The Clark Howard Podcast

A way to gift 529 money is here!; Falling asleep while drunk in a Tesla? Yep, it happened; Subprime auto loans are on the rise. That's not good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marriott just had a severe breach. Clark tells you what to watch out for in the coming weeks in light of this breach; Payless' new ad campaign was pretty incredible and reinforced how label-conscious our society can be at times. Don't buy the hype!; Delta just launched the first biometric airport terminal. It is already making things more efficient. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa reads listener posts about how Clark has missed the mark in his advice this week. If you have a "Clark Stinks" to share you can leave it here; Video doorbells are all the rage right now. Millions are being sold every year in America. And one of the major benefits is that they are helping local police departments catch criminals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The man that invented the 401k is speaking out 40 years later. And many of the changes he would make to the now popular retirement plan are similar to the ones Clark has been touting for years; Watch out for this Amazon e-mail scam flooding inboxes post a recent breach of some Amazon accounts; Many customer service chat folks can now see what you are typing while you are typing it. Creepy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The housing market is slowing down - even in the hottest markets; Scam enterprises are plentiful operating out of New York trying to get small businesses to sign up for loans with terrible terms; Who and how should you tip this Holiday season? Clark discusses...and there are some tipping suggestions that deserve to be mocked just a little bit! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you be buying a real or an artificial Christmas tree? Clark goes through the pros and cons to the environment and to your wallet; Social security wait times are outrageous; Vanguard has cut the minimum amount for you to be able to invest in its lower fee Admiral funds. Great news! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black Friday is over and Cyber Monday is here. Clark talks about shopping for deals and how travel deals are likely to be the star tomorrow; Bitcoin is crashing. It's still a speculative buy and not worth purchasing now; GM announced plant closures and layoffs today. This directly impacts how much you'll pay for a new car now and in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Relocating can have a major impact on your salary; Feel like you are throwing away money every month on PMI? Clark gives you all the details about PMI and avenues to get rid of it so you can keep that money in your pocket. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How much does it really cost to raise a child? Clark gets into it; If you are a fan of seeing movies but spending a whole let less money doing so, check out these Moviepass alternatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some companies are using their own customers to provide customer service to patrons in need of help; Refinancing your car loan has no up front costs and can save you lots of money in interest payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Home prices have stalled out in many markets. Good news for first-time home buyers!; Watch out for these junk fees when traveling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa reads listener posts about how Clark has missed the mark in his advice this week. If you have a "Clark Stinks" to share you can leave it here; Americans are going to fewer fast food restaurants. Clark discusses why that is the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vanguard dropped in the ACSI ratings due to worse customer service. Clark runs through other results from the recent customer satisfaction survey; Juul has announced that it will no longer sell flavors of liquid for its e cigarettes. That is good news for parents; Amazon has a new DVR for cord cutters that is worthy of your consideration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon announced its HQ2 cities. And the biggest downside is the corporate welfare culture; The VA has been the subject of a few Clarkrages. Here is another important update on what is happening in VA nursing home facilities; Banks are working with DMV's across the country to better identify their customers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The average used car now costs more than $20k!; USPS mail preview is giving fraudsters a leg up on us; 3D printing glasses is the future of allowing customization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google and Facebook are ending arbitration clauses for sexual harassment claims; How to protect yourself from more advanced skimmers that aim to steal your payment information. They are widely used at gas pumps now; Home sizes are shrinking. There are lots of benefits to that shift. Also, homeless vets are benefiting as tiny homes in certain locations are offering places for them to rest their head as they seek to get back on their feet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa reads listener posts about how Clark has missed the mark in his advice this week. If you have a "Clark Stinks" to share you can leave it here; Clark talks about the importance of Veterans Day and discusses his own service Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The limits for what you can contribute to a 401k, 457b, or an IRA are increasing in 2019; CVS receipts are SO incredibly long; Your customer service score could determine whether you get decent customer service from a retailer or not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Make sure to get recalls on your car fixed in a timely manner; Your Facebook info - including actual messages you have sent through the service - could be for sale online after the Facebook breach; Wireless mesh routers can help your home WiFi in a big way. And these systems are going down in price as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the discount international airlines are in financial trouble. This could lead to increasing airfare prices when traveling overseas; Sprint has a cell phone plan that could help you eliminate the need for at-home internet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Open enrollment is upon us. Clark tells you how to tackle it in order to save the most and get the best coverage for your dollar; Gift card scams are proliferating. Watch out for a strange email from your boss...; Amazon is offering free shipping for all this Holiday season. Free shipping isn't just for Prime members anymore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa reads listener posts about how Clark has missed the mark in his advice this week. If you have a "Clark Stinks" to share you can leave it here; Gas prices are going down just in time for the Holidays. And the US is now #1 in getting oil out of the ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marriott employees are striking. And this is not good for Marriott customers; Clark mentions an awesome deal on a flagship Android phone that's only available for a few days for T-Mobile customers; Robots are changing the way groceries are delivered. And major grocery companies are diving headlong into this...and spending lots of money to make headway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover, Capital One, and other credit card issuers are cancelling cards that haven't been used in a while. Clark talks about what this means for the broader economy and how you as an individual should handle your plastic; Screen addiction in youth is looking like a major problem. Wealthier and more educated communities are striving to ban screens for youth altogether - especially in schools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many employees are given supposedly anonymous surveys to take at work. But are they really kept anonymous and how should you approach them?; Clark is upset and housing issues that marine families face. This needs to be rectified!; Hotels are trying really, really hard to get you to book directly through their websites. But is that really the best option? