Dental floss, cookware, cleaning products may be banned

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

Cancellation form was too hard to find and consumers were ignored when they tried to quit, FTC charges

• FTC says Chegg buried its cancellation process and ignored requests to stop billing

• Nearly 200,000 consumers were charged after canceling, according to the complaint

• Settlement provides $7.5 million in refunds and requires easier cancellations

Chegg, a "study solutions" companywill be required to pay $7.5 million to refund customers who were charged for subscriptions even after they tried to cancel. The Federal Trade Commission alleges the education technology company used confusing and unlawful practices that made it nearly impossible for students and parents to stop recurring charges.

According to the FTC, Chegg continued billing nearly 200,000 consumers after cancellation requests since October 2020. The cancellation process was buried on its websites, required multiple clicks to find, and was so cumbersome that many people gave up. Despite consumer complaints and its own awareness that the process was flawed Chegg did not improve access to the cancellation link.

FTC: canceling must be simple

It harms the American people when companies fail to provide simple mechanisms to cancel recurring charges, said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection. He said the agency is stepping up enforcement of the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act, which requires clear disclosures, informed consent, and straightforward cancellation options.

This is not Cheggs first run-in with the FTC. In 2022, the company agreed to improve data security and purge unnecessary personal information after its weak safeguards exposed sensitive information about millions of consumers and employees.

Refunds and reforms ahead

Under the new proposed order, Chegg must not only provide refunds but also maintain simple, visible cancellation mechanisms across all its subscription services. The settlement was filed in federal court in California following a unanimous 3-0 vote by the Commission.

How to claim a refund

• The $7.5 million settlement will be distributed to consumers who were improperly charged.

• Refunds will be handled by the FTC once the court approves the settlement.

• Consumers do not need to take action yet the FTC will contact eligible individuals directly by email or mail with instructions.

• Updates will be posted on the FTCs official refund page: ftc.gov/refunds.

The decline reflects higher credit card utilization and a rise in missed payments

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• FICOs inaugural Credit Insights report shows U.S. credit scores dipping as inflation and student loan payments weigh on consumers.
  

• Gen Z faces the steepest declines, with student loan debt driving higher financial volatility.
  

• Auto loans now rank above mortgages in repayment priority, underscoring a major shift in consumer payment behavior.
  

FICO, the analytics software firm behind the widely used FICO Score, has released its first-ever Credit Insights report, offering a detailed look at how consumer credit behavior is evolving amid inflation, resumed student loan payments, and shifting financial priorities.

With 90% of top U.S. lenders relying on FICO Scores, the findings provide a window into how millions of Americans are managing debt in a changing economy.

The national average FICO Score now stands at 715, a two-point dip from 2024. While modest, the decline reflects higher credit card utilization and a rise in missed payments, some tied to the resumption of student loan delinquency reporting.

Consumers are adapting whether by prioritizing essential payments like auto loans, navigating the return of student loan obligations, or actively monitoring their credit health, said Julie May, vice president and general manager of B2B Scores at FICO.

Younger borrowers hit hardest

The report highlights that Gen Z, ages 18 to 29, experienced the sharpest score decline, down three points year-over-year. Younger consumers also had more frequent large swings with scores fluctuating by 50 points or more reflecting greater financial instability. Student loan debt remains a central factor: 34% of Gen Z hold student loans, compared to just 17% of the overall population.

Nearly half of Gen Z respondents to a FICO/Harris Poll survey said they relied on credit cards or Buy Now, Pay Later loans in the past year after experiencing job or income loss.

The distribution of credit scores continues to fragment. Consumers in the middle score range (600749) have declined, dropping from 38.1% of the population in 2021 to 33.8% in 2025. More borrowers are clustering at either the high or low ends, a reflection of the uneven K-shaped recovery.

This data reflects a K-shaped economy, where consumers are experiencing different financial outcomes but also adapting in meaningful ways, said Tommy Lee, senior director of Predictive Scores and Analytics at FICO.

Car payments now top priority

The traditional payment hierarchy has shifted. Consumers are now 19% more likely to pay their auto loans than mortgages, placing vehicles at the top of repayment priorities. Mortgages still rank higher than personal loans and credit cards, while student loans now sit at the bottomeven for higher-scoring borrowers.

This reprioritization highlights how borrowers are strategically protecting essential assets like transportation, often critical for maintaining employment.

The report also tracked delinquency rates since 2021:

• Auto loans: up 24%, with affordability a challenge across all score groups.

• Credit cards: up 48%, as utilization climbed to 35.5%.

• Mortgages: up 58%, though still below pre-pandemic levels.

• Personal loans: declining, aided by tighter underwriting standards.

Despite financial pressures, Americans are increasingly proactive about tracking their credit health. The survey found:

• 71% check their credit scores multiple times per year.

