Never put these items in your wallet, When a CD ladder is a good idea

December 17, 2024 | Read Online

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💵 Today’s Top Stories

7 Items You Should Never Carry in Your Wallet

Do you carry every credit and debit card you own in your wallet? How about your health insurance card? You may want to rethink those items and more. Read more.

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

CDs offer higher interest rates than savings accounts. A CD ladder is a good way to stay somewhat liquid with your money. Here’s who should consider it and when. Read more.

14 Free or Cheap Holiday Gift Ideas

Bring joy to loved ones without overspending this holiday season thanks to these thoughtful ideas from Clark audience members. Read more.

Mint Mobile Deal: Unlimited Service for $15/Month First Year

Save 50% ($180) on a year of Mint Mobile service if you switch before Jan. 2. We remind you of the details of this affordable prepaid plan as well as what the competition looks like. Read more.

Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost: What’s the Difference?

If you make a homeowners insurance claim, the payout your insurance company gives you depends on whether you have actual cost value or replacement value coverage. Which is better? Read more.

📱 5 Great Phone Plan Deals Today

💻️ Tech Tip From Kim Komando

Smartphone shortcut: Your sister sent you a picture a month ago. You can scroll and scroll to find it or use this trick. On iPhone, open Messages, tap a convo, then tap the person’s profile photo. Scroll to Photos > See All. On Android, open Messages, tap the search bar at the top, then choose the sender from the list of names. Join 575K people who get tech smart with my friend Kim Komando’s free newsletter, The Current.

🥁 The World’s Most Gargantuan Concert Tour Ever By the Numbers

Events like sports and concerts have roared back to life since governments lifted in-person restrictions due to COVID-19. But perhaps no one benefitted more than Taylor Swift.

Her “Eras Tour,” which ended earlier this month, became the most economically successful in history.

She made $2.2 billion in ticket sales alone. That excludes merch, revenue from streaming platforms and more.

The stats include 152 shows in 51 cities over 632 days. With the average U.S. guest spending $1,300 on travel, food, housing and merch, CNN even compared each event’s economic impact to a Super Bowl. That includes an estimated $320 million boost to Los Angeles County during a six-show stint.

U.S. fans may have spent $10 billion directly and indirectly due to her concerts.

Each show ran for about three hours and featured a set list of more than 40 songs.

The previous record: Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour that grossed nearly $900 million from 2018-23.

📊 Stat of the Day

💹 3: The number of times in U.S. stock market history that the S&P 500 has gained 20%+ in consecutive years. After finishing last year +24%, the S&P 500 has gained more than 27% year to date with only a few trading days left in the year.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals

🎙️ Podcast

YouTube video by Clark Howard: Save More, Spend Less

Full Show: Should You Fix Your Own Car? and New Housing Market Shift

Vehicle repairs at a dealership can cost a fortune – even for minor issues. Have you ever tried to fix something yourself? Clark shares a few personal examples of how YouTube videos have saved him thousands of dollars. Also, many of us were able to work remotely during the coronavirus pandemic. But now, companies are requiring employees to come in office. For people who moved away from the city center to “satellite cities,” this shift is leading to longer commutes. Clark shares the impact on our wallets and things to consider adding to your budget if this applies to you.

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☎️ 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.