Small mistakes raise your auto rates, How long you can keep unspoiled food

💵 Today’s Top Stories

3 Things That Can Send Your Auto Insurance Skyrocketing

Two of these things are related to your driving record. But one isn’t related at all to what you do behind the wheel. Read more.

How Long Can You Keep Unspoiled Food?

It’s tempting to eat food even after the expiration date. Throwing away food feels wasteful. But you want to be safe also. Here’s how long food actually survives in your fridge. Read more.

Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses With Low Annual Fees

All nine of these credit cards charge annual fees of less than $100 and offer welcome bonuses to new card holders. Read more.

Save $120 on Mint Mobile’s Unlimited Cell Phone Plan

For a limited time, new customers can save $120 on Mint Mobile's annual unlimited plan. That brings the price to only $20/month! 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.

🏡 It’s a Baby Boomer (Housing) World…

… And we’re all living in it.

This prolonged period of housing affordability crisis and much higher mortgage rates have skewed the demographics of home buyers.

According to the 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), baby boomers made up 42% of home buyers in 2024.

That’s taking the checkered flag with ease ahead of Millennials (29%) and Gen Xers (24%).

Wrote Sherwood News: “Part of the season might be that older cohorts were able to skip the mortgage market entirely. Indeed, boomer buyers are increasingly purchasing homes entirely with cash, with half of older boomers (70-78 years old) and 40% of younger boomers (60-69 years old) bypassing financing altogether.”

Boomers are also dominating the sellers market (53%) and own about 51% of all household wealth in the United States (vs. about 10% for Millennials).

📊 Stat of the Day

🏘️ $50,000: The size of the down payment that Pawnee City, Nebraska, is offering to new residents. The town of less than 1,000 people is attempting to fight a 50-year population decline. Average home value in Pawnee City? Less than $103,000 (new builds are listed at $325,000 on the program’s website).

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals

Nolo: Save 25% on Quicken WillMaker & Trust for a limited time

Get this deal.

The best bargains at Costco this month!

Get this deal.

See All of the Best Deals Today

🎙️ Podcast

YouTube video by Clark Howard: Save More, Spend Less

Full Show: Big Changes at Dollar Tree and Best Places To Buy Gas

Remember when everything at Dollar Tree was only $1? Those days are long gone. Dollar Tree raised prices a few years ago to $1.25 – and more hikes are coming soon. Also, Clark discusses the best places to buy gas to help your car and your wallet.

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.