Consumer News: Mortgage rates keep marching higher

A new analysis found prices moving up and down frequently at major online retailers

• Amazon recorded more than 116,000 price changes: This is based on a new analysis among 12 products tracked during 2025.

• Price changes aren't always bad news: About half of Amazon's tracked changes were price decreases.

• Don't assume today's price is a good one: Checking price history, comparing retailers, and setting price alerts can help you avoid overpaying.

See something you want on Amazon? You might want to think twice before immediately clicking "Buy Now," as the price may not stay put.

A new analysis from web data company Decodo tracked prices at more than 120 e-commerce websites and found frequent price changes at some of America's biggest retailers.

Amazon led the list with 116,509 price changes during 2025, followed by Walmart with 68,926, Kroger with 55,601, Target with 39,386, and Best Buy with 30,188.

But there's an important detail behind those eye-popping numbers. Decodo didn't track every product sold by these retailers, instead it selected 12 products from each. They used six higher-priced items and six lower-priced. Then they checked their prices every four hours throughout the year.

And prices weren't simply going up; they definitely fluctuated both ways.

At Amazon, 49.8% of the changes were increases while 50.2% were decreases. That means frequent price changes is good news for consumers willing to do a little homework as it creates opportunities to save.

Here are five ways to take advantage of constantly changing online prices.

1. Check the price history

A big red "SALE" banner doesn't necessarily mean you're getting a great deal.

Before making a significant purchase, look up what the product has sold for previously.

Price-tracking websites and browser extensions can show whether a $299 item regularly drops to $249, for example. If it does, that supposed $279 sale suddenly doesn't look so impressive.

Pro tip: Pay attention to the lowest recent price, not just the manufacturer's suggested retail price. An inflated comparison price can make an ordinary price look like a bargain.

2. Set a price alert and let the deal come to you

If you don't need something today, don't keep checking Amazon to see whether the price has dropped. Amazon can do it for you with Alexa for Shopping its built-in AI shopping assistant.

Here's how to set a target-price alert:

1. Open the Amazon Shopping app or Amazon.com and sign into your account.

2. Find the exact product you want and open its product page.

3. Open Alexa for Shopping. In the Amazon app, look for the Alexa for Shopping icon near the bottom-right of the product page. On a computer, you can access Alexa for Shopping from Amazon's top navigation.

4. Tell it the price you're willing to pay. For example, type: "Alert me when this drops to $75."

5. Amazon will regularly check the item's price and notify you if it reaches your target.

Not sure what price to choose? Take a peak at the item's history first. Specifically, look for "Price History" near the current price or ask Alexa for Shopping, "What's the price history?"

Amazons tool can show 30-, 90- and 365-day price histories on hundreds of millions of products.

Pro tip: Let the price history set your target. If the price history shows a $200 item has dropped to $150 several times during the past year, consider setting your alert around $150 instead of jumping at the first $10 discount.

3. Compare the exact same product elsewhere

Amazon having the lowest price yesterday doesn't mean it has the lowest price today.

Before buying, copy the product's exact model number and search Walmart, Target, Best Buy, or the manufacturer's website. And keep in mind that model numbers absolutely matter. Two products can look nearly identical while having slightly different features, making a price comparison misleading.

And be sure to compare the final price, including shipping, along with any membership requirements and any other charges.

4. Don't let urgency make the decision for you

Online retailers are very good at making shoppers feel like they need to act now. Limited-time sales, countdown clocks, and low-stock warnings can create pressure to buy before you've checked whether the deal is actually good.

The Decodo data offers a useful reminder: prices can move in both directions.

If the purchase isn't urgent, give yourself a cooling-off period. For any unplanned online purchase over $100, wait 24 hours and check the price again before buying. During that time, compare prices elsewhere and look at its price history. You can probably save money or even decide you didn't need it at all.

Pro tip: Check the price while logged out. Before making a big purchase, open the product in a private/incognito browser window and compare what you see while logged into your account. It takes 30 seconds and can reveal differences in offers, coupons, or other promotions.

5. Check sites that collect Amazon promo codes

Before clicking "Buy Now," take 30 seconds to see if there's a promo code for the product.

Koupon.ai is a deal site that specializes in finding Amazon promo codes and other online discounts. The company says it has discovered more than 300,000 deals and promo codes and uses automated verification and human review to weed out expired codes.

To use it, go to Koupon.ai and search for the product or brand you're considering. You can also filter the site specifically for Amazon promo codes.

If you find one, hit "Copy Code" and Koupon will copy the code and send you to Amazon. At checkout, paste the code into the "Gift cards & promotional codes" box and hit "Apply."

Then check the order total before paying to make sure the discount actually worked.

You can also check sites like DealSeek, Slickdeals, and SimplyCodes for product-specific Amazon codes.

Be sure to not assume the Amazon price shown on the product page is the lowest price you'll pay. Some promo codes aren't reflected in that advertised price and only show their savings after you enter the code at checkout.

Pro tip: Don't just Google "Amazon coupon code." Search the deal sites directly for the exact product or brand you're buying. You'll spend less time clicking expired generic codes and have a better chance of finding a product-specific discount.

New research explores how tiny cell-made particles may reduce brain inflammation and protect memory in experimental models

• Researchers tested whether particles from human placental cells could help protect against Alzheimers-related brain changes.

• In mice, the treatment improved memory performance and reduced certain signs of brain inflammation.

• The findings offer a potential research direction, but the treatment has not been established as safe or effective for people.

Alzheimers disease is often associated with the buildup of proteins in the brain, including amyloid-beta and tau. But inflammation may also play an important role in how the disease develops and progresses.

In a study published in Translational Neurodegeneration, researchers investigated whether tiny particles produced by human placental cells could help protect the brain against Alzheimers-related damage.

These particles, called extracellular vesicles, help cells communicate by carrying biological materials. The researchers focused on vesicles from human amniotic membrane mesenchymal stromal cells, which are found in the membrane surrounding a developing baby.

The goal was to see whether these particles could reduce inflammation, protect connections between brain cells, and help preserve memory.

How the researchers tested the treatment

The team conducted experiments using both mice and human brain cells grown in a laboratory.

For the animal portion, researchers used female mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimers-like brain changes. Starting at three months of age, the mice received the placental cell-derived particles through their noses twice a week until they were nine months old. Another group received saline for comparison.

The researchers then evaluated the mice using memory tests, including tasks that measured whether they recognized familiar objects, remembered where objects had been placed, and navigated a maze.

They also examined brain tissue to measure amyloid-beta levels, inflammation, changes in brain cells, and proteins involved in communication between neurons.

To explore whether the findings might also apply to humans, the researchers tested the particles on laboratory-grown neurons developed from stem cells from people with sporadic Alzheimers disease.

What the findings could mean for consumers

The researchers found that the treatment improved cognitive performance in the mice and lowered amyloid-beta levels in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory. However, it did not change tau, another protein related to Alzheimers.

The treatment also reduced signs of inflammation and increased levels of several proteins associated with brain-cell communication and adaptability.

In the human-cell experiments, the particles helped prevent damage to neuron extensions and restored levels of certain proteins involved in synaptic function, without affecting cell viability.

For consumers, the findings are promising but preliminary. The research suggests that placental cell-derived particles may offer a way to target inflammation and protect brain cells. However, the experiments do not establish that the treatment prevents Alzheimers disease or improves memory in people.

Further research will be needed to determine whether this approach can be safely and effectively developed into a treatment for humans.

These are preclinical results that require further validation in humans and do not yet represent an available therapy for Alzheimer's disease, but they point to a very promising direction: understanding whether some of the mechanisms through which the placenta naturally regulates inflammation and protects tissues could offer new tools for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and, more generally, whether the use of extracellular vesicles represents a new frontier for the treatment of neurological diseases, researcher Claudio Grassi said in a news release.

The wearable technology gives drivers hands-free directions, package alerts, and tools designed to make deliveries safer

• Amazons new smart glasses let delivery drivers access directions and delivery instructions without constantly checking their phones.

• The glasses use AI-powered technology to help drivers locate packages, navigate to homes, and spot potential hazards.

• Amazon says drivers have completed more than 275,000 deliveries using the glasses, with plans to expand the rollout through 2027.

Getting a package from a delivery van to a customers doorstep involves more than simply following a GPS. Drivers must find the right package, navigate unfamiliar neighborhoods and buildings, and stay aware of their surroundings.

Amazon is introducing smart glasses designed to help its delivery drivers handle those tasks more easily. The wearable technology displays directions and delivery information directly in a drivers field of view, reducing the need to switch between a phone, a package, and the surrounding environment.

The company says the glasses are intended to make deliveries safer and more seamless. Wearing them is voluntary for both delivery service partners and their drivers.

How Amazons smart glasses work

The glasses combine artificial intelligence, computer vision, cameras, and sensing technology to provide drivers with information throughout the delivery process.

After a driver safely parks, the glasses automatically activate and display delivery details. They can help drivers identify the correct packages inside their vehicles, then provide walking directions to the intended address. Amazons geospatial technology is designed to guide drivers to specific delivery locations, including complicated environments such as apartment buildings.

The glasses also include features intended to help drivers avoid mistakes and stay aware of potential hazards. They can alert drivers if a package appears to have been left at the wrong doorstep. If delivery information suggests a pet may be present, the glasses display a paw-print symbol and play an audio alert.

