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Stories for October 2009
Stories for Friday, October 30
Gripe song about United Airlines becomes web phenomenon
An enterprising musician who had his guitar broken by United Airlines has created a protest song that's become a runaway web sensation. Dave Carroll's $3,500 Taylor guitar was broken by United baggage handlers at Chicago's O'Hare Airport in the spring of 2008. During the ensuing 9-month period, Carroll attempted to ...
Costco settles lawsuit over membership renewal practices
Costco has settled a lawsuit over its membership renewal policies. Clark's favorite warehouse club admits to back-dating renewals to the date of expiration. that means they were essentially cheating customers out of time on their memberships! Under the terms of the settlement, Costco will offer customers who were affected from ...
Airlines involved in price-fixing of fuel surcharges
The price-fixing of fuel surcharges is something that really burns Clark up. When the cost of a barrel of oil dropped, the surcharges did not go away. Anyone smell a rat here? The Wall Street Journal reports that this rat may be bigger than previously thought. The CEO of Virgin ...
More Americans adopting voluntary simplicity as a way of life
Have you heard of the voluntary simplicity movement? This began as a small movement of people who were revolted by consumption and encouraged others to really analyze their needs vs. their wants. Years ago, Clark interviewed two proponents of the idea on the show -- Amy Dacyczyn of The Tightwad ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
UShip.com - The online shipping marketplace MakingHomeAffordable.gov - The government's official mortgage refinance program INGDirect.com - Easy Orange mortgage with minimal closing costs ChoiceTrust.com - Free C.L.U.E. report T-Mobile.com - Pay $100 for 1,000 pre-paid minutes to use over the course of a year Today's show featured Best Of segments ...
Stories for Thursday, October 29
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
SleepEducation.com - Free tips on getting a better night of rest AnnualCreditReport.com - The only legit free way to get your credit reports InsureMyTrip.com - Travel insurance comparison site Today's show featured Best Of segments from recent broadcasts.
California experimenting with pay-as-you-drive insurance
More auto insurers are experimenting with pay-as-you-drive insurance. Progressive Insurance has been one of the pioneers in this field. They have a system where they can equip your car with a smart device -- almost like a black box in an airplane -- that tracks when, where and how much ...
Your credit report may keep you from getting a job offer
A bad credit reputation may keep you from getting a job in a tough market. The best guess is that between 40 percent and 50 percent of employers are running credit checks on "would be" employees. And we're not just talking about for jobs in the financial sector. However, a ...
Buy trip insurance from someone other than your trip provider
Trip insurance policies should always be purchased when you are taking a cruise, a tour or traveling on a trip that requires pre-payment of thousands of dollars. Such policies are designed to protect consumers by giving them refunds in the event of illness to the traveler or an immediate family ...
Clark's tips for getting a better night of sleep
Are you getting enough sleep? The Dallas Morning News reports that only one in four of us get the recommended full eight hours of sleep every night. In addition, one-third of workers say that lack of sleep has affected them on more than 10 working days during the last year. ...
Stories for Wednesday, October 28
Oakland's experiment with extended parking meter hours fails
CLARKONOMICS: If you're a business struggling to make a profit selling your widgets at $5, the solution must be to raise the price to $10, right? Wrong, as students of economics and now local government are finding out! Classic economics posits that raising the price is more likely to drive ...
Websites/phone numbers mentioned:
KBB.com - Determine the value of your vehicle Edmunds.com - Determine the value of your vehicle Nada.com - Determine the value of your vehicle Chegg.com - Cheap textbook rentals Vanguard.com - Research mutual funds that allow you to own Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS)
Apply for new credit before your existing limits get cut
The slashing of credit card limits has been a hot topic here on the show. Recent news reports suggested that many travelers were caught unaware while on the road and had their credit cards shut down without any advance warning. This reportedly affected certain Citibank MasterCard accounts co-branded with select ...
Employees not eligible for a 401(k) should do a Roth
The world of retirement savings highlights the stark contrast between between the haves and the have nots on the employment front. Somewhere around half of us work for employers that offer a 401(k) plan, while the other half of us don't have any retirement plan options through work. Employers that ...
Look to community colleges to keep tuition expenses down
College tuition is spiraling out of control. While the economy experienced deflation in 2009, tuition is up an average of about five percent! The problem is that there's too much loan money floating around. If people had to pay upfront for their education, they'd likely be smarter consumers. But the ...
Stories for Tuesday, October 27
Credit freezes are more of a necessity than ever
More than a year ago, doing a credit freeze was a very popular topic on our show. However, Clark recently received several calls from listeners that indicated people are still unfamiliar with the basics of a credit freeze. A credit freeze is, in essence, the cheapest insurance policy there's ever ...
FBI warns of scam e-mails about terrorist activity
RIP-OFF ALERT: The FBI has issued a warning about e-mails purporting to be from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI Counterterrorism Division. The e-mails typically have subject lines like "New DHS Report," "New Patterns in Al Qaeda Financing" and "FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate." In addition, these ...
Insurance industry revamps variable annuities
The insurance industry is revamping variable annuities into an even worse deal to protect itself from any future market turbulence. When you buy a variable annuity, you buy an insurance product where you invest in something like mutual funds. If your holdings go down and you die, your heirs receive ...
Websites/phone numbers displayed:
ClarkHoward.com - Credit freeze guide SCORE.org - Service Corps of Retired Executives AthenaFoundation.org - Support for women small business owners
Use a kitchen cabinet to assist you in entrepreneurship
A "kitchen cabinet" is indispensable for anyone who owns their own business or wants to start one. This is an informal group of advisers who help guide you and develop new strategies to improve your business. SCORE.org -- the Service Corps of Retired Executives -- has historically offered free advice ...
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