The Clark Howard Podcast

Walmart has been one of the biggest quarantine winners as earnings have gone up substantially. Cyber insurance is becoming an even bigger necessity as more people are working from home. But it's also getting more expensive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New mortgage forbearance rules are great for people who are having a hard time paying their mortgage right now. The stock market is doing well today thanks to progress on a potential vaccine for Covid. This shows how much we all want good news right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retail sales were even worse in April than economists expected. Clark Stinks is back! You can contribute to this segment by sharing the ways you think Clark Stinks at Clark.com/ClarkStinks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some really helpful guidance on the PPP loans just came out. In particular, the SBA is providing safe harbor for PPP loans under $2 million. Your credit should not be negatively affected if you can't pay your bill right now. If you've seen your credit score take a hit, stand up for your rights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark talks about how consumer purchasing has changed...and groceries have quickly gotten more expensive. Misinformation about the virus is rampant - in particular on social media sites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Airlines and airports are instituting safety requirements if you plan to travel in the near future. Student loan forbearance has been great for people with student loans. But some people are having their credit negatively affected. Not good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unemployment has climbed and is worse than the headline number shows. Clark also discusses how manufacturing is opening back up. Some Americans are being turned away from buying life insurance. Overall, life insurance is harder to get than it was just last month. The ClarkRave today mentioned Rhonda Roland Shearer's GoFundMe to cut red tape for heroes. You can find that here. Clark also mentions h...

Planning ahead for how to handle the end of mortgage forbearance is smart. Clark tells you how to talk to your mortgage provider if you need more time too. Clark Stinks makes a return to the show this week! If you have a Clark Stinks to share go to Clark.com/ClarkStinks. Consumer spending has been different since the pandemic hit. In particular, home workout equipment and bicycles are incredibly p...

Millions of people are covered by a multi-state agreement that will allow individuals with private student loans to put a pause on payments for 90 days. Google and Apple are helping in a big way with their contact tracing app. Clark discusses what they've done and the potential privacy issues you could encounter. Many businesses are now requiring that customers wear masks in order to shop there. T...

Costco and some grocery stores are limiting meat purchases as we're experiencing a meat shortage in the country. Humana is waiving copays for members right now. Travel reward credit cards are having a hard time getting customers to renew. So they are having to offer additional benefits to keep customers around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spending habits have changed during the coronavirus outbreak. But it appears that everyone has cut spending no matter what your state's approach has been to locking things down. Age discrimination could become an even bigger issue post-Covid. Americans are saving a much bigger chunk of their money right now. This is good! How can you keep your car in good running order if you aren't driving it!? C...

Employers fear liability from as they bring employees back into the office. Virtual volunteering might be a great use of your time right now. Warren Buffet has sold all shares in the major airlines. Their stocks are getting hit hard. Clark talks about the long-term projections for air travel. Micro businesses are helping keep people afloat in difficult financial times. Starting a super-small side...

Clark talks about what his life looks like right now and how his family is handling being cooped up together. There have been some positive benefits! People are avoiding doctors or going to the hospital right now. That is not safe! Truck drivers have done a great job keeping the supply chain going but it hasn't been without a lot of hardships and obstacles. Taking money from your 403b is a particu...

Should you still go on Summer vacation? That's the question on a lot of people's minds. Clark talks about how you should think about your upcoming Summer travel. Costco is making all customers wear face masks if they want to shop in the store. This is making some customers upset. But we're going to have to get used to more and more safety rules being implemented by private businesses. Some people...

Florida is doing a terrible job getting unemployment payments to citizens who have applied. California is having a tough time funds to independent contractors, gig workers, and the self employed who are eligible. Consumer spending has fallen off a cliff. Clark talks about some of the numbers that are coming in and where the American economy stands right now. Walmart and Paypal are two of the best...

Beef and pork prices are likely to rise soon because of the shortage due to Covid. Also, paper goods are making a reappearance on store shelves...finally. Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast aren't terminating anyone who can't pay through the month of June. They won't charge late fees either. If you have to take on more debt right now in order to put food on the table, make sure you do it wisely. Clark giv...

People are getting ripped off buying physical gold right now. Buy a precious metals ETF instead! The car market has changed rapidly. Clark tells you when the ideal car buying window is. Has Covid-19 killed the FIRE movement? Lots of headlines suggest that it has, but Clark disagrees. If you lose or leave your job, what should you do with that old 401k? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Some of the states are handling unemployment claims incredibly poorly. Clark talks about how Florida and Texas are having major issues disbursing those funds to people who have lost their jobs. Google is verifying ad buyers to prevent Covid scams. Credit card issuers are cutting limits on consumer credit cards. This could make getting through this pandemic even more difficult for many people. Bank...

The SBA has issued a press release clarifying that bigger companies should not be filing to receive PPP funds. This is good news for small businesses who desperately need the money. Scam artists have figured out how to steal stimulus checks. Clark tells you how they are doing it and what can be done about it. It's important to be prepared with your financial information now. Make sure your loved o...

Congress is on the verge of passing a bill to provide more funding for small businesses. Clark also talks about how many bigger companies took a large chunk of the first round of PPP loans. The big three U.S. Credit reporting agencies help Americans with more frequent access to credit histories for one year. Great news for consumers! Americans are poisoning themselves as they attempt to fight the...

Oil prices are cratering. Clark talks about why this is happening and what it means for consumers. Some states are making the decision to re-open parts of the economy. But how quickly things will actually recover will be up to individuals and how safe they feel. Dealerships aren't taking leased cars back. They are flat out refusing. How busy is the grocery store? Google has a way to help you find...

PPP money ran out towards the end of last week. But a deal is close to secure more funding for loans to help small businesses. Ticketmaster will be giving refunds for rescheduled or cancelled shows...finally. College graduates will be entering the toughest job environment since The Great Depression. Clark has some thoughts. Why pro-rated unemployment is something worth considering. Learn more abou...

People have not altered their approach to 401k investing. This is good news! Also, here's the link for non-filers to submit stimulus payment info. Clark talks about how we are going through this together - you are not alone right now. The headline writers are predicting doom and gloom. But this is unrealistic and it's creating anxiety for no reason. Apple is releasing a new cheaper SE phone. Learn...

PPP and EIDL are complete failures. Clark talks about why these programs went so horribly wrong. Germany is attempting a soft reopening of its economy. Clark thinks they are approaching it well. A lot more of us are working from home now. But will you get a tax break for it? Clark discusses - and this article is worth reading on the subject. Robots are improving. And some cleaning robots could sav...

Clark discusses the specifics of the airline bailout. Telemedicine is becoming more and more important. Make sure to not forego necessary medical visits right now...just have them remotely! Customer no service is a regular problem in the age of Covid-19. Government agencies and many companies are responding in a much less timely manner. We're all streaming more TV these days. Clark tells you where...