Consumer News: Pending home sales dropped by 5.5% in December

Tips to outsmart the grocery store at every turn

• Stores slow you down on purpose by forcing you past impulse items, narrowing aisles, and stretching the distance to basic staples longer trips almost always mean higher grocery bills.

• Deals often override your math brain as sale signs, BOGOs, and endcaps trigger urgency and trust even when the unit price doesnt actually favor you.

• Placement beats value when eye-level shelves and oversized multi-packs quietly push higher-margin items while better deals sit lower or in smaller sizes.

Grocery bills didnt creep up by accident. Yes, food costs are higher, but grocery stores also got much better at using tricks to nudge shoppers to spend more without them realizing it.

Once you see these tricks, I guarantee you wont be able to unsee them. And once you stop reacting emotionally in the snack food aisle, your grocery bill will start to drop fast.

Layout psychology: Why you walk so far for basics

Have you ever noticed how milk, eggs, bread, and meat are always on the edges of the store, often against the sides and back wall? This is not done on accident.

It forces you to walk past all of the yummy snacks, drinks, seasonal items, and impulse foods just to fill your fridge and pantry with some of the basics.

Stores also design some aisles to slow you down and make your trip last longer. They do this by having wider main aisles to encourage you to wander. Then theyll have much narrower side aisles that force you to stop and let others pass, as well as making you navigate around displays.

The narrow aisles are to try and increase your brain load, which psychologists say weakens your impulse control, making add-on purchases more likely.

Why it works:

Studies consistently show that longer trips equal more stuff you throw in your cart, even when shoppers swear theyre just grabbing a few things.

How to avoid it:

• Treat grocery shopping like a mission to get in and out as quickly as possible. Do NOT treat it like an experience.
• Start with your perimeter items first, then only venture into the middle aisles to grab something on your list.
• Avoid browsing aisles just in case you forgot something; youll inevitably buy something you dont need.
• If you notice yourself drifting and not staying on task, thats your sign that its time to head to the checkout aisle.

Sale illusions: When the sign lies

Not all sales are fake, but many are definitely misleading.

Understand that stores actually rotate items through a sale cycle periodically, often without changing the price. Some items are even marked on sale more often than theyre sold at full price.

Youll even see stores raise the price of a product for a couple of weeks, just so they can mark it down to make it look like a great deal.

Why it works:

They know that when your brain sees the word Sale, it subconsciously gives you permission to stop checking for a better deal or doing any price comparisons.

How to avoid it:

• Get in the mindset of never trusting a sale sign alone.
• Always check the unit price and compare it to what you usually pay.
• If you dont know the normal price of something, skip it, especially if you dont necessarily need it right now.
• Keep a mental (or notes app, or camera roll folder) price list for your staples that you can quickly double-check when youre not sure if its a good deal or not.

BOGO manipulation: The math rarely favors you

BOGO deals are designed to increase the amount you buy and not necessarily to save you money.

With these types of deals, you often see a base price thats a bit inflated so the free item simply brings the cost back down to normal, or even slightly above. On top of that, buying two of something locks you into spending more money today, whether you actually need it or not.

For perishables, the waste factor alone kills the value of the deal.

Why it works:

Free triggers urgency in your brain and can override any buying restraint you might have.

How to avoid it:

• If its a buy 2, get 1 free deal, ask yourself if you would actually buy two at full price if the promo didnt exist.
• Be sure to compare the unit price to any single-item options that can you find. I like to do this to see if the BOGO deal isnt just fake marketing.
• I will typically skip BOGOs when it comes to produce, dairy, and baked goods unless I have some meals planned thatll use the stuff right away.

Shelf placement: Paying more for eye-level comfort

The eye-level shelves in a grocery store are premium real estate. Brands pay a lot for that placement because it has been proven to increase their sales. Just because a product is at eye level does not mean it tastes better or is a better deal.

So, get in the habit of looking on the low shelves as some of the better deals hide there.

Lower shelves often contain:

• Larger sizes
• Fewer frills
• Better value per unit

Why it works:

Naturally, your pupils land on the eye-level shelves first, and your brain assumes that they must be more popular and thus taste better. Wrong.

How to avoid it:

• Scan the entire shelf vertically, not horizontally.
• Make it a habit to check the bottom shelves first.
• Compare the ingredients, not the fancy packaging or branding.
• Looking down can save real money over the course of a year.

Endcaps: The illusion of featured = discounted

Endcaps, which are the small sections at the end of each aisle, exist because they make stores a lot of money.

Theyre placed at natural stopping points and intersections, catching your attention when you tend to slow down to work your way around a corner.

Most items on endcaps are either overstocked, seasonal, or offer a high profit margin for the store. This is why you never find discounted essentials in the endcaps.

Why it works:

High-visibility areas feel like an endorsement that this is something you need and it must be a good deal if the store puts it there.

How to avoid it:

• Treat endcaps like a store ad and not necessarily an opportunity to save money.
• Never buy from an endcap without checking the unit price first.
• If its not on your list, always pause before grabbing anything from an endcap.

