This Week’s Money Map:

• 🤖 Heard of Deep Seek? Here’s Why AI Stocks Are Cratering

• 💉 How to avoid health care sticker shock: My $1,900 cortisone lesson

• 😕 Dang, I totally forgot to make my credit card payment!

• 💳 Big-time Chase bonus: 5–7X bonus points, $100 credit and 10,000 points

• 🚗 New study: Cheapest full coverage car insurance for 2025

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🤖 Heard of Deep Seek? Here’s Why AI Stocks Are Cratering

This story is dominating financial headlines. Here’s what you need to know in simple terms:

• Nvidia, Marvell, Meta, and several other AI chip stocks fell by 4% to 18% on Monday following news about the Deep Seek AI model from China.

• Deep Seek is a Chinese large language model (LLM) similar to ChatGPT and is currently the top-downloaded app on the Apple App Store.  They are charging far less for the capabilities and allow companies with sensitive data to host on their own hardware, which OpenAI doesn't offer.

Why Are U.S. AI Stocks Tumbling?

• Deep Seek appears to have leapfrogged the capabilities of current U.S. AI models from OpenAI, Google, and Facebook.

• It claims to have been built in just two months using only 2,000 Nvidia GPUs—a stark contrast to U.S. AI models, which took years to develop and can use upwards of 100,000 GPUs (graphics processing units that power AI).

• The market fears that if advanced AI can be created with far fewer chips, demand for AI hardware from companies like Nvidia could drop significantly.

It’s a reminder that high-flying, highly-valued stocks can suddenly lose momentum. To safeguard against volatility, investment experts stress the importance of diversity in your investments.   This might be a good time to evaluate the mix of stock investments you have in a portfolio.

💉 How to avoid health care sticker shock: My $1,900 cortisone lesson

Imagine needing a simple cortisone injection and walking away with a $1,900 bill — definitely not what I expected! The injection itself took just eight minutes tops, so naturally, I assumed the bill was a mistake. But after a frustrating phone call, I learned that getting the shot at a Hospital Outpatient Department (HOPD) came with steep facility fees.

I hadn’t even reached my deductible, meaning I had to cover most of the cost out of pocket. It felt like highway robbery, and I couldn’t help but regret not asking more questions upfront.

This experience was a wake-up call to always inquire about costs and explore more affordable options before undergoing medical procedures. Here’s how to do it: 

1. Use cost estimator tools: My health insurance company, UnitedHealthcare, has a calculator on its mobile app that allows you to estimate costs in different locations. See if you have the same tool for your insurance.  

2. Compare settings: Many procedures can be done in different settings. The savings can be staggering — procedures at ambulatory surgical centers and private practices can cost up to 50% less than at hospital-based out-patient departments.

3. Call providers directly: Don’t be shy — call for a price estimate before you go in for treatment. Request both the physician’s fee and any facility fees. 

4. Check your network: If you have insurance, always confirm that both the provider and the facility are in your insurance network. Out-of-network charges can skyrocket your bill and leave you with unexpected costs.

5. Ask about cash payments if you don’t have insurance: Procedures can cost 5–40% less if you pay cash. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that shopping around for healthcare procedures is worth the effort. In my case, a few questions could’ve saved me about $1,000.

😕 Dang, I totally forgot to make my credit card payment!

Even if you miss a payment, you can still avoid the dreaded credit-score ding. 

Shortly after graduating, I needed some business-casual clothes for work (do you remember those stretchy, solid-color poplin shirts that were so popular?) and decided to open a Banana Republic card to snag a discount. Unfortunately I missed a payment and didn’t realize it until the next bill came. My credit got dinged for some preppy workwear before I even knew what a credit score was.

Had I known what to do then, I might have avoided this even after missing the payment. Here’s what I wish I had done:

1. Make the payment as soon as possible
Credit card companies typically wait 30 days before reporting you as late, so if you catch the mistake early, you may avoid  credit damage.

2. Call your credit card and request a goodwill adjustment
Call your credit card company and politely explain it was a one-time slip-up and ask if they can waive the late fee and remove the mark from your credit report. They often say yes for reliable customers with a one-time late payment.

3. Set up autopay  
This one’s a lifesaver. Set up autopay for the full amount or minimum payment, so you never forget. 

It’s not the end of the world if your credit score takes a small hit, but fixing it quickly saves you money and stress.

💳 Big-time Chase bonus: 5–7X bonus points, $100 credit and 10,000 points

Chase is dishing out solid bonus rewards in January. Here are three offers that you can grab at chase.com/mybonus if you have been targeted.

5–7X points on groceries, gas and dining
Earn 5–7X points on groceries, gas and dining — up to $1,000 in total purchases — from January 15th through March 31st. Chase targeted about 25 credit cards for this promotion, including United, Hyatt and SWA cards.

$100 statement credit on travel
Planning a getaway? If you spend $400 or more on travel through the Chase Travel Portal, you’ll score a $100 statement credit.

10,000 bonus points
Another travel perk: Earn 10,000 bonus points when you spend $400 or more on travel through the Chase Travel Portal. Even better, this deal may stack with the $100 credit, effectively doubling your benefits.

🚗 New study: Cheapest full coverage car insurance for 2025

Car insurance rates have increased 25% in the last two years, and I was shocked to learn consumers spend about 4% of their income on car insurance, on average. It’s time to shop around and save.

We found that most consumers can save $200 to $600 per year by switching to the cheapest company. Consumers currently paying above the average cost from a more expensive company will save even more.

See the winners of MoneyGeek’s cheapest car insurance companies for 2025 below.  You can also use our tools to compare rates for your personal driver profile.

Cheapest full coverage car insurance winners:

• Top three for most drivers with a clean driving record:  Travelers, State Farm and GEICO 

• Drivers with a speeding ticket: State Farm

• Drivers with an at-fault accident: State Farm

• Drivers with bad credit:  Nationwide

• Teen drivers being added to family policies: Nationwide

• Senior drivers:  Travelers

Smart Cents gives you actionable tips and mindset shifts to help you reach your financial happy place. Thanks for being a part of our community.

—The MoneyGeek Team

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