Clark Biweekly 12 29 25

Author

Sally McDonald
December 29, 2025

šŸ’µ Todayā€™s Top Stories
Clark Howard money rules

Never exchange money at an airport, invest with a bank or talk rudely to customer support. These items cause Clark to bring out his trademark ā€œnever, never, not everā€ catchphrase. Read more.

Financial planning

While you can tackle these tips at any time of year, now is a great time to make sure your wallet is ready for 2026. Read more.

Credit card cash bonus

Youā€™ve earned credit card points. Itā€™s time to cash in. But which path should you take? Team Clarkā€™s credit card expert leads you through the decision tree. Read more.

Amazon boxes

Being able to return items can boost the value of shopping online. But did you know that you canā€™t return items like some jewelry, computers and health products? Read more.

Greeting cards

A nice greeting card can be lovely. But you probably donā€™t want to keep every card you ever receive. Here are some ideas on how to re-use them instead of throwing them in the trash. Read more.

āœˆļø Airline ā€˜Mistakeā€™ Fares Up Big in 2025

The most exciting two words for any deal-hunting traveler: ā€œmistake airfare.ā€

U.S. airline prices increased 3.2% in the last year, a fraction higher than overall inflation. But 2025 set a record for mistake airfares as well.

ā€œThese are super-cheap prices that appear when an airlineā€™s system glitches or a pricing database misfires,ā€ Yahoo! explained.

Backing that assertion, Going, formerly Scottā€™s Cheap Flights, claims the company tracked 15 mistake fares, more than double the number it found in 2024 and the most since the company started keeping records.

AI, dynamic pricing tools and new airline partnerships are some of the reasons for the additional mess-up fare prices.

The story cited Clark, who says airlines typically honor the super-low deals.

Signing up for alerts at sites such as Going can help you catch on to low fares and mistake fares. If you see one you like, grab it immediately. ā€œWaiting even an hour can mean missing out,ā€ Yahoo! wrote.

Book directly with the airline on mistake fares if possible. Youā€™ll get better protection if the airline does cancel your fare.

šŸ“Š Stat of the Day

šŸš˜ļø 3.5%: Approximate share of the 38 million in total used car sales in the United States annually that Carmax and Carvana control. Thatā€™s by far the largest share.

šŸ’°ļø Deal Alert: Todayā€™s Top Deals
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Save money piggy bank cash grow
šŸŽ™ļø Podcast

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ā˜Žļø 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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