15 stores with senior discounts, Consider a CD ladder right now

June 24, 2024 | Read Online

Cord-cutting started with streaming and now extends to live TV! Read all about this and see if it’s a benefit for you later in this email.

💵 Today’s Top Stories

15 Senior Discounts

Save money with discounts on sunglasses, medicine, clothes, books and more. Check out our full list of brands, days and eligible ages. Read more.

What Is a CD Ladder and When Is It a Good Idea?

CDs typically offer higher interest rates than savings accounts. With interest rates (probably) set to decline, Clark says it’s a good idea to consider a ladder. Read more.

New Report: The Safest Cars for Teens

Did you know that Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Consumer Reports created a list of the safest new and used cars for young drivers? It’s focused on vehicles that excel in safety and dependability. Read more.

Scam Alert: How To Protect Yourself From Voice Cloning

Artificial intelligence (AI) has opened new avenues to scammers and criminals. It’s now possible to clone the voice of a loved one and make it seem like someone you know is calling asking for help. Read more.

📣 Today’s Top News

🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates

According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.87% and 15-year rates are 6.13% as of June 20, 2024. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year.

Refi Info | Mortgage Refi Calculator

📺️ Cord Cutting Trend Extends To Live TV Streaming

Cable TV started losing subscribers many years ago. So it’s not surprising that in the first three months of 2024, more than 1.2 million customers canceled at Comcast, Spectrum and Dish TV.

However, there are signs that the cord-cutting trend is extending to live TV streaming as well. Cord Cutters News wrote that “increasingly cord cutters are looking to on-demand streaming services first and live TV second.”

YouTube TV lost 150,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2024. Cord Cutters News speculated that the end of the 2023 NFL season was largely responsible, with customers likely waiting until the fall to resubscribe.

Here are the total losses from Q1:

Comcast: -487,000
Spectrum: -405,000
Dish TV: -348,000
YouTube TV: -150,000

It’s notable that the NFL is a major factor for YouTube TV subscribers. Live sports continues to be the leading (only?) use case for live TV as being valuable.

According to Front Office Sports, recent media rights deals include:

French Open (tennis): +435% ($65 million)
NBA: +155% ($6.9 billion)
College Football Playoff: +115% ($1.3 billion)
NASCAR: +40% ($1.1 billion)

Interestingly, in the sports broadcasting world, streaming remains unsettled. ESPN, FOX and TNT announced a joint streaming effort this year that remains unclear. Diamond Sports, the largest regional sports network, has been working through a bankruptcy with continued uncertainty.

As streaming consolidates and moves from competing for customers to focusing on profitability, there are still some interesting unresolved issues.

📊 Stat of the Day

🚗 40%: Share of EV buyers in the United States who want to return to a combustion engine. This is according to a McKinsey & Co. survey. Reasons included range anxiety, high ownership costs and a lack of charging infrastructure.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals

100+ of the best 4th of July deals!

Get this deal.

Ends soon! Save big during the Woot Garage Sale

Get this deal.

See All of the Best Deals Today

🎙️ Podcast

YouTube video by Clark Howard: Save More, Spend Less

Full Show: Clark Stinks! and Are Home Renovations Ever Worth It?

It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, building materials are starting to come down in price and contractors are getting easier to hire. Plus, many homeowners are deciding to stay in their homes longer due to interest rates and the housing market. Is it time to start a project? Clark s‌ays there’s only one reason why you should ever consider a home renovation.

Watch the Full Episode

☎️ 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.