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Mint Mobile Plans Now Include More High-Speed Data

Filed Under: Clark Howard, SUCCESS

Mint Mobile (Team Clark’s Review) recently upgraded three of its four plans to include more high-speed data for the same price. Now customers can choose from 6GB, 17GB or 23GB in addition to an unlimited plan. 

In this article, I’ll share everything you need to know about the latest changes from Mint Mobile.

Mint Mobile’s New Plan Lineup

Previously, Mint Mobile’s limited-data plans included 5GB, 15GB or 20GB. Now, for the same price, new customers can choose from the following three-month plans: 

6GB for $15/month

17GB for $20/month

23GB for $25/month

Unlimited for $30/month

For a limited time, new customers joining Mint Mobile are eligible for an additional $15 off any three-month plan. With this discount, you can switch to Mint Mobile for the following rates: 

6GB for $10/month

17GB for $15/month

23GB for $20/month

Unlimited for $25/month

After three months of service, plan rates will return to normal. In the table below, you can see the regular prices for each of Mint Mobile’s phone plans.

3-Month Plan Price6-Month Plan Price12-Month Plan Price

6GB$25/month$20/month$15/month

17GB$35/month$25/month$20/month

23GB$45/month$35/month$25/month

Unlimited (50GB)$40/month$35/month$30/month

In addition to increased high-speed data, all plans include unlimited talk and text, free mobile hotspot and free calling to Mexico, Canada and the UK. 

To learn more about Mint Mobile’s recently upgraded plans, visit the company’s website.

Mint Mobile: An Affordable Prepaid Service Provider on T-Mobile’s Network

If you aren’t familiar with Mint Mobile, it’s a prepaid cell phone service provider that T-Mobile owns. It provides access to the same 5G and 4G/LTE networks for a fraction of the price. If you have service in your area from T-Mobile, you’ll likely also have coverage with Mint Mobile. 

Compared to T-Mobile itself, Mint Mobile offers excellent prices. T-Mobile’s postpaid plans start at $50/month for one line with autopay. While you’ll get more high-speed data and additional postpaid benefits with T-Mobile postpaid, you’ll find annual plans starting as low as $15/month at regular rates from Mint Mobile.

Compared to other prepaid service providers that use T-Mobile’s service towers, Mint Mobile’s prices remain competitive. Here are a few other light-data plans from other affordable providers on T-Mobile’s network to compare:

US Mobile (Review): The Light Plan includes 2GB of high-speed data for $10 monthly. If you prepay annually, you can get the same plan for $96 ($8/month), making it an excellent deal at regular rates. However, with Mint Mobile’s current promotion, you can get three times the high-speed data for $10/month for the first three months.

Tello Mobile (Review): For $10/month, Tello Mobile offers 2GB of high-speed data. Other plans include 10GB for $15 and 20GB for $20.

Ultra Mobile (Review): At regular rates, you can get a three-month 4GB plan for $16/month. If you prepay annually at regular rates, you can get the same plan for $13/month, which is slightly cheaper than Mint Mobile’s annual 6GB plan. However, you’ll have less high-speed data each month.

You can see a more detailed plan comparison between our top picks for the best cheap cell phone plans here. For more options, including single-month plans, check out all of our top picks for the best cell phone plans available now.

Additionally, you can use our Cell Phone Plan Finder to quickly compare plans that will meet your needs.
The post Mint Mobile Plans Now Include More High-Speed Data appeared first on Clark Howard.

New Student Loan Repayment Plan Launches Next Month. Here’s What Borrowers Can Expect

Filed Under: Money.com, SUCCESS

The federal student loan system is heading into one of its biggest overhauls in years — and for borrowers, that means major changes to how they’ll repay their debt.
Starting July 1, several existing income-driven repayment (IDR) options will begin to be phased out and replaced with a new program called the Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP.
RAP is designed to become a central repayment option for new federal student loan borrowers, with monthly payments based on income and number of dependents. Borrowers who take out federal student loans on or after July 1 will have RAP as their only income-driven option, while most current borrowers can stay in their existing plan for now or choose to switch to RAP.
The shift brings new rules and a fair amount of confusion as borrowers adjust to a smaller set of repayment options and a potentially longer path to forgiveness. For millions of borrowers, understanding how RAP works — and how it compares to current plans — will be key to deciding their next move. Here’s what you need to know.
What is the Repayment Assistance Plan?
RAP is a new federal income-driven repayment program set to launch in July. It was created in the sweeping tax and spending bill Congress passed last summer. Like earlier income-driven plans, it ties monthly payments to a borrower’s income and offers a path to eventual loan forgiveness.
Under RAP, borrowers would need to make qualifying payments for 30 years before any remaining balance is canceled, which is longer than the timelines offered under existing income-driven plans.

