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Has inflation put the Costco $1.50 hot dog combo in jeopardy? Find out later in this email… |
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💵 Today’s Top Stories |
| | Clark thinks it’s fairly certain that these long-time retirement vehicles will go extinct. Here’s why, and when it may happen. Read more. |
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| | The average price of a new vehicle is down 2.4% from the all-time high. Here’s a chart breaking down the average cost for every vehicle category. Read more. |
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| | Exact same coverage, up to half the cost. | Shop Now. |
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| | A standard Netflix plan with no ads is $185.88 a year for a single member. The price of Tubi? Free. You may find you love a lot of the content as well. Read more. |
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| | Team Clark got price quotes from companies that buy used cell phones. Then we researched and ranked them. Read more. |
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🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates |
According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.74% and 15-year rates are 6.16% as of March 14, 2024. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year. |
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Refi Info | Mortgage Refi Calculator |
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🌭 Has Inflation Put the Costco $1.50 Hot Dog Combo in Jeopardy? |
The Costco hot dog combo is one of the few constants of the last four decades. |
No matter what else was happening in the world, you could always get a hot dog and soda for $1.50. |
Jim Sinegal, a Costco co-founder and former CEO, is 88 years old and still alive. In 2009, he told The Seattle Times that if the price ever goes up, it means “that I’m dead.” |
Sinegal later told then-CEO W. Craig Jelinek that he’d murder him if he raised the price of the combo (and it wasn’t clear that he was joking). |
The company has made some clever strategic moves to maintain the price. But departing Costco CFO Richard Galanti, leaving his post after decades, gave an eye-popping update last week. |
The deal “is probably safe for a while,” Galanti told Bloomberg. In September 2022, three months after peak inflation in the United States, he referenced a move that would help “hold the price on the hot dog and the soda a little longer, forever.” |
So it’s gone from “when I’m dead” to “a little longer, forever” to “probably safe for a while.” |
Costco also added a $6.99 turkey sandwich and replaced the churro with a chocolate chip cookie. |
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📊 Stat of the Day |
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💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals |
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🎙️ Podcast |
 | Full Show: Clark Stinks! and Lower Interest Credit Cards |
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It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, if you’re looking for a credit card, many websites may ignore lower interest rate options. Clark shares everything you need to know to find the best card for your wallet. |
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☎️ 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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Did You Enjoy Today’s Newsletter?Let us know what you think so we can better serve you! | |
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