Clark sounds the alarm on America’s savings rate, Best unlimited data cell phone plans

Can you guess how much of every dollar the average American is saving right now?  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

August 24, 2026   |   Read online Advertisement 💵 Today’s Top Stories America’s Savings Rate Has Dropped to an Alarming Low The U.S. savings rate is down to an eye-popping low. Can you guess how much of every dollar the average American is saving right now? Hint: the amount Clark recommends is five times the average. Read more. Best Unlimited Data Cell Phone Plans: Starting at $25 Looking for the cheapest price, the best value or the top unlimited plan? We researched more than 200 phone plans to determine the best option in all the big categories. Read more. Walmart, Sam’s Club Make Major Announcement on New Payment Method Tap to pay is coming. The company plans to convert all its in-store payment portals by this date. Considering Clark uses his digital wallet whenever possible, that’s a good thing. Read more. Should You Pay Extra for Postal Insurance When Mailing Valuable Items? Most of the time, Clark says optional coverage is a bad deal for your wallet. The USPS has a great track record of honoring claims, though. Here’s when Clark says it’s worth buying. Read more. 🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.65% and 15-year rates are 5.95% as of August 20, 2026. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year. Mortgage Refi Calculator ✈️ American Airlines Makes Major Changes Take note, last-minute travel planners: American Airlines, once known for its generous 24-hour refund policy, is changing its rules. Until now, you could get a full refund on flights purchased up to two days in advance, as long as you canceled within 24 hours of booking. Now you must buy those tickets one week before departure to qualify — matching the minimum requirement from the Department of Transportation. It’s not all bad news. Travelers who buy “most non-basic tickets” within the week can still get refunded in flight credits (but not in dollars). One travel expert says American is counting on some passengers failing to use those credits they’ve already paid for before the expiration date. So “the airline will come out ahead with this move.” United, JetBlue and Southwest already required a seven-day advance booking period to qualify for a refund, though United and Southwest agents often override the requirement in practice. This comes the same month that American announced it will stop upgrading elite flyers from coach to business on long domestic flights. (Airlines are working to give away less of their priciest seats.) But American Airlines taketh and also giveth. The company announced it will reinstate screens on the backs of every narrow-body seat. Delta and United “made embedded entertainment a key part of their passenger experience programs. … In contrast, American Airlines opted for austerity and became the only major U.S. legacy carrier with essentially no embedded entertainment across its standard domestic narrowbody fleet.” That will change, but in some cases, it will take years to get planes with the added seatback screens. American also committed to installing Starlink for better internet connectivity. 📊 Stat of the Day ⬇️ 17%: The rate at which Uber One is cutting its ride reward rate, which is dropping from 6% to 5%. Uber is framing the change as an upgrade, pairing it with “extra benefits” such as allowing you to share your membership with one adult and teens in your household for free and giving out credits on hotel bookings. Uber One costs $9.99 per month or $96 per year. 💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals Life is Good: Find clearance items from 99 cents Get this deal. 9-night Ireland trip with flights & rental car from $1,549 Get this deal. See All of the Best Deals Today 🎙️ Podcast Clark Stinks & Warning Before You Buy Prescriptions Online It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, online medical services promising quick prescriptions for sensitive conditions seem convenient, but they could be costing you more than just money—they might be handing over your private health data. Clark discusses the broader boom of direct-to-consumer online doctor services and why you need to protect both your wallet and your privacy. 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. Advertisement Did You Enjoy Today’s Newsletter? Let us know what you think so we can better serve you! It was great! It was OK. It wasn't very good. Team Clark uses beehiiv to create and send our newsletters.   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Clark Howard, Inc. 1601 West Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30309, United States