The Clark Howard Podcast

In this podcast, Clark Howard discusses important topics such as the Saver's Tax Credit for retirement savers, the financial responsibility of homeowners associations (HOAs), and how to deal with monopolies in HOA developments. He also provides advice on assessing the finances of a community when buying a property and evaluating premium increases in long-term care insurance policies.

The podcast discusses the challenges of first-time home buyers and predicts more affordable housing in the future. It also highlights the affordability of lab-created diamonds and explores the shift in the restaurant industry towards cost-saving options. The trend of expensive restaurants offering carryout is also discussed.

Oceania guests struggling for refunds amid major cruise changes and the importance of travel insurance. Mattress oversupply leading to great deals. Benefits of having a passport card and finding unclaimed money. Power generator advantages and financing a used car. Clark's Christmas Kids charity initiative.

The podcast discusses the rising cost of healthcare and its impacts on Americans, including financial strain and forgone medical care. It also highlights a new rule regarding parental assets and college financial aid eligibility. Additionally, there are tips for saving money on a trip to see a total eclipse and insights on credit card security.

Clark Howard addresses criticisms, discusses money and dating, clarifies health insurance surcharge legality, analyzes grocery inflation, explores pros and cons of leasing a Tesla, and advises on building credit for a spouse through adding them as an authorized user on credit cards.

Inflation silver lining: New IRS tax brackets for 2024. By historical standards, tax rates are low - at 12% on average. Understand how this informs financial planning, from Roth IRA conversion to home buying. In an era of historically low tax rates, don’t fall for irrelevant “tax smart” pitches. Also today, a very scary reason why you should always receive paper statements or keep digital records for all financial accounts.   New Tax Brackets: Segment 1 Ask Clark: Segment 2 Financial Account Statements: Segment 3 Ask Clark: Segment 4 Mentioned on the show: Today in History - December 7 | Library of Congress Inflation Causes IRS to Raise Tax Brackets, Standard Deduction by 5.4% Should I Convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA? How To Use Priceline To Save on Travel BBB-File a Complaint Return a Gift - Amazon Customer Service Clark’s Christmas Kids Why Banks Are Suddenly Closing Down Customer Accounts My Wells Fargo bank account was closed with no warning – I lost all my life savings but they said it didn’t exist The #1 Bill You Should Get by Mail What's the Best Place To Sell a Car in 2023? What Brokerage Do You Recommend for First-Time Investors or Kids? Clark.com resources Episode transcripts Community.Clark.com Clark.com daily money newsletter Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275 Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bin stores, aka discount, surplus or salvage outlets - go by many names, but collectively serve an oversupplied retail market these days. Such stores specialize in selling returns and other troubled goods, offering a shortcut to lower prices. Also today, home insurance is a broken market in coastal areas, but one coastal state is adapting so well, premiums have decreased.  Bin Store Savings: Segment 1 Ask Clark: Segment 2 New Coastal Building Standards: Segment 3 Ask Clark: Segment 4 Mentioned on the show: What’s a bin store, and why should you check one out? Should I Tip on a Cruise?  Booking a Cruise? Here Are 5 Ways To Do It for Less Clark does not purchase extended warranties! Retailers Offer Me Warranties on Everything I Buy Now. Are Any of Them Worth It? The Coastal State Where Home Insurance Is Relatively Affordable - WSJ Some houses are being built to stand up to hurricanes and sharply cut emissions, too NYTimes.com: A Climate Change Success Story? Look at Hoboken. Home Insurers To Be Scrutinized In Climate-Risk Study The Best Places To Sell Your Cell Phone Clark.com resources Episode transcripts Community.Clark.com Clark.com daily money newsletter Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275 Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now is the time to Save More. Clark makes economic predictions based on global indicators, with advice for timing saving and spending to get the most from your money. Also in this episode, a long promised technology is finally being tested - Amazon drone deliveries.  2024 Deflation: Segment 1 Ask Clark: Segment 2 Delivery Drones: Segment 3 Ask Clark: Segment 4 Mentioned on the show: Right Now Is a Bad Time to Spend Money China Is Making Too Much Stuff—and Other Countries Are Worried Has Your Emergency Savings Stash Grown? It Might Be Time For A Reality Check How To Create a Safe Password Telly's free TV could shake up the entertainment business Treasury: Series I bond rate is 5.27% through April 2024 NYTimes.com: Look, Up in the Sky! It’s a Can of Soup! How To Spot and Avoid Gift Card Scams The National Foundation for Credit Counseling Home - Elliott Report Clark’s Christmas Kids Clark.com resources Episode transcripts Community.Clark.com Clark.com daily money newsletter Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275 Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zelle has been a conduit for pretext scams costing consumers billions. 13 months ago, Zelle promised that by January of this year, they’d have consumer protections in place. Never happened - until now. Also today, as the value of travel points continues downward, Clark helps you determine if credit cards tied into airline & hotel providers are worth the high annual fees - and the cards that may serve you better. Zelle Reforms!: Segment 1 Ask Clark: Segment 2 Travel Credit Cards: Segment 3 Ask Clark: Segment 4 Mentioned on the show: Clark’s Christmas Kids Payments app Zelle begins refunds for imposter scams after Washington pressure 4 Common Scams on Cash App, Venmo and Zelle (and How To Avoid Them!) Popular Budgeting App Mint Is Shutting Down - Clark.com Best Budgeting Apps - Clark.com Turns out, the Equifax data breach was even worse than we thought How To Freeze Your Credit With Experian, Equifax and TransUnion Home Equity Loans & Lines of Credit: 7 Common Questions Answered One Mile at a Time: Southwest Points Will Be Worth Less In 2024 A new Southwest card bonus can get you halfway to Companion Pass status, which lets you fly a friend for free Southwest Credit Cards Offer Limited-Time Welcome Offer Boost -Clark.com Best Cash Back Credit Cards With No Annual Fee Best Travel Credit Cards: Top Rewards Picks for 2023 9 Ways To Save Money on Your Road Trip Clark.com resources Episode transcripts Community.Clark.com Clark.com daily money newsletter Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275 Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friday - Clark Stinks day! Christa shares Clark Stinks posts with Clark. Submit yours at Clark.com/ClarkStinks. Also in this episode - Who wants to be a millionaire? New data shows that 12% of American families are now millionaires. How they got there.  Clark Stinks: Segments 1 & 2 Becoming A Millionaire: Segment 3 Ask Clark: Segment 4 Mentioned on the show: DuckDuckGo — Privacy, simplified. WSJ.com: Never Mind the 1%. Mini-Millionaires Are Where Wealth Is Growing Fastest. Clark.com - Millionaires What Is an ABLE Account? How To Open a Roth IRA Clark.com resources Episode transcripts Community.Clark.com Clark.com daily money newsletter Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275 Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices