Here are six decisions you control that may be getting in your way of building wealth.
Advertisement | | | 💵 Today’s Top Stories | | | Most of us want to build wealth, if only for financial freedom. Here are six decisions you control that may be getting in your way according to Clark. Read more. |
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| | | Costco famously began selling gold bars in 2023. Does Clark think it’s a good idea to buy gold in general? And if you do, should you buy it at Costco? Read more. |
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| | | Do you book hotel rooms through third-party websites rather than directly through the hotel chain? You should still avoid prepaying for your room – with one major exception. Read more. |
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| | | This 2.5% cash back rewards card at one of Clark’s favorite credit unions is no longer available. But you still need a 2% card in your wallet. Here’s where you can turn now. Read more. |
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| | 💻️ Tech Tip From Kim Komando | | | ✈️ Airlines Making Chump Change on Flights Right Now | If you wonder why airlines are skimping on premium snacks, beverage service and other perks, take a deep dive into their profit margins. | The average airline ticket last year cost $383. Of that money, just $3.80 equates to profit. That’s a margin of 1% on airline tickets. | Of course, airlines often make their biggest profits on branded credit cards. Delta made $2 billion on its American Express card in Q1 of this year alone (+13% year over year). Airlines are leveraging checked luggage fees as heavily as ever (a combined $7.3 billion last year for the largest airlines). | But for the airline tickets themselves, it’s razor thin, perhaps even surprisingly so. | The margin on plane tickets is getting squeezed over the intermediate term. Take the big four of Delta, United, American and Southwest. From 2016-19, they made an average profit of $19.26 per passenger. That tanked to $5.51 from 2021-24 (and even lower now). | JetBlue and Allegiant have fallen into the red. Airlines “could theoretically be losing money on some routes that they absolutely have to fly,” an aviation expert said of the trend. | Though there are much bigger profit centers than the currently break-even plane tickets, airlines also have to manage “terminal construction costs, leases, fuel prices, and labor contracts,” Sherwood reported. | | 📊 Stat of the Day | | | 💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals | | | | | 🎙️ Podcast | | Full Show: Should You Let Your Insurance Track You? and Clark Exposes a Big Ripoff at the Pump |
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| Are you paying too much for auto insurance? You might be, and your own car and smartphone could be the culprits! Clark dives deep into the shocking truth about how your driving data is being collected and potentially raising your insurance premiums without you even knowing. We'll expose the shady practices of insurance companies and apps, including the recent lawsuit against Allstate, and tell you what you need to know about usage-based insurance. Is it a money-saver or a punishment? Also, Clark sounds the alarm on a nationwide ripoff happening at the gas pump. Gas stations are tacking on outrageous surcharges for credit card payments – sometimes as much as $1 per gallon. Learn how to spot these ripoffs, protect yourself from unfair fees, and ensure you're getting the best price at the pump. | | | ☎️ 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. | | Advertisement | | | | | |
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