Category: Cost of Living
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One in three homeowners saw insurance jump over 20% at their last renewal as non-renewals climb
Homeowners insurance has quietly become one of the fastest-rising line items in the household budget, and the pain is not evenly spread. Surveys over the past two years show that a large share of homeowners, roughly one in three or more, opened a renewal notice to find their premium had jumped by more than 20…
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Marketplace health premiums jump for 2026 as extra subsidies lapse, hitting people 55 to 64 hardest
For the millions of people who buy their own health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, the cost math is changing for 2026 — and not in their favor. The enhanced premium tax credits that had held down monthly costs since 2021 expired at the end of 2025, and their disappearance is pushing up…
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Ground beef is up about 19% and coffee about 20% over the past year at the grocery store
Two staples of the American kitchen table have gotten conspicuously more expensive, and the grocery receipt shows it. Federal price data from around April 2026 put ground beef up roughly 19 percent over the past year and coffee up about 20 percent. Both increases dwarf the broader grocery basket, which rose far more modestly, meaning…
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The average home insurance bill is near $3,057 and has climbed 46% since 2021
Homeowners opening their insurance renewal this year are finding a familiar shock: another increase stacked on top of last year’s. The insurance-shopping firm Insurify projects the average U.S. home insurance premium will reach about $3,057 by the end of 2026, a figure that has climbed roughly 46 percent since 2021. That is nearly three times…
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State Farm is returning about $5 billion to auto customers, roughly $100 a vehicle, and former customers still qualify
State Farm is returning about $5 billion to its auto insurance customers, averaging roughly $100 per insured vehicle, in what the company calls the largest dividend in its more than century-long history. The payments are being sent automatically — most customers do not have to file anything — and, notably, former customers from the covered…
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A transfer-on-death deed can pass your home to heirs without probate
One of the simplest tools for keeping a home in the family is also one of the least known: a transfer-on-death deed. In the states that allow it, this recorded document lets your house pass directly to the people you name when you die, skipping probate entirely. The heirs avoid the court delay and expense…
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LIHEAP can help lower-income households pay heating and cooling bills
There is a federal program that helps lower-income households pay their heating and cooling bills, and in many states it can also step in during an energy emergency like a looming shutoff. It is called LIHEAP, and despite helping millions of families every year, plenty of people who qualify have never heard of it or…
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Electricity prices have climbed faster than overall inflation, pushing utility bills higher
Electricity has quietly become one of the fastest-rising household costs, climbing faster than overall inflation and pushing power bills higher for families already stretched. Unlike a grocery run you can trim or a purchase you can delay, the electric bill is close to non-negotiable — you cannot skip keeping the lights on and the house…
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Rent and housing costs keep climbing near 3.2 percent a year
Housing remains the most stubborn piece of the inflation picture, with shelter costs climbing near 3.2 percent a year — faster than overall inflation and by far the largest line in most household budgets. For renters and homeowners alike, that steady rise is why the cost of living still feels tight even as prices for…
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Grocery prices are running about 2.7 percent higher than a year ago even as overall inflation cools
Grocery prices are running about 2.7 percent higher than a year ago, a pace that has held steady for months even as overall inflation cools. That is slower than the painful spikes of a few years back, but it is still a real squeeze at the checkout, and it lands hardest on households that spend…
