Consumer News: Mortgage rates resumed their decline this week

The international economic group predicts US inflation could reach 4%

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Global inflation is now projected to reaccelerate to around 4% in 2026, reversing earlier expectations of steady decline

• The OECD warns energy shocks from the Middle East conflict are the primary driver, with oil prices surging and feeding through to consumer costs

• U.S. inflation could climb as high as 4.2% or more, with risks of a prolonged period above central bank targets

The U.S. inflation rate was fairly moderate at 2.4% Before February 28. But after the U.S.and Israel launched an attack on Iran, oil prices have surged. Now, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development predicts the world will face higher-than-expected inflation for the rest of the year, including the United States.

The United States faces particularly strong upward pressure. OECD projections suggest inflation could reach about 4.2% in 2026well above previous estimates and among the highest rates in advanced economies.

The Paris-based organization said recent disruptions to energy and commodity marketstriggered by escalating conflict in the Middle Easthave sharply altered the inflation trajectory that had been expected to ease this year.

Higher oil prices affect everything

At the center of the shift is a surge in oil prices, which have jumped above $100 per barrel after supply disruptions linked to the conflict. Higher fuel costs are feeding through to transportation, food, and industrial inputs, raising prices across a wide range of goods and services.

Other major economies are also seeing upward revisions. In the United Kingdom, for example, inflation is now expected to hit around 4% in 2026, reflecting both higher energy costs and broader price pressures.

The report marks a turning point in the global inflation narrative. After two years of tightening monetary policy and gradual disinflation, the OECD now sees energy prices as the dominant short-term driver of inflation risks.

If elevated oil and commodity prices persist, inflation could remain above central bank targets longer than expected, forcing policymakers to keep interest rates higher for longer.

The OECD emphasized that the duration of the inflation spike depends heavily on how long the geopolitical disruption lasts. A prolonged period of constrained energy supply would continue to push up business costs and consumer prices, while also weighing on economic growth.

As viewership shifts away from TV, the cost of streaming is rising

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Netflix has announced another round of subscription price increases across several of its plans

• The company cites rising production costs and continued investment in original content as key reasons

• The changes are expected to roll out gradually, affecting both new and existing subscribers

If you have a Netflix subscription, almost regardless of the level, prepare to pay more. Netflix is once again increasing the cost of its subscriptions, marking the latest in a series of price hikes as the streaming giant doubles down on original programming and global expansion. Netflix last raised rates in January 2025.

The company confirmed that several of its plans will see higher monthly fees in the coming months, with adjustments varying by region and subscription tier. Most plans will increase by $1. While Netflix did not present the move as abrupt, the increases reflect a broader industry trend: streaming is becoming more expensive as competition intensifies and content budgets swell.

In a statement, Netflix emphasized that the price changes are tied to its ongoing investment in content.

As we continue to deliver more value to our members through a wider variety of high-quality series, films, and live programming, we occasionally ask our members to pay a bit more, the company said.

Where costs will rise most

The standard and premium plans are expected to see the most noticeable increases, while lower-cost, ad-supported tiers may remain unchanged in some markets. Analysts say this strategy allows Netflix to retain price-sensitive users while encouraging upgrades from those seeking an ad-free experience.

The timing of the increase comes as Netflix continues to report steady subscriber growth after a turbulent period in recent years. Its push into live events, gaming, and international productions has broadened its appeal, but also significantly increased operational costs.

For example, this week, Netflix streamed MLB Opening Night, a game between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.

Other streamers also raising rates

Industry experts note that Netflix is not alone. Competitors such as Disney+, Hulu, and Max have also raised prices recently, signaling a shift away from the low-cost model that defined early streaming.

As viewership continues to shift from traditional TV to the internet, the era of cheap streaming is ending. Consumers are now paying closer to what traditional cable once costjust spread across multiple services.

For subscribers, the impact will depend on their current plan and region. Existing users will typically receive advance notice before the new pricing takes effect, giving them the option to change or cancel their subscription.

