Clark Biweekly 1 25 24

Author

Anthony Hazzard
January 25, 2024

Later in this email, find out what Americans think about their personal finances entering 2024 according to a Fidelity survey.

💵 Today’s Top Stories
Car buying

Don’t let a slick car salesperson stick you with a long loan payoff by getting you to agree to an affordable monthly payment via the “Four Square” method. Read more.

Move

Willing to be a free agent for where you live? Get paid up to $15,000 to relocate to one of these places. Here’s how it works. Read more.

Cruise

U.S. News & World Report ranked cruises based on health ratings, reputation and affordability. Here are the winners. Read more.

Cell phone

A Team Clark writer used this cell phone depreciation tool to score the best possible deal on an iPhone 13. This is a sort of Kelley Blue Book for smartphones. Read more.

Prescription

Get the medicine you need at a price you can afford. Pricing for medication has become complicated, but it is possible to avoid overpaying. Read more.

💵 Americans and Money in 2024: An Attitude Snapshot

Valentine’s Day is creeping closer on the calendar. Which means many of us already have broken our New Year’s Resolutions.

The gyms will start to get less crowded soon (if they aren’t already).

Still, moving into 2024 gives us an interesting picture of American’s attitudes about money. Here are some of the findings from an extensive Fidelity Investments survey:

  • 80%: Share of Americans who claim they’ll grow their emergency fund in 2024.

  • 79%: Share of Millennials that believe they’ll be better off financially in 2024 – the most optimistic of any generation.

  • 70%: Number of Americans who claim to have a plan to reach their financial goals.

  • 55%: The share of people claiming to be in a worse financial situation than in ’23 who blame inflation and cost-of-living increases.

  • 29%: The gap between the percentage of people who stick to their financial resolutions with the help of a financial advisor (80%) and those who nail their money resolutions without one (51%).

  • 28%: Percentage of people who would rather find love on a reality TV show than invest in the stock market.

📊 Stat of the Day

🚘️ 10%+: The minimum amount of range that electric vehicle batteries lose when exposed to subzero temperatures. A recent cold snap generated headlines about EV battery tech.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
Kohls
Wayfair Deal
🎙️ Podcast

Carrying a checkbook has become one of the most dangerous forms of identity theft. Clark explains the risks and why you should NEVER carry or mail a check. Also, Clark recently addressed issues with the home insurance market. There’s a new website that can help you assess the risk of a house you’re thinking about buying before you run into problems.

☎️ Need Money Help?

The Team Clark Consumer Action Center is a free helpline that can help you navigate your money questions. Call 636-492-5275. Visit clark.com/cac for more information.

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