Heres what some market analysts are saying

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Gold this week surged to all-time highs, crossing the $4,000 per ounce mark, as investors seek refuge in safe-haven assets.

• The rally is being fueled by a mix of inflation fears, expectations for future rate cuts, central bank purchases, and geopolitical uncertainty.

• Financial institutions and analysts are split: some see room for further gains toward $5,000+, while others warn of technical overbought risks or timing corrections.

The price of gold did something this week it has never done before: It closed above $4,000 an ounce. Spot and futures markets alike have registered new highs, propelled by strong inflows into gold ETFs and intensifying demand from institutional and central bank buyers.

So far in 2025, gold has rallied by more than 50 %, ranking among the best-performing major assets across equity, bond, and commodity markets. But the question is, where does it go from here?

Golds relentless rally this year is no longer just a general flight to safety, Kevin Rusher, founder of RAAC, said in an email to ConsumerAffairs. Its also a clear sign that investors are losing faith in the US dollar, whose reserve currency dominance is rapidly diminishing.

What analysts are saying

But, is it too late to safely purchase the precious metal? Heres what some market experts are saying about the path ahead:

Investor implications and strategy considerations

Before investing in gold, its a good idea to consult a trusted and objective financial advisor. Prices can go down just as quickly as they have gone up. Here are some things to consider:

• Diversification & hedging: Many experts view gold not as a core return engine but as a portfolio hedgeparticularly in volatile or inflationary regimes.

• Timing matters: Because gold is already at lofty levels, some suggest dollar-cost averaging or waiting for meaningful pullbacks before adding exposure.

• Relative signals: Watch indicators like real interest rates, inflation surprises, central bank buying trends, and technical momentum (e.g. RSI, trend channels).

• Risk controls: Given golds volatility, investors should set stop-losses or caps on exposure sizeespecially for speculators.

• Stay informed on policy shifts: Golds fate in the near term is tightly linked to central bank communications and economic surprises, so monitoring macro data and Fed signals will be crucial.

The online retailer offers tips for identifying real messages from fakes

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Be cautious of unexpected messages claiming to be from Amazon about your orders or account.

• Never share personal or financial information outside of Amazons official website or app.

• Report suspicious messages immediately to help Amazon stop scammers before they strike.
  

Millions of consumers will look for deals during Amazons two-day Prime Day promotion, but beware scammers are lying in wait.

Amazon is reminding consumers to stay alert for impersonation fraudulent attempts to trick people into sharing sensitive information like Social Security numbers, banking details, or Amazon account credentials.

In 2023, more than two-thirds of reported to Amazon globally involved fake claims about order or account issues. These often start with a call, text, or email saying something like, You bought something on Amazon that you didnt order. The scammer then asks for personal or account information to fix the issue.

Scammers who attempt to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk, said Dharmesh Mehta, Amazons vice president of Selling Partner Services. Although these take place outside our store, we will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on how to avoid .

What Amazon is doing

Amazon said it has implemented several key measures to help customers stay safe:

• Secure email authentication: Customers using Gmail, Yahoo!, and similar services will now see Amazons signature smile logo beside legitimate emails from the companyhelping distinguish real messages from fakes.

• Cracking down on scammers: In 2024 alone, Amazon initiated the takedown of over 55,000 phishing websites and 12,000 phone numbers linked to impersonation schemes.

• Education and awareness: Amazon continues to share safety tips and resources to help consumers recognize and avoid .

Six tips to avoid impersonation

1. Verify purchases on Amazon. If you get a suspicious message about a purchase, dont click any links. Instead, log into your Amazon account or app to verify.

2. Use only Amazons app or website for payments. Amazon will never ask for payment over the phone or by email, nor request a bank transfer.

3. Beware of urgency tactics. Scammers often claim that immediate action is required to pressure you into responding.

4. Never buy gift cards to resolve a problem. Amazon will not ask you to make a payment using gift cards.

5. Contact Amazon directly. If something feels off, stop interacting with the sender and reach Amazon through its app or websitenot through links or phone numbers in messages.

6. Check Amazons Scam Tracker. In partnership with the Better Business Bureau, this tool allows you to search for reports of similar by email, URL, or phone number.

Report suspicious messages

If you suspect a scam, Amazon asks that you report it right away. Amazon offers a self-service tool for customers to flag suspicious messages quickly. Non-customers can also forward scam attempts to reportascam@amazon.com. Each report helps Amazon identify bad actors and prevent others from falling victim.