Where People Are Refinancing Their Student Loans Today

With SoFi, you can check your rate in minutes and get no impact to your credit score
Credible allows you to compare multiple refinance companies to get the best rate

How does the Repayment Assistance Plan work?
While the philosophy of setting payments based on income is the same, the details of how RAP works are significantly different.
How monthly payments are calculated
Monthly payments under RAP are based on a borrower’s adjusted gross income (AGI) — a measure of income reported on your tax return before certain deductions. Married borrowers who file taxes separately may have their payments calculated based on their individual AGI.
Payments range from 1% to 10% of income, with a minimum of $10 a month. Payment amounts increase gradually as income rises, ticking up one percentage point for every $10,000 increase. For example, monthly bills for those earning around $20,000 will be based on 2% of their AGI; those earning about $30,000 will see payments based on 3% of AGI. Payments are capped at 10% for those earning $100,000 or more. Those baseline amounts can be adjusted based on household factors, including the number of dependents.
Interest and principal protections
Similar to the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, RAP cancels out any unpaid interest as long as the borrower continues making their payments. In other words, if your monthly payment is less than the amount of interest that accrues each month, your payment would go toward interest and the remaining interest would be waived instead of added to your balance.
In addition, if your full monthly payment isn’t enough to reduce your loan’s principal by at least $50, a subsidy will be applied to make up the difference and ensure the balance goes down.
Adjustments for dependents
Payments are also reduced by $50 for each dependent claimed on your tax return. So, for example, a borrower with an AGI of $60,000 and no dependents would pay about $250 per month, while a borrower with the same AGI but one dependent would pay about $200 per month.
When will RAP launch?
Borrowers in existing repayment plans can start switching over to RAP as soon as July 1.
Those who take out loans after July 1 will generally be limited to RAP or the revised Standard Repayment Plan, which sets payments based on how much you borrowed.
The transition away from current IDR plans is expected to happen gradually over a few years, with some options remaining available to existing borrowers through at least 2028. (More on that below.) However, borrowers enrolled in SAVE will need to move to a new repayment option more immediately after the plan was struck down in court. Beginning July 1, they will have 90 days to select a new plan or be automatically placed in standard repayment.
Who is eligible for RAP?
RAP is available only for federal Direct Loans, meaning loans borrowed directly from the U.S. Department of Education.
Parent PLUS Loans are not eligible for RAP. While Parent PLUS Loans fall under the Direct Loan category, they have historically been excluded from most of these income-driven options. In some cases, borrowers were able to access income-driven repayment through the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan if they first consolidated their Parent PLUS loans. But under the new rules, Parent PLUS loans taken out on or after July 1 will no longer qualify for any income-driven option and will be limited to the Standard Repayment Plan.
Pros and cons of the Repayment Assistance Plan
Compared with current IDR plans, RAP does have some unique benefits. But many borrowers will face much higher monthly payments and a longer path to forgiveness. Here’s a closer look at the potential advantages and drawbacks:
Pros

Interest protections: If monthly payments don’t cover all accrued interest, the unpaid portion may be waived rather than added to the loan balance.
Principal support: Borrowers whose payments don’t reduce the principal may receive a small monthly principal reduction subsidy (up to $50).
Income-based flexibility: Payments are adjusted based on AGI and the number of dependents.
Separate filer adjustment: Married borrowers who file taxes separately can exclude their spouse’s income from their payment calculations.

