The Latest Personal Finance News for December 2025

Holiday Shoppers Plan to Spend 10% Less This Year

According to Deloitte's 2025 holiday retail survey, shoppers expect to spend $1,595 this holiday season, a 10% decrease from last year.

This pullback comes as 77% of respondents expect higher prices on holiday items and 57% anticipate the economy will weaken in the next six months—the most negative economic outlook since Deloitte began tracking consumer sentiment in 1997.

Seven in 10 shoppers across all income groups are getting creative with their spending, according to Deloitte, including choosing more affordable retailers, redeeming loyalty points and making handmade gifts instead of buying them.

Why It Matters

The annual Deloitte survey reflects the real financial pressure many households are facing heading into the holidays. When the majority of consumers expect both higher prices and a weaker economy, it signals that careful budget planning is more important than ever.

That said, the shift toward value-seeking behaviors shows that protecting your financial health doesn't have to mean abandoning holiday traditions entirely.

What You Can Do

• Develop a holiday budget.
• Learn the 10 best ways to make extra money for the holidays.
• Read up on ways to recover from holiday spending.
• Start planning to pay off holiday debt.

Landmark Settlement Could Make Shopping More Complicated

Visa and Mastercard have reached a major $38 billion settlement aimed at ending nearly two decades of lawsuits from U.S. merchants. The agreement would slightly reduce interchange or swipe fees for five years and cap standard consumer credit card transaction fees at 1.25% for eight years. These fees are what merchants pay each time a customer uses a credit card.

The settlement also proposes a big shift to a rule known as "honor all cards." Today, if a store accepts Visa or Mastercard, it must accept all versions of those cards. Under the new terms, merchants could decline certain higher-cost cards or add surcharges when customers use them. That means the checkout experience could look different depending on which card you pull out.

Why It Matters

While lower fees sound good on the surface, consumers may start seeing more variation in how their cards are treated. If you use a premium rewards card, you might find it's no longer accepted everywhere or comes with an added fee at certain retailers. Even if your card still works, payment policies might differ from store to store.

It's also unclear whether the fee reductions will even result in lower prices for shoppers. Some merchants may pass along savings, while others may not. As this settlement rolls out, consumers may need to pay closer attention to which cards are accepted, whether a surcharge applies and whether it's worth having a backup payment option on hand.

What You Can Do

• Consider whether applying for another credit card is right for you.
• Read up on how many credit cards is too many.
• Learn how to manage multiple rewards credit cards.
• Know how long to wait between credit card applications.

President Trump Rolls Back Tariffs on Hundreds of Food Items

In November, the Trump administration announced it would roll back tariffs on more than 200 food products, including staples like beef, coffee, bananas and various fruits and spices. The move comes amid mounting concern over the cost of groceries in the United States.

In addition, a separate order removed 40% tariffs on certain Brazilian agricultural imports—including beef, coffee, cocoa and fruits—that had been imposed earlier in the year. The change takes effect retroactively for imports after November 13 and may lead to refunds of duties previously paid, meaning both consumers and importers could see tangible effects.

Why It Matters

For everyday shoppers, the tariff rollback could reduce the cost of some grocery items that had seen steep price increases. If import duties drop and retailers pass the savings along, you might pay less for the same coffee beans or beef purchases.

On the flip side, because tariffs were only removed on certain items and not all food imports, the overall impact on your grocery bill may be limited. It may also take some time to start seeing changes at the grocery store, depending on when the goods you buy were imported.

What You Can Do

• Learn about how tariffs impact your wallet.
• Prepare your finances for future potential price increases.
• Create a grocery budget.
• Read up on different ways to save on grocery shopping.

Health Insurance Open Enrollment Deadline Coming Up

The open enrollment period for health plans offered through HealthCare.gov officially began on November 1. If you want to ensure coverage starting on January 1, you'll need to re-enroll for your existing coverage or change plans by December 15.

If you miss that target, you'll have until January 15 to enroll in a plan. Just know that your coverage won't start until February 1 if you wait until after the December deadline.

Why It Matters

Acting quickly to sign up for a health insurance plan gives you the earliest possible starting date for your coverage. Losing coverage for the entire month of January could leave you without protection during a time when you and your family are more at risk for catching the flu and other respiratory infections.

Without active coverage, even a routine visit to the doctor, an urgent care appointment or a prescription refill could come at a substantial cost.

What You Can Do

• Learn more about how health insurance works.
• Understand the factors that affect your health insurance premiums.
• Consider the benefits of a high-deductible health plan.
• Find out how to get help paying for medical bills.

Good Credit Can Contribute to a Healthy Financial Plan

While there are aspects of your financial situation that are outside of your control, building and maintaining a good credit score can help you weather challenges and save money in the long run.

With Experian's free credit monitoring service, you'll get access to your FICO^® Score^Θ and your Experian credit report. With this information in hand, you can gauge your credit health and target areas of your credit profile that you can improve over time. And with real-time alerts whenever your report is updated, you can spot potential issues and fraud and address them quickly.