Consumer and household affairs
Reporting on the bills, contracts and public programs behind everyday household life.
Section
Budgets, savings, debt and the everyday financial decisions households make.
Money · Analysis
Lower inflation does not mean lower prices. For many families, the work now is resetting a budget around costs that are likely to stay where they are.
By Eleanor Marsh
Utilities · Analysis
Level-payment plans can make winter heating costs easier to plan for, but the annual true-up deserves attention.
By Daniel Okafor
Retirement · Analysis
The timing decision touches spousal benefits, taxes and savings withdrawals. Treating it as a single number misses most of the picture.
By Samuel Ito
Money · Analysis
Separate accounts for near-term bills, repairs and income gaps can make a cushion feel less abstract.
By Eleanor Marsh
Retirement · Analysis
By Samuel Ito
Money · Analysis
By Eleanor Marsh
Housing · Guide
An appeal is usually won or lost on the assessor’s record of your home. Reading that record carefully comes first.
By Daniel Okafor
Health · Explainer
The form that follows a doctor’s visit is not a bill, but it is the best tool for checking one.
By Ruth Calloway
Groceries · Explainer
Unit pricing makes it possible to compare products across sizes. Its usefulness depends on reading it the same way every time.
By Eleanor Marsh