Good morning! It’s Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money, Friday consumer edition.

Grocery prices were on the rise well before the national egg shortage. In the last five years, grocery prices have increased nearly 25%, according to the USDA.

But where in the country are consumers feeling the pinch the worst? Betty Lin-Fisher reports.

What remains of consumer protection agency?

In the waning months of the Biden administration, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, released a flurry of new consumer protection rules, targeting everything from bank overdraft fees and credit card late fees to old medical debt on credit reports. 

If the Democrats had fared better at the polls, then some of the rules might have taken effect by now. As it stands, the consumer agency itself is in limbo.  

Here is a rundown of the agency’s most high-profile recent actions, arguments for and against them, and their status in the new Trump administration.  

Mortgage rates are falling

Rates for home loans fell for the fifth straight week, Andrea Riquier reports, but buyers aren’t feeling the love just yet.

In the week ending Feb. 20, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.85%, Freddie Mac announced Thursday. That puts the popular mortgage product at exactly the level at which it closed 2024.

Even as mortgage rates continue to tick gradually lower, they offer scant relief for a challenging housing market. 

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About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA Today.