Amazon says more than 500 drivers tested the glasses over 18 months, completing more than 275,000 deliveries. Their feedback helped shape features such as comfort and display clarity.

The system includes a controller worn in the delivery vest, a replaceable battery, an emergency button, prescription and light-adjusting lens options, and a physical privacy switch. Amazon plans to deploy another 5,000 devices this year and expand to more than 20,000 by the end of 2027.

I felt safer the whole time because the glasses have the info right in my field of view, explains Kaleb M., a delivery associate working for Maddox Logistics Corporation in Omaha, Nebraska, who tested the technology. Instead of having to look down at a phone, you can keep your eyes forward and look past the displayyoure always focused on whats ahead.

What this could mean for consumers

For customers, the biggest potential benefit is a smoother delivery experience. If the glasses help drivers find the correct packages, navigate to the right doorstep, and avoid delivery errors, customers could see fewer misplaced packages.

The technology may also help drivers stay more aware of their surroundings while completing deliveries. However, Amazon has not provided data showing whether the glasses have reduced delivery mistakes, improved delivery times, or changed customer satisfaction.

For now, the glasses are one part of Amazons broader effort to improve its delivery process. Their impact on customers will become clearer as more drivers begin using them.

The retailer is teaming up with SCAN Health Plan to offer Medicare Advantage coverage that connects healthcare with everyday shopping

• Walmart is partnering with SCAN Health Plan to develop a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan.

• The offering is expected to launch in two states, with benefits potentially including pharmacy, vision, food. and over-the-counter products.

• The partnership aims to make healthcare more connected to everyday routines, but specific plan details are still being finalized.

Walmart is making a move into Medicare Advantage, teaming up with SCAN Health Plan to develop a co-branded insurance offering for older adults.

The partnership brings together Walmarts retail, pharmacy, and technology capabilities with SCANs experience providing Medicare coverage. The companies say their goal is to create a more connected healthcare experience that helps older adults manage their health as part of their everyday lives.

The announcement represents another way Walmart is expanding its role in healthcare beyond selling medications and wellness products. For Medicare beneficiaries, it could eventually mean having more healthcare-related services and benefits connected to a retailer they may already visit regularly.

Walmart has been helping customers navigate Medicare choices for more than a decade, Pravene Nath, M.D., group director for consumer health and data solutions at Walmart U.S., said in a news release.

What makes this collaboration unique is Walmarts role in customers everyday lives. Because customers regularly turn to Walmart for groceries and other everyday essentials, we have an opportunity for those who choose to participate, to use insights from their shopping experiences to make nutrition guidance more relevant and actionable. Combined with Walmarts breadth across food, pharmacy, vision, and other health and wellness services, and SCANs deep Medicare expertise, we can create a more connected experience that helps older adults take action on their health goals as part of their everyday routines.

How the Walmart and SCAN partnership will work

The collaboration combines SCANs nearly five decades of experience serving older adults with Walmarts experience helping customers navigate Medicare coverage.

Walmart has provided in-store insurance support for more than a decade and launched Walmart Insurance Services, its licensed insurance agency, in 2020.

A key part of the new partnership is Walmarts Everyday Health Signals platform, an artificial intelligence-powered tool designed to provide personalized nutrition and wellness information.

Participants can share their health and wellness goals and receive tailored insights, including food recommendations informed by their preferences and shopping habits.

SCAN and Walmart plan to make these resources available to participating members alongside broader coaching and wellness support. The companies also say the proposed plan may include pharmacy and vision services, food benefits, and over-the-counter products, subject to regulatory review and approval.

What the new plan could mean for consumers

For older adults, the partnership could bring together several healthcare-related resources in one insurance offering. Members may be able to access benefits for pharmacy services, vision care, food, and over-the-counter products while receiving personalized guidance to help them make decisions about their health.

The nutrition platform could also help members put wellness advice into practice during everyday grocery shopping.

However, the announcement does not provide a complete breakdown of premiums, eligibility requirements, coverage limits, or participating providers. The two launch states have not been named, and the proposed benefits still require regulatory approval.

For consumers considering Medicare Advantage coverage, the key will be reviewing the final plan details once they become available. The partnership could offer a new way to connect healthcare with everyday shopping, but whether it meets an individuals needs will depend on its actual costs, benefits, and coverage.

At SCAN, we believe healthcare is better when it is personalized to the individual, and when members choose to opt in, data can help us deliver a more relevant experience tailored to their needs, Zack Myers, national general manager of SCAN Health Plan, said in the release.

By combining Walmarts technology capabilities and consumer retail expertise with SCANs Medicare product experience, we have an opportunity to develop products that translate those insights into meaningful support that helps members make more informed choices about their health and well-being.

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