Cons

Longer path to forgiveness: Borrowers must make qualifying payments for 30 years before remaining balances can be forgiven. If you’ve already been in an IDR plan, your payment history should transfer over. You will not start the 30-year count from zero.
Higher baseline payments for some borrowers: Compared with SAVE, which was the most generous income-driven plan before it was struck down, borrowers will see higher required monthly payments, especially lower-income borrowers.
Income-based calculation limits: Using AGI (as compared to discretionary income) can make payments less responsive to cost-of-living pressures like inflation.
Reduced repayment flexibility: The shift leaves new borrowers with fewer choices, only RAP or a fixed-payment plan.

What are the other options besides the Repayment Assistance Plan?
If you don’t like how your payments are structured under RAP, your other options will depend on whether you’re finished borrowing.
New borrowers
New borrowers who take out loans after July 1 will have limited flexibility. If they want an income-driven repayment option, RAP will be the only choice available.
The alternative is a revised standard repayment plan. Unlike income-driven plans, the standard plan is not based on income. Instead, it divides your loan balance into fixed monthly payments between 10 and 25 years, depending on the principal amount of loans.
Current borrowers
Borrowers who already have federal student loans will generally have more options, at least for now. Most can remain in their current repayment plan, though those enrolled in the SAVE Plan will need to transition to a different option following its legal challenges.
Existing income-driven plans like the ICR and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Plan are expected to remain available until at least July 2028. After that, the options will narrow even further, leaving RAP and IBR as the primary income-driven options.
Importantly, current borrowers generally will not have to switch to the new standard repayment plan. Borrowers with federal loans issued before July 1 are expected to retain access to the existing repayment options, including the current 10-year standard plan as well as the extended and graduated repayment plans, unless they take out new loans or consolidate after July 1.

Where People Are Refinancing Their Student Loans Today

With SoFi, you can check your rate in minutes and get no impact to your credit score
Credible allows you to compare multiple refinance companies to get the best rate

RAP vs. Income-Based Repayment (IBR)
Both RAP and Income-Based Repayment (IBR) are designed to make federal student loan payments more manageable, but they differ in how payments are calculated, how long borrowers stay in repayment and how forgiveness is structured. Here are the key differences:

IBR

RAP

Payment calculation

10%-15% of discretionary income, depending on when you took out your loans. Discretionary income is the difference between your income and 150% of the federal poverty line for your family size.

1%-10% of AGI, with payment amounts increasing as income does.

Minimum monthly payment

Can be $0 for some borrowers

$10

Forgiveness timeline

20-25 years of qualifying payments, depending on loan timing

30 years of qualifying payments

Interest

Unpaid interest on subsidized loans waived for the first three years; otherwise, unpaid interest accrues but generally doesn’t capitalize unless you exit the plan.

Unpaid interest is waived if not covered by monthly payment

Principal reduction support

None

Up to $50 per month in some cases

Dependent adjustment

Based on family size (baked in through the discretionary income calculation)

$50 reduction per dependent claimed on federal tax return

Eligibility window

Available to student borrowers who enroll before the phase-out deadline of July 1, 2028. Not available to new borrowers after July 1, 2026.

Only income-driven option available to borrowers who take out loans after July 1

If you’re unsure which option makes the most sense, the U.S. Department of Education’s Loan Simulator can help estimate your monthly payments under different plans and compare long-term costs. RAP has not been integrated into the tool yet, but it’s expected to be added as the rollout continues.
More from Money:
What’s Happening with SAVE? 3 Updates for Student Loan Borrowers as Legal Limbo Continues
Student Loan Changes 2026: New Repayment Options, Taxable Forgiveness and More on the Way
Is a Bachelor’s Degree Worth It? New Study Says Yes… Once You Turn 34

