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Stories for March 2009
Stories for Tuesday, March 31
Outrage over government backing GM, Chrysler warranties
It's now been almost one year ago to the day that Clark made some comments about Chrysler that provoked heated response. In short, the consumer champ questioned the company's viability (while expecting them to go bankrupt) and predicted that their warranties would be worthless back in April 2008. This is ...
Chase refunding annual rip-off fee for fixed-rate cards
Last month, a number of callers were reporting that Chase was trying to raise the interest rate on their fixed-rate cards. The bank was telling customers that in order to keep their low interest rate for life, they'd have to pay an annual fee of $120. They were also charging ...
Restaurants continue rolling out the discount deals
Restaurateurs continue rolling out lower price points to attract more customer traffic. A recent USA TODAY survey found the following deals: - Chili's has 10 meals for under $7 - T.G.I. Friday's has a promotion with 8 entrees at $9.99 - Applebee's offers 2 entrees and 1 appetizer for $20 ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
NAPFA.org - Find a fee-only planner near you ClarkHoward.com - Turn off the 'debit' function of your debit card
Gold parties just as much of a rip as cash for gold TV ads
Clark recently spoke about what a rip it can be to sell your gold jewelry via those silly "cash for gold" ads you see on late-night TV. But the success of those ads has created another homegrown cottage industry in the form of gold parties. These events take their cue ...
Stories for Monday, March 30
The healthiest (and unhealthiest) restaurant chains
Clark is not exactly known for his healthy eating habits, but today he wants to share a list of the healthiest (and unhealthiest) restaurant chains. Four chains got an F -- including Applebee's, IHOP, Outback and T.G.I. Friday's, according to a report published by Men's Health magazine. On the other ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
FinancePhysician.com - Info on making the cost of medical school more affordable BiddingforTravel.com - Get tips for bidding on Priceline OrganDonor.gov - Info on organ donation MakingHomeAffordable.gov - Federal rescue plan for homeowners
Postal service eyeing decreases in frequency of mail delivery
Would you be willing to see your mail delivery drop from 6 days a week to 5? That's one proposal that's been floated by the Postmaster General to help the financially ailing United States Postal Service get back on its feet. The USPS has seen a drop in business because ...
Clark issues a renewed call for organ donation
Two recent tragedies -- the killing of 4 police officers in Oakland, Calif., and the sudden death of actress Natasha Richardson following a minor skiing accident -- have brought about a renewed call for organ donation from Clark. In the case of the police officers, one officer named John Hege ...
Cash-back credit cards trump affinity cards
There's a new gotcha involving those kinds of credit cards where you try to rack up points for free travel or free merchandise. These types of "affinity cards" are tied in with a particular retailer or airline or other business. However, the risk is that with so many companies on ...
Stories for Friday, March 27
Staying in the game is key to your investment strategy
Here's yet another clear explanation about why it's so important for investors to avoid panicking with all the bad financial news. Syndicated financial columnist Humberto Cruz cited a startling fact in one of his recent columns. If you took money and popped it in the market in 1988, and then ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
GrooveShark.com - Free music online(Editor's note: EMI Records has filed suit against Grooveshark over the issue of licensing agreements for the use of EMI's catalog. We'll keep you updated on this pending litigation.) Pandora.com - Free music online
2009 to be the year of the smart phone as Swiss Army knife
How would you like to have one device that combines the best features of a GPS, an MP3 player, a digital camera and a smart phone? That's the scenario currently being enjoyed by 17 million iPhone users, but it comes at a hefty price. What about the rest of us ...
SpiralFrog is dead, long live GrooveShark!
For the past several years, Clark has been telling you about SpiralFrog.com. This site offered free ad-supported music downloads from major label partners like Universal and EMI. Well, now SpiralFrog.com has entered the graveyard of companies Clark loved that have gone bust. In the music arena, it's been so difficult ...
New findings on how the giant monster mega-banks rip you off
RIP-OFF ALERT: USA TODAY has done some new research into how the giant monster mega-banks rip you off. This should be of special interest to customers of Bank of America, Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, HSBC, PNC, U.S. Bancorp, SunTrust and others. Here's a quick rundown of the newspaper's findings: - ...
Stories for Thursday, March 26
FTC goes after credit repair groups
The FTC has filed suit against a number of credit repair groups for violation of the Credit Repair Organization Act. You know the usual suspects...you see their ads on the Internet, on TV and in your inbox as spam. Beware of those promises to erase bankruptcy and magically raise your ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
MouseOwners.com - Info on renting a Disney timeshare BiddingforTravel.com - Get tips for bidding on Priceline AMBest.com - Assess the strength of your life insurer (free registration is required) Realtor.com - House hunting help Trulia.com - House hunting help EmailForeclosures.com - Search for foreclosures online AnnualCreditReport.com - The only truly ...
Fixing the broken healthcare system
The back-breaking costs of healthcare can be a real frustration for entrepreneurs and other small business people. Insurers have traditionally engaged in the risk management business by charging massive premiums and excluding people with certain conditions. In essence, they only make coverage available to the healthy. Nearly 50 million people ...
Auto insurance fraud by arson a sign of the times
Here's a real sign of desperation in the economy. The Wall Street Journal reports a rise in the number of people who are torching or otherwise destroying their cars in an effort to collect insurance money. According to the report, they're drowning their vehicles in the Great Lakes and driving ...
Tips for finding a financially healthy life insurer
CLARKONOMICS: Worried about your life insurer? Unlike banks, life insurers are not regulated on the federal level. Rather, there are state guarantee associations that serve as the only line of defense if an insurer goes bust. But waiting to get your money from a state guarantee association can be a ...
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