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Stories for January 2008
Stories for Thursday, January 31
Breaking out of the minimum payment cycle
There are brand-new stats out about credit card debt that really disturb Clark. It turns out 1 in 9 people can barely make their minimum monthly payment. If the average card holder never uses the card again and pays only the minimum payment, they'll be done in 2043. Clark will ...
Savings are real on eBay
Clark has had a love/hate relationship with eBay for a long time. On the one hand, he loves the deals he gets through the website. But eBay has been notorious for helping out fences and counterfeiters. So there are opportunities to save big, but there are times you may get ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
MissingMoney.com - Free national search for missing money Unclaimed.org - Free national search for unclaimed property TIAA-CREF.org - Low cost annuities or call 1-800-842-2252 DealNews.com - Get a deal on electronics
Fair Isaac changing FICO score computations
Years ago, Clark did an experiment to see if banks purposely hold credit card payments to trigger late fees and ruin your credit. So for 8 months, he sent in his payments by overnight express mail shortly before they were due. During that entire time, the company posted his payments ...
Scammers eyeing coming government rebates
RIP-OFF ALERT: There's been so much in the news recently about the rebate checks that could be coming from the government. Scammers are already thinking up ways to take the money out of your pocket! The Department of Consumer Affairs reports scammers have been calling people up and pretending to be ...
Stories for Wednesday, January 30
How the Fed's continuing cuts affect stocks
In the latest installment of Clarkonomics, Clark discussed the impact that the Federal Reserve's continuing interest rate cuts have had on the stock market. The Fed is the nation's banker and is responsible for managing the size and direction of the economy, plus keeping inflation in check. There's a delicate ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
DinkyTown.net - Free financial calculators HSH.com - More free calculators related to mortgages MtgProfessor.com - Additional mortgage info Nolo.com - Legal self-help site
Beer prices up just in time for Super Bowl Sunday
In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, reporters are asked to come up with new angles for coverage of the big game and the teams. So Clark has seen stories about Tom Brady transcending his sports celebrity to become a bona fide celebrity; and the NY Giants' Lawrence ...
Rent DVDs before buying them
Clark recently read a story about the direct-to-consumer DVD market -- the kind of titles that skip the theaters and go straight to DVD. Clark's kids love everything Disney does, and they've really been one of the pioneers of this business model. The sell-through market for DVDs has become very ...
Stories for Tuesday, January 29
States step into the gift card fray
Longtime listeners know that Clark despises the gift card market. The only exception to this rule is when you get more than what you pay for from a retailer or merchant. Examples of this include getting a $125 gift card for $100 or getting bonus services thrown in during the ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
AnnualCreditReport.com - The only truly free credit report! NFCC.org - Free or low-cost credit counseling resources CUNA.org - Learn about credit unions that you're eligible to join Edmunds.com - See the true market value of a car KBB.com - See the true market value of a car CarFax.com - Get ...
NotchUp.com job seekers paid to go on interviews?!
Here's an odd one for the job seekers among you. There's a new website that pays you to go on interviews. So far only technology-geared companies are making use of NotchUp.com, which is in beta. Here's the scoop: It's very expensive for companies to use classifieds and online job sites ...
New homes may be a better deal than used ones
Several just-released home market stats highlight how stinky the real estate market has become. In the latest session of Clarkonomics, Clark explains how the current market situation is turning some of his long-standing advice on its head. New stats show that home prices in 10 major metro areas are down ...
More banks following BoA's lead on ATM surcharge hikes
Several months ago, Clark made a lot of listeners unhappy when he failed to bash Bank of America for charging non-customers a $3 fee for use of their ATMs. Clark defended BoA's right as a free-market enterprise to raise their rates, and he reasoned that non-customers would stop using their ...
Stories for Monday, January 28
CA uninsured comparison shop for healthcare
We're at a point in our country where 1 in 5 people don't have health insurance. It's not always the same 47 or so million who do without it at any one moment. It's constantly changing as people lose jobs and get hired. The oddball thing is that insured patients ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
Fair Pricing Search Page - Californians can comparison shop for healthcare Clarkhoward.com - Read about one family's journey to financial freedom
Cell phone companies revive The Cram
There's something brewing right now that Clark considers akin to a national scandal. The cell phone companies are in cahoots with rip-off artists and they're stealing your money. Here's the background: Do you recall back in the landline days when people were falling victim to "The Cram"? Phone companies would ...
Lower interest rates open refinancing window
The slowing economy presents many challenges along with many opportunities. In the latest edition of Clarkonomics, Clark focused on some of the latter. The Fed's drop in interest rates has led to an opportunity to refinance. Here's the back-story: People who are skittish about the stock market right now are ...
Clark struggles with tipping guidelines
These days you're likely to see a tip jar when you go into a coffee shop, a sandwich shop or any other place with counter service. Clark was recently in a rental car van and the driver was very helpful with his traveling partners' suitcases. Though he usually wouldn't, he ...
Stories for Friday, January 25
Win the battle in the hi-def DVD war
Remember the format war between Betamax and VHS? Sony's Betamax offered a superior picture and technology, but lost out to VHS in the home marketplace. Today Betamax is only used in TV newsrooms across the country. Now Sony's Blu Ray hi-def DVD format is competing with Toshiba's HD DVD format. ...
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