What percentage of pay should you spend on housing? (9 17 25)

Author

Jennifer Hutcheson
September 17, 2025

💵 Today’s Top Stories

Put aside the traditional, strict rule about the percentage of your income you should spend on housing, Clark says. Instead, ask yourself three important questions. Read more.

Airplane in sky

This browser extension makes using airline miles and points simpler and faster. Here’s how it works and why we like it. Read more.

Dark Web

This big issue affects many (most?) Americans. Here are four simple things you can do to protect yourself. Read more.

Pet Medicine

Americans consider their pets to be family members. But they can be mighty expensive if something goes wrong. Should you protect yourself with pet insurance? Read more.

🏌️‍♀️ New Study: Top Cities in America for Retirees

Ranking the best cities for retirees has become a popular format. But the latest version by WalletHub is notable for its simple elegance while being thorough.

It ranks 182 U.S. cities based on four logical factors: affordability, activities, quality of life and healthcare.

Unsurprisingly, Florida claimed five of the top 12 spots. Scottsdale, Arizona, ranked at No. 2. But there were some names near the top of the leaderboard we didn’t expect.

The Top 10:

  1. Orlando, FL

  2. Scottsdale, AZ

  3. Minneapolis, MN

  4. Miami, FL

  5. Tampa, FL

  6. Atlanta, GA

  7. Fort Lauderdale, FL

  8. Cincinnati, OH

  9. Madison, WI

  10. Casper, WY

Here's a glimpse at the depth.

In the analysis describing why Orlando won, the study cited, among other things: (lack of) taxes, cheap homemaker services, cheap adult day health care, recreational activities for seniors (music venues, fishing, art galleries, adult volunteer activities), home health care facilities per capita and quality of hospitals for geriatrics.

📊 Stat of the Day

💸 595,000: Number of 401(k) or IRA accounts with more than $1 million at Fidelity after Q2 (end of June), a new all-time high. That’s up from 512,000 after Q1 (end of March).

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
Laptop
Paramount Plus
🎙️ Podcast

Investing in today's world can feel complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Fiduciary financial advisor Wes Moss breaks down the "5 Pillars of Investing" for both good times and bad. Also, he shares a powerful strategy to potentially pay 0% on your long-term capital gains, based on new tax law changes.

☎️ 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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