Overview
- IRS data show the average refund near $3,676 as of early March, up about 10.6% from a year earlier after last summer’s tax changes expanded benefits.
- The U.S. average gas price reached roughly $3.65 per gallon on Friday, about 70 cents higher than a month ago, lifting commuting and goods-transport costs.
- GasBuddy estimates Americans have spent an additional $2.19 billion on gasoline since March 1, with analysts attributing the jump largely to the Iran conflict.
- Pimco projects refunds are roughly $800 larger on average, a gain that could be absorbed by fuel and energy costs if oil remains above $80 per barrel.
- Mortgage News Daily reports 30-year fixed rates at 6.41% versus 5.9% before the U.S. strike on Iran, intensifying budget pressures that fall heaviest on lower-income households.