Consumer News: More homeowners are feeling the ‘house rich, cash poor’ squeeze

LG says its TVs aren't continuously recording conversations, but they can collect viewing information when certain features are enabled

• LG says its smart TVs don't continuously record or transmit conversations, pushing back on some of the privacy concerns raised by recent media coverage.

• The company confirms its Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology can identify content you're watching, including supported content coming through HDMI-connected devices.

• LG says ACR, voice recognition, and interest-based advertising are optional, and consumers can turn them off without losing basic TV functions.

LG issued a detailed statement over the weekend addressing what it called "misconceptions" stemming from recent media coverage about how its smart TVs collect and process information.

The statement follows a ConsumerAffairs article I wrote last week about research from Gamers Nexus that raised questions about what LG smart TVs can see, hear, and track. LG reached out to ConsumerAffairs after that story to provide its explanation of how the technology actually works.

And there's an important distinction.

LG isn't disputing that some viewing and device information can be collected when certain features are enabled. Instead, it's pushing back on some interpretations of that activity and explaining exactly what's being collected and when.

LG says your TV isn't constantly recording you

One of LG's biggest clarifications involves voice recognition. LG says its smart TVs do not continuously record or transmit conversations happening in your home.

On TVs with hands-free voice control enabled, the television may listen locally for a wake word. But LG says that if the wake word isn't detected, the audio isn't converted to text, stored, or transmitted.

Once voice recognition is intentionally activated, either by the wake word or pressing the microphone button on the remote, a temporary voice-recognition session begins.

LG says the session ends after about 10 seconds if it doesn't detect speech and lasts no longer than approximately 18 seconds.

There is one caveat worth knowing. LG acknowledges that during an active voice session, nearby speech or sounds occurring at the same time as your command can sometimes appear in the speech-recognition results.

ACR isn't taking screenshots, according to LG

Gamers Nexus also raised concerns about LG's Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology and its ability to identify what people are watching.

LG says ACR doesn't take screenshots, screen recordings, or video recordings of what's on your television. Instead, it uses audio fingerprinting technology to create a digital fingerprint that can identify the content being viewed.

But that doesn't mean your viewing habits are necessarily private. When ACR is turned on, LG says the technology can identify supported content from sources including live television and even HDMI-connected devices.

Interestingly, LG says ACR does not operate inside third-party streaming apps such as Netflix and YouTube accessed through LG Apps.

Your viewing information can be shared

This is perhaps the most important part of LG's clarification for consumers.

Depending on the market and agreements you've accepted, LG says ACR-related viewing information may be shared with LG Ad Solutions, its majority-owned advertising affiliate. That information can be used for audience segmentation and viewing-trend analysis.

LG also acknowledges that in some markets, ACR information may be shared in ways legally considered a "sale" or "sharing" of personal information.

Interest-based and cross-device advertising require separate consent, according to LG.

You don't have to turn these features on

Perhaps the most useful takeaway is that LG says these data-driven features are optional.

ACR is off by default and requires accepting LG's Viewing Information Agreement. Voice recognition also requires consent, and personalized advertising requires another separate agreement.

Consumers can withdraw those permissions through their TV settings. And doing so doesn't turn your smart TV into a dumb TV.

LG says consumers can continue using basic functions including streaming apps, live television, HDMI-connected devices, and software updates without enabling optional services such as ACR or voice recognition.

So, the takeaway from the recent privacy concerns isn't necessarily that your LG television is secretly recording everything happening in your living room. But your TV can collect information about what you're watching when certain features are turned on.

And that's a pretty good reason to spend a few minutes looking at which privacy agreements you've actually accepted.

Applications fell by 15% last week as affordability worsened

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• U.S. mortgage applications fell 4.1% in the week ended Sept. 11 as borrowing costs approached 7%.

• Refinancing applications dropped 9%, while home-purchase applications declined 1%.

• The average rate on a conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.97%, its highest level since May 2025.

If youve decided to continue renting, you arent the only one. U.S. mortgage applications declined last week, as rising bond yields pushed home-loan rates toward 7%, prompting prospective buyers to pause and reducing the incentive for homeowners to refinance.

