Category: Cost of Living
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Nearly half of August homebuyers, 44.7%, got concessions from sellers, the highest August share since at least 2020, Redfin says
Nearly half of the people who bought a home in August, 44.7%, walked away with some kind of concession from the seller, according to Redfin. That is the highest share for any August since the brokerage began tracking the number in 2020, and it is up from 42.6% a year earlier. The trend points to…
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Fresh vegetable prices are forecast to rise 5.7% this year, USDA says
The produce aisle is forecast to get noticeably pricier this year. Fresh vegetable prices are headed for a 5.7% increase in 2026, according to the Food Price Outlook that USDA’s Economic Research Service released Sept. 25, more than double the 2.4% increase the agency projects for food at home overall. That gap puts fresh vegetables…
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Target Circle 360 members get early access to Target’s October 6-7 sale, with prices up to 40% off
Target is opening its next big sale event to certain shoppers a day early. The retailer’s Sept. 15 announcement sets Target Circle Deal Days for Oct. 6-7, with prices cut by up to 40% off, while members of its paid Circle 360 program get access starting Oct. 5, a full day before the sale opens…
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Electricity rose 3.8% and piped gas 4.4% in a year, outpacing groceries
Two utility bills climbed faster than the grocery bill over the past year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that electricity prices rose 3.8% and piped gas service rose 4.4% over the 12 months ending in August 2026, both ahead of the 2.2% increase for food bought at the grocery store over the same stretch.…
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USDA forecasts coffee and other nonalcoholic drinks costing 4.2% more this year
Coffee drinkers and soda buyers alike are facing a steeper grocery bill in 2026. The Sept. 25 Food Price Outlook from USDA’s Economic Research Service puts nonalcoholic beverages, the category that covers coffee, tea, soda and juice, on track for a 4.2% rise this year. The agency singles out coffee specifically as the fastest-moving item…
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Toys, holiday decorations and children’s car seats could get tariff relief under Trump’s deal with China covering $30 billion in goods
A trade framework taking shape between the United States and China could ease tariffs on some of the items families buy most around the holidays. A White House fact sheet released Sept. 25 says the two countries reached consensus on recommendations for more favorable tariff treatment covering $30 billion of goods moving in each direction,…
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Pennsylvania rejected nearly $95 million in requested Obamacare premium increases, holding 2027 rates to a 15.97% average rise
Pennsylvania’s Insurance Department turned down nearly $95 million worth of premium increases that health insurers had requested for 2027, holding the average individual-market rate hike to 15.97% instead of the 17.14% insurers proposed. The department’s review, completed September 18, 2026, examined every insurer’s filing before settling on the lower number. Pennsylvania residents shopping the ACA…
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Restaurant meals are forecast to cost 3.5% more this year, outpacing the 2.4% rise at the grocery store, USDA says
A meal eaten at a restaurant is on track to get pricier faster than the same ingredients bought at a grocery store this year. USDA’s Economic Research Service, in its Food Price Outlook published Sept. 25, forecasts food away from home rising 3.5% in 2026, compared with a 2.4% increase for food at home. The…
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Maryland regulators approved a 14.6% average Obamacare premium increase for 2027 covering about 274,000 people
Maryland’s insurance regulators approved an average 14.6% increase in 2027 individual health insurance premiums for the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace, a decision covering about 274,000 people. The Maryland Insurance Administration finalized the rate on September 25, 2026, after reviewing separate filings from each insurer selling on the individual market. Small businesses buying coverage through…
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More than 62,000 Florida homeowners get rate cuts of 3.2% to 10.4% after regulators approved decreases at four insurers
Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation approved homeowners insurance rate decreases at four companies this month, cutting premiums for more than 62,000 policyholders by amounts ranging from 3.2% to 10.4%. Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky signed off on the reductions at One Alliance, Safe Harbor, Unique and Vyrd on September 22, 2026. The approvals mark a rare…