How do midterm candidates plan to fight inflation? Economists evaluate proposals

The final sprint to Tuesday's midterm elections has kicked up a flurry of headlines about attack ads slung by candidates and verbal jabs thrown by current and former occupants of the White House.

An issue crucial to households' bank account balances, however, has preoccupied voters for the duration of campaign season: Affordability.

The Iran war set off a monthslong surge of inflation as fuel prices climbed in response to unrest in the Middle East, U.S. government data shows. In response to rising prices, a jump in bond yields has pushed up rates for loans like credit cards and mortgages, threatening to worsen the financial crunch .