Robert Brokamp

A report published this past Monday by Kelley Blue Book tells us that the average price of a new automobile in the U.S.

is above $50,000 for the first time ever.

Also, it's no longer possible to buy a new car for under $20,000.

Earlier this month, admins reported that despite the higher prices, the average down payment for a new car dropped to $6,020, the lowest level since 2021, which of course means that people are taking on larger loans than ever before.

The percentage of buyers with monthly payments of $1,000 or more accounted for 19.1% of all financed new car purchases near the record set last quarter, and more than one in five car loans are for seven years or longer.

Higher prices and interest rates are two of the factors that are likely contributing to an uptick in delinquency rates in subprime auto loans.

According to Fitch, more than 6% of such loans were at least 60 days past due, near an all-time high.

And now for the number of the week, and it's more than $1 billion.

That's the amount that has been stolen via toll scam texts over the past three years, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal.

And you may have received one of these texts yourself.

They often claim to be from EasyPass and they say, hey, you owe us some money.

Americans reported 330,000 toll scam messages in a single day last month, an all-time high.

And the average monthly volume of toll scam messages has increased 350% since January of 2024.

The texts usually come from foreign gangs remotely operating so-called SIM farms in the US.

Included in the text is a link to a site where the victims are instructed to enter a credit card or banking info.

Criminals then use the info to buy all kinds of stuff, including gift cards, clothes, cosmetics, and iPhones.

The lesson, of course, is to never click on a link in a text or email asking for money.

And make sure you tell your parents and kids not to do it as well.

Up next, what you need to know about Medicare when Motley Fool Money continues.

Retirement will be an opportunity to do many things you always wanted to do.