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💵 Today’s Top Stories
There are three main ways to change your financial situation: spend less, save more and make more. Team Clark presents our list of 30 ideas you can use to make more money than you already do. Read more.
Clark consistently advises consumers to remain brand “free agents” who comparison shop each trip (via generic reward cards). But airlines are doing something to make him rethink that advice. Read more.
3.5 million households receive the American Community Survey (ACS) each year. You are legally required to respond. Clark explains what to do if you get the survey along with potential consequences. Read more.
Your vacation can get interrupted or canceled. But does “cancel for any reason” insurance really mean for any reason? We explain how it works, where to buy it and where NOT to buy it. Read more.
🏠️ Today’s Current Mortgage Rates
According to Freddie Mac, 30-year mortgage rates are 6.00% and 15-year rates are 5.43% as of March 5, 2026. The following chart shows the 30-year mortgage rate trend over the last year.
✈ United Airlines: Wear Headphones or Get Banned
Few things irritate airline passengers more than someone blasting music, videos or phone calls at full volume with no headphones.
At United Airlines, it can now get you removed from flights (and even permanently banned).
The airline revised its contract of carriage on Feb. 27 to include this new provision under the “refusal of transport” section.
Passengers without headphones can request a free pair from United’s flight crew.
The move drew praise and common-sense agreement on Reddit.
Fortunately, unruly passengers remain rare. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had received 235 reports of unruly passengers for the year as of early March 2026. It issued $200,000 in fines, initiating 14 investigations and 12 enforcement actions.
Unfortunately, passengers who are less than 100% respectful to their peers are more common. But United Airlines is taking a small step toward making things more pleasant for its customers.
“We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content – and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones,” United said in a statement. “With the expansion of Starlink, it seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.”
📊 Stat of the Day
💼 -92,000: Month-over-month change in U.S. jobs in February according to the U.S. Labor Department, down from +126,000 jobs in January. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had expected 50,000 jobs added in February. Unemployment rose from 4.3% to 4.4%.
💰 Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
🎙 Podcast
It’s time for "Clark Stinks!" Christa reads the latest "Clark Stinks!" submissions and Clark responds. Also, for the last several years, finding a reliable contractor was nearly impossible; they were often overbooked, unresponsive, or quoting "go-away" prices because demand was so high. However, the power has shifted back to the consumer. Whether you are looking to update your kitchen or considering the growing trend of building an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in your backyard, now is the first time in a long time that you can renovate on your own terms and timeline.
☎ 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.
