Are hotels cheaper if you book direct?(1 22 25)

Author

Anthony Hazzard
January 22, 2025

Electric vehicles have not progressed at the pace that was initially anticipated, but they did make up a chunk of the market share. Later in this email, you will find out more about the EV market and how it compares to gas-powered engines. 

💵 Today’s Top Stories
Hotel booking

ou and I like finding a deal on a hotel as much as Clark. (OK, let’s be honest, almost as much.) Does that mean we should book through the hotel or through a travel site like Priceline? Read more.

Costco

Great news: Costco just gave credit card holders even more cash back on Costco gas purchases. Plus, Costco rolled out a sleek new credit card design. Read more.

Two phones

Years of inflation hurting on your monthly budget? Consider these money-saving cell phone plans. We researched more than 70 phone plans before selecting these top picks. Read more.

Tire

Offering some of the cheapest price points, BJ’s Wholesale Club is a great place to buy your next set of tires. But you need to know to check online for deals and promotions, plus more. Read more.

Netflix

Another year, another streaming service price increase. This one impacts all subscription tiers. Find out how much more you can expect to pay. Read more.

🔋Electric Vehicles Account for 20% of Sales in 2024

That includes 1.3 million all-electric models and 1.9 million hybrid models.

Combustion engines accounted for a record low 79.8% of overall sales. Although EVs are eating more of the market share, adoption hasn’t progressed at the pace many anticipated.

That’s partially due to a lack of infrastructure for pure EV drivers, particularly for those who don’t drive a Tesla.

Speaking of Tesla, Elon Musk’s company controlled a 49% share of the U.S. EV market in 2024, down from 55% in 2023. Other companies taking a sizeable market share:

  • Hyundai Motor (9.3%)

  • General Motors (8.7%)

  • Ford Motor (7.5%)

  • BMW (4.1%)

EV sales currently get subsidized by a federal credit of up to $7,500. It’s possible those credits could go away in 2025.

Cox Automotive projects one in four vehicles sold in the United States in 2025 to be an EV or hybrid.

💸 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 January 22, 2025.

📊 Stat of the Day

🚘️ 4%: The share of would-be EV buyers who named Tesla their top choice of automaker. That’s the lowest figure in Tesla’s history. It’s also jarring considering Tesla made up 44% of EV sales in the U.S. in Q4 of 2024. But Toyota (21%) is the preferred manufacturer of EV vehicles at present.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
Amazon
Barcelona
Sam's Club
🎙️ Podcast

According to research, the median happy retiree needs $700,000 to get to retirement. But how do you get there? That’s where stocks come in. In this episode of Ask an Advisor, fee-only fiduciary financial advisor Wes Moss explains why stocks (mostly) are so important to your portfolio and the “dry powder” you need to stay confident in the market. Later in the show, Wes talks about FOMO (fear of missing out) Freddy and why you should ignore him at all costs when looking at your investments.

☎️ 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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