Clark.com Biweekly Newsletter (Mondays and Thursdays)
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Clark Biweekly 10 27 25

Clark Biweekly 10 27 25

Sally McDonald
October 27, 2025

💵 Today’s Top Stories

Your Social Security Check Is Getting a Raise — Here’s How Much and When

A new cost-of-living adjustment is on the way. How much will your Social Security checks increase in 2026? Read more.

How To Find and Claim Missing Money in Your Name

One in seven people have money sitting in a database waiting to be claimed. Here are free ways to check if any of these billions belong in your bank account. Read more.

Surprising Ways You Can Pay at Costco

Costco has a history of restricting the credit cards they accept at the cash register. See if any cards in your wallet will work at the wholesale club. These options may surprise you. Read more.

The Best Time and Place To Buy Cheap Headphones

Want quality headphones that also save you money? Here’s how, where and when to score the best deal according to our research. Read more.

Why This Chase Card Is Among Team Clark’s Favorites

With rotating 5% cash back categories, a $200 welcome bonus, DoorDash perks and more, Team Clark still thinks this is one of the best rewards credit cards outside of the flat 2% cash back cards. Read more.

🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates

According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.19% and 15-year rates are 5.44% as of October 23, 2025. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year.

Mortgage Refi Calculator

🌴 Clark: Take Your Vacation Days Before the Year Ends

It’s hard to believe, but November starts this weekend.

As Halloween turns to Thanksgiving, Christmas and then New Year’s, 2026 will be here in single-digit weeks.

As such, it’s time to take a hard look at your unused work vacation days. Americans tend to hoard or not use them, a fact that “baffles” Clark.

Perhaps you haven’t taken a vacation – or a “vacation day” – since summer. Why not consider using your days before the end of the year?

Or maybe you’re like nearly one-quarter of Americans (23%) who haven’t taken a single vacation day in the last year(!).

Of those, the main reason is a worry that you’re going to fall behind on your workload (43% said they had too much to do).

Here’s a good reminder and PSA from Clark:

“Think about it: Paid vacation is part of your compensation, a benefit you get for working for an employer. So why wouldn’t you take it? Take the vacation! Be kind to yourself.”

📊 Stat of the Day

🤖 600,000: Number of humans Amazon aims to avoid hiring by 2033 due to automation. It’s just 160,000 by 2027, which would mean $0.30 in savings for every sold item. Amazon hopes to automate 75% of its operations long-term.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals

🎙️ Podcast

It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, residential burglaries are down an incredible 85% — and Clark says home security cameras deserve much of the credit. But there’s a flip side. Cameras are now everywhere — in neighborhoods, stores, and cities — even used by governments to track people on an unprecedented scale. Are these devices protecting us, or watching us too closely?

☎️ 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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