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Tying the knot might change what you pay for car insurance

• On average, married drivers pay less than single drivers because insurers often view them as lower risk, though rules and savings vary by state.

• State regulations, driving history, credit (where allowed), and claims history all influence whether marriage actually reduces your premium.

• Improving credit, bundling policies, shopping around, and taking advantage of discounts can often lead to bigger savings than marital status alone.

Youve heard all about wedding gifts and tax perks, but heres one benefit of marriage that might surprise you: it can actually influence what you pay for insurance.

Thats not just anecdotal industry data shows that married people often pay less for car insurance than those who are single.

Of course, marriage isnt a magic discount card. Factors like credit scores, driving records, whether you bundle policies, and even where you live all play into your premium.

To learn more about how marital status influences your insurance rates, what insurers look for, and how you can make informed choices whether youre single, married, or somewhere in between, ConsumerAffairs spoke with Susan Meyer, an insurance analyst from TheZebra.com.

How marriage affects your insurance premium

Many factors can influence how much you pay for car insurance, and your marital status can be one of them. According to Meyer, theres a sense of stability financially and otherwise that comes with being married that insurers sometimes take into account.

While your relationship status is seemingly unrelated to how risky a driver you are, married people do often pay less for auto insurance than single, divorced, or widowed people, she said. Thats because data has shown that married drivers tend to file fewer claims than single ones. Because of this, many states allow insurance companies to use marital status as a rating factor when pricing insurance.

However, not all states allow this. Meyer noted that insurance companies in Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan arent allowed to charge customers different rates based on their relationship status.

What are the savings?

How much can you actually expect to save on your premium if youre married?

Married people pay on average nearly 9% less per year than single people, Meyer said. Divorced people pay approximately the same as single people, and widowed ones pay only 3% more than married people.

Meyer explained that these numbers are U.S. averages and insurance is a state-regulated industry. This means that different states will have different numbers.

The state where we see the largest difference is in Missouri, where there is a 15% difference on average between what married people pay for car insurance and what single people pay, she said. By contrast, in other states, the difference is much smaller. In Montana, the difference between married and single drivers is only 2%.

Is combining policies always the best choice?

Whether youre planning your wedding or planning for retirement with your spouse, combining auto insurance policies isnt always the best choice to save money.

Combining policies isnt always cheaper if one spouse has a higher rate (such as due to a history of accidents, violations or claims) or has different coverage needs, Meyer said. Some couples maintain separate policies initially after marriage, particularly if they are keeping separate residences temporarily or have complex asset situations.

How can single drivers save on insurance?

No matter what stage of life youre in, there are other ways to save on your car insurance plan. Meyer shared some tips that could potentially save you more than tying the knot:

• Improving your credit score:In states where credit is allowed as a rating factor, drivers can lower their insurance rate an average of 54% by improving their credit score by just one tier.

• Bundling home and auto policies:If you combine your policies with the same company, homeowners can save an average of 10% and renters an average of 5%.

• Discounts: There are a number of different discounts offered by different companies ranging from green vehicle or good student discounts to those based on driver behavior. The average good driver discount saves drivers with clean records between 10 - 26%

Be aware of your options

Meyer shared some final pieces of advice to help consumers ensure theyre always getting the lowest possible insurance rates.

While getting married might save you on insurance (especially if your love is a better driver than you), the best way to save money is to be aware of your options, she said. Make it a habit to consistently compare rates, so youre always aware of your options.

Its especially important to review your policies and compare rates when you make a big life change, like getting married or cohabitating with your partner.

Coffee and cereal lead the increase

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The ConsumerAffairs Datasembly Shopping Cart Index rose 5.9% year over year in January, increasing from $147.71 in January 2025 to $156.43 in January 2026 an $8.72 jump for the same basket of everyday items.

• Coffee, cereal, and paper products drove much of the increase, while a handful of staples including eggs, butter, and bottled water offered modest relief.

• Food inflation remains uneven, with sharp increases in packaged and branded goods offset by flat or declining prices in select dairy and pantry items.

The cost of a typical grocery run continued to rise in January, according to the ConsumerAffairs Datasembly Shopping Cart Index, underscoring how inflation is still shaping household budgets in uneven ways.

The index, which tracks prices for a standardized basket of 24 common grocery and household items, increased from $147.71 in January 2025 to $156.43 in January 2026, a 5.9% year-over-year increase. While that gain is smaller than the double-digit spikes consumers saw earlier in the inflation cycle, it signals that price pressures have not fully eased.

Coffee and cereal lead price gains

Some of the biggest increases came from pantry and breakfast staples. Whole bean coffee jumped 26.9%, rising from $12.22 to $15.51 the largest dollar and percentage increase in the index. Coffee prices have been pressured by weather-related supply issues and higher transportation costs.

Cereal also stood out. Honey Nut Cereal (family size) climbed 24.3%, rising from $5.60 to $6.96, while American cheese singles rose 11.3%, reaching $6.02. Branded packaged foods have been especially sensitive to higher input and marketing costs, according to retail pricing data.

Household essentials keep creeping up

Non-food essentials continued their slow upward march. Paper towels rose 4.3%, increasing by a dollar to $23.99, and toilet paper climbed 6.6%, reaching $12.48 for a 12-count pack. These products tend to move gradually, but their higher price points amplify the impact on monthly budgets.

Laundry detergent also edged higher, rising from $13.05 to $13.33. (Liquid dish detergent was included in the basket, but January 2026 pricing was unavailable and not factored into the year-over-year comparison.)

Some relief at the dairy case

Not every aisle saw increases. Organic eggs fell 7.9%, dropping from $6.68 to $6.15, a notable reversal after years of volatility. Salted butter declined 8.8%, and bottled spring water slipped 3.5%.

Other staples, including milk and bread, were flat year over year a welcome sign for shoppers who rely on these basics.

Inflation isnt gone its just selective

Overall, the January data suggests inflation has become more selective rather than universal. Prices for indulgences and branded packaged foods are climbing faster than staples, while some commodities are stabilizing or retreating.

For consumers, that means grocery bills may feel unpredictable not because everything is getting more expensive, but because the items people notice most often are.

As 2026 unfolds, the Datasembly Shopping Cart Index will continue to track whether these price pressures broaden again or remain concentrated in specific categories.

Oxford researchers find subtle errors and oversimplification in the advice

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Researchers at Oxford University warn that popular AI chatbots can deliver medical advice that sounds confident but may be incomplete, misleading, or unsafe.

• The study found that even when AI systems cite credible sources, they can misinterpret guidelines or fail to account for patient-specific factors.

• Experts say the findings highlight the growing need for regulation, transparency, and human oversight as AI tools become more common in health care.

A new study from the University of Oxford is raising new concerns about the reliability of medical advice generated by artificial intelligence, warning that widely used AI platforms may inadvertently put users at risk.

The research, conducted by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and computer scientists, examined how large language models respond to common health-related questions. According to the study, AI systems frequently produced answers that appeared authoritative and well-structured, yet contained subtle errors, oversimplifications, or advice that conflicted with established medical guidance.

One of the most troubling findings was the tendency of AI platforms to generalize. Researchers found that chatbots often failed to distinguish between symptoms that require urgent medical attention and those that can be managed at home.

In some cases, the systems offered reassurance where caution was warranted, while in others they suggested unnecessary alarm.

How useful is the advice?

Dr Adam Mahdi, senior author on the study, said that while AI is able to give medical information, people "struggle to get useful advice from it."

"People share information gradually,"he told the BBC. "They leave things out, they don't mention everything. So, in our study, when the AI listed three possible conditions, people were left to guess which of those can fit.

The study also highlighted issues with sourcing. While AI-generated responses sometimes referenced reputable organizations or clinical guidelines, the models did not always apply those sources correctly. Advice could be outdated, taken out of context, or mismatched to the users situationparticularly for people with chronic conditions, multiple medications, or atypical symptoms.

Problematic design

The researchers stressed that the problem is not malicious intent, but design. Most AI platforms are not built to practice medicine, yet they are increasingly used that way as consumers turn to chatbots for quick answers about symptoms, medications, and treatments.

Oxfords team is calling for clearer warnings to users, improved training data, and stronger collaboration between AI developers and medical professionals. The team also emphasized that AI tools should supplement, not replace, qualified health care providers.

Seasonal trends are taking hold on the West Coast

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The nations average price of gasoline has risen 1.2 cents over the last week and stands at $2.84 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 12 million individual price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

• The national average is up 5.4 cents from a month ago and is 24.9 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

• The national average price of diesel rose 2.9 cents in the last week and stands at $3.614 per gallon.

The national average price of gasoline edged slightly higher over the past week as seasonal forces, particularly on the West Coast, began to exert more influence on pump prices. While most states experienced only modest changes, California and neighboring states saw more pronounced increases as the region started its annual transition to more expensive summer gasoline blends.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the broader trend points toward gradually rising prices as spring approaches.

Most states saw relatively minor fluctuations, but were now starting to see seasonal trends take hold on the West Coast, with those pressures expected to gradually push eastward in the weeks ahead, De Haan said in the GasBuddy Blog. He added that despite a slight dip in oil prices last week, strengthening seasonal demand could push the national average back above $3 per gallon for at least part of the spring.

Oil market impact

Oil markets, meanwhile, are showing signs of stabilization after weeks of volatility. Easing tensions between the U.S. and Iran have helped cap crude prices, even as they remain elevated compared with earlier months.

In early trading this week, West Texas Intermediate crude rose slightly to $63.58 per barrel, while Brent crude inched up to $68.07 per barrel. Ongoing diplomatic talks have kept prices largely confined to a narrow range between $62 and $65 per barrel.

Still, analysts caution that geopolitical risks remain a key wildcard. Giovanni Staunovo, commodities analyst at UBS, noted that markets are closely watching developments in the Middle East, as well as a series of oil market reports due this week from major energy agencies.

Those reports are expected to reflect lower U.S. oil output forecasts following recent weather-related disruptions.

Supply data from the Energy Information Administration underscore the mixed signals facing the market. U.S. crude oil inventories fell by 3.5 million barrels in the latest reporting week and remain below the seasonal average, while gasoline inventories rose and now sit above their five-year norm. Distillate supplies, which include diesel, dropped sharply and are running below average, helping explain the recent uptick in diesel prices. Refinery utilization also declined slightly, and implied gasoline demand fell by more than 600,000 barrels per day.

Price disparity

At the pump, price disparities remain wide across the country. The most common gasoline price motorists encountered last week was $2.59 per gallon, while the median price stood at $2.74. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive stations is stark, with the bottom 10% of stations averaging $2.26 per gallon and the top 10% averaging $4.14.

Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Arkansas currently boast the lowest statewide averages, while California, Hawaii, and Washington remain the most expensive. California also led the nation in weekly increases, rising 8.5 cents, while Michigan saw the largest decline, down 8.5 cents.

As spring approaches and summer driving season draws closer, analysts expect price pressures to build gradually, especially if seasonal demand strengthens and refinery or geopolitical disruptions emerge. For now, motorists are seeing relatively modest changes, but the calm may not last much longer.