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- Clark Biweekly 8 18 25
Clark Biweekly 8 18 25
Sally McDonald
August 18, 2025
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💵 Today’s Top Stories
 | Junk calls are out of control again. Want to stop them? We’ve got options for you. Read more. |
 | Hertz now uses an AI tool to claim you’ve damaged a rental car. Clark says the situation has spiraled into an uncontrolled monster and now refuses to rent from Hertz. Read more. |
Sponsor | Open a Raisin account by Sept 30 with code EASY. Terms apply. |
 | For some people, setting up a will isn’t enough when it comes to estate planning. Who needs a trust? And what is a trust, exactly? Read more. |
 | If you choose a streaming service on price, it’s likely to change fast in the current atmosphere. How about considering customer satisfaction? Amazon Prime Video just got dethroned. Read more. |
 | Spend $500 in the first three months you have either of these no-fee cards from a major credit card company and get a $300 welcome bonus. Read more. |
🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates
According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.58% and 15-year rates are 5.71% as of August 14, 2025. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year.
✈️ R.I.P. Spirit Airlines?
For a long time, Frontier and Spirit Airlines served as the butt of most low-quality U.S. airline jokes.
Spirit in particular earned a reputation for charging for everything a la carte: Want to pay $9.99 for the right to breathe oxygen? Fly Spirit!
But the availability of budget airlines served a clear function in the marketplace. Especially for those wanting to pay only the bare minimum, comfort (and bags, and snacks, etc.) be damned.
That business model, at least for Spirit Airlines, may be expiring for good.
“In a recent update, Spirit admitted its cash flow isn’t keeping up with what [it owes], so [it’s] thinking about selling planes or airport spots to stay in business,” The Navigator wrote. “If that doesn’t work, they might not survive the next year.
“It’s déjà vu from last year when Spirit filed for bankruptcy after its JetBlue merger fell apart.”
Spirit lost $184 million in the three months after the original bankruptcy it filed – then introduced a trove of features including “Spirit First” seats and a premium economy option.
If you have a Spirit Airlines flight scheduled for this year, don’t panic. Spirit has until the last day of 2025 to renegotiate with its credit card processor, a major lever for the company’s cash flow.
Beyond 2025, Spirit Airlines flights face much more uncertainty.
📊 Stat of the Day
🏠️ 6.58%: The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate as of late last week. That’s down from a peak of 7.79% in October 2023 and the lowest since October 2024. With prediction markets strongly projecting a Fed interest rate cut next month, the mortgage rate may continue trending in a direction that’s more favorable to buyers (last under 6.0% in September 2022).
💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
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🎙️ Podcast
It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, Hertz is using controversial AI technology to scan for damage on rental cars, and the system is charging customers for bogus claims. The headlines are everywhere, with customers getting hit with hundreds of dollars in fees for scratches that don't even exist. Clark has been following this issue all summer, and after seeing the outrage and hearing directly from listeners, he's changing his advice: he will no longer book with Hertz. He explains everything you need to know.
☎️ 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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