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💵 Today’s Top Stories
Because of “dark pattern” tactics – sneaky or even nefarious pop-ups designed to get you to click, even accidentally – you can’t mindlessly click your way through the web anymore. Clark explains. Read more.
Car insurance rates can be a major burden on your monthly bills. It’s a good idea to re-shop your insurance now if you haven’t done so in a while. Rising costs impact some insurers more than others. Read more.
T-Mobile just notified customers on older plans that they’ll be migrated to a new, more expensive plan. Here are the details and what you can do to get cheap access to T-Mobile’s network. Read more.
The discount grocery chain stopped accepting this major credit card provider at some locations. Clark says it’s an experiment due to high processing fees. Could Aldi remove this major credit card provider for good? Read more.
One Team Clark member recently searched for a used Toyota Corolla online.
One car in the results was listed online for $12,999. But after further inquiry, including hidden fees, it was $15,897 – nearly $3,000 more expensive.
A dealer listing a vehicle in a similar price range did not disclose mandatory LoJack and other add-ons ($1,397), a dealer fee ($999) and an electronic filing fee ($399) … not to mention, tax, title and tag.
The FTC recently cracked down on this practice, sending a warning to more than 200 auto dealerships to “stop advertising cars online with dubious discounts or thousands of dollars in hidden fees.”
However, it’s still pervasive. A study of 500 used car sales from December to April found that 59% of the vehicles included discretionary fees not advertised in the online price, the Wall Street Journal reported.
A separate study cited in the same WSJ article analyzed more than 10,000 new and used dealers and found “meaningful differences” between the advertised and actual prices 40% of the time.
CarGurus, a major aggregator, will require fee disclosures on listings starting July 14. Listings that don’t comply will get moved lower in search results.
Whether all of this precipitates a major sea change is still to be determined. But it’s nice to see some pressure and pushback against those practices.
The best thing you can do as a consumer: Ask direct questions about potential fees and mandatory add-ons to be sure you know the out-the-door price before you go to the dealership.
You can also widen your search when you’re looking for a vehicle. The more area you’re willing to expand to, the better the chance of finding a good deal.
📊 Stat of the Day
🎓 10.3%: Share of student loans that were delinquent during the first quarter, the highest share in six years. It’s also a “twenty-fold spike since mid-2024.” As a result, the Department of Education is temporarily cutting interest rates for some federal student loan borrowers by 1%.
💰 Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
🎙 Podcast
Travel costs have been a challenge lately, with airlines facing higher fuel expenses and travelers paying the price. In this episode, Clark shares his back-to-basics strategy for finding affordable trips, including why flexibility is your greatest money-saving tool. Learn why Clark lets the deal determine the destination, how shoulder-season airfare pricing can create opportunities for savings, and why being a "free agent" when booking flights can help you see more of the world for less. Also, Clark explains the growing problem of "dark patterns" online—those annoying popups, misleading buttons, and sneaky subscription tactics designed to influence your decisions. While many of these practices aren't illegal, they can lead to unwanted purchases and recurring charges if you're not paying attention. Clark shares what to watch for and how to avoid getting tricked into spending money you never intended to spend.
☎ 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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