💵 Friday Money Check: Mortgage Rates Dip to 7.32%, Sequatchie County Unemployment Falls to 3.4%, and Chattanooga Gas Ticks Up to $3.77

Or: A Little Relief on Loans, Good News on Jobs, a Gas Bump to Shrug Off, and a Scam to Hang Up On

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Friday, October 23, 2026

Friday is the day to tally up the week, kind of like walking the fence line on Saturday morning to see what held and what needs a nail.

Here’s what’s on the money table this morning: mortgage rates eased to an average of 7.32% after seven straight weekly climbs; Sequatchie County’s unemployment rate fell from 3.9% to 3.4% in September, and every county around us improved too; Chattanooga gas ticked up about 6.5 cents overnight to about $3.77, a few cents above last week, while diesel eased for a third day; Social Security’s watchdog is warning that scammers are using the new 3.6% raise as bait; and the USDA’s next grocery price forecast is due out about now. Plus money dates for the fridge.

The unemployment numbers are local, county by county, from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Gas and diesel prices are Chattanooga-area and statewide. Mortgage rates, the scam warning and the grocery forecast are national. We’ll say which is which as we go.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Mortgage rates: 30-year average 7.32%, down from 7.40%. 15-year 6.68%. Fixed-rate loans you already have don’t change.
• Jobs (local): Sequatchie County unemployment 3.4% in September, down from 3.9%. Bledsoe 2.8%, Marion 3.7%, Grundy 3.6%, Hamilton 3.1%.
• At the pump (Fri., Oct. 23): Chattanooga regular about $3.77, Tennessee about $3.84, national about $4.29.
• Diesel: Chattanooga about $5.67, down a little for the third day in a row.
• Scam alert: Your 3.6% Social Security raise is automatic. Nobody needs a fee, a password or a new bank account to “activate” it.
• Groceries: USDA’s updated food price forecast is expected about now. Last month’s said grocery prices are up about 2.4% this year.

🏠 Mortgage Rates Take a Small Step Down

Freddie Mac, the national home-loan company, released its weekly survey Thursday, Oct. 22. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 7.32%, down from 7.40% the week before. A year ago it was 6.19%. The average 15-year rate slipped to 6.68%, from 6.71%. Realtor.com noted this came after seven straight weekly increases.

Freddie Mac’s chief economist, Sam Khater, said the 30-year rate “declined this week, offering some relief to prospective homebuyers.”

What it means for you: On a $200,000, 30-year loan, the drop from 7.40% to 7.32% trims the monthly principal and interest by about $11, from about $1,385 to about $1,374. That’s a small step, not a trend yet, like one cool morning in early fall. If you already have a fixed-rate mortgage, your payment doesn’t change. If you’re shopping, get written quotes from two or three lenders, including a local bank or credit union, and compare them the same day. The Federal Reserve announces its next rate decision on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

👉 Read more (Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates decrease to 7.32%) · Realtor.com: Mortgage rates drop

👷 Good News Close to Home: Fewer Neighbors Out of Work

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s September county numbers are out, and every county in Tennessee saw its unemployment rate go down from August, SValleyNow reported Thursday. Here’s how our part of the state looks:

• Sequatchie County: 3.4%, down from 3.9% in August
• Bledsoe County: 2.8%, the 8th lowest in the state
• Grundy County: 3.6%, down from 4%
• Marion County: 3.7%, down from 3.9%
• Hamilton County: 3.1%, down from 3.5%

For comparison, the statewide rate for September was 3.4%, the same as August and July. County rates aren’t adjusted for the seasons the way the state rate is, so the two aren’t a perfect match, but Sequatchie County is right in line with Tennessee as a whole.

What it means for you: When fewer folks are looking for work, local paychecks tend to be steadier, and that helps the shops, churches and ball teams that depend on them. If you or someone at your table is job hunting, it’s a good season to look, with stores also hiring for the holidays. The free American Job Center network run by the state can help with résumés and openings.

