The Daily Money: Inflation eased in September

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

Inflation hit a fresh three-year low in September, Paul Davidson reports, as another drop in gasoline prices offset a rise in used car and auto insurance costs. But price gains slowed less than expected, and a gauge of underlying price increases picked up.

Overall consumer prices increased 2.4% from a year ago, according to the Labor Department’s consumer price index, a wide-ranging gauge of goods and services costs. That’s the smallest increase since February 2021 and the sixth straight pullback, leaving inflation modestly above the Fed’s 2% goal. But many economists expected an even bigger drop.

Disaster victims get a break on forthcoming IRS tax deadline

The scariest thing about October, for many of us, is facing the ghost of tax deadlines past and running into the Oct. 15 cutoff for the six-month filing extension. That's unless you've been hit by a hurricane or other horrific weather disaster and now have a new deadline for 2023 returns, Susan Tompor reports.

A string of severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, wildfires, mudslides and other weather-related disasters this year has meant that the IRS is giving a break to many people in a long list of communities. Deadlines will vary depending on the disaster and the locality. Make sure to understand the extended deadline that applies to your area, as some deadlines can even vary within a given state.

Payment apps may not be as secure as you think

Sandy Sans had successfully rented a ski cabin in Lake Tahoe for several years via Craigslist, paying with Zelle, a digital payment app linked to his bank account.

But in 2018, as it was getting close to his check-in date, something didn't feel right about the owner he was dealing with. When Sans did some more research, he realized he was not dealing with the owner, but a scammer.

With digital payments on the rise, apps like Zelle, Venmo, Apple Pay and Cash App say they have implemented numerous steps to protect consumers. But Consumer Reports says they're not doing enough.

📰 More stories you shouldn't miss 📰

• Who still owns a landline telephone?
• Inflation persists in the housing market
• We can expect more interest rate cuts
• Tesla unveils driverless Cybercab
• Is Social Security COLA keeping you up at night?

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.