Hi, (not you?) | Member Center | Sign Out
Listen weekdays from 1-3pm ET
(No audio? Try our help)
Recent shows | More media
Listen Live: Mon-Fri 1-3pm ET
Stories for August 2009
Stories for Monday, August 31
Kajeet offers unlimited texting and 150 minutes for $20/month
It seems like every week there's a new price point being set in the telecommunications world. Clark recently told you about the GetPeek.com device for teens that also appealed to small business because it offered unlimited texting and e-mail for $16/month. Now Kajeet has a September special where you can ...
Deposit checks to USAA with your iPhone
New developments in the banking world will make it possible to deposit a check via your smartphone. No more waiting in line at the branch or an ATM! This service is being offered by USAA, a one-branch bank in Texas that serves military customers all over the world. It is ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
ClarkHoward.com - Credit freeze guide ClarkHoward.com - Retirement savings chart ClarkHoward.com - Investing guide MakingHomeAffordable.gov - Check eligibility for a mortgage refinance Net10.com - Cheap non-contract cell phone option ClarkHoward.com - See if your mortgage is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac MoneyAisle.com - Banks compete for your CD ...
Mortgage rates dipping low again
Mortgage rates are down again after the lows of late spring. Right now, 15-year loans will save you as much as three-quarters of a point over a 30-year loan. 15-year loans are running about 4.5% or lower right now. (Editor's note: Rates accurate as of Aug. 31, 2009.) Of course, ...
Half of all people age 34 or younger have zero in savings
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling reports that half of all people up to age 34 have absolutely zero savings. They can not lay their hands on a single penny they've stashed away! There are a million reasons not to save. In some cases, unique circumstances actually make it so ...
Stories for Friday, August 28
Frugal Festival highlights shift in perceptions about thrift
The Los Angeles Times reports an event called the Frugal Festival recently drew 300 people looking for coupons, freebies and the chance to trade money-saving advice with fellow cheapskates in the L.A. area. The consumer champ definitely would have been at home at this event. Except if he had his ...
Weak back to school sales signal more deals coming
The back to school season has bombed for retailers. In several parts of the country, kids are already back to school, and in others, they'll be back over the next 2 weeks or so. But enough early numbers are in to paint a very scary picture...and back to school is ...
Modern clean diesels, hybrids offer great payback
People often wonder what the payback on fuel-efficient vehicles is like. A few years ago, it would have been hard to find a true payback. But that math has changed significantly. More often than not, a hybrid or diesel will save you -- even though you spend more upfront. A ...
Free wifi, free electric being shut down by small businesses
Clark was recently in an airport when his cell phone was running low on power. He immediately looked for an outlet to charge up. But revenue is down for airport operators, so they covered up all the outlets to prevent people from running up the electric bill! The Wall Street ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
BargainBabe.com - Daily tips for savvy spenders MagicJack.com - Cheap VoIP option with $40 startup costs CallingAmerica.com - Free calls back to the United States (ad-supported) ShopLocal.com - Use as a substitute to the Sunday newspaper circulars SamsClub.com - Become a Sam's Club Plus member MakingHomeAffordable.gov - Foreclosure assistance HUD.gov ...
Stories for Thursday, August 27
Bankruptcy, debt levels up over the years
The numbers of people going bankrupt in 2009 will likely be the second-highest total ever. With the recession and unemployment, nearly 130,000 families filed for bankruptcy just last month. Very often on Clark Stinks, we'll get posters who express that the consumer champ shouldn't have any kind word to say ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
ClarkHoward.com - Peer-to-peer lenders DentBetty.com - Repair estimates by digital photograph
Parents cautioned about off deck charges on kids' cells
Half of all children aged 12 and up now have a cell phone, according to global connectivity research outfit Yankee Group. That means parents have to be especially wary of what are being termed "off deck" deals. That's where the cell phone provider partners with marketers who offer supposedly free ...
Peer-to-peer lenders like Prosper make a comeback
Peer-to-peer lending is re-emerging in the marketplace after a rough patch. This is a great way for people to lend to each other online without bank interference. Prosper.com was one of the earliest P2P lenders to gain traction. But they didn't initially screen their borrowers well enough and a lot ...
Auto body shops bid online for your fender-bender job
Entrepreneurs most often get the courage to start their own business during a down economic time. Several giants of Silicon Valley were launched during the recession of the early 1970s because the techies were out of work. That same cycle is almost certainly repeating itself now. Those people who "coulda, ...
Stories for Wednesday, August 26
Consumers abandoning purchases at the register and online
Are you your own worst enemy in a store because you spend money you can't afford? Executive producer Christa is thankful that her family keeps her busy enough that she doesn't have time for leisure shopping. Her family's big spending challenge is now monitoring food costs and the expense of ...
Automated account debits come with risk of never stopping
Do you give any companies the right to draft your checking account for a monthly bill? It could be a utility company, a health club, a mortgage lender, your cable service, a cell provider or any other business. Once your contract with them ends, that business may continue to make ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
MicroFueler.com - Turn home waste into energy! ClarkHoward.com - Clark's investing guide ClarkHoward.com - Payment info for Taylor Bean mortgage customers
Index bond funds beat individual stock picks and mutual funds
Investing is something that was ingrained into Clark at a very young age. His father, who worked on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as young man, taught him how to read stock charts as a child. His father researched companies exhaustively -- in a pre-Internet age -- ...
MicroFueler lets you make car fuel from garbage
Remember the first Back to the Future movie? At the end of the film, Doc Brown returns from the future and his DeLorean is outfitted with a device called "Mr. Fusion" that transforms household waste into fuel for his car. Another '80s movie guy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is featured in a ...
.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi
Corporation. © 2012 Rovi Corporation