👉 Read more (SValleyNow: Area county unemployment rates all drop) · Sequatchie County unemployment history (FRED)

⛽ Friday Pump Check: Chattanooga Ticks Up to About $3.77

AAA’s Friday, Oct. 23, reading puts Chattanooga (TN only) regular at about $3.77 a gallon. That’s up about 6.5 cents from Thursday’s $3.70 and about 4 cents above a week ago, but still about 23 cents below a month ago. Cleveland is about $3.76. Statewide, Tennessee averages about $3.84, up about a penny from yesterday and still about 4 cents lower than a week ago. The national average is about $4.29.

Diesel is moving the other way. Chattanooga diesel is about $5.67, down a little for the third day in a row and about 42 cents below a month ago. Tennessee diesel is about $5.97, below the state’s record of about $6.22 set Sept. 22.

What it means for you: At today’s Chattanooga average, a 15-gallon fill-up runs about $56.51, about $1 more than yesterday and about $18 more than this time last year, when Chattanooga regular was about $2.56. Gas has see-sawed all month, like a porch swing in a breeze. A tank of gas before the weekend is fine. Just check a gas app first, because prices vary from station to station.

👉 Read more (AAA Tennessee gas prices)

🛡️ Your Raise Is Automatic. Hang Up on Anyone Who Says Otherwise.

Social Security announced the 3.6% raise for 2027 on Oct. 14. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General, its fraud watchdog, put out a fresh warning: scammers are using the raise as bait. They call, text, email, message or mail people pretending to be from Social Security, and claim they can “activate” your raise or make it bigger.

The watchdog says the raise is automatic. You don’t need to register, apply or activate anything. Scammers may ask you to pay a fee, change your direct deposit, share personal or bank information, click a link or download software. Some even use the names of real government workers or send official-looking papers.

What it means for you: Think of your raise like the morning paper. It shows up on its own, and nobody needs to come to the door to collect a fee for it. If anyone contacts you about “activating” it, hang up or don’t reply, and call Social Security yourself at the number on its website or your mail. You can report a suspected scam at ssa.gov/scam or call the fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central). A free my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount lets you check your own benefits and makes it harder for anyone else to open one in your name.

👉 Read more (SSA Inspector General scam alert) · Social Security: 3.6% increase for 2027

🛒 A Fresh Grocery Forecast Is Due Any Day

The U.S. Department of Agriculture updates its Food Price Outlook once a month, usually around the 25th. With the 25th falling on a Sunday this month, the new numbers are expected about now. As of early Friday, the USDA’s page still showed September’s forecast, so here’s where things stood:

• Grocery store food was forecast to cost about 2.4% more in 2026 than in 2025, with an increase of about 1.8% predicted for 2027.
• Eggs were forecast to be about 29% cheaper than last year.
• Beef and veal were forecast to be up about 9.4%.
• Dairy was nearly flat, up about 0.1%.
• Eating out was forecast to cost about 3.5% more.

These are national forecasts, not prices at any one Valley store.

What it means for you: Groceries are still going up, but slowly, about the pace of a slow drip, not a burst pipe. Eggs remain a good, cheap protein, and dairy is steady. If beef is pinching, chicken, pork, beans and eggs can stretch the week’s meals. We’ll pass along the new forecast once the USDA posts it.

👉 Read more (USDA Food Price Outlook summary)

📅 Put These on the Fridge: Money Dates Ahead

• Any day now: USDA’s updated Food Price Outlook.
• Wednesday, Oct. 28: Social Security deposits for birthdays on the 21st–31st. The Federal Reserve’s rate decision that afternoon.
• Thursday, Oct. 29: Freddie Mac’s next weekly mortgage rates.
• Friday, Oct. 30: SSI’s November payment arrives early because Nov. 1 is a Sunday. It’s November’s money, not extra.
• Sunday, Nov. 1: Marketplace (HealthCare.gov) open enrollment begins for people who buy their own insurance.
• Monday, Dec. 7: Last day of Medicare open enrollment, about six and a half weeks from today.
• Tuesday, Dec. 15: Last day to pick a Marketplace plan for coverage on Jan. 1.

What it means for you: Copy these onto the calendar by the phone. A pencil remembers better than any of us.

👉 Read more (Social Security 2026 payment schedule) · HealthCare.gov deadlines · Federal Reserve meeting calendar

✅ Your Wallet Checklist for This Week

• ✅ Shopping for a home loan? Get written quotes from two or three lenders and compare them the same day.
• ✅ Job hunting, or know someone who is? This is a good season to look, with unemployment down across the Valley.
• ✅ Check a gas app before you fill. Chattanooga is averaging about $3.77.
• ✅ Tell an older neighbor: the Social Security raise is automatic. Anyone asking for a fee or bank details to “activate” it is a scammer.
• ✅ Write the fraud hotline by the phone: 1-800-269-0271.
• ✅ If beef is pinching, plan a meal or two around eggs, chicken or beans.
• ✅ On Medicare? You have until Dec. 7 to compare plans. Free help: TN SHIP, 1-877-801-0044.

Practical rule: Real money from the government shows up on its own. If someone wants something from you first, it isn’t real.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Money Glossary

• 30-year fixed mortgage: A home loan paid off over 30 years with an interest rate that never changes.
• Freddie Mac: A government-chartered company that buys home loans and publishes a weekly average of mortgage rates.
• Principal and interest: The part of a mortgage payment that pays back the loan and the lender’s charge. Taxes and insurance are extra.
• Unemployment rate: The share of people who want a job and are looking for one but don’t have one.
• Seasonally adjusted: Numbers smoothed out to remove regular ups and downs, like summer jobs or holiday hiring.
• AAA average: The daily average price AAA reports for regular gas in a state or metro area. Individual stations can be higher or lower.
• COLA: Cost-of-living adjustment, the yearly raise for Social Security and SSI. For 2027, it’s 3.6%.
• Inspector General: An independent watchdog office inside a government agency that investigates fraud.
• Food Price Outlook: The USDA’s monthly forecast of how much food prices will rise or fall.
• Federal Reserve (the Fed): The nation’s central bank. Its rate decisions affect what banks charge for loans and pay on savings.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Does the mortgage rate drop lower my house payment?

Not if you have a fixed-rate loan. It only matters for people getting a new loan or refinancing. If you have an adjustable-rate loan, check your paperwork for when your rate resets.

Is 7.32% what a Valley bank will offer me?

Not exactly. It’s a national average. Your rate depends on your credit, down payment and lender, so ask for written quotes.

Why does Sequatchie County’s rate match the state’s?

It happens to be 3.4% for both this month. The county number isn’t seasonally adjusted and the state number is, so they’re measured a little differently.

Where can I get help finding a job near Dunlap?

Tennessee’s American Job Centers offer free help with job searches and résumés. You can find the nearest one through the state’s Jobs4TN website.

Why did gas go up when it’s been going down?

Chattanooga’s average has bounced up and down all month. One day’s change doesn’t tell you much. Diesel is still easing, and stations vary a lot, so check a gas app.

Do I need to do anything to get my Social Security raise?

No. The 3.6% raise is automatic. It starts with January payments for Social Security and on Dec. 31 for SSI. Nobody needs to “activate” it.

What should I do if I already gave a scammer my information?

Call your bank right away, report it at ssa.gov/scam, and consider freezing your credit with the three credit bureaus. Acting fast limits the damage.

When will the new grocery forecast come out?

The USDA usually posts it around the 25th of each month. Since that’s a Sunday this month, it’s expected about now.

📎 Other Resources

• Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates decrease to 7.32% (Oct. 22)
• Freddie Mac weekly mortgage rates
• Realtor.com: Mortgage rates drop (Oct. 22)
• SValleyNow: Area Tennessee county unemployment rates all drop
• Tennessee Department of Labor: Unemployment rate holds steady
• FRED: Sequatchie County unemployment rate
• AAA Tennessee gas prices
• SSA Inspector General: COLA scam alert
• Social Security: 3.6% benefit increase for 2027
• Report a Social Security scam
• USDA Food Price Outlook
• Federal Reserve meeting calendar
• Social Security 2026 payment schedule
• HealthCare.gov: Marketplace dates and deadlines
• TN SHIP free Medicare counseling

🌿 Keep Learning, Keep Calm

This Friday’s money news leans toward the good side: loan rates eased a little, more Valley neighbors are working, diesel keeps coming down, and groceries are rising slowly instead of fast. The one thing worth acting on is simple: if anyone calls about “activating” a Social Security raise, hang up. Then enjoy your coffee and your weekend.

For more calm, practical Valley news, read Dunlap.Today, and share this with an older neighbor who might get one of those calls.