Consumer News: Scammers are mining obituaries with AI — here's what your family shouldn't reveal

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.

Rising housing costs are forcing homeowners to cut spending, reduce savings, and make financial sacrifices despite growing home values

• 43% of homeowners say theyre house rich and cash poor, even as home values continue to rise.

• Rising housing costs are forcing homeowners to make financial sacrifices, including cutting discretionary spending and reducing emergency and retirement savings.

• Experts say homeowners should plan for less obvious costs, including changing property taxes, insurance premiums and ongoing home maintenance.

Owning a home is often seen as a major step toward financial security. But for many homeowners, rising housing costs are making it harder to enjoy that sense of stability. Even as their homes increase in value, many are finding themselves with less money available for everyday expenses, savings and major purchases.

A new study from AmeriSave highlights just how common this house rich, cash poor dilemma has become, with homeowners making financial sacrifices to keep up with the cost of owning a home.

ConsumerAffairs spoke with Jerrie Giffin, VP of Sales at AmeriSave, to learn more about whats driving the trend and what it means for homeowners financial well-being.

Methodology

AmeriSave surveyed 1,000 U.S. homeowners through an online poll to better understand how people are managing rising housing costs and how those expenses are affecting their financial well-being.

The survey asked about homeowners financial situations, changes in housing costs compared with income, spending and savings sacrifices, and whether they had considered using home equity to access cash.

Results were also analyzed by generation, household income, and gender. The findings are based on self-reported responses, and percentages may exceed 100% when respondents could select multiple answers.

Key findings

The results highlight the gap between growing home values and everyday financial security.

Heres a look at the key findings from the survey:

• 43% of homeowners said they feel house rich and cash poor

• 66% said their home has increased in value, but they dont feel financially better off.

• 45% said housing expenses have outpaced their income.

• 53% have cut back on discretionary spending, such as vacations and dining out.

• 52% have scaled back major purchases.

• Nearly half (49%) have reduced contributions to emergency savings.

• 37% have cut back on retirement savings.

• 24% have taken on extra work to cover housing costs

• 23% have used credit card debt to help pay for them.

Know your long-term goals

With nearly half of homeowners surveyed reducing their contributions to emergency savings accounts, Giffin encourages consumers to be clear about their long-term savings and financial goals.

It's important to take a step back and set your long term goals, he said. Many homeowners love having equity until they can't tap into it due to their income / liquid assets. Its never been more important to set real expectations for what you need financially.

Escrow: The hidden cost of homeownership

Whether youre a current homeowner or thinking of becoming a first-time owner, Giffin says that understanding your homes specific escrow account is one of the most important lessons.

So many homeowners dont fully understand how their taxes and insurance can change and mold their payments, he explained. I see many homeowners get priced out of homes due to escrow increases.

Do your research on the home and the area and be prepared for any potential tax/insurance hikes in your area.

One step at a time

Once youre in a home, maintaining it comes with its own set of costs. However, you dont need to fix everything immediately!

Giffin recommends taking things one step and one month at a time.

I live by a once-a-month rule, he said. I dont remodel the house all at once. I find one maintenance piece I can do every month that ensures I dont run into major issues down the road but doesnt break the bank today.