The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warnings to 97 auto groups around the country, reminding them their advertised prices must be the total price, inclusive of all mandatory fees, that consumers will have to pay.

The FTC said its letters encouraged auto dealers to review their advertising and pricing practices to ensure that advertised prices include all fees consumers must pay when buying a vehicle. 

It said that, at minimum, it includes evaluating advertised prices to ensure they match actual prices charged to consumers. The agency added it will continue to monitor the marketplace and will take action as warranted to ensure compliance with the FTC Act and other rules.

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“The Trump-Vance FTC is committed to preventing auto dealers from misleading consumers with low advertised prices and then adding on mandatory fees at the end of the purchasing process,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. 

“The FTC will remain focused on monitoring auto dealerships to ensure that the market functions efficiently and competitors are transparently competing on price.”

The FTC sent letters to 97 auto dealerships in a push to promote price transparency. (iStock)

The agency said the letters to auto dealers are part of the FTC’s broader efforts to ensure price transparency across multiple markets, including rental housing, ticketing and hotels, grocery and delivery services and auto sales and leasing.

The FTC’s efforts aim to support affordability in the marketplace by ensuring that consumers only pay the advertised price for products and services and don’t face undisclosed fees, hidden charges or other illegal conduct.

“When consumers do not know the true price of a car — or any product — consumers and others suffer related consequences, including that consumers cannot comparison-shop and make informed decisions, sellers trying to deal honestly with consumers are put at a competitive disadvantage, and the market cannot operate efficiently,” a template version of the warning letter posted on the FTC’s website explained.

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The FTC informed nearly 100 auto dealerships that it’s examining dealers’ pricing practices. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The letters the FTC sent to the auto dealers offered several examples of illegal pricing practices in the auto industry.

Those include advertising a price that doesn’t reflect all required fees, advertising a price that reflects rebates or discounts that aren’t available to all consumers and advertising a price that fails to take into account the amount of an additional required down payment.

They also include conditioning the advertised price on consumers using dealer financing, requiring consumers to buy additional items not reflected in the advertised price and advertising unavailable or non-existent vehicles.

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The FTC told dealers to confirm that their advertised prices match the actual sales price. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The FTC’s template letter informs the recipient that the agency is concerned that the recipient may be engaging in one or more of those practices.

It also encourages the recipient to “review your practices, including by making sure the prices you advertise include all required fees and charges aside from required government charges, to ensure you are complying with applicable laws. This would include, at a minimum, evaluating your advertised prices and actual prices and confirming they match.”

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The template letter adds that the notice “is not intended to be a comprehensive statement of concerns that may exist about your dealership or dealership group” and it also isn’t intended to “represent any conclusions on whether your dealership or dealership group is engaging in these practices.”

Japan’s Nikkei 225 slumped 2.4% ahead of a rate decision while a broader gauge of Asian shares also fell more than 1.3% as investors trimmed risk. US futures edged lower after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 both declined 1.4% Wednesday.

Brent crude rose above $111 per barrel as strikes between Iran and Israel on critical energy facilities, which included damage to the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export plant in Qatar, raised concerns of a more lasting impact from the conflict.

Treasuries sold off across the curve on Wednesday, pushing yields higher and lifting the dollar after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Iran conflict has added fresh uncertainty to the inflation outlook, making the path for interest rates harder to gauge. Officials left rates unchanged and continued to expect one cut this year.

“There is little doubt that higher oil prices are starting to have a broader impact, and with volatility elevated, headline risk remains ever present,” Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone Group, wrote in a note. “The Fed meeting was largely a non-event, but once again it is developments in the energy complex that are driving cross-asset flows.”

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Beyond the focus of the war, concerns over the health of the private credit market continued to play out. S&P Global Ratings lowered its outlook on Cliffwater LLC’s flagship private credit fund to negative, citing elevated redemption requests. Pacific Investment Management Co. is staying away from private credit loans being put up for sale over quality concerns, its president Christian Stracke said.
Powell’s comments prompted traders to scale back expectations for rate cuts this year, reinforcing a higher-for-longer rate outlook amid volatility in energy markets.The yield on two-year Treasuries steadied on Thursday after jumping 10 basis points to 3.77% in the previous session. Traders are pricing in only about 15 basis points worth of Fed easing this year, less than one full quarter-point cut.

In economic forecasts released with their decision, Fed officials raised their outlook for inflation in 2026 to 2.7% from 2.4%. Notably, they saw the core measure — which excludes volatile food and energy categories — also rising to 2.7%.

“The Fed didn’t move today — but it didn’t need to,” said Gina Bolvin, president of Bolvin Wealth Management Group. “This is a central bank that’s comfortable waiting, watching, and staying flexible. One projected cut tells you everything: the Fed is not in a rush, and neither should investors be.”

Other major businesses across the country also deemed as critical, such defence firms, transport companies, and cyber security companies, have their own detailed contingency plans to follow in the event of crisis, both as a result of conflict with other countries, and challenges such as natural disasters.

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Grubhub is launching New Jersey’s first-ever commercial drone-powered food delivery service, the company announced last Wednesday.

The service, which will run for three months as a test program, will operate out of Green Brook Township, located one hour southwest of New York City. 

The food ordering marketplace will partner with autonomous drone company Dexa to deliver meals directly from a local Wonder food hall operated by its parent company. These Wonder facilities function as high-tech kitchens where staff assemble and finish dishes pre-prepared by its numerous restaurant brand partners, helping streamline the ordering process.

The drone service is expected to deliver food faster than traditional methods and comes at no additional cost beyond standard delivery and service fees, the Chicago-based company said.

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A Dexa drone takes off next to a Wonder food hall location. (Grubhub / Fox News)

“This service is a glimpse into the future of how autonomous technology will help restaurants and retailers serve customers at a completely new level,” CEO of Dexa Beth Flippo said in a statement. 

Customers can use the Grubhub app to order from the local Wonder location, which offers 15 different restaurant concepts prepared in a single location, and can specifically opt for drone delivery.

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A “Grubhub” branded drone flies across a city. (Grubhub / Fox News)

Dexa’s AI-operated drone, the DE-2020, will then take off and fly along approved paths designed to prioritize safety while minimizing noise and other community disruptions. 

Once it reaches the customer, instead of landing, it will safely lower the order to the ground using a controlled tether system.

The drone company’s flight crews will also verify that the food is correctly packaged and secured before taking off, Grubhub said.

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The Grubhub logo on a smartphone in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Friday, July 8, 2022. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Through the Grubhub platform, diners can also monitor food delivery using real-time GPS tracking and arrival notifications.  

After the three-month trial at Green Brook, Grubhub will then evaluate the program’s success and consider expanding the service to other nearby restaurants. 

Columbia Threadneedle Investments is a leading global asset management group that provides a broad range of actively managed investment strategies and solutions for individual, institutional and corporate clients around the world. Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global asset management group of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP). For more information please visit columbiathreadneedleus.com.

Sydney — Traffic congestion continues to exact a heavy toll on Australian businesses, with recent estimates showing national economic losses from road delays and related inefficiencies reaching into the billions annually. While comprehensive 2026-specific figures for business-only impacts remain limited, updated analyses and reports from 2025 point to broader congestion costs exceeding $10 billion yearly across major cities, with a substantial portion borne by commercial operations through delayed deliveries, lost productivity and higher operating expenses.

A November 2025 report highlighted by iSelect and covered in outlets like Drive.com.au calculated that full-time workers in Australia’s 11 largest cities collectively lose 212 million hours annually to traffic. This translates to $9.7 billion in lost productivity — valued at average median hourly wages — plus $462 million in wasted fuel, for a combined national hit of more than $10.1 billion per year. Although the figure encompasses all motorists, businesses feel the pinch acutely: freight delays, employee commute times affecting work hours, and supply chain disruptions directly erode profits and competitiveness.

For businesses, the costs manifest in multiple ways. Logistics firms, construction companies, tradespeople and delivery services bear disproportionate burdens from idling vehicles, unpredictable travel times and increased fuel consumption. In sectors reliant on timely transport — such as retail, manufacturing and services — every extra minute in gridlock equates to lost revenue. Older Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) modeling from 2015 broke down metropolitan congestion costs into roughly $8 billion in business time losses out of a $16.5 billion total, suggesting commercial impacts historically comprised nearly half the burden. Adjusted for inflation and growth, similar proportions in recent years imply business-specific losses in the range of $4-6 billion annually, though no updated BITRE breakdown for 2026 has been released.

Projections indicate the problem is worsening. Infrastructure Australia and iMOVE Australia reports consistently forecast road congestion costs in major cities approaching $38.8 billion to $39.6 billion per year by 2031 without significant intervention, up from around $19 billion in 2016. These long-term estimates include private time, business productivity, vehicle operating expenses and environmental factors, with road delays accounting for the vast majority. A 2025 analysis cited in economic commentary estimated national road congestion at $13.8 billion (US) for 2024, exceeding the United Kingdom’s figure and positioning cities like Brisbane and Melbourne among global leaders in delays. Without policy shifts, costs could more than double by 2030, reaching $27.6 billion (US) or higher.

City-specific data underscores regional variations. Melbourne topped the 2025 iSelect rankings as Australia’s most congested capital, with motorists facing average annual costs of about $4,627 per person from delays and fuel — the highest among major centers. Sydney followed closely at $4,567, with Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide ranging from $3,377 to $3,495. These per-driver figures compound for businesses operating fleets or relying on employee mobility. For example, outer-suburban commuters in Sydney and Melbourne reportedly spend 41% of their trips stuck in traffic, equating to roughly 77 hours — or two full working weeks — per year, amplifying productivity drags for employers.

Experts attribute the rising toll to population growth, urban sprawl and insufficient infrastructure investment relative to demand. Freight remains overwhelmingly road-dependent, with national projections showing road freight volumes rising 77% by 2050 while rail share stays minimal. This intensifies congestion in key corridors, particularly around ports and urban centers. Reports from groups like the Business Council of Australia have called for congestion pricing mechanisms — such as peak-hour charges — to be incorporated into evolving road user fees as electric vehicle adoption reduces fuel excise revenue.

Government responses include billions in transport commitments: New South Wales allocated $55.6 billion over four years for transport projects, Queensland $41.7 billion focused on highway upgrades, and Western Australia $10.7 billion emphasizing freeway improvements and METRONET. Yet critics argue these efforts lag behind freight and passenger growth, failing to curb worsening gridlock. Calls for road pricing reforms persist, with advocates arguing time-based charges could manage demand, fund alternatives and offset future revenue shortfalls.

The human and environmental costs add layers to the economic strain. Commuters report stress, fatigue and reduced family time, while idling vehicles contribute to higher emissions and poorer air quality. Businesses face indirect hits through employee well-being, recruitment challenges in congested areas and supply chain unreliability amid global disruptions.

As Australia navigates post-pandemic recovery and urban expansion, traffic congestion stands as a persistent drag on economic efficiency. With projections signaling escalation toward $30 billion or more in avoidable costs by decade’s end, stakeholders urge accelerated investment in public transport, active mobility and smart pricing to alleviate the burden on businesses and households alike.

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