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💵 Today’s Top Stories |
| | The Department of Energy says this is one of the fastest ways to cut your energy bills – and it’s easy to do. Want more? Here are 14 ways to cut down your utility bills. Read more. |
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| | Clark’s three favorites haven’t changed. But there have been some recent and notable imperfections among them. What are the best investment companies in 2025? Read more. |
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| | Wondering how to make the most of your retirement days? Take this free quiz to discover fun hobbies, activities, and adventures—great for exploring now or in your golden years. | Take the Core Pursuit Quiz. |
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| | Photos make a great present, keepsake or home décor piece. But you don’t want to break the bank printing them. Here are the most affordable places to do it. Read more. |
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| | Earn a Companion Pass® from Southwest in this limited-time bonus if you spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening your account – and start flying your companion with you for free. Read more. |
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| | You can get cash for your old electronics such as used cell phones at these kiosks inside Kroger, Walmart and other locations. Here’s how it works. Read more. |
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💳️ For American Express, Profits Are Booming |
American Express increased profits 21% last year to $10.1 billion despite revenue increasing “only” 9%. |
Here is how the company’s revenue breaks down: merchant fees (53%), interest income (24%), card fees (13%) and other (10%). |
One of the primary drivers of growth, card membership fees rose 16% from 2023 thanks to a record 13 million new card acquisitions. The majority of those new cardholders (75%) were Gen Z and Millennials. |
The average fee per card ballooned from $40 in 2014 to $103 in 2024. With the number of credit cards in circulation increasing from 112 million in 2014 to 147 million last year, revenue growth from card fees is simple math. |
Customers running monthly balances accounted for an 18% increase in revenue last year, even more than the increase in card fees. That was actually the lowest growth number in the last three years and follows a trend among all the largest credit card companies. Credit card debts continue to swell in America. |
Luckily, our net worth is at all-time highs. Plus, mortgages make up 70% of our collective debt vs. just 6.5% for credit cards. |
Still, when credit card companies are getting richer, it’s a good time to assess your own situation – whether you’re carrying monthly balances and whether you’re doing everything you can to pay off credit card debt you do have and avoid adding more. |
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💸 Today’s Top Savings Rates |
Check out our updated list of Clark.com-approved high-yield savings accounts with the highest rates. Here are the top five APYs on our list as of February 5, 2025. |
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See All Rates | High Yield Savings Accounts Calculator |
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📊 Stat of the Day |
🏈 $8 million: The sale price of more than 10 of Fox’s Super Bowl LIX ads, an all-time record. Networks often hold back a small portion of their ad inventory to sell at a premium right before the event. The Kansas City Chiefs will attempt to win their third consecutive Super Bowl on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. |
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💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals |
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🎙️ Podcast |
| Full Show: DeepSeek Shockwave: What It Means for the Economy and Your Investments |
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Just recently, big news from China jolted the market and the media in the U.S. as a new AI technology entered the field: DeepSeek. In the first part of this episode, fee-only fiduciary financial advisor Wes Moss explains how this development will only increase productivity in America and improve our economy. Also, Wes continues to discuss the DeepSeek news and how it is impacting markets and our investments. He shares five keys to stock diversification to help you limit losses and bad returns. |
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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. |
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