Clark’s suggested homeowners insurance deductible, Exceptions to Clark’s annuity rule

August 27, 2024 | Read Online

Return to office? Not so fast. While many states have dialed back remote work, some regions are still embracing the flexibility of working from home. From the nation's capital to the Mountain West, find out where remote work is still thriving later in this email.

💵 Today’s Top Stories

The Largest Homeowners Insurance Deductible That Clark Recommends

Raising your deductible can counteract expensive (and rising) homeowners insurance premiums. Exactly how high does Clark think you can go? Read more.

The Only 2 Exceptions To Clark Howard’s Annuity Rule

Clark considers “annuity” to be a curse word. (Oops … sorry if we offended your eyes!) But when pressed, he admits there are two exceptions to his “never deal with annuities” rule. Read more.

5 Sneaky Ways To Improve Your Credit Score

It pays to have a high credit score, especially with interest rates rising so quickly in the last year. Here are our tips to increase your credit score. Read more.

6 Best Grocery Pickup Services

Ordering your groceries online and picking them up can save you time, money and hassle. Here are Team Clark’s top picks and pro tips on grocery pickup. Read more.

📣 Today’s Top News

💻️ The States Most & Least Friendly To Work-From-Home Employees

Working from home has moderated since peaking at 37% of the American workforce in 2021. Many companies cracked down on their policies in the last couple years, requiring in-office work.

However, 27% of Americans still work from home as of this summer.

Our nation’s capital is a major outlier. More people work remotely in Washington D.C. than those with in-person jobs. But six states still hover around the early COVID-19 work-from-home rates (between 35 and 40%).

Here are the locations where “return to the office” hasn’t quite taken place:

54%: Washington D.C.
40%: Vermont
37%: Colorado, Maryland
35%: Massachusetts, Utah, Washington

At the other end, sit six other states with only between 12 and 18% of the workforce working remotely:

12%: Mississippi
14%: Louisiana
17%: Alabama, North Dakota
18%: Arkansas, South Dakota

The most famous (mostly) remote worker this month? New Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, who got a compensation package that’s potentially worth more than $100 million. The former Chipotle CEO will work from Southern California and will fly to the company’s Seattle headquarters as needed.

📊 Stat of the Day

🍔 4: Number of free Burger King Whopper burgers that Walmart+ members can receive as a benefit each year. That’s in addition to 25% off any digital Burger King order. Walmart+ costs $98 per year.

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🎙️ Podcast

YouTube video by Clark Howard: Save More, Spend Less

Full Show: Warning: Don’t Fall for This Investment Pitch and Text Message Scam Alert

This investment pitch has been around since the 1980’s, but it’s only getting worse. Clark explains how it works and why you should avoid it at all costs. Also, have you noticed a surge in fake text messages? Clark says “robo-texts” are on the rise and the crooks are getting clever. He shares the red flags and his strategy to protect our wallets.

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.