The Mortgage Bankers Associations Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, fell 4.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis in the week ended Sept. 11. On an unadjusted basis, applications dropped 15%.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed mortgages with conforming loan balances of $832,750 or less increased to 6.97% from 6.85% a week earlier. That was the highest rate recorded by the survey since May 2025.

Ongoing market concerns over spiking energy prices, persistently high inflation, and future monetary policy pushed bond yields and mortgage rates higher last week, Joel Kan, MBAs vice president and deputy chief economist, said in the release. As the 10-year Treasury yield moved closer to 5%, mortgage rates followed, he noted.

Rising borrowing costs

Higher borrowing costs weighed on both major segments of the market. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 1% from the previous week, while the unadjusted index fell 13% and was 19% below its level during the comparable week in 2025.

Kan said that, after accounting for the Labor Day holiday, elevated rates caused many prospective buyers to put their purchase decisions on hold.

Refinancing activity weakened more sharply. The Refinance Index fell 9% for the week and was 65% lower than a year earlier. Rates near 7% eliminated much of the potential savings from refinancing, producing declines in conventional, Federal Housing Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs applications, Kan said.

Huge drop in refinancing

The refinance share of total mortgage activity decreased to 39.4% from 40.9% the previous week. Adjustable-rate mortgages accounted for 8.4% of applications.

Among government-backed loans, the FHA share declined to 16.9% from 17.2%, while the VA share rose to 12.4% from 12%. The U.S. Department of Agriculture share slipped to 0.4% from 0.5%.

Other mortgage categories also became more expensive. The average rate for jumbo 30-year loans increased to 7.03% from 6.74%, while the rate on 15-year fixed mortgages rose to 6.30% from 6.17%.

New research challenges what scientists thought they knew about how these popular medications support weight loss

• Yale researchers found that certain hunger-related brain cells may actually help GLP-1 drugs sustain weight loss.

• The study used female mice and combined several methods to examine how the brain responded to semaglutide.

• The findings could help researchers better understand GLP-1 medications, but more research is needed to determine whether the same process occurs in people.

GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide have become widely known for helping people lose weight. But scientists are still working to understand exactly what happens in the brain when these medications are used over time.

One long-standing idea has been that the drugs work in part by reducing activity in brain cells called agouti-related peptide, or AgRP, neurons. These neurons are associated with hunger and normally become more active when the body is short on calories.

A new Yale study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences challenges that idea. Instead of simply turning these hunger-related neurons down, researchers found that GLP-1 treatment appeared to recruit them in a way that helps sustain fat loss.

This completely changes how we think about the mechanism involved in these medications and provides new insight into the biology underlying their long-term effects, opening an avenue for the development of more efficient drugs, Mateus dvila, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience working in Tamas Horvaths lab in the Department of Comparative Medicine at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and first author of the study, said in a news release.

How researchers studied the brains response

The researchers used a mouse model to examine what happened during treatment with semaglutide, the active ingredient in several GLP-1 medications.

They tracked several changes in the mice, including body weight, food intake, metabolism, and energy expenditure. They also used genetic techniques to selectively remove or silence AgRP neurons. This allowed researchers to test whether those neurons were actually necessary for the medication's weight-lowering effects.

The team then used additional techniques, including electron microscopy, molecular biology, and electrophysiology, to get a closer look at what was happening inside these neurons.

The study focused on female mice, and the researchers found that disrupting the AgRP neurons reduced the full weight-lowering effect of GLP-1 treatment.

What the findings could mean for GLP-1 users

The results suggest that GLP-1 medications may trigger a more complicated response in the brain than simply making someone less hungry.

According to the researchers, the drugs appear to create a calorie-deficit state that activates AgRP neurons, which then help coordinate metabolic changes involved in fat loss.

The researchers also found changes in how brain cells communicate and how they use energy. Additionally, they identified a connection between stress-related hormones and AgRP neurons, which are involved in hunger.

For consumers, the biggest takeaway is that scientists may be uncovering another piece of the puzzle behind the longer-term effects of GLP-1 medications. However, these findings came from female mice, so they do not establish that the same mechanism occurs in humans.

By identifying a previously unrecognized neural mechanism involved in sustaining weight loss, our work provides new biological insights that could eventually help researchers design therapies that are even more effective or have fewer side effects, dvila said.

