Friday - Clark Stinks day! Christa shares Clark Stinks posts with Clark. Submit yours at Clark.com/ClarkStinks. Also today, If you love cruising, good news. An old way to get really cheap cruise prices at the last minute is making a comeback. 

• Clark Stinks: Segments 1 & 2
• Cruise Deals: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• The Best Place To Buy a Mattress
• The Platinum Card® from American Express Review: Is It Worth It?
• Target Is Rebranding Its Credit Card Program: What You Should Know
• NYTimes: Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers
• Kyte Review: Why a Travel Expert Is Impressed by This New Car Rental Service
• Turo: 5 Things To Know About the Cheap Car Rental Service
• What Is a Bridge Loan and How Does It Work, With Example
• New to volunteering? A How-To-Guide to find the right fit

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Right now in the U.S. we have record credit card debt, a huge stressor on so many.  To add insult to injury, supposed credit repair companies make things worse for those struggling to get back on their feet. What you need to know.  Also, Clark translates the scare stories out now about the stock market and offers direction for investors.   

• Debt Relief Scams: Segment 1
• Ask Clark: Segment 2
• Investing & Dollar-Cost Averaging: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• Americans’ credit scores are falling. That hasn’t happened in a decade
• Maxed Out: Inside America's Credit Card Debt Crisis -- and What We Do Next
• NYTimes: Judge Blocks Debt Settlement Company From Resuming Operations
• Carrying credit card debt? How to avoid debt relief scams
• How To Send a ‘Drop Dead’ Letter to a Collection Agency
• 6 Things To Know Before Contacting the National Foundation for Credit Counseling
• Clark Howard's 2024 Credit Card Debt Elimination Strategy
• Is an HSA the Best Way To Save for Future Medical Expenses?
• Will Social Security Run Out?
• Should investors keep riding the US markets runaway train?
• Barrons.com: Worried About Investing in a Frothy Market? Try Dollar-Cost Averaging.
• Should You Sell or Stay Put in the Stock Market? (Clark.com)
• Best Investment Companies for Investors in 2024
• 5 of Clark Howard's Most Extreme Frugal Hacks

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today - How the recent credit-card settlement affects merchants and your future transactions.  Also, do you need the latest greatest television? Clark explains why buying the latest TV technology is a waste of money.

• New Credit Card Rules: Segment 1
• Ask Clark: Segment 2
• Cheap TVs Are Clark Smart: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• NYTimes: Credit Card Swipe Fees Are Going Down. Are Points Going With Them?
• Visa, Mastercard credit-card settlement could save businesses billions
• Visa, Mastercard settle long-running antitrust suit over swipe fees with merchants
• Is an HSA the Best Way To Save for Future Medical Expenses?
• Why Clark Says Everyone Should Have a Dash Cam
• NYTimes: Tired of Streaming? Free Blockbuster Libraries Offer an Alternative.
• AAA IDP International Driving Permit

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark recommends renting in a new city or state before you buy there, and has a great example of why to share with you. Also, Clark is very happy to report that the used clothing market is growing 7 times faster in the U.S. than the new market. Buying used is a great way to Spend Less!

• Rent Before Buying In New Locale: Segment 1
• Ask Clark: Segment 2
• Secondhand Clothing A WIN: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• New York Post: Florida transplants fleeing in droves over relentless heat, damaging hurricanes
• The home insurance market is crumbling. These owners are paying the price
• The $10 Travel Essential Clark Howard Always Packs
• 5 Best Robo-Advisors in 2023
• Who Should Use a Robo-Advisor?
• Secondhand clothing stores are red hot as consumers look to save money
• Clark.com  -  CELL PHONES
• Best Investment Companies for Investors in 2024
• 10 Best Free Checking Accounts in April 2024
• Fidelity Investments Review 2023: Pros & Cons
• Team Clark Guarantee - Clark Howard

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark recently talked about GM selling off driving data to auto insurers, and 2 of his predictions about this have now come true. That update plus - another invasion of privacy by the insurance industry has come to light, this time impacting homeowners. Also today, college costs continue to skyrocket. Clark explains how this has come about, and what today’s students can do about it.

• Insurance Spies: Segment 1
• Ask Clark: Segment 2
• College Costs: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• GM faces 2nd lawsuit over driver data collection without consent - from Detroit Free Press
• Insurance companies are using aerial images of homes as a tool to ditch properties seen as higher risk
• Predatory Lending: How to Avoid, Examples and Protections
• Should I Keep My Old Car or Buy a New Car?
• The Average Vehicle Age in America
• Some Colleges Will Soon Charge $100,000 a Year. How Did This Happen?
• College will cost up to $95,000 this fall. Schools say it's OK, financial aid can numb sticker shock
• Biden seeks student debt relief for millions
• How Do Student Loans Work? 7 Things to Know
• How To Open a Roth IRA
• Amazon “Prime Visa” Card Review: 5% Back for Amazon Prime Members
• A better way to book with points
• Best Rewards Credit Cards: Top Picks for 2024
• Best 2% Cash Back Credit Cards: 8 Options in 2024

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friday - Clark Stinks day! Christa shares Clark Stinks posts with Clark. Submit yours at Clark.com/ClarkStinks. Speaking of Fridays - working hard or hardly working? There’s a trend of workers cutting out early on Fridays, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. 

• Clark Stinks: Segments 1 & 2
• Flexible Fridays!: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• Clark.com - TIRES
• The Basics of Municipal Bonds
• Travel Archives - Clark Howard / 
• Travel Archives - Clark Deals
• We’re Working Less on Fridays, and That’s OK - The Wall Street Journal.
• Guide to 529 Plans, Saving for College and Financial Aid
• Rollovers From a 529 Plan to Roth IRA: What to Know
• Balanced Fund: Definition, Investment Mix, Examples

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dollar stores and other discounters are reconfiguring. Clark clears media confusion surrounding closures and discusses what makes some discount retail operations more successful than others. Also - If you want job stability with a pension, this job sector wants you!

