The average price Americans pay at the pump increased this past week, but by just four cents, AAA reported. Drivers paid an average of $3.67 a gallon, 21 cents more than this time last year.

Prices increased slightly due to a small jump in demand. Data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) found that gas demand rose from 8.61 to 8.66 million barrels per day last week.

Oil prices decreased, helping to ensure prices didn’t spike too high. Within the last few weeks, tensions in the Middle East have driven oil prices up, but this week, the cost of a barrel decreased into the low $80s. 

“The situation overseas with war in both the Middle East and Ukraine has the oil market on edge,” Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson said. 

“But this is also the time of year we may see a bit of a lull in gasoline demand between the end of spring breaks and ahead of Memorial Day. So, the national average for gas may waffle a bit with small increases, some flat days, and even some price dips,” Gross said.

Want to lower your car costs? Comparing multiple insurance quotes can potentially save you hundreds of dollars per year. Visit Credible now to compare quotes free of charge.

A TOP GOAL OF AMERICANS IS TO BUY A NEW CAR, BUILD EMERGENCY SAVINGS: STUDY

Gas prices fluctuate throughout the country. These 10 states have the least expensive prices:

At the other end of the spectrum, these are the states with the highest gas prices:

Dealing with high gas prices can take a toll on your budget. While you can’t change gas prices, consider looking for lower car insurance rates. Use a tool like Credible to shop around and lower your car insurance premium today.

DRIVERS WANT EMBEDDED INSURANCE OPTIONS WHEN THEY BUY A CAR: SURVEY

Car prices are still high, but both new and used vehicle prices have dropped in the last few months. Wholesale prices for used vehicles decreased by 1.9% during the first half of April, Cox Automotive reported.

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value index, which tracks the price of used cars, fell by 13.7% to 199.2. This index hasn’t fallen below 200 since March 2021, so it appears the effects of the pandemic had on the auto industry are starting to wear off.

Buyers looking to buy brand-new vehicles will find slightly lower prices at the dealerships. The average cost of a new car is $47,244, which is higher than in February 2021, but lower than January of this year, Kelley Blue Book reported.

“While everyone may applaud that prices are coming down, even marginally for the moment, affordability is still challenging the market,” Erin Keating, an executive analyst for Cox Automotive said.

“Most shoppers have not seen their incomes increase as quickly as vehicle prices, so the new-vehicle market remains a challenge,” Keating stated.

If you’re in the market for a new car, make sure the auto insurance rates you get are within your budget. With Credible, you can compare rates and lenders with the click of a button.

NEW CAR PURCHASES ARE ON THE RISE, BUT THERE ARE INSURANCE IMPLICATIONS

Have a finance-related question, but don’t know who to ask? Email The Credible Money Expert at [email protected] and your question might be answered by Credible in our Money Expert column.

Read More 

Apple has removed popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal from its iPhone app store in China after the Chinese government ordered the company to do so, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” an Apple spokesperson told the Journal, confirming Chinese officials demanded the tech giant scrub a number of apps over national security concerns.

Citing a person familiar, the Journal reported that the Cyberspace Administration of China asked Apple to remove Meta-owned WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store “because both contain political content that includes problematic mentions of the Chinese president,” but the Apple spokesperson denied that was part of the reasoning.

SAMSUNG OVERTAKES APPLE FOR TOP PHONEMAKER SPOT: REPORT

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) keeps tight controls on what the nation’s citizens are exposed to and suppresses political speech critical of the regime. Beijing has passed legislation and regulations to include specifications on what kinds of content should be prohibited online and bars pro-democracy media.

China’s demand that Apple remove the apps suggests growing intolerance on the part of China’s central government towards at least some foreign online messaging services that fall outside its control. It also signals less leeway for Apple in China, its largest overseas market.

AMERICANS SHOULD ‘ABSOLUTELY BE CONCERNED’ ABOUT DATA COLLECTION, SPYING FROM CHINESE EVS: AUTO EXPERT

The move comes as the Senate prepares to take up a bill passed by the House last month that could see popular social media app TikTok banned in U.S. app stores if its China-based parent company, Bytedance, does not divest from it within 165 days of passage. It would also require the platform to be bought by a country that is not a U.S. adversary.

According to Reuters, other Meta apps including Facebook, Instagram and Messenger remained available for download in China as of Friday, along with other popular apps developed by Western companies, including Google-owned YouTube and Elon Musk’s X.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

FOX Business’ Elizabeth Elkin and Reuters contributed to this report.

Read More 

Executive pay on Wall Street has long been a hot-button issue Read More