A look at the cost of living across the U.S. and what families should consider when planning their budgets

• Families need different incomes to live comfortably depending on where they live, with housing costs playing a major role in their budgets.

• Financial counselor Rudri Patel recommends keeping housing costs manageable and balancing everyday expenses with discretionary spending and savings.

• Reviewing expenses, cutting unused subscriptions, negotiating bills and seeking nonprofit credit counseling can help families find breathing room in their budgets.

For many families, figuring out how much money they need to live comfortably has become a real challenge.

Between housing, groceries, healthcare, transportation and other everyday expenses, a paycheck that seems like it should be enough can quickly get stretched thin. And where you live can make a big difference in how far your money goes.

A new MoneyLion study looks at how much income families need to rent or own a home in all 50 states, highlighting just how much those costs can vary. ConsumerAffairs spoke with Rudri Patel, a NACCC Certified Financial Health Counselor, about what these numbers mean for families and how they can better understand their own financial needs.

Methodology and key findings

MoneyLion's study analyzed the income families need to live comfortably as renters and homeowners in all 50 states. Rental costs were based on 2026 data from Apartments.com, while homeownership costs used July 2026 Zillow home values and assumed a 30-year fixed mortgage with a 20% down payment and a 6.65% interest rate.

Researchers also factored in grocery, utility, healthcare, and transportation costs using 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics household spending data, adjusted for regional cost-of-living differences.

They then applied the 50/30/20 budgeting rule, which allocates 50% of after-tax income to necessities, 30% to discretionary spending and 20% to savings and debt repayment.

The findings show that renting comfortably requires at least $100,000 in annual income in every state, with renter households needing an average of about $143,000 before taxes.

New York had the highest estimated monthly after-tax income requirement for renters at $12,157, while Oklahoma had the lowest at $7,003. For homeowners, Hawaii topped the list at $18,071 in monthly after-tax income, while Mississippi had the lowest estimate at $7,091.

The study also found that owning was less expensive than renting in five states, including New York, Illinois, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Breaking down your budget

This study looks at a common budgeting breakdown: the 50/30/30 rule. But what happens when consumers housing costs hit 60% or more of their income?

As a certified financial health expert, I recommend allotting 40% of your budget to housing, dedicating 25% to 30% to other daily expenses (groceries, transportation, healthcare utilities), and 10% to 15% to discretionary spending and savings, Patel explained.

If possible, youll likely want to try to lower your housing costs. If you rent, consider another location when your lease expires. If you own a home, find out if you qualify for refinancing your mortgage at a lower rate. Other possibilities include taking in a roommate if it feels like a good fit for you. If you can identify a side gig to generate extra income, that can also create a more sustainable budget framework.

Finding breathing room in the budget

Whether youre renting or owning, it may not be uncommon to experience a shortfall in the monthly budget. However, you dont want to always find yourself in the red each month.

Patel shared her best advice to find some breathing room in your budget:

• Review the numbers. Look at the last three months of expenses and note how much you're spending in each category. Find out if there are spending dollars you can cut that may help bridge the gap to lessen that $1,000 shortfall.

• Cancel what you dont use. If youre not using that gym membership, cancel. Are there any other recurring costs in subscriptions or memberships that you arent using? Those are also places you can cut spending.

• Negotiate fixed, recurring costs for a lower rate. Look at cell phone bills, insurance, and credit card interest rates if youre a longtime customer and have consistently made timely payments, ask if you can get a new payment plan or lower interest rate.

• Cut the costs that vary. Can you cut back on transportation, dining out and discretionary spending? Cutting in these categories often results in saving at least $200 - $400.

• Total how much money you can save by eliminating some costs and lowering others. If there is still a wide gap, it may be related to housing or too much debt. Consider meeting with a nonprofit credit counselor to get some advice and create a plan you can stick with.

Dont lose hope

For anyone struggling financially, Patel hopes that consumers know hope isnt lost, and theres always positive steps to take to make things better.

Families shouldnt lose hope of trying to reach their financial goals, she said. The data shows that its gotten harder to meet financial milestones, but with careful planning and budgeting its possible to meet your goals.

The math has changed, so understand that the shortcomings arent because youve failed in your financial life.