Evercore sends strong message to stock market bears

Filed Under: SUCCESS, The Street

Markets do not run on spreadsheets alone. They run on stories, on the moment a crowd decides the future is worth paying up for. Every big rally needs a spark that makes the math feel beside the point.For months, the loudest voices on Wall Street have been the cautious ones. Valuations look stretched, the artificial intelligence (AI) trade looks crowded, and plenty of strategists have warned that the easy money is gone. The bears have had the microphone.Then a rocket company went public and changed the conversation. SpaceX (SPCX) made its Nasdaq debut on Friday, June 12, and jumped 19% to close at $160.95, becoming one of the world’s biggest listed companies on day one, according to NPR. It was the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history.That single trade did something no research note could. It gave the bulls a story again. And one of Wall Street’s most-watched strategists thinks it could be the start of something far bigger. Evercore (EVR) ISI now argues the listing could hand the S&P 500 a path to 9,000, a level that would punish anyone betting the rally is finished.Why the record SpaceX IPO has stock market bulls dreaming againThe setup matters here. SpaceX priced its offering at $135 a share and raised roughly $75 billion, the biggest market debut Wall Street has ever seen, and its first-day pop pushed Elon Musk’s rocket maker above $2 trillion in value.It is not arriving alone. The deal is the opening act for a run of marquee technology listings, with Anthropic, the maker of the Claude AI assistant, having confidentially filed for its own IPO and OpenAI widely expected to follow.Related: SpaceX IPO reminds investors where real fortunes startWhat makes the debut land harder is who got to play. SpaceX stayed private for more than two decades, then set aside close to a third of its public shares for everyday investors instead of the usual sliver. This is why a “request shares” button suddenly showed up in millions of brokerage apps.Evercore strategist Julian Emanuel reaches back three decades for his frame of reference. He likened the excitement around SpaceX to the 1995 Netscape IPO, the deal that lit the fuse on internet optimism before the dot-com bubble burst in 2000. The moment “draws comparison to the hype last seen in 1999,” Evercore strategists said, according to Investing.com.That parallel cuts both ways, and the bears know it. The Netscape moment that kicked off a historic run also marked the early innings of a mania that ended in tears five years later.

Evercore ISI strategist Julian Emanuel says SpaceX’s record IPO could spark the next leg of the bull market.TIMOTHY A. CLARY / Getty Images

What Evercore’s path to 9,000 means for the S&P 500Here is where Emanuel makes his case. In his bull scenario, the SpaceX debut “could catalyze ‘Dream Big FOMO’ and the next leg of the Bull Market,” he wrote, according to CNBC. The fear of missing out, or FOMO, is the fuel.The call breaks down into three pieces.A bull case that lifts the S&P 500 to 9,000, more than 20% above the prior week’s close of 7,431.46, a scenario Emanuel puts at about 30% oddsA base case of 7,750, only about 4% above current levelsA record $7.9 trillion sitting in money market funds that could flood into stocks if sidelined investors decide to chase the move
Source: CNBC
I ran Emanuel’s bull target against that prior-week close, and the gap is striking. Reaching 9,000 means roughly a 21% climb from where the index sat, the kind of year that turns a tired 401(k) into a very different number. For a worker with $200,000 in an index fund, that is about $42,000 on paper, the difference between dreading a market headline and scrolling past it.That $7.9 trillion is not abstract, either. It is cash that real people moved into money market funds when rates were high and stocks felt risky, and it earns a steady yield sitting still. The bull case rests on a simple human question: whether those savers can watch a rocket stock keep climbing and still do nothing.Emanuel is not waving away the danger. He concedes that the S&P 500 tends to post below-average returns the deeper a cycle runs. But he points to the absence of recession signals, bond yields that remain contained, and IPO activity that is tame by historical standards, with equity issuance running near 0.5% of the S&P 500’s market value, according to CNBC.Where the stock market bears still have room to push backThe skeptics have not gone quiet. Margin debt has surged, households hold more of their wealth in stocks than at any point on record, and the speculative heat around a trillion-dollar rocket stock is exactly the sort of thing that makes veteran investors flinch.In my experience watching a few of these cycles, the bull and bear cases rarely sit as far apart as the headlines make them seem. Emanuel’s own base case calls for just 4% upside. The 9,000 print is the dream, not the forecast, and he gives it less than a coin flip’s odds.There is also a catch worth knowing if you are tempted to chase SPCX itself. The rocket maker is unlikely to enter the S&P 500 anytime soon, because S&P Dow Jones Indices still requires four straight quarters of profitability under generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, before a company can qualify.So the message to the bears is not that they are wrong. It is that the story has shifted, and stories are what move markets between earnings dates. The next test arrives when Anthropic and OpenAI line up their own debuts. If that sidelined $7.9 trillion starts to move, Emanuel’s long shot stops looking quite so long.Related: Oppenheimer issues bold SpaceX stock price target

