Average retirement age in America, What to do if your SSN surfaces on the dark web

February 17, 2025 | Read Online

Have you heard the story about the man who threw 7 million dollars in the trash? Could it get any worse? Scroll down to learn more.

💵 Today’s Top Stories

The Average Retirement Age in America

The average retirement age has steadily increased for the last three decades. Here’s what it is now and strategies that will help you live comfortably in retirement. Read more.

What You Should Do if You Discover Your Social Security Number on the Dark Web

This big issue affects many (most?) Americans. Here are four simple things you can do to protect yourself. Read more.

Capital One Accused of ‘Cheating’ Customers Out of $2 Billion

Capital One froze the interest rate of its original savings account -- then cloned it into a product that paid much more interest. Now it’s under scrutiny for not notifying those original customers. Read more.

Have You Tried Saving Money With Amazon Renewed?

Amazon has a reputation for being expensive. But did you know you can buy like-new, refurbished, guaranteed items from Amazon? Clark even saved $700 on a MacBook Pro. Read more.

📣 Today’s Top News

US Mobile Now Offers Truly Unlimited Data on AT&T’s Network

🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates

According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.87% and 15-year rates are 6.09% as of February 13, 2025. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year.

Refi Info | Mortgage Refi Calculator

🗑️ Man Tries (Again) To Recover More Than $700 Million He Threw in the Garbage

What’s worse than accidentally throwing $7 million into the trash? How about throwing more than $700 million into the trash?

Just ask Wales IT worker James Howells. He mined about 7,500 bitcoin in 2009 – then accidentally chucked the hard drive containing them in 2013 (when they were worth about $7 million).

With bitcoin’s price near $96,000 at the time of this writing, that stash is worth approximately $720 million today.

Now, Howells wants to buy the landfill where it presumably sits.

In 2017, he asked the city of Newport to let him dig through the garbage. It denied his request, citing safety concerns.
In 2021, he upped the ante, offering the city 25% of the recovered money if he found the hard drive.
In 2022, he requested to use robotic dogs.
Finally, he sued Newport’s city council.

Denied at every turn, he intends to buy the landfill from the city, which announced plans to close it (it is nearly at capacity).

Of course, the city could deny his purchase attempt out of spite, or perhaps because of an ecological reason.

📊 Stat of the Day

🛑 $1 trillion+: The amount of money people sent through Zelle in 2024. That’s a record for a peer-to-peer platform. Zelle also increased its user base 12% to 151 million. Clark is an outspoken critic of Zelle, which doesn’t offer consumer protections, is owned by the big banks and has been accused of failing to properly investigate fraud complains or reimburse victims.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals

Presidents Day 2025: 100+ of the best deals right now!

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Save up to $40 with a new Costco membership

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🎙️ Podcast

YouTube video by Clark Howard: Save More, Spend Less

Full Show: Nearly Half of Adults Commit Financial Infidelity and Average Cost of a Wedding

A shocking number of adults commit financial infidelity. Have you? Clark explains why it’s a big mistake and how you should approach money conversations with your partner. Also, weddings can be really expensive! Clark shares how is daughter approached her big day and how you can save, too.

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.