- Clark.com Daily Newsletter
- Posts
- Important end-of-year financial checklist (12 29 25)
Important end-of-year financial checklist (12 29 25)
Sally McDonald
December 29, 2025
Advertisement
šµ Todayās Top Stories
 | While you can tackle these tips at any time of year, now is a great time to make sure your wallet is ready for 2026. Read more. |
 | Most cell phone articles focus on family or individual plans. But what if you need a plan for two? We researched 70+ plans to find six of the best, including best value and best unlimited data. Read more. |
 | Your credit cards should be making your money rather than burying you in debt. Here are five big mistakes that can wreck your finances. Read more. |
 | A nice greeting card can be lovely. But you probably donāt want to keep every card you ever receive. Here are some ideas on how to re-use them instead of throwing them in the trash. Read more. |
āļø Airline āMistakeā Fares Up Big in 2025
The most exciting two words for any deal-hunting traveler: āmistake airfare.ā
U.S. airline prices increased 3.2% in the last year, a fraction higher than overall inflation. But 2025 set a record for mistake airfares as well.
āThese are super-cheap prices that appear when an airlineās system glitches or a pricing database misfires,ā Yahoo! explained.
Backing that assertion, Going, formerly Scottās Cheap Flights, claims the company tracked 15 mistake fares, more than double the number it found in 2024 and the most since the company started keeping records.
AI, dynamic pricing tools and new airline partnerships are some of the reasons for the additional mess-up fare prices.
The story cited Clark, who says airlines typically honor the super-low deals.
Signing up for alerts at sites such as Going can help you catch on to low fares and mistake fares. If you see one you like, grab it immediately. āWaiting even an hour can mean missing out,ā Yahoo! wrote.
Book directly with the airline on mistake fares if possible. Youāll get better protection if the airline does cancel your fare.
š Stat of the Day
šļø 3.5%: Approximate share of the 38 million in total used car sales in the United States annually that Carmax and Carvana control. Thatās by far the largest share.
š°ļø Deal Alert: Todayās Top Deals
 |
 |
šļø Podcast
Protect your wallet and stop getting ripped off. Subscribe to Clark Howard's channel now for free, actionable money-saving advice every day.
āļø 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 Todayās Newsletter?Let us know what you think so we can better serve you! |