Best & worst auto insurance companies, 6 things keeping you from being rich

January 09, 2025 | Read Online

Home prices are up in many major cities regardless of high mortgage rates! Find out which cities and how much of an increase, later in this email.

💵 Today’s Top Stories

Best and Worst Auto Insurance Companies

Is your auto insurance company on the best or worst list? Here are the latest rankings and Clark’s advice. Read more.

6 Things Preventing You From Getting Rich

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.

How To Get a Gym Membership for Practically Free

Want a membership at an average gym? That’ll be $700. Surprise: You don’t have to pay for a fancy health club. Here’s how to get fit for cheap. Read more.

What Makes Sling TV Stand Out in the Streaming Market?

Sling now offers a free streaming TV option. And its main product, a cheaper alternative to YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, offers the flexibility to tailor your channels by category. Read more.

💻️ Tech Tip From Kim Komando

Use Gmail on your Android? If you pay for the Google Workspace plan (or your work does), you can now chat with Google’s AI, Gemini, about your emails. The bot has access to your entire inbox, so it can summarize your emails (“What did Mary want?”) or find specific info for you (“When’s the app design deadline?”). To use it, tap the black star logo in the top-right corner of the app. Join 575K people who get tech smart with my friend Kim Komando’s free newsletter, The Current.

📈 Home Prices Generally Increasing Despite High Mortgage Rates

Despite 30-year fixed mortgage rates that rose back to 7%, home prices generally went up in major cities in 2024.

In the 50 biggest cities, homes increased an average of 5.8% through November.

California, New York/New Jersey and Florida unsurprisingly are home to the majority of the cities.

And in many cases, major, expensive international cities (Los Angeles, New York City, Miami) are pushing buyers into nearby metro areas. That’s how housing prices in Anaheim, California, led all major cities with 12.5% growth on average.

Demand in the largest metro is coming from wealthier buyers who are not too beholden to mortgage rates much higher than they were just a few years ago, CNBC reported.

The full list:

Anaheim, California: +12.5%
Newark, New Jersey: +11.3%
New Brunswick, New Jersey: +10.8%
Nassau County, New York: +9.9%
Providence, Rhode Island: +9.8%
West Palm Beach, Florida: +8.6%
Chicago: +8.6%
Detroit: +8.5%
San Jose, California: +8.5%
Fort Lauderdale, Florida: +8.3%
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: +8.1%
Seattle: +8.1%
Miami: +7.9%
Cleveland: 7.5%
Warren, Michigan: +7.5%

📊 Stat of the Day

🎥 2: The number of top 20 movies in 2024 by gross revenue that weren’t based on previous films or film series. So much for originality! Inside Out 2 ($1.7 billion) and Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.3 billion) were the two movies topping $1 billion.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals

🎙️ Podcast

YouTube video by Clark Howard: Save More, Spend Less

Full Show: Best Sites for Free Online Courses and Standing vs. Sitting: Best Choice for Your Health

A Gallup survey discovered that half of workers are struggling or suffering at work. If this describes you, learning a new skill is a great way to find a new job. Clark shares several free sites that can help you learn something new in order to land in a career you love. Also, if you work in an office and drive a long commute, you could be doing more harm to your health than you may think. Get up!

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.