Clark Biweekly 10 14 24

October 14, 2024

Today’s Sponsor
💵 Today’s Top Stories

If your use driver’s license as identification when you fly and it isn’t REAL ID-compliant by this date in 2025, TSA will turn you away and not let you fly. Here’s how to tell if your license is already compliant with just one glance. Read more.

A Clark listener paid off her credit card balance. She felt surprised when she owed “residual interest” the next month. Is that legal? Read more.

Sponsor

Input accurate details about your current finances, desired lifestyle, and future aspirations and we'll share an assessment tailored to your unique needs.

This phone provider runs on Verizon’s network and offers cell phones and software that cater to senior adults for as little as $20 a month. Read more.

Jobs

You want to work remotely without sacrificing the quality of your job. That’s no longer a pipe dream. Look closely at these specific career fields. Read more.

Learn how you can safely support disaster relief efforts and avoid common scams associated with disaster relief donations. Read more.

🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates

According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.32% and 15-year rates are 5.41% as of October 10, 2024. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year.

🎡 Theme Parks Defy Moderating Inflation

Inflation has fallen from 9.1% in June 2022 to 2.4% in September 2024. The Federal Reserve is decimal points from reaching its long-stated target of 2.0%.

But not everything has moderated in price in the last two years. We’re looking at you, theme parks.

Disneyland in Southern California announced immediate price hikes last week. The most expensive daily tickets jumped from $96 to $206 in the last decade, or 11.4% per year.

Disney’s “Experiences” division accounts for almost 50% of the company’s revenue – and that’s excluding ABC, ESPN, Hulu, Disney+, its movies and more. It’s up almost 7% year over year despite prices continuing to rise.

Disney and Universal are pouring money into theme parks and in-person experiences, betting on the sector continuing to produce in the future.

Here are the top 10 theme parks by annual attendance:

1. Magic Kingdom (Florida): 18 million
2. Disneyland Park (California): 17 million
3. Universal Studios (Osaka): 16 million
4. Disneyland (Tokyo): 15 million
5. Disneyland (Shanghai): 14 million
6. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (Zhuhai): 13 million
7. DisneySea (Tokyo): 12 million
8. Epcot (Florida): 12 million
9. Disneyland (Paris): 10 million
10. Hollywood Studios (Florida): 10 million

📊 Stat of the Day

🍕0: Number of Domino’s restaurants that closed in the United States in Q3 (out of nearly 7,000). Domino’s now operates 21,002 stores, increasing its lead over Pizza Hut (19,864) which it first gained in 2020. It operates in 90 international markets. “Either the company is firing on literally all cylinders, or underperforming stores just don’t close down,” Sherwood wrote in its story.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
Amazon
Home Depot
🎙️ Podcast

It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, there are several major headlines in the travel industry right now. Clark dives into new visa requirements, REAL ID, online passport renewal, and more.

☎️ 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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