• Dollar Store Closures: Segment 1
• Ask Clark: Segment 2
• Who Offers A Pension?: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• Dollar stores are shutting down across America. They did this to themselves
• 99 Cents Only Stores to close all 371 spots in 'extremely difficult decision,' CEO says - USA TODAY
• Dollar Tree Raises Max Price to $7: Which Items Will Cost More?
• Clark Howard's 5 Money Tips for Couples
• How to Freeze Your Child's Credit
• Research shows federal workers are effective and committed, not subversive — The Conversation
• [The Washington Post] The government has a workforce crisis. One of its best-kept secrets can fix it.
• Portfolio Lender: Meaning, Overview, Pros and Cons

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark updates EV deals with Tesla now in the mix. Also, what to know about digital wallet options including Paze, a new entry from the big banks.

• Tesla Deals: Segment 1
• Ask Clark: Segment 2
• Digital Wallets: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• What’s wrong with Tesla?
• [The Washington Post] Ready or not, self-driving semi-trucks are coming to America’s highways
• Should You Take Your Pension in a Lump Sum or Monthly Payments?
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: Home Page
• Best Secured Credit Cards for 2024: Top Picks for Building or Repairing Credit
• The Family Digital Wallet Is A $26 Billion Deposit Opportunity For Banks
• NYTimes: The Youths Have Spoken: Wallets Are Lame. Go Digital.
• Millions of small businesses have a new reporting requirement. Here's what to know.
• Bogleheads Investing Advice and Info

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Often at checkouts, we’re asked to donate to a cause by rounding up our payment or contributing one dollar. How do you decide when to give? Also, as a result of giant hospital systems buying up practices, you may be charged a significant “facility fee” at doctors appointments. Be ready by asking the right question in advance. Plus, out-of-network charges are being manipulated by private equity, costing patients more.

• Checkout Charity: Segment 1
• Ask Clark: Segment 2
• Medical Facility Fees: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• How To Choose the Best Charities for Your Donations
• What's the Best Way To Donate to a Charity?
• That spare change you donate at checkout is adding up to millions for charities
• A Simple Trick To Paying Off Your Credit Card Faster
• How To Open a Roth IRA
• This Small U.S. City Was Just Named the Best Place to Retire With No Savings.
• The Best Places to Retire in the World
• Hospitals Are Adding Billions in ‘Facility’ Fees for Routine Care - The WSJ
• NYTimes: In Battle Over Health Care Costs, Private Equity Plays Both Sides
• NYTimes: Health Insurers’ Lucrative, Little-Known Alliance: 5 Takeaways
• NYTimes: Insurers Reap Hidden Fees by Slashing Payments. You May Get the Bill.
• What Is a Backdoor Roth IRA?
• CarEdge | Buy, Sell, and Protect New & Used Cars - CarEdge

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark discusses filing an extension and what to do if you don’t have the money to pay income taxes. Also, many of us are dealing with sky-high valuations of our property, and Clark has a personal story to tell.

• Filing A Tax Extension: Segment 1
• Ask Clark: Segment 2
• Property Tax Appeals: Segment 3
• Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

• Tax return extensions: Why you should (or shouldn't) do it and how to request one
• When Are Taxes Due? Important Tax Dates in 2024
• The IRS has 940,000 unclaimed tax refunds from 2020 that are about to expire. Is one of them yours?
• Advice | IRS has $1 billion in 2020 tax refunds. Time is running out to collect.
• AT&T Reset 7.6 Million Customers’ Passcodes After Data Breach - The WSJ
• NYTimes: AT&T Resets Millions of Passcodes After Customer Records Are Leaked
• Everything to Know About the Alleged AT&T Data Leak: What You Can Do to Protect Yourself
• How To Freeze and Unfreeze Your Credit With Experian, Equifax and TransUnion
• Best 529 College Savings Plans By State
• What Brokerage Do You Recommend for First-Time Investors or Kids?
• The ‘Echo Housing Boom’ is here
• 3 Places You Should Never Invest Your Money
• What Is a Fiduciary Financial Advisor and Do I Need One?
• How To Open a Roth IRA
• Best Investment Companies for Investors in 2024

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friday - Clark Stinks day! Christa shares Clark Stinks posts with Clark. Submit yours at Clark.com/ClarkStinks. And today Clark revels in listener reprobation for his rank, malodorous missteps on a slew of topics - for the entire podcast. Ah the smell of it!

Mentioned on the show:

• Best Rewards Credit Cards: Top Picks for 2024
• Reps demand answers to U.S. Postal Service delays across state, country
• Want To Guard Your Privacy Online? Search the Web With DuckDuckGo
• Best Travel Credit Cards: Top Rewards Picks for 2024
• American Express Credit Cards
• Clark Predicts Traditional 401(k)s, IRAs Will Cease To Exist Within a Decade
• Target Drive Up Review: How Target Grocery Pickup Works
• How Do Student Loans Work? 7 Things to Know
• Follow Clark Howard's #1 Rule To Travel Cheap
• 5 Things To Know Before You Buy Costco Clothes
• When Is the Best Time To Collect Social Security?
• Will Social Security Run Out?
• My Social Security: The Free Account Everyone Needs To Set Up Before Retirement

Thank you for listening today, Clarkies! If you want to be part of our “Clarkie” segment, call 404-981-2071 to leave a comment or story. We may play it during a future episode!

Clark.com resources

• Episode transcripts
• Community.Clark.com
• Clark.com daily money newsletter
• Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275

Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices