Advertisement | | | Signing up for a gym in 2024? Clark wants you to avoid gyms with contracts. Find out why later in this email. | | 💵 Today’s Top Stories | | | A pineapple cake, a 13-quart air fryer and a Valentine’s Day “Boo Box” are among the best new items at Costco in January. Read more. |
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| | | Cars.com released its 2023 American-Made Index (AMI) based on location of final assembly, U.S. factory employment and more. Here’s the #1 most American car being built right now. Read more. |
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| | | You may be paying top dollar for fast internet. But are you actually getting those speeds? Find out by testing your internet and checking your bill. Read more. |
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| | | Clark disagrees with this person’s advisor and believes she should contribute to a Roth plan instead. Do you agree with Clark’s logic on this one? Read more. |
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| | | Sling TV is offering a deal that could help you get the year’s entertainment budget started on the right foot. Read more. |
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| | 🏋️ Why You Should Avoid Prepaying for Gym Memberships Far Into the Future | If you’ve resolved to get fit in 2024, you may be looking at paying for a gym membership. | You should know that if you pay for six months, one year or more to get a discounted rate, you’re taking a risk. | Neil in Colorado told Clark on the Jan. 8 podcast that his gym, at which he prepaid for a year, went out of business. Now he’s having trouble recouping the money for the months he paid for but didn’t get any services. | “And this thing with the gyms, Neil, has been a problem for my entire career where people will pay up front one, two or three years,” Clark says. “And then the gym ceases to exist.” | If you’re within 60 days of the initial charge, Clark says, and you paid for the membership via credit card, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company. | Otherwise, if the gym itself isn’t helping (there may be no remaining assets), Clark advises that you try to recover your money through the state’s consumer affairs agency. | Still, the best thing to do is to avoid any gym membership offer that requires a contract. | “I’m a big fan of no-contract gyms that you pay month-to-month,” Clark says. | | 📊 Stat of the Day | 💸 36: Consecutive months of job growth in the United States. That’s in spite of the Fed’s long-running fight to bring inflation back to its stated 2.0% target. The monthly jobs number fell below 200,000 in June, August and October but has stayed on the positive side of the ledger. |
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| | 💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals | | | | | 🎙️ Podcast |  | Full Show: Prescription Savings News and Clark's CD Strategy in 2024 |
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| Prescriptions can be so expensive, but there’s good news you need to know. Also, are you trying to maximize your savings? Clark shares essential CD tips for your cash, and one big ripoff warning to protect your wallet. | | | ☎️ 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 | | | Did You Enjoy Today’s Newsletter?Let us know what you think so we can better serve you! | |
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