Multi-pack math: Bigger isnt always better

Packaging with words like family size, value pack, and jumbo are not guarantees that youre actually saving money buying the larger size.

Retailers these days increasingly use multi-packs to do the following:

• To slip higher per-unit costs past shoppers not paying attention.
• Reduce comparison shopping as most think bigger must mean cheaper.
• Encouragewasteas stores dont care if you end up having to throw stuff away that goes bad.

In actuality, some multi-packs are actually a worse deal than buying smaller units individually.

Why it works:

Your brain associates size with savings automatically.

How to avoid it:

• I try to ignore packaging language and any marketing signs.
• Always compare price per ounce or unit to guarantee you avoid this trick.
• Dont buy bulk or family sizes unless you have room to store it and you know youll use it before the expiration date.

Service interruption affects mostly Verizon but some other customers also report problems

Why fake IRS messages and phony tax help are fooling more Americans, and what experts say to watch for

• Scammers are impersonating the IRS and tax prep services through urgent emails, texts, and calls designed to steal personal and financial information.

• Fake refund alerts and phony tax help offers can lead to identity theft and financial loss, with victims often spending months trying to recover.

• Slowing down, ignoring urgent requests, and verifying messages through official IRS channels can help consumers avoid falling victim this tax season.

Tax season already comes with plenty of stress confusing forms, changing rules, and the pressure to file on time. Unfortunately, scammers know that too, and theyre using it to their advantage.

Cybercriminals are ramping up tax-related that impersonate the IRS, tax preparation companies, and even government-backed filing programs. These schemes often show up as urgent emails, text messages, or calls claiming theres a problem with your return, a refund waiting to be claimed, or free tax help you didnt ask for.

The goal is simple: get your personal or financial information before you realize somethings wrong.

ConsumerAffairs interviewed Lynette Owens, Vice President of Consumer Marketing & Education at Trend Micro, who explained why tax season is prime time for scammers and the red flags consumers should never ignore when filing their taxes.

Scammer impersonation tactics

Owens shared three of the most common scammer impersonation tactics that you may come across the tax season:

• Fake refund or account alert messages that claim something is wrong and demand immediate action.

• IRS account problem alerts designed to steal login credentials and sensitive details through fake login pages.

• Fraudulent tax assistance offers, where scammers pose as government-backed or low-cost help to collect personal and financial information.

A legitimate tax service or the IRS wont reach out unexpectedly by email, text, or social media, and they wont pressure you to act immediately, Owens said.

Scam messages often sound urgent, include links or attachments, and ask for sensitive information right away. If a message creates panic or pushes consumers to act fast, thats a strong warning sign.

Steering clear of scammers

For those who fall victim to these , the most serious consequences are identity theft and financial loss.

Once scammers have personal information, they can file fraudulent tax returns, steal refunds, open credit accounts, and/or access bank funds, Owens said. Victims often spend months trying to recover financially and restore their identities.

If you suspect youre being targeted, here are three tips to help you navigate the situation:

• First, stop engaging immediately. Dont click links, download attachments, or reply.

• Second, report the scam by forwarding phishing emails to phishing@irs.gov and reporting it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

• Third, take steps to protect your identity by monitoring financial accounts, changing passwords, and placing a fraud alert or freeze on your credit report if necessary.

Scammers rely on fear, urgency or false promises, especially during tax season, Owens said. Its important to slow down, verify information such as any new filing processes or opportunities for deductions through official IRS channels, and use trusted security tools to verify if anything you see online can be trusted or not.

These steps can help keep scammers at bay and ensure you are able to safely and successfully file your taxes this year.

Researchers found harmful pollution can linger indoors long after skies clear, raising new concerns for families returning home after wildfires

• Wildfire smoke can keep polluting your home long after the flames are out, with harmful chemicals lingering indoors even when outdoor air looks clean again.

• Indoor air can sometimes be worse than outdoor air after a wildfire, as smoke-damaged materials continue releasing toxic VOCs like benzene and toluene.

• Families can take steps to reduce exposure, including smart ventilation, high-quality filtration, and careful cleaning to limit long-term health risks.

When wildfire smoke finally clears, most people assume the danger has passed. The skies look blue again, the air smells normal, and life slowly returns to routine. But according to a new study from UCLAs Fielding School of Public Health, the air inside your home may still be far from safe even weeks after a wildfire is out.

The research found that wildfire smoke can leave behind volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that continue to seep into indoor air long after outdoor air quality improves. Some of these pollutants are known to be harmful even carcinogenic and in certain cases, indoor pollution levels can actually be higher than whats measured outside during the recovery period. In other words, going back inside doesnt always mean youre breathing cleaner air.

As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense across the U.S., the findings reveal a major blind spot for homeowners and renters who assume their homes reset once the smoke is gone. ConsumerAffairs spoke with Glory Dolphin Hammes, CEO of air quality company IQAir, to learn more about these health risks and what steps families can take to reduce them.

