Best & worst auto insurance companies (1 6 26)

Author

Sally McDonald
January 06, 2026

💵 Today’s Top Stories
Shop for car insurance

Is your auto insurance company on the best or worst list? Here are the latest rankings and Clark’s advice. Read more.

cash in hand

From taking advantage of the right savings account to applying for a great rewards credit card, here are some things you can do right now to “find” free money. Read more.

Cell phone

Switching to one of these plans can save you hundreds of dollars a year. Check out our top picks under $50 a month after we researched more than 200 cell phone plans. Read more.

2% cash back credit card

This Mastercard offers unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. It doesn’t offer an introductory 0% APR or a welcome bonus. But that’s good in some ways, as Team Clark explains. Read more.

💵 Calculator of the Week: Savings Goal Calculator
General Money Calculator

This tool helps you create a realistic plan to reach your specific savings goals, from a down payment to an emergency fund.

💰️ Kiplinger Provides Retirement Readiness Checklist

So you’re ready to retire soon. Congratulations! That’s a big, exciting milestone in anyone’s life, financially and otherwise.

It also has likely taken you decades of saving and investing to reach this point and amass the funds so you’re ready to take the leap.

However, reaching critical mass with your retirement fund isn’t the only thing you need to do to prepare the way.

Kiplinger recently published an article titled “The Final Countdown to Retire Early in 2026: A Monthly Guide.” Now, maybe you’re trying to retire before 65 years old and maybe you’re not. But the article lays out a great checklist of things to take care of prior to your retirement.

Among the list (the article goes into much greater detail):

Review your readiness. How many years will your nest egg last if you withdraw, say, 4% per year? What does your budget look like on that 4% -- and what does it look like, with inflation, in 10 or 20 years from now?

Figure out your healthcare. You may be losing employer-provided and subsidized health insurance. Do you have HSA funds? How much will your new healthcare strategy cost going forward? Are there things you can take care of before you retire?

Max out your contributions. It’s possibly your last chance to contribute to an employer-supported 401(k) plan, for example – and take advantage of catchup contributions.

Optimize your withdrawal strategy. This can include the Rule of 55 for early retirees and RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) for late ones. It also can involve strategizing when you’ll start taking Social Security benefits.

Make a lifestyle plan. How will you reallocate the time and energy you spent on work?

📊 Stat of the Day

✈️ -71.4%: Average profit decrease per airline ticket sold by the Big Four airlines in the United States from 2021 to ’24 ($5.51 in profit per passenger) as opposed to 2016 to ’19 leading into the COVID-19 pandemic ($19.26).

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
meat thermometer
Amsterdam
🎙️ Podcast

Clark reveals the shocking, new ways patients are turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT to fight back — from appealing rejected insurance claims to negotiating hospital bills. Hear the extreme case where a patient was able to reduce a massive hospital bill by a staggering 83%! Clark stresses the critical rule: NEVER accept a hospital bill at face value and shares why getting an itemized bill is essential. Also, Clark tackles sky-high power bills by exploring bleeding-edge technology you can use at home. Learn how these new solutions and others can help homeowners and renters alike significantly reduce their energy demand and fight back against rising utility costs.

☎️ 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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