The September shopping cart index is a mixed bag of grocery prices

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Whole Bean Coffee saw the largest year-over-year increase, jumping 30.4% from September 2024.

• Honey Nut Cereal and American Cheese Singles both declined year-over-year, signaling relief in some breakfast staples.

• Bacon rose again in September, up 1.1% from August, continuing its summer surge.

The ConsumerAffairs Datasembly Shopping Cart Index for September 2025 shows a mixed basket of grocery prices, with staples like coffee and bacon continuing to climb while cereals and dairy showed mild declines.

The total Cart cost edged down 0.7% from last September, and slightly down 0.5% month-over-month from August.

Biggest year-over-year increases

• Whole Bean Coffee (12 oz): Up from $11.90 to $15.51, a sharp 30.4% jump, making it the biggest mover in the index. Rising global coffee bean prices and tight supply from major producers like Brazil continue to pressure U.S. consumers.

• Bacon (16 oz): Climbed 10% year-over-year, from $8.11 to $8.92, following continued volatility in pork prices.

• Honey Wheat Bread (20 oz): Rose 12%, from $3.29 to $3.69, reversing price stability seen earlier this year.

• Organic Eggs (1 dozen): Up 10.2%, reaching $6.35, though slightly lower than Augusts $6.45 peak.

• Cola (2 liters): Increased 6.2%, from $2.91 to $3.09, after a summer of elevated sugar and production costs.

Products That Got Cheaper

• Honey Nut Cereal: Down 0.9% month-over-month and a notable 0.9% year-over-year, continuing a six-month softening trend as manufacturers adjust prices amid stronger supply.

• American Cheese Singles: Dropped 3.6% from last year, a relief for dairy shoppers.

• Salted Butter: Fell 14% year-over-year, reflecting a cooldown from 2024s inflation-driven peaks.

• Tomato Ketchup: Slipped slightly, down 0.8%, perhaps benefiting from better tomato yields this season.

Some pantry and household itemsincluding paper towels, dish detergent, laundry detergent, milk, and peanut butterremained unchanged year-over-year and month-over-month, underscoring that household goods inflation has plateaued.

Month-Over-Month Highlights

• Bacon and Cola both inched up slightly from August, adding a bit of heat to late-summer shopping bills.

• Whole Bean Coffee cooled slightly ($0.01) from Augusts spike, though prices remain high.

• Organic Eggs also eased $0.10 from August, suggesting a possible price correction after summer highs.

Total Basket Trends

The total Shopping Cart Index for September 2025 came in at $152.21, down from $153.29 a year ago and $151.90 in August. The annual decline marks a 0.7% year-over-year drop, suggesting grocery inflation is finally leveling off after two years of steep climbs.

While some relief is appearing in dairy and breakfast foods, luxury staples like coffee and bacon continue to keep pressure on grocery budgets. The September data offers a hint of stabilizationbut for caffeine lovers, the morning brew is still costing more than ever.

The September Shopping Cart Index

Report: Families drowning in $1.66 trillion in car debt

• U.S. auto loan delinquencies are climbing above pre-pandemic rates and nearing 2008 crisis levels.

• Consumers now carry $1.66 trillion in auto debt as repossessions accelerate.

• Consumer Federation of America urges tougher oversight of lenders and dealers.

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) warns that the nations auto lending market is showing alarming signs of distress. A CFA study finds that more borrowers are slipping into delinquency and default than before the pandemic, with rates approaching the levels seen ahead of the 2008 financial crash.

Americans collectively owe $1.66 trillion on car loans, the CFA reports. As delinquencies, defaults and repossessions rise, regulators charged with monitoring the market have pulled back enforcement, leaving consumers more vulnerable to predatory practices by dealers and lenders.

Car ownership turning into a debt trap

Buying a car should be a way for families to achieve economic success, but it is increasingly becoming an unaffordable burden that pushes consumers down into a debt spiral, said Tara Mikkilineni, a senior fellow at CFA. The group argues that many borrowers are forced into risky loan structures and inflated prices that make default more likely.

CFA consumer protection director Erin Witte said families are in an economic pressure cooker, with car loans jeopardizing their ability to avoid financial ruin. Because households often prioritize auto payments over other obligations, rising delinquencies suggest that deeper economic stress is spreading through U.S. households.

The report urges Congress and regulators to step up oversight, strengthen rules governing auto lenders, and pursue structural reforms to protect borrowers. Without intervention, CFA warns, predatory practices and surging delinquencies could trigger broader financial fallout.

