PERSONAL LOANS/DEBT
LendingTree | Going organic at the grocery store has always come at a cost, but that cost is significant — and growing. Already, organic fruits and vegetables cost 59.0% more on average than their conventional counterparts. And over the course of a year, organic prices surged 10.0%, while conventional prices remained nearly unchanged.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | Nearly 1 in 3 people who took out a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage from 2023 to 2025 could save an average of $2,320 annually by refinancing at market rates observed in early April 2026. LendingTree compared individual mortgage rates found in government-collected mortgage data from those three years to 6.37% — the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage in early April — to see how many borrowers had rates at least a half-point higher.
INSURANCE
LendingTree | Telematics-based car insurance programs, which track driving behavior to determine premiums, are becoming increasingly mainstream. According to our survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers, drivers aren’t only aware of these programs, but many would willingly share their data if it meant saving money.
CREDIT CARDS
LendingTree | Gas prices are climbing sharply across the U.S., leaving no state untouched. The national average hit $4.50 per gallon on May 12, 2026 — a steep 43.6% jump from a year ago — with double-digit increases in every state and metro. After rapid increases in recent months, drivers are now seeing some of the highest prices in years, with costs over $6.00 per gallon in California and surging by more than 50.0% in 12 states.
MORTGAGE
LendingTree | Gen Z is steadily carving out its place in the housing market, accounting for 19.9% of mortgage requests nationally. However, while younger buyers now make up a meaningful share of mortgage activity nationwide, their presence is much stronger in some markets than in others. Our study found that their influence is especially pronounced in more affordable Midwestern metros, and far less visible in high-cost coastal cities.
PERSONAL LOANS/DEBT
LendingTree | Covering everyday bills is among the most common reasons borrowers apply for personal loans, with younger borrowers and those with lower credit scores relying on them most heavily. This study examines the growing dependence on personal loans for basic expenses, including when, where and among whom the trend is strongest.
AUTO
LendingTree | As vehicle prices and insurance premiums climb, the cost of car ownership is consuming a growing share of household budgets, pushing many to a financial breaking point. A separate LendingTree survey found that owning a car is a luxury 39% of Americans can’t afford.
INSURANCE
LendingTree | America’s roads and bridges are showing signs of strain. While there have been modest improvements in recent years, there are large disparities by state. Nationally, 8.9% of road miles are in poor condition, though that figure varies from 1.8% in Alabama to 31.5% in Rhode Island. Here’s a closer look at which states have seen the biggest changes in road and bridge conditions, and how these factors can impact your auto insurance.
SMALL BUSINESS
LendingTree | Of the 5.9 million U.S. businesses that employ at least one person beyond the owner, just 5.7% are owned by someone younger than 35. That’s up slightly from our 2024 report, but it underscores how rare it is for young people to run businesses with employees. Our analysis also shows that young ownership of employer firms varies widely by industry and state.
PERSONAL LOANS/DEBT
LendingTree | Mother’s Day is around the corner, but rising prices may mean there’s less to unwrap this year. A LendingTree survey found that while Mother’s Day gift-giving remains the norm, more people plan to skip it this year. (Sorry, Mom.) The holiday is also likely to hit wallets hard. Of those planning to give a gift this Mother’s Day, more than half say they might spend more than they can afford this year — largely due to inflation.