The risks of poor air quality

What should consumers be most worried about? According to Dolphin Hammes, it comes down to exposure to VOCs days and weeks later.

VOCs like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes were elevated more in the post-fire period than during active burning, especially in unoccupied homes, showing that residents can be exposed long after visible smoke is gone, she said. This means simply returning home wont automatically eliminate risk.

On top of that, these chemicals can increase consumers health risks long-term.

These VOCs are released from smoke-impacted materials and can continue to off-gas, elevating indoor exposure. Benzene is a known carcinogen, and long-term exposure can increase cancer risk. Toluene and xylene can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, affect the nervous system, and exacerbate asthma. Ethylbenzene can contribute to respiratory and neurological symptoms. These chemicals are also common in building materials and household products, compounding risk after smoke infiltration.

Reducing chemical exposure

If youve been exposed to these chemicals, Dolphin Hammes encourages consumers to start taking action immediately to limit their health risks. Here are some of her best tips:

• Increase ventilation wisely by opening windows when outdoor air quality improves and outdoor VOCs are lower.

• Run your HVAC system in recirculation with a MERV 13+ filter to avoid drawing outdoor pollution inside.

• Deploy high-performance filtration and activated carbon systems to capture PM2.5, ultrafine particles, and VOCs at high efficiency.

• Clean smoke-soiled surfaces and materials using wet methods (avoid dry sweeping/vacuuming without HEPA filters), and remove or clean fabrics that absorbed smoke.

Continual filtration and cleaning give the biggest reductions in indoor exposures, she explained. When cleaning, avoid using cleaning sprays since nearly all cleaning sprays also release VOCs.

The importance of indoor air quality

Dolphin Hammes explained that indoor air quality is traditionally more polluted than outdoors even in the absence of a wildfire. Because of this, taking steps to filter your air and take the necessary precautions can ensure your family is breathing the cleanest quality air in your home.

Consumers should understand that persisting indoor pollutants arent always detectable by smell, but they can still harm health, she said. Robust filtration tailored to your home size and pollutant mix is more effective than ad-hoc solutions.

Long-term strategies like replacing carpets and upholstery exposed to heavy smoke, cleaning HVAC ducts, and maintaining high-efficiency filters can reduce ongoing emissions. Finally, blended strategies monitoring + filtration + source control + ventilation consistently deliver the greatest health protection. Because indoor air affects every breath you take, post-wildfire indoor air quality deserves the same attention as outdoor air decisions.

Risk for adults who reported medical debt 7% higher than average

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Adults with medical debt face a sharply higher risk of housing instability, including trouble paying rent or a mortgage.

• A new national study found medical debt is linked to a 44% higher likelihood of housing problems the following year.

• Researchers warn the findings highlight a growing affordability crisis that connects health care costs with housing security.

Some surveys have found that medical bills are the most common financial factor cited by individuals who file for bankruptcy, though the exact share is hard to determine. However, new data show new evidence that medical bills can severely impact Americans financial lives.

For example, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reports that people burdened by medical debt are significantly more likely to experience housing instability in the following year.

Their study, published January 12 in JAMA Network Open, found that adults who reported medical debt in 2024 had a seven-percentage-point higher chance of facing housing instability in 2025 than those without medical debt. That difference translates to a 44% increased risk of problems such as difficulty paying rent or a mortgage, eviction, or foreclosure.

The findings add to mounting evidence that medical debtalready a widespread issue in the United Statescan have cascading effects that reach well beyond health care itself.

A common and costly burden

Using data from a nationally representative survey, researchers analyzed responses from 1,515 U.S. adults who participated annually between 2023 and 2025. About one in six respondents reported having medical debt in 2024, while roughly one in 12 reported housing instability in 2025.

Of the 240 participants who said they had medical debt in 2024, 60 reported experiencing housing instability the following year. Renters were particularly affected, accounting for about two in five adults with medical debt in 2025.

Given what we know about the importance of housing for health, these findings suggest that for many people, receiving health care can lead to medical debt, and then to housing instability, said Kyle Moon, the studys first author and a doctoral candidate in the Bloomberg Schools Department of Mental Health. This can create a cascade of consequences, including delayed health care, that jeopardizes health.

The broader affordability picture

The research team, led by senior author Dr. Catherine Ettman, examined how financial stressors interact to affect health and well-being. Health care costs in the U.S. can be high even for insured individuals, and medical debt affects tens of millions of households nationwide.

Earlier research by Ettman and colleagues linked medical debt to skipping mental health care in subsequent years. Other studies have shown similar connections between medical debt and forgoing needed medical treatment.

This analysis weaves together two important drivers of affordability in the United States, Ettman said. It suggests that medical debt is linked with housing instability, which we know could have further influence on health outcomes.

The study draws on data from the Cumulative Life Stressors Impact on Mental Health and Well Being (CLIMB) Study, which began in 2020 to measure the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey now tracks a wide range of health and socioeconomic factors, including income, savings, insurance coverage, and housing stability.