Prevention / What consumers can do

• Know your credit score before shopping: Lenders often use credit tiers to set loan terms. Improving your score even slightly can mean thousands saved over the life of a loan.

• Get pre-approved: Secure financing from a credit union or bank before visiting the dealership. This reduces the risk of being steered into high-interest dealer loans.

• Watch out for add-ons: GAP insurance, extended warranties, and service contracts are often marked up heavily at dealerships. Always ask if these are optional and shop around if you want them.

• Keep loan terms short: Stretching payments over 72 or 84 months lowers monthly costs but greatly increases total interest paid and raises the risk of being underwater on the car.

• Dont skip refinancing: If interest rates drop or your credit improves, refinancing can reduce your payment and overall cost.

California passes protective measure

Trying to get a handle on car costs, California Governor Gavin Newsom yesterday signedthe California CARS Act (SB 766), along with several other bills aimed at lowering costs for Californians struggling under the weight of an affordability crisis. The CA CARS Act, partly modeled after the Federal Trade Commissions CARS Rule, requires car dealers to tell buyers the total price of the car up front, bans the sale of worthless add-ons, and it includes a first-of-its-kind three day cooling off period for used car buyers. Senator Ben Allen (D-24) introduced the bill as a way to make buying a car more affordable and less risky in California.

We applaud Governor Newsom and Senator Allen on this landmark achievement to make the process of buying a car less painful for buyers and more competitive for honest dealers,said Erin Witte, Director of Consumer Protection at Consumer Federation of America. Everyone who has wasted hours of their life negotiating with a car dealer over endless fees and dishonest pricing can see exactly why this Act is needed, and we urge other states to follow suit and pass legislation to lower costs for car buyers.

Consumer guide

How to avoid the auto debt trap:

1. Set a budget before shopping experts suggest keeping auto payments below 15% of monthly take-home pay.

2. Use online price tools compare dealer quotes with pricing sites to avoid overpaying.

3. Check for hidden fees document fees, add-ons, and extras can inflate the final cost.

4. Prioritize need over want a reliable used vehicle may be safer financially than stretching for a new model.

5. Know your rights some states regulate dealer markups or cap interest rates on subprime loans; research protections where you live.

Homebuyers file class action in Florida federal court

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• Class action claims the nations largest homebuilder misled first-time buyers with artificially low monthly payment estimates.

• Lawsuit says D.R. Horton and its mortgage unit concealed true property tax costs, leading to payment shock.

• Plaintiffs seek damages under RICO, which could triple losses, and aim to stop the alleged predatory practices.

A group of first-time homebuyers has filed a class action lawsuit against D.R. Horton Inc. and its mortgage subsidiary, DHI Mortgage Co., alleging the companies engaged in a deceptive sales and lending scheme that left families with unexpectedly high monthly payments. The suit was filed October 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

The plaintiffs are represented by Varnell & Warwick, Clarkson Law Firm, and the National Consumer Law Center. They accuse D.R. Horton, the nations largest homebuilder, of orchestrating a Monthly Payment Suppression Scheme that low-balled costs in order to lure buyers into larger mortgages.

Allegations of bait-and-switch tactics

According to the lawsuit, sales representatives promised affordable monthly payments while omitting most property tax obligations from the calculations. That omission kept projected payments low enough to persuade buyers to commit. But once loans were sold to new mortgage servicers, many homeowners were stunned to find their actual costs hundreds of dollars higher each month.

D.R. Horton and DHI Mortgage preyed on peoples faith in the American Dream of homeownership to lure them into unaffordable, deceptive deals, said Jennifer Wagner, senior attorney with the National Consumer Law Center.

Example of payment shock

One plaintiff, Frankie Santiago, was told his monthly payment would be $2,164.68 for a Lake County, Florida home. Less than a year later, an escrow analysis added the full property tax bill and back taxes. His payment jumped nearly $1,000 to $3,136.33.

The lawsuit claims the home builder and its mortgage company were working together from the initial sales pitch to closing, presenting artificially low monthly payments that set buyers up for payment shock, said Jeffrey Newsome of Varnell & Warwick.

Potential damages under RICO

The case also invokes the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), which allows victims to seek triple damages. If successful, homeowners nationwide who were affected could recover significant sums.

Our goal is to recover damages for people whove been cheated and prevent future homeowners from being drawn into this predatory scheme, said Kristen Simplicio, a partner at Clarkson Law Firm.