Consumer News: Consumer worries about tariff-induced inflation focus on utility bills

While prices decline in Sunbelt cities, theyre rising in colder climates

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Realtor.coms 2026 Housing Markets ranking shows a sharp regional shift, with the Northeast and Midwest dominating the top spots after years of Southern and Western leadership.

• Hartford, Conn., Rochester, N.Y., and Worcester, Mass., lead the forecast as refuge markets drawing buyers seeking affordability, stability, and more space for the price.

• Tight inventory, limited new construction, and financially strong buyers are expected to fuel some of the nations fastest price and sales growth next year.

Realtor.com has released its ranking of the Top Housing Markets for 2026, and it reveals a dramatic geographic reshuffling in the U.S. real estate landscape. After several years in which fast-growing Southern and Western metros dominated growth lists, the markets projected to outperform in 2026 are concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest, led by Hartford, Conn.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Worcester, Mass.

Homeowners in this markets can expect to see the values of their homes increase next year. On the flip side, buyers will face higher prices.

The shift reflects a national market cooling from pandemic-era extremes, paired with buyer demand increasingly centered on value, affordability, and stability rather than rapid growth or warm-weather appeal.

Buyers seek out refuge markets

With price growth expected to ease nationally and modest mortgage rate relief on the horizon, many home shoppers are redirecting their searches toward markets that offer more for their money. Realtor.com labels these metros refuge markets cities where home prices remain accessible relative to nearby major hubs such as New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

In Q3 2025, 40% of listing views in the top 10 markets came from out-of-metro shoppers, up sharply from 31% before mortgage rates began rising in 2022. These destinations are especially attractive to first-time buyers and relocating households priced out of coastal or high-growth regions.

Across the top 10 markets, the median list price is $384,000, well below the national median of $415,000.

Strong demand pushes prices higher

Even with relatively low price points, buyers face strong competition. Many top markets are grappling with severe inventory shortages, including Hartford, Worcester, and New Haven, each still 60% below pre-pandemic inventory levels. Limited new construction exacerbates the supply crunch: nine of the top 10 metros have fewer new-home listings than the national average.

When new construction does appear, its costly. The premium on new homes in these metros is at least double the national average of 10.2%.

The combination of scarcity and steady demand is pushing prices higher at a pace that outstrips national trends. While U.S. list prices have been essentially flat since 2022, prices in these refuge metros are up 16.3% on average, led by Toledo, Ohios 33.4% surge.

One advantage of these rising markets: lower mortgage lock-in pressure. In many of the top metros, prospective buyers face a smaller jump in monthly payments compared with current homeowners than the national norm. In Rochester, Toledo, and Pittsburgh, buyers would spend 32.5% to 56.4% morefar below the 73.2% national averagewhen replacing an existing mortgage, making it easier for owners to move and freeing up listings.

Older, smaller houses

Top metros tend to have older residents and older homes, conditions that contribute to stablebut tighthousing supply. Median homeowner ages in the top markets often fall in the mid-50s, far above the U.S. median of 40. Pittsburgh leads at age 57.

Housing stock is similarly mature: eight of the top 10 metros have median home build years before 1965, compared with the national median of 1981. Homes also tend to be smaller, with several marketsespecially Toledo and Pittsburghwell below the national median of 1,834 square feet.

These characteristics limit turnover and restrict inventory, reinforcing upward pressure on prices even as affordability draws in new buyers.

It will mainly help people who take out short-term loans

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Federal Reserve cuts its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points, bringing the federal-funds rate to 3.50 %3.75 % the lowest in nearly three years.

• The decision, made amid internal division among policymakers, marks the third consecutive rate reduction this year as the central bank balances sluggish labor market data with persistent inflation.

• Consumers can expect mixed effects: cheaper borrowing costs for many loans, but likely lower yields on savings and deposit accounts over time.

The Federal Reserve has announced a quarter-point cut in its benchmark interest rate, setting the federal-funds target range at 3.50 % to 3.75 % the lowest level in nearly three years. The rate reduction, the third in 2025, reflects growing concern among central bankers about a cooling job market and slowing economic momentum, even as inflation remains stubbornly above the Feds long-term 2 % objective.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) vote was not unanimous; divisions within the Fed underscored how policymakers differ on the risks facing the U.S. economy and the appropriate pace of future rate changes. These debates are likely to shape the banks approach well into 2026.

