It’s time to go back to school, and families are stocking up on back to school supplies, new clothes, and new shoes for the school year. It all adds up, and we’re seeing some signs that consumers are changing their spending habits. We’re talking with Kylee Hall. She’s the vice president of marketing at B-Stock, a company that helps major retailers liquidate unsold merchandise. We’ll talk about the back to school shopping season, why brand loyalty’s the loser this year, what’s next as companies deal with returned and unsold back to school merchandise, and what that means for shoppers hoping to get great deals.

New vehicle prices have now surged to around $50,000 on average! Susan Campbell talks with Joseph Yoon from Edmunds about how this is driven by pandemic-era supply chain disruption and automakers prioritizing higher-margin mid- and high-trim models, leaving few truly affordable new cars under $30,000 after fees and options. They discuss how higher interest rates and rising living costs are pushing buyers into longer 72- to 84-month loans, increasing the risk of being underwater and paying substantial interest, especially for shoppers focused only on monthly payments. Yoon explains how reduced leasing during the pandemic shrank the supply of late-model used cars, making today’s “best value” closer to a five- to seven-year-old vehicle.

Trump Accounts for kids officially launch on July 4th. We’re taking politics out of the conversation, and just talking about the facts with our guest, Christina Lamar, the VP of member services at Copper State Credit Union. What are these accounts? Who can get them? How do you get started? What are the incentives?