Clark Biweekly 4 29 24

Today’s Sponsor
Visible advertisement

Are you working too much? Find out more about the average work ethic later on in this email.

💵 Today’s Top Stories
Jobs

These fields are growing fast. Check this list to find out how much money you can make and how much these careers should grow in the next decade. Read more.

Robo

You don’t want to get conned out of your hard-earned money. Find out the most common scams and what you can do to prevent these schemes from taking advantage of you. Read more.

Gas

I just bought a vehicle that recommends that I use premium gas. But that’s expensive. Do I really need it? Read more.

Mattress

Mattress competition is fierce. Should you buy at a warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s Club, or online from Amazon, Overstock and more? Read more.

Costco

Did you know you can go through Costco to get auto insurance? Here’s how it compares to the overall market and whether you should look into switching. Read more.

👷 America: Average Work Ethic?

Working hard or hardly working?

The average number of hours worked varies greatly by country according to OECD data.

Score one for the men and women in red, white and blue. The Financial Times (FT) recently highlighted the CEO of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund.

He apparently told FT “that there is a difference in ‘the general level of ambition’ and that ‘the Americans just work harder.’”

That’s true at least for Western Europe.

Only Germany (410 hours less than average) and Denmark (380 hours less than average) work less than Norway among member nations, barely edging out Netherlands, Sweden and Austria.

While the U.S. exceeded the average working time by 59 hours a year, it did not place in the top 10. You’ll have to go to Central and South America for that:

  1. Colombia*

  2. Mexico: +475

  3. Costa Rica: +397

  4. Chile: +211

  5. Korea: +149

  6. Israel: +140

  7. Greece: +134

  8. Malta: +130

  9. Russia: +122

  10. Cyprus: +85

*Data interrupted; most recent number in 2021 equaled about 650 more hours than average.

🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates

According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 7.17% and 15-year rates are 6.44% as of April 25, 2024. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year.

Mortgage Rates
📊 Stat of the Day

🎓️ $98,426: The all-in yearly cost for a recently-admitted Vanderbilt University engineering student. The New York Times cited the student as an example of the absurdity of college costs, although the majority of students avoid paying full price.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
Mothers Day
🎙️ Podcast

It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, an old deal is making a comeback for cruisers. Clark explains how it works and what he does to save money on a cruise booking.

☎️ 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.

Visible advertisement

Did You Enjoy Today’s Newsletter?

Let us know what you think so we can better serve you!

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.