• Nearly half of Gen Z (46%) and Millennials (45%) monitor their scores monthly.

• 24% of Americans opened a new credit card in the past year, and 13% opened a personal loan as a financial cushion.

2025 marks the smallest fuel burden on household budgets in two decades.

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• In 2025, drivers are expected to spend less than 2% of disposable income on gas the smallest share in two decades.

• The average price of regular gasoline is $3.12 per gallon, down compared to last week, last month, and last year, with most states seeing decreases except parts of the West Coast facing infrastructure-related increases.

• Prices range from as low as $2.68 in Mississippi to as high as $4.64 in California and Washington, though the median U.S. price is $2.95 per gallon, with many common prices under $3.

While restaurant bills can put a dent in your wallet, paying for the gasoline to get you to the restaurant wont. A report by the Energy Information Administration found that drivers are expected to spend the smallest share of their disposable income on gasoline this year than at any time in the past two decades.

The agencys report said less than 2% of people's personal disposable income will be spent on gasoline in 2025, down from an average of 2.4% over the previous decade. Excluding 2020, when the pandemic made gas incredibly cheap, thats the lowest percentage since 2025.

According to GasBuddy data, the national average price of gasoline is down 3.6 cents in just the last week and stands at $3.12 per gallon.

Thats 1.8 cents lower than a month ago and is 2.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 2.6 cents in the last week and stands at $3.658 per gallon.

The West Coast is still expensive

While gas prices fell in more states than they rose last week, the West Coast continues to face challenges, with Oregon and Washington seeing some of the largest increases due to regional infrastructure issues, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in the companys blog.

The good news is that the transition to cheaper winter gasoline begins across most of the nation, and with improvements underway in the West Coast market, I expect that average gas prices will continue to decline in the weeks ahead in most states assuming hurricane season remains quiet.

Drivers have benefited in two ways. First, gas prices have remained stable for months, making it easier to budget for fuel. Second, adjusted for inflation, gas prices are about the same as they were five decades ago.

In 1970, the national average retail price of regular gasoline in the United States was about $0.36 per gallon. To put that in perspective, adjusted for inflation, thats roughly $2.80$3.00 per gallon in todays dollars.

Below $3 a gallon

According to GasBuddy, the most common U.S. gas price encountered by motorists is $2.99 per gallon, unchanged from last week, followed by $2.89, $2.79, $3.09, and $2.69, rounding out the top five most common prices.

The median U.S. gas price is $2.95 per gallon, down 4 cents from last week and about 17 cents lower than the national average.

The top 10% of stations in the country average $4.45 per gallon, while the bottom 10% average $2.58 per gallon.

The states with the lowest average prices: Mississippi ($2.68), Oklahoma ($2.73), and Arkansas ($2.75).

The states with the highest average prices: California ($4.64), Washington ($4.64), and Hawaii ($4.45).

Airlines insist the fume events are rare

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Toxic fumes from engine oil and hydraulic fluids have been reported inside commercial aircraft cabins.

• Flight attendants and passengers have described symptoms ranging from headaches to breathing difficulties.

• Safety advocates are calling for more stringent monitoring and filtration systems.

For most travelers, stepping onto a plane means trusting in a finely tuned system of engineering and safety. But a little-known issue is troubling aviation experts: toxic fumes, sometimes known as fume events, can seep into commercial aircraft cabins, exposing passengers and crew to harmful chemicals, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Commercial jet engines use synthetic oils and hydraulic fluids that can contain toxic additives. Under certain conditions, such as faulty seals, overheating, or mechanical wear, small amounts of these substances can leak into the air supply. Because most modern airplanes use a system called bleed air, drawing cabin air directly from the engines, fumes can enter the cabin circulation system undetected.

Symptoms among passengers and crew

Flight attendants unions have long warned about the health effects of fume events. Symptoms reported include dizziness, nausea, headaches, breathing problems, and, in some cases, long-term neurological issues. Passengers often chalk these experiences up to motion sickness or jet lag, meaning the true extent of the problem may be underreported.

Airlines maintain that fume events are rare, but they do occur worldwide. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have both acknowledged the issue.

However, there are currently no mandatory systems on most aircraft to detect or filter toxic fumes. Some newer planes, like the Boeing 787, avoid bleed-air systems altogether, but the majority of the global fleet still relies on older designs.

What consumers should know

• If you notice a strong chemical, oily, or dirty socks smell in the cabin, report it to the crew.

• Document any symptoms you experience during or after the flight.

• Flight attendants organizations recommend seeking medical attention if symptoms are severe or persistent.

Consumer safety groups are urging airlines to be more transparent about fume events and to install onboard sensors that can detect contaminated air in real time. Advocates argue that until detection and prevention become standard, passengers and crew remain vulnerable to invisible hazards at 30,000 feet.