Citizen Eco-Drive luxury watches are up to $100 off, but not for long

Filed Under: SUCCESS, The Street

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.For many people, it feels like things that their parents took for granted are becoming out of reach. Whether it’s buying a home amidst record housing costs or just taking a short vacation under the threat of soaring jet fuel prices, so many things are beginning to feel unattainable. Surprisingly, the opposite seems to be true lately of shopping for luxury watches. In fact, it may be easier now to get a luxury timepiece than at any time in history.In part, that’s thanks to competition from the Japanese market. Once the sole purview of Swiss watchmakers, luxury watches are now available from some of the most respected Japanese brands, and they’re on par with comparable Swiss watchmakers. Some of the Japanese innovations in timekeeping even exceed what’s currently being done by the Swiss. Case in point, Citizen sells watches with one of the most innovative movement designs in history, and you can get your hands on one for a very reasonable price. Mechanical vs. quartz watchesBefore buying a luxury watch, it’s important to understand the differences between the two main types of internal movements. There are mechanical watches and quartz watches. Mechanical movements are powered by a mainspring. The mainspring is either hand-wound manually by spinning the crown, or it can be wound with the use of a rotor that spins throughout the day through the motion of your wrist. This is called an automatic mechanical watch. This is the traditional style of timepiece sold by luxury Swiss brands for their craftsmanship and attention to detail.Quartz watches, on the other hand, tend to be more affordable but more technologically advanced. These watches utilize a battery to power the hands. An electronic signal passes through a small quartz crystal, which regulates the signal and results in the seconds hand clicking over once every second. One benefit that most quartz watches have over mechanical watches is that they’re more accurate overall. The quartz watch was invented in Japan, so as you might imagine, they’ve improved it quite a bit over the years. This brings us to the Citizen Eco-Drive line of watches.What is an Eco-Drive movement?Citizen’s Eco-Drive watches occupy a unique space in the world of watchmaking. While they are in fact quartz-regulated timepieces, they’re anything but your typical affordable quartz watch. Eco-Drive is a proprietary technology that was developed by Citizen in-house. In essence, these watches are fully solar-powered. They have small solar panels embedded underneath the dial, making them completely invisible to the naked eye.The panels collect energy from the sun that is then utilized to power the handset, after passing through the aforementioned quartz regulating crystal. This technology comes with a few main benefits. For starters, it’s highly accurate, just like its other quartz counterparts. However, unlike most other quartz watches, you won’t need to change its battery every couple of years. Eco-Drive watches have a rechargeable internal battery that holds the charge from the solar panels. However, because it’s constantly recharging, the battery is intended to last for the life of the watch. That’s a major improvement over most standard quartz watches.Citizen Weekender Eco-Drive Watch

Courtesy of Amazon

Check price at AmazonCitizen Zenshin Eco-Drive Watch

Courtesy of Amazon

Check price at AmazonCitizen Blue Dial Eco-Drive Watch

Courtesy of Walmart

Check price at WalmartCitizen Brycen Eco-Drive Chronograph

Courtesy of Walmart

Check price at WalmartCitizen Eco-Drive watchesNow that you understand exactly what an Eco-Drive movement is and how it works, we recommend you consider looking at a few of Citizen’s most popular watches to see which one may be right for you. The beauty of a heritage brand like Citizen is that they’ve perfected so many different looks and styles that there’s something for everyone’s tastes and a watch for every occasion. From ultra-dressy models to rugged sports pieces, Citizen Eco-Drive watches can be with you through every step of the way, no matter how formal or casual an event may be. More quartz watchesIf you don’t see anything that tickles your fancy in the Citizen Eco-Drive realm, there are still plenty of other quartz watches from which to choose. Many brands have quartz offerings to fit every budget and trim level. You can even find some from high-end luxury Swiss brands now and then, so don’t limit yourself to just Japanese brands like Citizen, Seiko, and Casio. Find what you like and take the leap.Casio Vintage-Style Digital Watch

Courtesy of Amazon

Check price at AmazonTimex Expedition Quartz Watch

Courtesy of Walmart

Check price at WalmartGeorge Silver Tone Quartz Watch

Courtesy of Walmart

Check price at WalmartTheStreet Shopping is your guide for shopping insights and advice. We look beyond the price tag to find the best value in home, tech, and wellness gear based on product features and real-world use. Read more about our Editorial Standards and How We Choose Our Shopping Deals.