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Petal Card allows consumers to get a credit card without going through a credit check; More people are dying from poorly timed selfies; Clark talks about how to get your resume in front of the decision makers in the digital age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa reads listener posts about how Clark has missed the mark in his advice this week. If you have a "Clark Stinks" to share you can leave it here; The minimum wage law seems to be working well in Seattle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Credit Karma is making it easier to know ahead of time whether you'll be approved for a credit application; Beware taking supplements. Many have harmful substances in them; Car sales are slowing down which is a sign of potential economic changes but could also net you a deal on a vehicle in the near future Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Toys R Us having gone bankrupt, Clark discusses how to approach toy shopping for Christmas; Mobile check depositing is a gift from above. But some folks are abusing this gift and new rules about how you can deposit mobile checks are coming to a banking app near you; Prescription drug companies might have to disclose their drug prices on TV ads in the near future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The prices of brand name goods are going up and up. There's even more reason to shop for generic and store-brand items in this environment; YouMail created a survey and found that scam calls are proliferating. Clark tells you what to do about that; What zip code you live in can be a huge determinate in what you pay for car insurance. This fact makes it even more important to shop around for better insurance rates often. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark talks about his recent trip to the Big Apple and how things have changed there; More than 1/4 of Americans are earning 0% in their savings accounts. That's not good!; Non-compete clauses are awful for individuals and for our economy as a whole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa reads listener posts about how Clark has missed the mark in his advice this week. If you have a "Clark Stinks" to share you can leave it here; Kayak has a new app that can help you quickly and easily avoid baggage fees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banks are offering great deals to lure savers right now. Clark runs through a couple of the best ones you should consider; The Facebook breach was worse than we initially thought; In Mexico Beach, only one home survived the devastating hurricane. Clark discusses why and how we should move forward when building homes along the coast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark refers to a Clark.com article about how kids can get free stuff for getting good marks at school; The tariff discussion continues. Next up on the chopping block are mattresses being shipped from China; Opening up a Roth or other investment account is a great idea. But don't forget to allocate the money inside of those accounts well to grow your wealth! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hotels continue to fight Airbnb in many states and municipalities. But they seem to be losing; T Mobile has just launched a 3-year lease payoff for some smartphone purchases. It's crazy to pay for your cell phone over 3 years!; The true cost of college is actually declining slightly. That's the first time in a long time this has been the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sears filed for bankruptcy and will be closing a lot of stores. Clark tells you what you need to know if you have items on layaway or have a Sears credit card; United Airlines is threatening its customers that use skip lagging to get lower fares; Clark has updated the 529 plan guide and offers you the best advice on which states' 529 plans you should consider investing in for your child's education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa reads listener posts about how Clark has missed the mark in his advice this week. If you have a "Clark Stinks" to share you can leave it here; The Waze carpool app is a game changer as it makes finding fellow commuters to share a ride with incredibly easy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Obamacare premiums are going down to the surprise of many. Also, a couple of new laws could make it easier for you to save on prescription drugs; Google's security breach was not handled well. Clark tells you to start using Duck Duck Go instead of Google's search tool; The stock market has had a tough couple of days. Clark gives his thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Experian had a security flaw potentially exposing your credit freeze PIN number. Clark tells you how you should respond to this awful news; Some companies that are contracted to move military families are having major issues and it is hurting the men and women that serve our country. That's not ok; Mattress Firm is closing hundreds of stores. Online mattress companies are completely changing how we buy mattresses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark shares a personal story of a listener that paid off a massive amount of debt; Watch out for this new timeshare scam that only steals your money; Cyber attacks are on the rise and Clark talks about how banks are combating it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New loyalty programs are bringing bigger perks to loyal shoppers; Men are forsaking college in bigger numbers; E SIM cards will make switching cell phone carriers much easier in the near future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special episode of the Clark Howard Show where Clark has a conversation about technology with his son, Grant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa reads listener posts about how Clark has missed the mark in his advice this week. If you have a "Clark Stinks" to share you can leave it here; Millennials are all about design and minimalism. That is definitely the case when it comes to the hotels they want to stay in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Solar power is taking off in Puerto Rico post hurricane destruction; Ticketmaster has been accused of knowingly selling tickets to scalpers to increase its profit; Clark discusses the new changes in the cell phone plan marketplace. Shopping could save you big money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon is upping its base pay in the near future to $15 an hour and companies are falling all over themselves to hire you for holiday work; Moviepass is auto enrolling former members. Not cool; Suze Orman made some ill conceived arguments against the financial independence movement recently on the Afford Anything podcast. Clark gives his rebuttal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook's data breach affects more than 50 million people. Clark has some big takeaways for users of the popular social media site; Lawsuits are flying accusing many of the airlines and cruise companies of selling travel insurance that isn't very good at an extremely inflated price; New food tracking techniques could prevent you from being sold potentially harmful food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thawing your credit might not require PIN numbers anymore. And that's not good; Spam calls to your cell phone are becoming a pervasive problem; There are new online bank offerings that you should consider that pay more and offer more benefits and convenience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christa reads listener posts about how Clark has missed the mark in his advice this week. If you have a "Clark Stinks" to share you can leave it here; Car dealerships have had a hard time keeping younger employees and keeping up with the times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robots are changing the way you get food - and contributing to cost savings as well; The budget deficit is out of control; A complete guide to the best robo advisor offerings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shopping malls and homes are being built with shipping containers. Shipping containers can potentially create more affordable housing in this country; Tuition insurance is a thing now. And not a good thing; Raises are tiny inside major companies right now. Clark talks about how to change the way you ask in order to actually get a bigger raise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices