upcoming holiday shopping season, users are already receiving more emails from Amazon about renewals, delivery status or deals making them more vulnerable to phishing attacks that piggyback on that noise.

Additionally, fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated in mimicking Amazons brand, styling emails and fake login pages to look nearly identical to the real thing, with womens names, order histories and other personal information that increases the victims sense of urgency or legitimacy.

Let chatbots shop around while you double-check the receipts

• Use AI chatbots for ideas and product comparisons, then confirm live prices on Yahoo Shopping, Google Shopping, or DealSeek

• On Amazon, pair Rufus (gift ideas + specs) with DealSeek (coupons + low-price alerts) before you check out

• Protect yourself by running sketchy links through scam checkers, typing retailer URLs in yourself, and avoiding any deal that wants gift cards or wire transfers

AI has officially gone from a tech buzzword to a holiday shopping sidekick.

According to Intuits 2025 Holiday Shopping Report, nearly 4 in 10 shoppers (39%) plan to use AI tools for gift buying this year, a 70% jump from last year. The top reasons include finding better prices and discounts (64%), discovering new products (51%), and getting more personalized recommendations (47%).

I spoke with smart shopping expert Trae Bodge, founder of TrueTrae.com, about the best ways to use AI toolsfor your Black Friday and Christmas shopping this year. And perhaps more importantly, how to avoid the inherent risks that come with them.

What AI is actually good for on Black Friday (and what its not)

Bodge says AI chatbots are great for the idea part of shopping, but are still a work in progress for the live deal-hunting piece.

I find AI chatbots to be helpful in finding deals and providing product recommendations, but I havent seen that chatbots can source the most current deals, she explains.

Use chatbots (like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) to:

• Brainstorm gift ideas for hard-to-shop-for people
• Narrow down options (for example, comparing features of similar TVs, headphones, or kitchen gadgets)
• Get a quick list of retailer policies or return rules to sanity-check before you buy

But when you need up-to-the-minute prices or doorbuster deals, Bodge recommends going to tools built specifically for that, such as Yahoo Shopping or Google Shopping.

These platforms use AI on the backend to surface and compare current prices, but theyre wired into real-time product feeds rather than just pulling from older web pages.

The bottom line is to use chatbots for strategy and product research, then use shopping engines and deal sites for live prices and promos.

Using Amazons Rufus to spot real deals (and good gifts)

If youre an Amazon shopper, Bodge is a fan of Rufus, Amazons built-in AI shopping assistant in the app and on desktop.

I do love Rufus, she says. I use it to ask in-depth questions about products, and its also helpful for gift suggestions if you dont know what to give someone you can tell Rufus about your recipient and ask for suggestions within a specified budget.

Heres how to put Rufus to work for holiday shopping:

Ask for tailored gift ideas

• Example: Gift ideas under $40 for a co-worker who loves coffee and travel.
• Example: Stocking stuffers under $15 for a 10-year-old who loves LEGOs and drawing.

Use it for deal scouting inside Amazon

• You can ask for top deals in [category] like top toy deals for kids ages 1012 or best TV deals under $500 with at least 4-star ratings.
• Rufus can surface daily deals and promotions and help you compare options based on features, reviews and price.

Ask follow-up questions before you buy

• Is this a good TV for a bright room?
• Which of these has the best battery life?

Rufus can even tie into Amazons newer AI features, like visual tools (Lens Live) and Help me decide, which help you compare similar products and get a best overall, budget pick, and upgrade option.

Youll still want to quickly compare against at least one other retailer or price-comparison tool, but Rufus can dramatically cut down the time you spend clicking through pages of listings.

Other AI tools that can quietly save you money

Travel planning and deals

Bodge says she doesnt personally use ChatGPT for travel prices because she usually has a specific destination and dates in mind.

But if your plans are flexible, chatbots can be super helpful for the following:

• Generating sample itineraries that are very helpful when researching a destination (for example, ask something like Create a 5-day Barcelona itinerary for 2 adults and a teen who loves art and food off the beaten path).
• Ive found that AI is also good at spotting off-peak travel dates and alternate airports that can knock a big chunk off the final price. Give this prompt a shot, Find the cheapest off-peak dates to fly from [HOME AIRPORT] to [DESTINATION] around [MONTH/RANGE], plus any cheaper nearby airports.
• Creating pre-travel checklists so you dont waste money on forgotten items or last-minute purchases.

Use the chatbot to sketch the trip, then price it out on actual travel sites. Try not to rely on the bot for final travel costs or availability.

Amazon-specific deal finder: DealSeek

If most of your holiday shopping happens on Amazon, Bodge calls out a newer tool called DealSeek.

DealSeek is an AI-powered site and app that scans Amazon for promo codes, coupons, and flash sales, and highlights what it says are some of the best deals at any given time, updated hourly.

Some users also rely on it to flag items that are at or near their lowest price in recent months, similar to what traditional price-tracking tools do.

How to use it smartly:

• Before you checkout on Amazon, search that item or category on DealSeek.
• Look for any hidden coupons or lower-than-normal price notes.
• Still double-check reviews and return policies back on Amazon before you buy, especially when buying from 3^rd parties.

AI can save you money but scammers are using it too

Bodge stresses that while AI can help you find deals, its also supercharging , especially around Black Friday.

Tools like McAfees Scam Detector, now part of McAfees core security plans, use machine learning to scan links, texts, emails, and even videos for signs of phishing, fraud, and deepfake manipulation.

According to Bodge, heres how a scam detector can protect you when doing your holiday shopping:

Check links from chatbots - If a popular AI chatbot like ChatGPT, Grok, or Gemini suggests a site youve never heard of, be sure to copy the URL and paste it into a scam-checking tool like McAfees Scam Detector to see if it looks suspicious before you click.

Scan sketchy texts and emails If you ever get a message telling you about a delivery problem, or a surprise account alert, dont blindly believe it. Run it through a scam-detection tools and itll analyze the full message and flag likely before you click on anything.

Spot deepfake ads and videos One of the newest AI is the use of fake celebrity or expert videos to push bogus shopping links. They look amazingly real, but if something seems a little off about them, you should trust your gut and investigate. Most Scam Detector (and similar tools) are built to catch these before you compromise your credit card information.

Quick safety rules to pair with your AI tools:

• Type in retailer URLs yourself instead of clicking links in messages.
• Be wary of any deal that requires payment via gift cards, wire transfer, or crypto.
• When in doubt, go directly to the retailers official site or app and look for the promotion there.

The takeaway: Let AI be your co-pilot, not your autopilot

This holiday season, AI can absolutely help you shop smarter:

• Use chatbots to brainstorm gifts, compare products and plan trips.
• Use AI-powered shopping engines and tools (Yahoo Shopping, Google Shopping, DealSeek) to surface real-time deals.
• Use security tools like McAfees Scam Detector to sanity-check links, messages and ads before you click.

But the basics still apply: compare prices, read reviews on trusted sites, and slow down before you enter payment info anywhere new.