What it means for consumers

For everyday Americans, the Feds rate cut has a range of tangible effects some immediately noticeable, others emerging gradually over months:

When the Fed lowers its benchmark rate, it generally reduces short-term borrowing costs throughout the economy. That can translate into slightly lower interest rates on variable-rate loans and new credit products. For example:

• Credit cards & personal loans: Interest rates on credit cards and personal lines of credit often move in tandem with broader lending benchmarks such as the prime rate, which is tied to the federal funds rate. As the Fed cuts, banks may reduce the cost of borrowing on some cards and loans, offering relief to households carrying balances.

• Mortgages: While fixed-rate mortgage rates are influenced mainly by long-term bond yields, adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) and new mortgages can benefit from lower short-term rates. Mortgage rates could dip modestly if broader market conditions align with the Feds stance.

• Auto loans & student debt: Auto loans and other consumer financing also become incrementally cheaper as lenders adjust to the softer rate environment, though savings may be modest and can lag the Feds decision by several weeks.

Mixed news for savers

Lower policy rates tend to put downward pressure on interest earned in savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), and money market funds. Banks typically reduce yields on these products in response to Fed cuts, meaning savers could see lower returns on their deposits over time.

Business and investment impact

For businesses that rely on credit especially small and medium enterprises cheaper borrowing can support investment and hiring. This is part of the Feds intention: to stimulate economic activity by making financing less costly for companies and consumers alike. Longer-term impacts, however, depend on how quickly businesses ramp up investment and whether inflation pressures ease.

What rates are affected?

The Feds move directly adjusts the federal-funds rate, which is the rate at which banks lend to each other overnight. Changes in this rate indirectly influence many interest rates across the economy:

• Prime rate: The base rate that banks use as a reference for many consumer and business loans typically moves in step with changes to the federal funds rates.

• Variable-rate consumer loans: Credit cards, home-equity lines of credit, and ARMs often adjust more quickly to changes in policy rates.

• Business loans and commercial credit: Lower policy costs can ease financing for corporate borrowers.

Fixed-rate products like some mortgages and long-term bonds are influenced more by market expectations for inflation and growth than by the Feds policy rate alone, though shifts in the benchmark can still affect pricing over time.

Fed projections signal that policymakers see potential for one more rate cut in 2026, though views vary widely within the committee. Some members have even suggested rates could remain unchanged or rise if inflation fails to moderate. Such divergent forecasts highlight the uncertainty policymakers face in balancing inflation, employment, and financial stability.

How to shop at Costco without losing your whole afternoon

• Keep 34 IKEA blue bags in your trunk so checkout, loading, and unloading become 12 fast trips

• Make a Costco-shaped list in store order so you walk one clean loop with zero backtracking

• With two people, park the cart in low-traffic spots and send a runner for easy grab-and-go items

Costco is not just a store, its more of a lifestyle choice. If youre like most, you dont just run in real quick to Costco. You enter the maze, sample the tiny quiche, forget the paper towels along the way, and end up walking 3 extra miles.

But it doesnt actually have to eat your entire afternoon. With a tiny bit of prep (and one very famous blue bag), you can turn Costco from a time suck into a 20-minute surgical strike.

Here are four big time savers that actually work.

1. The IKEA blue bag trick

The brown boxes by the registers are somewhat handy in theory, but in real life theyre:

• Awkward to carry
• Weirdly crumbly
• Terrible for hauling stuff into your house

Enter the unsung hero of efficient Costco runs: the 99-cent giant blue IKEA bag.

How it saves you a bunch of time:

At checkout: Instead of letting the cashier stick all your stuff back in the cart, and hope they don't smashthe produce or breakthe eggs, put a couple blue IKEA bags right on the conveyor belt. That way they can quickly group your stuff by whats cold andwhats breakable, and put it all straight inyour bags.

In the parking lot: Youre not standing there trying to wedge a random banana box into your trunk. Grab the handles, swing the bag in, and youre done.

At home: One or two trips from your car to your kitchen. Maybe three if you really went for it. Youre not doing six sad little trips with armfuls of loose stuff.

Keep 3 or 4 blue bags in your trunk permanently and you'll love how quickly youmove through the checkout to pantry phase of your Costco haul.