Subscription Fatigue? Do This 4 Times a Year to Save Money

Filed Under: Clark Howard, SUCCESS

Every business wants a piece of your wallet right now. Whether it’s your debit card, your credit card, or direct access to your checking account, companies are obsessed with putting your money on autopilot. They want you to subscribe to something — anything — to secure that ongoing, predictable monthly revenue stream.

Look at Apple. Where do they really make their money? It’s not just the hardware anymore; it’s AppleCare and their ongoing ecosystem of subscriptions. On a recent “Clark Stinks” segment, a listener called me out over my Oura Ring because you have to pay a monthly subscription just to see your own data!

These subscriptions are everywhere, and they quickly get out of hand. I’ve been trying to think of a strategy to help you get your arms around this problem without it turning into a grueling new part-time job. I’ve come up with a solution, and I want you to put it to work.

The Four-Season Subscription Audit

How do we mark the passing of time? We change seasons. Four times a year, we hit a milestone: the first day of summer, the first day of fall, the first day of winter, and the first day of spring.

On each of those days — at least four times a year — I want you to review all your recurring bills. Pull up your bank or credit union statements, check every single credit card statement, and look at anything tied to an automatic subscription.

Your mission is simple: Go through the list and either cancel what you don’t need, or reduce the cost of what you do.

How I Compromised With My Family

I’ve had to do this myself, and let me tell you, it isn’t always easy. Recently, I staged a bit of a household intervention. I noticed we were paying about $18 a month for Netflix and thought, “Nobody is watching this thing.”

Without consulting anyone, I just went ahead and canceled it. Well, the family was ready to march to the barricades! I caught a lot of grief.

So, we compromised. Instead of keeping the pricey plan, I downgraded us to Netflix’s cheapest, stripped-down version. We cut our cost nearly in half.

There are always ways to reduce the cost of a service you still want, or kill a service you don’t use entirely. If you follow my seasonal calendar, you will make it your responsibility to root out these hidden costs. I guarantee you’ll find something and say, “I didn’t even know I was paying for that!”

The Double-Billing Danger Zone

Let me tell you about the last hidden fee I uncovered in my own household. We were paying for a specific streaming service, but then I noticed an additional, separate bill coming from Roku. I didn’t know what it was for, so I logged into the account to investigate.

It turns out we were paying for the exact same streaming service twice — once directly, and once through Roku!

Needless to say, nobody in my family wants to get a text from me about streaming services right now.

But this happens to the best of us. A huge percentage of the things we subscribe to are either completely unused or vastly overpriced.

Beat the “Paradox of Choice” With Our Free Tools

I love this new seasonal audit strategy because it builds a regular, manageable habit into your calendar. But if you get stuck trying to find a better deal on your cell phone plan or your streaming packages, you don’t have to guess.

We have built some incredible, free tools to help you navigate what is known as the paradox of choice:

Phone Plan Finder Tool: Find a cheaper phone plan that meets your family’s unique needs.

Streaming Channel Tool: Find a cheaper streaming service without sacrificing channels.

For example, we have a tool specifically for live TV streaming services (like YouTube TV, Sling, or Fubo). You can actually build your ideal channel lineup. As you check off channels, the tool updates in real-time to show you the cost. You might see, “Oh, my monthly bill goes up $38 if I add that channel. Do I really need it?” Suddenly, you realize you can live without it and save that money every single month.

That exact decision-making tool is actually how my family ended up saving money by switching to Sling.

Sometimes there are so many options and prices out there that people get overwhelmed and do nothing. Our tools don’t just throw data at you; they give you actual decision-making ability.

Your Assignment This Summer

Here we are at the turn of a season, which means it’s time to get your wallet under control.

Check your statements, cancel the bloat, downgrade what you can, and use our tools at Clark.com to find a better rate. Then, set a reminder to do it all over again in three months. Your bank account will thank you!
The post Subscription Fatigue? Do This 4 Times a Year to Save Money appeared first on Clark Howard.