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$787 a Month for a New Car? The Growing Cost of Getting Behind the Wheel

As car loan payments reach record highs, University of Mary Washington business expert Kashef Majid examines the financial pressures facing consumers and the rising cost of vehicle ownership.

Professor of Marketing

Buying a new car is becoming an increasingly expensive proposition for American consumers, with monthly loan payments now averaging a staggering $787.

According to a recent DC News Now report, the average new-car loan is approaching $45,000, raising concerns about affordability, household debt and the long-term financial commitments consumers are making just to get behind the wheel.

 And the monthly loan payment is only part of the equation.

Insurance premiums, maintenance, fuel and other ownership expenses can push the actual cost of driving considerably higher. For consumers already managing rising household expenses, the decision to purchase a vehicle has become increasingly complicated.

Beyond the Sticker Price: What Consumers Need to Know   Dr. Kashef Majid, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Mary Washington, has studied how consumers value hybrid and electric vehicles, including the financial and environmental motivations behind purchasing decisions.  He was also named one of the 50 Best Undergraduate Business Professors of 2024 by Poets & Quants. View his profile Majid has also shared his expertise with WalletHub, offering first-pen perspective on car insurance costs, pricing fairness and the importance of making informed decisions when shopping for coverage.


  His insights are particularly relevant as Americans face record-high car payments, with insurance premiums adding another significant expense to the overall cost of vehicle ownership.

As consumers grapple with rising costs, Majid can help explain what's driving vehicle affordability challenges, how purchasing decisions are changing and what motorists should consider before taking on substantial financial commitments.

If you're interested in speaking with Dr. Kashef Majid about rising car payments, vehicle affordability, insurance costs and consumer behavior, simply click on his profile below to arrange an interview today.



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Measles Makes a Dangerous Comeback as Pennsylvania Outbreak Tops 1,000 Cases

University of Mary Washington infectious disease expert Dr. Lynn Lewis can explain why measles is spreading, the risks it poses and what can be done to prevent further outbreaks.

Professor and Director of the Piscopo Rodgers School of Science

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. More than 25 years later, the highly contagious disease is making a troubling comeback, with Pennsylvania now confronting an outbreak that has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases.
 According to an October 7 update from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the state has recorded 1,078 confirmed cases across 41 counties, including 207 hospitalizations and five measles-associated deaths. The figures underscore the serious public health consequences of a disease that can largely be prevented through vaccination. 

 The outbreak is also raising important questions about declining vaccination rates, community immunity and whether other states could experience similar outbreaks.

Measles spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. Early symptoms include fever, coughing, a runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by a distinctive rash that typically begins on the face and spreads downward.

While many people recover, measles can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling and, in rare cases, death. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are approximately 97% effective at preventing the disease.

Understanding the Outbreak and What Comes Next   Dr. Lynn O. Lewis, a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Mary Washington, brings extensive expertise in microbiology, virology and infectious diseases. Lewis also directs the university's Irene Piscopo Rodgers School of Science and helped provide scientific guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic. View her profile With measles cases continuing to mount, Lewis can provide valuable perspective on how the virus spreads, why vaccination remains critical and what public health officials can do to contain outbreaks.

She is available to help journalists explore several important questions: 
Why is a disease once eliminated in the United States returning?  What makes measles so contagious?  How do vaccination gaps contribute to outbreaks?  And what lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic can help communities respond more effectively?  As Pennsylvania continues its response, the outbreak is a reminder that infectious diseases once considered under control can re-emerge when the conditions that prevented their spread begin to change.

If you're interested in speaking with Dr. Lynn Lewis about the Pennsylvania measles outbreak, infectious disease transmission, vaccination and public health preparedness, simply click on her profile below to arrange an interview today.


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As Clocks Tick Toward the End of Daylight Saving Time, a UMW Sleep Researcher Explains What Your Body Actually Goes Through

Associate Professor

  The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14, 2026, reviving the national debate over whether the U.S. should adopt permanent daylight saving time, return to permanent standard time, or keep the twice-yearly clock change altogether. The bill now heads to the Senate. 

At the University of Mary Washington, Dr. Hilary Stebbins, Associate Professor of Psychological Science, studies the chronobiology and sleep patterns of college students, research that can help inform exactly this debate: how does shifting the clock affect cognitive performance and behavior, no matter which system we land on? 

Dr. Hilary Stebbins is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at the University of Mary Washington. She is an expert on sleep deprivation, circadian rhythms, and dopamine function, and how each affects cognitive performance and behavior. View her profile Stebbins doesn't take a side in the policy debate. Her focus is chronobiology, how sleep patterns and circadian rhythms affect college students' cognitive performance and behavior. But that science speaks directly to the choice lawmakers are weighing: any shift, whether it's permanent daylight saving time, permanent standard time, or sticking with the current system, creates a temporary mismatch between our internal clock and the outside world, and it takes the body time to catch up.

"One of my past teams found that as people report higher levels of sleepiness, they show higher dopamine function and also have more difficulty controlling impulsive actions." — Dr. Hilary Stebbins, Associate Professor of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington  Stebbins leads a year-long undergraduate research team (PSYC 491/492) each year, and in 2018 a team of her students won the Virginia Association for Psychological Science's award for best undergraduate paper for their research on sleep deprivation.

 Interested in discussing chronobiology, sleep patterns, or the science behind the debate over permanent daylight saving time, permanent standard time, or dopamine and behavior?

Click on the icon below and connect with Dr. Hilary Stebbins, Associate Professor of Psychological Science at the University of Mary Washington, for expert insight into sleep research and its real-world stakes.  

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