Clark Biweekly 8 22 24

💵 Today’s Top Stories
Costco vs. Sam's Club

Costco remains Clark’s favorite store. But there are things Sam’s Club does better, he says. Including being more customer-friendly in these ways. Read more.

Scam alert

Yes, scams exist every year. But these aren’t ordinary times. Americans lost $10 billion to fraudsters in 2023 according to the FTC, which is up $1.2 billion from the previous year. Read more.

Bills

Automatic bill pay is convenient, but it can also be dangerous. Clark gives a big warning when it comes to automated debit card transactions. Read more.

Google

Many of us use Google every day. But it also stores a ton of our data. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to delete your Google activity. Read more.

Cell phone

If you switch to Mint Mobile from AT&T or Verizon, you can buy one line of service on any three-month plan and get up to four lines at no additional cost. But this deal won’t last long! Read more.

🌴 Team Clark Survey Results

This week, we asked if you’ve spent more or less on summer vacation this year and why. Here are a few of your responses:

John in Iowa: “Much more! The cost of food, gas and hotels is up significantly. My wife and I used to spend $25-30 for a nice dinner. Now that same dinner is closer to $60. Hotels that used to cost $150 are now $250.”

Evie in Georgia: “More. Because airlines charge much extra for selecting seats [compared to the past], hotels for room rates and [there are] plenty of surcharges for everything else.”

Jeff in Georgia: “We spend about the same amount of time vacationing and will make adjustments to how many times eating out vs. eating in or the number of and type of attractions we see or go do. Spend is relatively the same.”

John in Kansas: “We spent much more. I got a very small inheritance. My wife and I are in our 50s and we’re not empty nesters. … We decided to make memories and have experiences [instead of spending on] material things. We spent a week in Alaska and had the most wonderful time. Our vehicles have over 200,000 miles and still work. I’d rather travel than replace them!”

Patricia in Georgia: “Could not afford vacation. High inflation requires careful planning to pay for essentials.”

📊 Stat of the Day

💰️ $116.8 million: Possible Year 1 compensation for new Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, which the company poached from Chipotle. That includes $85 million in cash and equity, a base salary of $1.6 million, a cash incentive of up to $7.2 million and potential annual equity rewards of $23 million.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
Walmart
Amazon logo on tablet
🎙️ Podcast

Clark often calls himself an optimist and technology breakthroughs are just one of the reasons why he feels so positive about our country. He talks about how innovation can fix issues in our environment and he includes some real examples. Also, Clark has shared stories recently about many Americans, especially the elderly, being taken advantage of with technology schemes. There’s a new company trying to prevent fraud from happening.

☎️ 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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