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- #1 restaurant franchise in America (8 28 25)
#1 restaurant franchise in America (8 28 25)
Sally McDonald
August 28, 2025
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💵 Today’s Top Stories
 | LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden and others put up a strong fight. But no other restaurant brand can match this affordable steakhouse franchise for customer satisfaction. Read more. |
 | Automatic bill pay is convenient, but it can also be dangerous. Clark gives a big warning when it comes to automated debit card transactions. Read more. |
 | Using a password manager isn’t a fail-safe to avoid getting hacked. But it’s safer than using the same (potentially lackluster) password on every account you open online. Read more. |
 | Prepaid cell phone plans can save you hundreds of dollars per year. Here’s how they’re different and some of Team Clark’s favorite options. Read more. |
💵 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 August 28, 2025.
🛍️ Returns Are a Growing, Giant-Sized Problem
Wondering what’s causing inflation at some of your favorite retailers?
Expenses related to returns may be the answer.
According to the National Retail Federation and return management company Happy Returns, U.S. shoppers sent back $890 billion in goods in 2024, roughly 17% of all sales.
That’s up from $743 billion and 15% in 2023 – and the trend recedes the further back you go (approximately less than $300 billion in 2019). Returns also created 8.4 billion pounds of landfill waste in 2023.
It’s become so commonplace to buy certain items, perhaps even online, and then return them if you don’t like them.
For example, maybe you buy three dresses for a corporate event, knowing that you’ll return two of the three. Instead of going to the store, you buy all three online, try them on at home, pick your favorite and return the rest.
Some retailers even allow customers to “keep it” rather than paying for shipping, processing and repackaging returns. Which, of course, a segment of savvy shoppers figures out and exploits.
(Processing returns costs an average of 30% of an item’s original price.)
More than three-quarters (76%) of shoppers “consider free returns a factor in deciding where to spend their money.” Nearly two-thirds of customers now buy multiple sizes and colors, intending to send some back. Almost 70% buy items for specific events and return them after, and 46% say they return goods multiple times per month.
Companies are attempting to quell the trend, with 81% of U.S. retailers rolling out stricter return policies in 2023.
📊 Stat of the Day
🐻 $670 million: Revenue that Pop Mart generated in the first six months of 2025 by selling Labubus. This generation’s version of Beanie Babies, the Chinese collectable toys are dominating headlines and the toy market. Pop Mart’s U.S. revenue has grown more than 1,100% year-over-year.
💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
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🎙️ Podcast
Investing abroad could be a smart move to protect and grow your wealth. Clark explains why diversifying your portfolio internationally can lower your risk and potentially lead to higher returns. He shares why he's always been a fan of investing worldwide and why you shouldn't feel unpatriotic for doing so. Also, are you overpaying for your domestic flights? For years, a secret strategy was to book one-way flights instead of a round-trip ticket to find the lowest fare. Now, the airlines have caught on. Learn how to comparison shop to get the best deal on your next flight!
☎️ 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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