A new study links daily use among adolescents to declines in reading ability

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Regular social media use during early adolescence is linked to weaker reading and vocabulary development over time, new research shows.

• Teens who spend more time on social platforms are more likely to struggle with recognizing and pronouncing words.

• The findings come as governments worldwide weigh restrictions on youth social media use, including Australias recent ban for children under 16.

If your childs grades have started to suffer, there may be a reason other than not doing their homework. A new study from the University of Georgia is raising concerns about how frequent social media use may be shaping young minds, linking higher daily use among adolescents to declines in reading ability and vocabulary development over time.

The research, published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence, analyzed longitudinal data from more than 10,000 participants in the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Tracking children from around age 10 over six years, researchers found that those who used social media more frequently showed weaker progress in reading and vocabulary skills across four years.

Lead author Cory Carvalho said the findings reflect how the brain adapts to repeated behaviors.

The brain is like a muscle, Carvalho said. If kids spend over eight hours a day using social media, thats what their brains are going to adapt to and be wired for.

What exactly is time cost?

Researchers suggest the issue may be partly due to what they call a time cost. Time spent scrolling, posting and engaging online may displace activities like reading, which are critical for language development.

Theres a time cost to social media use, Carvalho said. If youre spending time doing one thing, that means youre not spending time doing another thing.

The study also found that adolescents who frequently use social media tend to struggle more with attention control. Constant notifications and multitasking may fragment focus, though researchers note the relationship could work both ways teens who already have trouble concentrating may be more drawn to social platforms.

Not entirely a bad thing

Despite the concerns, the researchers emphasized that social medias effects are not entirely negative. Adolescents who used social media more often demonstrated faster information processing speeds and quicker reaction times in screen-based tests.

Its not necessarily that social media is having only these negative effects or only these positive effects, said co-author Niyantri Ravindran. But the negative effects on vocabulary and reading are more expected because social media may reduce opportunities to engage in higher-level cognitive skills.

The study arrives at a time of growing global debate over childrens access to social media. Australia recently became the first country to ban social media use for children under 16, and other nations are considering similar measures. Days ago, a jury in New Mexico found Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, liable in the death of a child. Meanwhile, platforms are increasingly rolling out age verification tools.

Researchers say the findings add to the urgency of understanding how digital habits affect childhood development.

Recommendations

To help mitigate potential downsides, the studys authors recommend that parents limit screen time, particularly before bedtime, and consider delaying smartphone ownership. For families needing to stay in touch, simpler phones without social media access may be a practical alternative.

Social media is new, so everybodys trying to figure out what we do with this new paradigm, Carvalho said. Hopefully, we settle on some norms that work for kids and not for profits.

Researchers found that lifelong learning habits may help delay memory loss by years

• Staying mentally active throughout life may delay Alzheimers symptoms by several years.

• Researchers tracked nearly 2,000 older adults and their lifelong learning habits.

• The findings show a strong link but not proof that mental activity protects brain health.

If youve ever been told to keep your mind active, new research suggests that advice may carry more weight than we thought.

A study highlighted by the American Academy of Neurology looked at how lifelong learning things like reading, writing, and engaging in intellectually stimulating activities relates to cognitive health later in life.

The findings suggest that people who regularly challenged their brains over the years developed Alzheimers disease later than those who didnt. In fact, the difference was meaningful: those with the highest levels of mental engagement showed symptoms about five years later than those with the lowest levels.

Our study looked at cognitive enrichment from childhood to later life, focusing on activities and resources that stimulate the mind, study author Andrea Zammit, Ph.D., said in a news release. Our findings suggest that cognitive health in later life is strongly influenced by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments.

How the study worked

The research, published in the journal Neurology, followed 1,939 older adults who did not have dementia at the start of the study. Participants were around 80 years old on average.

Researchers asked participants to report how often they engaged in mentally stimulating activities at different stages of life during childhood, midlife, and later years. These activities included things like reading books, writing, visiting libraries or museums, and even learning new languages.

Using those responses, the researchers created a cognitive enrichment score to estimate how mentally active each person had been over their lifetime. Participants were then followed for about eight years, during which researchers tracked who developed Alzheimers disease or mild cognitive impairment.

What the researchers found

Over the course of the study, 551 participants developed Alzheimers disease and 719 developed mild cognitive impairment.

When researchers compared groups, they found that people with the highest levels of lifelong mental activity were less likely to develop Alzheimers and when they did, it happened later. For example, about 21% of those with the highest cognitive engagement developed Alzheimers, compared to 34% of those with the lowest levels.

Still, the researchers are careful to point out that this study shows an association, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. In other words, staying mentally active may help delay cognitive decline, but it doesnt guarantee protection.

Our findings are encouraging, suggesting that consistently engaging in a variety of mentally stimulating activities throughout life may make a difference in cognition, said Dr. Zammit. Public investments that expand access to enriching environments, like libraries and early education programs designed to spark a lifelong love of learning, may help reduce the incidence of dementia.

Researchers explored the ways that everyday stressors can impact overall health

• Financial stress and food insecurity may play a major role in how quickly the heart ages.

• Researchers analyzed data from more than 280,000 adults using AI-powered heart assessments.

• Social factors were found to rival and sometimes exceed traditional heart disease risks.

When we think about heart health, things like cholesterol, blood pressure, and diet usually come to mind.

However, new research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests theres more to the story. According to the study, everyday challenges like worrying about money or not having consistent access to food could have a measurable impact on how quickly your heart ages.

This concept centers around something called cardiac age, which reflects how old your heart appears biologically not just how many birthdays youve had. A higher cardiac age compared to your actual age can signal a greater risk of future heart problems. Whats notable here is that social and economic stressors often overlooked in medical settings may significantly influence that aging process.

Given the increasing life expectancy of the population and the enhanced burden of diseases in the elderly, the primary health care focus has shifted in the past decade to healthy aging and improved quality of life. This shift has also led to the search for new measures of biological aging, lead investigator Amir Lerman, M.D., said in a news release.

Our current research was motivated by the observation that traditional risk factors do not explain and contribute equally to cardiovascular disease. There are social factors that we do not identify or inquire about from our patients that may potentially reverse biological aging.

How researchers studied the link

To explore this connection, researchers conducted a large cross-sectional study involving more than 280,000 adults who received care at Mayo Clinic between 2018 and 2023.

Participants completed a questionnaire that measured nine different social determinants of health. These included factors like financial strain, food insecurity, housing stability, stress levels, physical activity, and social connections.

From there, researchers used an artificial intelligenceenabled electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) to estimate each persons cardiac age. This tool allowed them to compare a persons biological heart age to their actual age something traditional methods dont always capture.

They then applied advanced statistical modeling to understand how these social factors interacted with more traditional health risks, like existing medical conditions or demographic characteristics.

What the study found

The results point to a clear pattern: social and economic stressors play a major role in heart aging. In fact, the combined impact of these factors was found to be one of the strongest predictors of accelerated cardiac aging even when compared to traditional clinical risks.

Among all the factors studied, financial strain and food insecurity stood out as the most influential. People dealing with these challenges were more likely to have a higher cardiac age, meaning their hearts appeared biologically older than expected.

The study also found that certain social conditions including financial hardship, unstable housing, and low physical activity were strongly linked to a higher risk of death, sometimes matching or exceeding conventional risk factors.

While the findings dont prove cause and effect, they highlight an important takeaway: health isnt shaped by medical factors alone. The conditions people live in including access to food and financial stability may play a meaningful role in long-term heart health.

Identifying the most important risk factors for cardiac aging allows for targeted preventive intervention in the community and empowers physicians to engage in patient-centered care, addressing the social context that contributes to heart disease, Dr. Lerman said.