Pro tip: Instead of having Costco employees put stuff in your blue bags, consider doing it yourself when you get back to your car. That way you can separate the bags by where stuff goes in your house. One for the pantry, one for the freezer, one for the garage, and one for the bathroom. Then when you get home, youcan take the bags right to where theygoand unload them quickly.

2. Make a Costco-Shaped shopping list (so you never double back)

The #1 way Costco steals your time is not with the long lines at checkout or the crowded parking lots. Its with the backtracking.

You get all the way to the frozen foods, then remember you need batteries. Which areon the exact opposite side of the store, past ten carts blocking the aisle and three sample stations handing out dumplings.

The fix is stupid simple:

Write your Costco list in the rough order you move through thewarehouse.

Not a random list. But rather a Costco-shaped list. You dont need a perfect map. You just need the basic zones so youll naturally throw stuff in your cart as you walk through the store with ZERO backtracking.

For example, here are the zones at my local Costco (in order of how I typically walk the store):

1. Entrance / electronics
2. Seasonal / clothes
3. House / kitchen / tools
4. Drinks / alcohol
5. Produce / cold room
6. Bakery / bread
7. Meat / dairy / deli
8. Household / pet food / toilet paper
9. Frozen foods
10. Coffee, snacks, cereal, pantry
11. Pharmacy / health / beauty
12. Checkout

When you build your list, drop each item under the right section, in order of how you typically walk around the warehouse.

Examples include:

• Milk, eggs, shredded cheese under Dairy
• Chips, granola bars, coffee under Middle aisles
• Paper towels, trash bags, detergent under Household

Im a big fan of making my Costco list the old-fashioned way and writing it on paper. But you could also use your Notes app on your phone. Just be sure to group it by zone as thats where the time-saving magic lives.

The Result: You walk the store in one clean loop and get out quickly, not like a dazed tourist who got separated from their group.

3. Divide and conquer: The 2-person power move

If youre shopping with a partner, spouse, teenager, or unsuspecting friend who made the mistake of saying Ill come with you, you have unlocked one of the biggest Costco time savers of all.

The rule: One of you drives the cart, the other person runs the missions.

Heres how you should set it up:

1. Split the list by grab and go versus comparison stuff.

Runner items: these are your obvious, fast choices (milk, eggs, bread, bananas, rotisserie chicken, case of water, paper towels).

Cart driver items: products you want to compare, choose the brand/size on, or physically inspect (think things like meat, snacks, vitamins, clothing, electronics).

2.Start together in produce or household aisle.

Once you get your bearings, the runner peels off with a mini list of go get these 6 slam dunk items.

3. Keep the cart in wide, low-traffic areas.

The cart driver parks at the end of an aisle while they grab their stuff. The runner then swoops in and drops things into the cart as they find them.

4. Meet back up and head to the checkout.

Youve basically done two laps of the store at the same time.

Instead of wandering aisle by aisle together debating every item, youre using your extra person as an actual time-saving asset, not a second opinion on stuff that doesnt matter.

4. Shop like a Costco employee: off-peak + reverse loop

Costco has two kinds of trips:

• The ones where you are trapped behind a slow-moving sample crowd in every aisle.
• And the ones where you feel like you somehow got the place to yourself.

While youcant control what your next trip will look like,you can cheat the system a little by acting like someone who works there.

Pick the right window to go

The fastest Costco runs usually happen:

• Weekdays, late morning or early afternoon.
• Weeknights after the dinner rush starts.
• The first hour after opening (if you can swing it).

If you only ever go Saturday at 11am, youre volunteering for chaos.

Do the reverse loop

Most people walk in, grab a cart, and immediately turn right because thats where the shiny TVs and clothes are.

That side of the store can get jammed with humans early and quickly.

So, give this a try instead:

1. Walk straight through the front chaos and start in the back near meat, dairy, and frozen.
2. Grab all your heavy and cold stuff while the rest of the store is still stuck admiring the 85-inch TVs.
3. Work your way forward through all the snacks and pantry items, then finish in the seasonal aisles on your way to checkout.

Youre basically like a salmon swimming upstream in a good way. While everyone else is clogging the front and middle aisles, youre clearing the back of the store and getting out quick.

Pair that with your Costco-shaped list and youre suddenly done. Like how did that only take 20 minutes done.

How to shop at Costco without losing your whole afternoon

• Keep 34 IKEA blue bags in your trunk so checkout, loading, and unloading become 12 fast trips

• Make a Costco-shaped list in store order so you walk one clean loop with zero backtracking

• With two people, park the cart in low-traffic spots and send a runner for easy grab-and-go items

Costco is not just a store, its more of a lifestyle choice. If youre like most, you dont just run in real quick to Costco. You enter the maze, sample the tiny quiche, forget the paper towels along the way, and end up walking 3 extra miles.

But it doesnt actually have to eat your entire afternoon. With a tiny bit of prep (and one very famous blue bag), you can turn Costco from a time suck into a 20-minute surgical strike.

Here are four big time savers that actually work.

1. The IKEA blue bag trick

The brown boxes by the registers are somewhat handy in theory, but in real life theyre:

• Awkward to carry
• Weirdly crumbly
• Terrible for hauling stuff into your house

Enter the unsung hero of efficient Costco runs: the 99-cent giant blue IKEA bag.

How it saves you a bunch of time:

At checkout: Instead of letting the cashier stick all your stuff back in the cart, and hope they don't smashthe produce or breakthe eggs, put a couple blue IKEA bags right on the conveyor belt. That way they can quickly group your stuff by whats cold andwhats breakable, and put it all straight inyour bags.

In the parking lot: Youre not standing there trying to wedge a random banana box into your trunk. Grab the handles, swing the bag in, and youre done.

At home: One or two trip from your car to your kitchen. Maybe three if you really went for it. Youre not doing six sad little trips with armfuls of loose stuff.

Keep 3 or 4 blue bags in your trunk permanently and you'll love how quickly youmove through the checkout to pantry phase of your Costco haul.

Pro tip: Instead of having Costco employees put stuff in your blue bags, consider doing it yourself when you get back to your car. That way you can separate the bags by where stuff goes in your house. One for the pantry, one for the freezer, one for the garage, and one for the bathroom. Then when you get home, youcan take the bags right to where theygoand unload them quickly.

2. Make a Costco-Shaped shopping list (so you never double back)

The #1 way Costco steals your time is not with the long lines at checkout or the crowded parking lots. Its with the backtracking.

You get all the way to the frozen foods, then remember you need batteries. Which areon the exact opposite side of the store, past ten carts blocking the aisle and three sample stations handing out dumplings.

The fix is stupid simple:

Write your Costco list in the rough order you move through thewarehouse.

Not a random list. But rather a Costco-shaped list. You dont need a perfect map. You just need the basic zones so youll naturally throw stuff in your cart as you walk through the store with ZERO backtracking.

For example, here are the zones at my local Costco (in order of how I typically walk the store):

1. Entrance / electronics
2. Seasonal / clothes
3. House / kitchen / tools
4. Drinks / alcohol
5. Produce / cold room
6. Bakery / bread
7. Meat / dairy / deli
8. Household / pet food / toilet paper
9. Frozen foods
10. Coffee, snacks, cereal, pantry
11. Pharmacy / health / beauty
12. Checkout

When you build your list, drop each item under the right section, in order of how you typically walk around the warehouse.

Examples include:

• Milk, eggs, shredded cheese under Dairy
• Chips, granola bars, coffee under Middle aisles
• Paper towels, trash bags, detergent under Household

Im a big fan of making my Costco list the old-fashioned way and writing it on paper. But you could also use your Notes app on your phone. Just be sure to group it by zone as thats where the time-saving magic lives.

The Result: You walk the store in one clean loop and get out quickly, not like a dazed tourist who got separated from their group.

3. Divide and conquer: The 2-person power move

If youre shopping with a partner, spouse, teenager, or unsuspecting friend who made the mistake of saying Ill come with you, you have unlocked one of the biggest Costco time savers of all.

The rule: One of you drives the cart, the other person runs the missions.

Heres how you should set it up:

1. Split the list by grab and go versus comparison stuff.

Runner items: these are your obvious, fast choices (milk, eggs, bread, bananas, rotisserie chicken, case of water, paper towels).

Cart driver items: products you want to compare, choose the brand/size on, or physically inspect (think things like meat, snacks, vitamins, clothing, electronics).

2.Start together in produce or household aisle.

Once you get your bearings, the runner peels off with a mini list of go get these 6 slam dunk items.

3. Keep the cart in wide, low-traffic areas.

The cart driver parks at the end of an aisle while they grab their stuff. The runner then swoops in and drops things into the cart as they find them.

4. Meet back up and head to the checkout.

Youve basically done two laps of the store at the same time.

Instead of wandering aisle by aisle together debating every item, youre using your extra person as an actual time-saving asset, not a second opinion on stuff that doesnt matter.

4. Shop like a Costco employee: off-peak + reverse loop

Costco has two kinds of trips:

• The ones where you are trapped behind a slow-moving sample crowd in every aisle.
• And the ones where you feel like you somehow got the place to yourself.

While youcant control what your next trip will look like,you can cheat the system a little by acting like someone who works there.

Pick the right window to go

The fastest Costco runs usually happen:

• Weekdays, late morning or early afternoon.
• Weeknights after the dinner rush starts.
• The first hour after opening (if you can swing it).

If you only ever go Saturday at 11am, youre volunteering for chaos.

Do the reverse loop

Most people walk in, grab a cart, and immediately turn right because thats where the shiny TVs and clothes are.

That side of the store can get jammed with humans early and quickly.

So, give this a try instead:

1. Walk straight through the front chaos and start in the back near meat, dairy, and frozen.
2. Grab all your heavy and cold stuff while the rest of the store is still stuck admiring the 85-inch TVs.
3. Work your way forward through all the snacks and pantry items, then finish in the seasonal aisles on your way to checkout.

Youre basically like a salmon swimming upstream in a good way. While everyone else is clogging the front and middle aisles, youre clearing the back of the store and getting out quick.

Pair that with your Costco-shaped list and youre suddenly done. Like how did that only take 20 minutes done.

New trend report shows workers are rethinking careers, pushing back on office mandates, and demanding more flexibility

• Flexibility now outranks pay for most workers, with 85% valuing remote options more than salary and nearly 70% willing to take a pay cut to work remotely.

• RTO mandates are clashing with worker preferences, as 98% of professionals say they want remote or hybrid arrangements a gap employers risk ignoring.

• Emerging trends like soft retirement show how companies may rely on flexible, low-commitment roles to retain senior talent and bridge workforce gaps heading into 2026.

If youve been wondering whether the remote-work conversation is cooling off, FlexJobs new Remote Work Trends Report for 2026 makes one thing clear: not even close.

In fact, the appetite for flexibility is only getting stronger and its reshaping how Americans think about their jobs, careers, and even their well-being.

According to the report, 85% of people now rank remote work above salary when weighing job offers. Many are even willing to change careers entirely to find more balance, with nearly 7 in 10 saying theyve made or seriously considered a field switch in the past year.

The tensions dont stop there. Gen Z workers report feeling overwhelmed and unsure about their career paths, working parents are burning out without enough flexibility, and widespread return-to-office mandates are creating a noticeable divide between employers and employees. Altogether, the findings paint a picture of a workforce thats exhausted, ambitious, and more than ready for a different kind of workday.

ConsumerAffairs interviewed Keith Spencer, Career Expert at FlexJobs, to learn more about what workplace trends are shaping up to be in the new year.

Challenges to RTO mandates

Many companies are enforcing return-to-office (RTO) mandates. However, these findings from FlexJobs highlight that this may not be the best choice.

Spencer explained that 98% of working professionals prefer either fully remote or hybrid arrangements, highlighting a clear shift away from traditional in-person work.

These changing preferences present a major opportunity for employers, he said. Those who embrace flexibility can attract and retain top talent, while those who ignore it risk losing valuable members of their teams.

Flexibility is a priority

Considering nearly 70% of workers would accept a lower salary to work remotely, the findings from this report highlight the importance of flexibility for todays workers.

Its difficult to put a price on flexibility, especially for younger workers who may feel stuck or anxious about their place in the workforce, or for working parents who rely on it as a key part of their support system, Spencer said.

Remote, hybrid, and flexible work arrangements can reduce stress and boost overall mental well-being by promoting a healthier work-life balance, often delivering more value than increased compensation. On top of that, working remotely can save employees a significant amount of money, which helps explain why many are even willing to accept a pay cut for the benefits it provides.

Soft retirement

Looking ahead to 2026, Spencer believes soft retirement is a trend to watch in the employment space.

By offering flexible, low-commitment positions that combine in-person and virtual work, companies can retain senior experts longer, preserve decades of institutional knowledge, and help transfer skills to younger employees, bridging critical talent gaps in specialized roles, he said.

This approach also supports the financial stability of retirees, many of whom are looking for ways to supplement their fixed retirement income.