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Did you know that one passport may be more powerful than another? The list may surprise you and we have that later in this email.

💵 Today’s Top Stories
Watching TV

No, it’s not Netflix, Disney, Hulu or YouTube. Which streaming service do U.S. customers rate as No. 1 for subscriber happiness? Read more.

Batteries

Follow Clark’s No. 1 rule to rack up instant savings every time you buy batteries. Clark.com unveils the cheapest sellers and the best places to find deals. Read more.

Credit cards and cash

Clark hypes up the free, all-category 2% reward cash-back cards. But what if you want 3%, 4% or even 5% back on some credit card purchases? Cards that unlock those rewards do exist. Read more.

Sim

Avoid hundreds or thousands of dollars in surprise fees on international trips – and the stress of figuring out your cell phone provider’s specifics – by buying a local SIM card. Read more.

Cell phone

This company offers $0 for text, talk and now data. Is it too good to be true? Here’s everything you need to know. Read more.

Make a will

August is National Make-A-Will Month. And now is a great time to create a will if you haven’t made yours yet. Read more.

Clark Howard travel advice

Clark loves finding great deals on travel. There's a limited-time sale on one of his favorite websites to find airfare deals! Read more.

📣 Today’s Top News
🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates

According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.73% and 15-year rates are 5.99% as of August 1, 2024. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year.

🌎️ The Countries With the Most Powerful Passports in the World

When it comes to passports, Europe and Asia tend to have the most powerful. But one country leaped to the top of the list this year according to the Henley Passport Index.

Here are the most powerful passports in the world as of today based on the number of countries you’re able to visit Visa-free via Henley:

Singapore: 195
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain: 192
Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden: 191
Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom: 190
Australia, Portugal: 189
Greece, Poland: 188
Canada, Czechia, Hungary, Malta: 187
United States: 186

For those counting, that’s 27 countries with more powerful passports than the United States (at least by that criteria). But it’s close.

Not all countries are moving in a positive direction in terms of mobility and world travel.

According to CNN’s reporting: “While Singapore’s magic number of 195 is a record high for both Singapore and the ranking, down at the other end of the scale … Afghanistan has long been ranked the world’s weakest passport by the index, but now its citizens can only travel to 26 countries without a visa – the lowest score recorded in the index’s history of nearly two decades.”

The average number of countries that travelers can access visa-free across the globe increased from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024.

📊 Stat of the Day

👨‍🎓 1 million: Number of people carrying student loan balances of more than $200,000. That’s up from 600,000 people in 2017. The number of borrowers owing between $100,000 and $200,000 increased from 1.8 million to 2.4 million during the same period.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
Starz
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🎙️ Podcast

It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, if someone makes an offer on your property out of the blue, be careful. Clark has important advice for you know hear before you agree to sell.

☎️ 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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