The Clark Howard Podcast

Christa shares Clark Stinks posts with Clark. Submit yours at Clark.com/ClarkStinks. / Is your car spying on you for your insurance company? Good news for consumers around that controversial topic. Telematics has been a privacy issue and has become more invasive and sophisticated over time. Meanwhile, you can save big if you drive less than 10,000 miles per year. A new small competitor - available in 4 states and growing - charges by the mile without spying. Clark explains.Clark Stinks and Ask Clark topics include: How Retirees Can Combat Inflation / Apple Credit Card Review: Earn Cash Back on Tech Purchases / Submit a complaint | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau / Small Business Help from SCORE / How to Freeze Your Credit With Experian, Equifax and TransUnion \\Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many headlights now, especially aftermarket brands, are blinding to oncoming drivers. This can make night driving perilous. Clark has a safety tip and welcomes yours. We need enforced standards for headlight intensity as a safety issue. / Think you’re shopping at your favorite store online? Think again - Many major retail sites of all types are now offering their platform to third party merchants. You can select the host merchant only. Overwhelmingly the items on Amazon are from other sellers. This is true of Walmart, Target, and other retailers increasingly. Be clear WHO you’re buying from and their rules. Ask Clark topics include: How To Start An Investment Club (And Other Alternatives) / American Association of Individual Investors / 22 Ways to Save Money on Gas / VA IRRRLstreamline refinance option - Navy Federal Mortgage Refinancing / How To Find and Choose a Financial Advisor / Vanguard Personal Advisor Services Review / Why Clark Howard Wants You to Set Up a ‘Financial Chromebook’ - For a Chromebook that’s no longer supported, set up a new Gmail address and cease financials on that device. \\Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark believes it’s essential that teenagers work starting at 15. Every dollar they DON’T spend, they can put into a Roth IRA (with a parental match if possible). Teaching deferred gratification gets youths in the habit of saving money to build for the future. / The summer is prime wedding season, and with so much pent-up demand, weddings are back - in a different form. Why Clark loves this trend.Ask Clark topics include: Discover it Secured Review: Earn 2% Cash Back While Building Credit / Ask Clark: How should I handle cell phone calls when I travel overseas? / How to handle money when you’re traveling overseas / Schwab - 5 Ways to Save Money When Traveling Abroad / Mint Mobile Review: T-Mobile’s Network for Only $15/Month \\Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re seeing worker shortages all over the country. The reasons may not be what you think. The problem pre-dates the pandemic. There’s a demographic angle. How businesses will need to adapt. / Have you ever had to cancel or delay a trip because you were ill? The airlines need to find a better way to treat people to protect us all. Taxpayer-funded corporate welfare saved the nation’s airlines. Each airline has a responsibility to the nation. If safety is the highest priority, why must they penalize illness? Ask Clark topics include: File a Consumer Complaint | US Department of Transportation / Uber and Lyft Surges: What to Know - The New York Times] - NEVER pay Uber or Lyft with Venmo - The #1 thing you need to do if you use PayPal, Venmo or Zelle for payments / BBB File a Complaint / Submit a complaint | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau \\ Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscriptions went way up in the pandemic year - many may no longer be relevant. Free Trials are a plague on people’s wallets. Anytime they need a form of payment, it’s not a FREE trial. People forget to cancel and keep paying. Many free trials obligate you for a term. A Clark Assignment around free trial offers & subscriptions. / Fraud Alerts are routine and many fraudsters have invaded this space. How these fake alerts work and your defense. There’s an easy workaround to protect yourself. Ask Clark topics include: Franchise ownership: Is it right for you? / Arctic Air Review: Can This ‘As Seen on TV’ Product Lower Your AC Bill? / Report: The Best Smartphones for Customer Satisfaction / CareCredit - Be certain you can pay it ALL off on time / How to Sell Your Car in 5 Steps \\Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa shares Clark Stinks posts with Clark. Submit yours at Clark.com/ClarkStinks. / Rental car scams are booming. An urgent warning about searching for deals online and the kind of payment requested. Clark Stinks and Ask Clark topics include: Report: The Best Smartphones for Customer Satisfaction / Best Free Password Managers: 7 Top Picks / 7 Places to Get the Best Deals on Lab-Created Diamonds / Megabus | Low cost bus tickets from $1 / When Should I Refinance With a No Closing Cost Mortgage? - Mortgage Refinance Calculator / Why co-signing a loan can be bad on almost every financial level / Does a Credit Increase Request Create a Hard Pull on Your Credit Score? \\ Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark discusses what’s needed to improve healthcare in the U.S. Expanded primary care access including NP and PA providers, and new subscription services are key. // Amazon loyalists get convenience but should consider that fake reviews, return problems, labor issues, and higher prices are all factors with Amazon and its mostly third-party merchants. Also, If you have Amazon devices in your home, under new terms of service, they utilize your internet connection unless you change your settings. Ask Clark topics include: Clark Howard: My 7 Rules for Using Credit Cards / What is a Promissory Note \\Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The law is finally being enforced against fraudulent for-profit student loan mills. Swindled students in debt can now receive loan forgiveness. Clark explains the role of colleges in excessive lending that impoverishes many parents, grandparents and graduates. // So many concert/sports tickets are bought through third-party brokers or ticket outlets. During Covid cancellations, many got little to no refunds. Beware buying this way. Buying legit can have huge markups. Clark tells you the only safe way to buy an event ticket.  Ask Clark topics include: ConsumerFinance.gov - Submit a complaint / Target RedCard Credit Card Review: Earn 5% Back on Purchases / Wills & Funerals / How and Why to Refinance Your Mortgage: A Step-By-Step Guide / How to Build Credit / What Is a 403(b) and How Does It Work? / Fidelity Investments Review 2021: Pros & Cons \\ Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Shrinkflation” is real - Clark offers 2 ways to counteract less product in packaging, and tells you what “New and Improved!” really means. Also Clark’s outlook on inflation. / Clark smart TRAVEL - Do you have frequent flyer miles in your account?. Airline miles and hotel points belong to the issuers and they can devalue them at any time. Some mileage programs are 3rd party - much better. Plus, new rules from the EU -The vaccine is going to be key to international travel.Ask Clark topics include: How To Open a Roth IRA / Get An Identity Protection PIN | Internal Revenue Service / CREDIT CARDS / Deferred maintenance - Have an inspection to prioritize repairs. / Home equity loans & lines of credit / The worst insurance in the world / How to Buy Term Life Insurance / Emergency Fund Complete Guide: How Much & Where \\Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vehicles keep getting better. Last year the average age of vehicles rose to 12.1 years. What you spend on housing and automobiles has the biggest impact on your long-term financial health. How long should you keep your vehicles to retire 5 years sooner? Safety concerns? Hear and use Clark’s New & 10 Rule, plus his 4 & 4 Rule for used cars. / Hackers are everywhere The weakest link: employee social media accounts. Don’t be the reason your company gets hacked. Your power is privacy - How to protect yourself and others from hacks. Ask Clark topics include: 6 things you need to know before donating your used vehicle / The Center for Auto Safety - Subaru - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration / How to Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate / How Retirement Communities Work / HVAC leasing NOT recommended. \\Want more money advice? Sign up for Clark’s free daily newsletter!Free Advice: Clark's Consumer Action Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices