The Clark Howard Podcast

Clark talks about the important updates on how PPP is being implemented and what the latest is with unemployment insurance claims. Sheltering in places works to keep us safer...and it's better for the future of our economy. Zoom has gotten some flack for their lack of proper privacy protections for users. Clark mentions some alternatives you should consider. Robo advisors are seeing people sign up in droves. They do a good job helping people allocate their investments properly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clarifications have been made about who will receive stimulus money from the government and when that money will come. State unemployment agencies are still trying to figure out how they process all of the new unemployment claims. Some people are touting Covid-19 remedies that don't work. Watch out for this. Stores are stepping up deliveries. Clark talks about how Walgreens is expanding its delivery services right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The details of the PPP and EIDL programs are a little murky. Clark brings as much clarity as possible to a situation that is rapidly moving trying to help small businesses stay afloat during these difficult times. This article from the Wall Street Journal gives some important details on Paycheck Protection. You can also learn more on the SBA website about PPP here. And if you qualify for an EIDL, this is where you can apply for that relief loan. What happens if you can't pay rent? Clark tells you how to talk to your landlord and what rights you have right now. This USA Today article offers some important details on your rights as a renter right now. The three major health insurers are waiving individual health costs incurred due to Covid-19. Some welcome news in these troubled times. AirBnb is helping hosts cover their costs right now. It's a very different stance from the one VRBO is taking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBA.gov is the place to apply for economic injury disaster loans. And $10k in funds can be received in the form of a grant if spent on paid leave, maintaining payroll, increased business costs due to Coronavirus disruption, and mortgage or lease obligations that can't currently be met. Amazon, Whole Foods, and Instacart employees are not happy about current working conditions. Some are walking out on the job. Amazon employees are saying that they aren't being given proper safety aids like masks, gloves, and antiseptics. Clark talks about how you handle your money until the Stimulus bill funds get into our hands. Scams are on the rise as Coronavirus worries abound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Funds will soon be flowing to the states for Americans filing for unemployment. Clark discusses more of the details we now know. The stock market continues to be volatile. Clark tells you what this means for your investments. Gas prices are down although Americans are driving far less these days. And the Real ID law implementation has been delayed for a year. Thanks to the stimulus bill, you can take money out of your 401k without penalty. But should you? Probably not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Small businesses and non-profits are seeing real financial relief in the recent stimulus bill. Clark talks about some of the details. Some of the travel refunds being offered by the airlines aren't that great. Clark tells you how to approach the conversation to get the refund you deserve. The supply chain is still in working order. It's consumer pre-buying that has led to barren grocery store shelves. But that is a temporary problem that will soon be remedied. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stimulus checks are coming. Clark details the Senate bill and what these stimulus payments will look like and who will receive them. The stimulus bill also includes provisions for everyone who has a federal student loan. Clark details the benefit for those people too. You don't have to file your taxes until July 15 now. But what about the contribution deadline for an IRA? The IRS has clarified some of the specifics about filing taxes this year and Clark discusses. It's so important to take care of those closest to you right now. Clark has thoughts on how to do that and how to do it well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark discusses the stimulus bill deal that finally came together on Wednesday morning. It has not yet become law but some of the details of what this bill looks like have become clear. If you need relief from credit card bills right now Clark has advice for having that conversation with your credit card company. Healthcare exchanges might reopen in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic. Job losses are mounting. But some employers have stepped up their hiring right now. Clark gives you the information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark talks about the Senate relief bill that is still being negotiated. It looks like American families will be receiving direct payments from the government. But how long until we get them in our bank accounts? That is still up in the air. Automakers are stepping up their efforts to help by making respirators instead of cars. Clark talks about how to approach your student loans right now. There's help for people with federal student loans but you might have to press to get any help from a private lender. Volunteer efforts will likely start mobilizing in April to help victims of Coronavirus. Clark discusses what he thinks those efforts will entail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a tsunami of economic turmoil, Clark talks about the companies that are hiring and where to turn if you are in need of work. The Fed announced this morning that they will be supporting the markets with massive amounts of quantitative easing. Work from home scams are popping up in a big way right now. What to watch out for. Working from home with kids is hard - especially since you are likely having to help them with their schoolwork too. Clark talks about finding a family rhythm during this time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark talks about how Taiwan is handling Covid 19. There's a lot of uncertainty right now and economic difficulties are increasing in light of the stricter quarantine situations. Clark talks about how the mortgage market has changed in recent days. Rates have actually swung UP a good bit - but they won't stay up for long. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The market is still experiencing a lot of volatility. Clark discusses how you should approach your retirement account in light of the current turmoil. Clark discusses what the Coronavirus relief bill means for the American public. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark discusses how the grocery stores are doing and the unique way human beings come together in crisis. Some travel companies are doing a good job of responding to their customers. Others, not so much. Clark talks about how to approach the travel bookings you already have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark continues to talk about the fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic. There won't be a way of avoiding a recession, and many American jobs and small businesses are at risk right now. The government is working on ways to prop up the economy during the pandemic. But they seem to be more focused on big business than individual Americans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The stock market had a rough day. But the impacts of the Coronavirus extend far beyond that. Clark discusses stock market reaction, small business difficulties, and how to handle your personal finances in these uncertain times. Clark also discusses the Fed injecting cash into the economy, mortgage refinancing, and the current travel situation as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Savings bonds are great place to put money these days. They could be a better option for you instead of a savings account or CD. Ikea is recalling more dressers. Clark tells you what to watch out for and how to keep your kids safe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mortgage rates have sunk to historic lows. But there's a LOT you need to know before you pull the trigger on a refinance. Fifth Third Bank is being sued by the CFPB stating that the bank opened up fraudulent accounts in customers names without their knowledge. Sounds like Fifth Third took a page out of the Wells Fargo playbook! We officially hit bear market territory yesterday. Clark tells you what to do with your investments and how to think about Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the WHO has called coronavirus a pandemic, there are many ways this impacts individual Americans. Clark says that our politicians are failing us and should be putting a higher priority on public health. He also talks about how we should approach our personal finances in light of the current scary health conditions. Travel companies are having a difficult time and the travel cancellation policies are being changed as coronavirus facts come in. Clark tells you what you need to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's hard to know how your financial advisor is being paid. And it recently became even more difficult to figure it out. The CFP board is no longer noting how planners are paid on the site LetsMakeAPlan.org. Since the CFP board isn't going to help consumers out, you'll need to help yourself and ask your advisor specific questions before you enter into a relationship. And make sure that any planner you choose to work with is a fee-only planner who has a fiduciary responsibility to his or her clients. ‘Limit 5 per member’ – seen at Costco regarding sanitation wipes as people were trying to buy entire palette quantities. In times of uncertainty, people tend to hoard. There’s been a run on hand sanitizers and toilet paper as well. Think through what you actually need. We need to make sure there’s enough for all. Hoarders create false shortages. Manufacturers catch up and supplies are restored so don’t take on more than you need. Think before you buy too much. Cable monopolies are fighting new regulation to restrict their spying on consumer internet activity for sale. Receiving free Google services in return for data sales is one thing. But most of us are prisoners of a monopoly internet provider. We’re paying huge money for access while they’re spying on all we do and selling it off. Google at least now allows you to see and delete their collected info on you and set up auto deletion. Maine passed a law requiring privacy and the state is being sued by the cable monopolies, alleging Maine is discriminating against them. Firefox to the rescue with a new, free encrypted service to cut off almost all spying from the cable monopolies. Defeat their lobbying power in a now corrupted Congress by using the Firefox encrypted browser and surf in relative privacy. Those who said the only way to preserve privacy is to carry no tech and separate from the grid have turned out to be right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The market is now past a 52 week low and global markets are in panic mode. Global markets are related to an undeclared war between Putin and the U.S. The U.S. has become the world’s most important energy market - natural gas and oil combined. Putin is exploiting the outbreak to undermine the U.S. economy in an attempt to destroy the U.S. hydraulic fracking industry by flooding the world market with oil Russian can produce at a cheaper price per barrel. Putin has engineered a collapse in the price of oil by making it clear he’ll flood the market beyond demand to starve the U.S. oil industry for revenue. This has led markets to expect recession. Oil prices collapsed by unprecedented amounts today. Unless this corrects in the next several days, we’ll see a 30 to 50 cent per gallon drop in gas prices over the next few weeks. But Putin’s long game is to destabilize the U.S. using the backdrop of depressed demand for fuel due to the outbreak, as a way to drive a dagger through the U.S. economy. The SEC has released several warnings about phony emails circulating claiming treatments and cures for coronavirus. These ‘pumps and dumps’ are occurring heavily in social media and elsewhere, claiming biomedical breakthroughs. In reality, crooks buy stock in a failed enterprise and try to bid up the price by lying to people. As soon as they run the price up, they sell their shares and investors are left with nothing. Be wary of ‘incredible opportunities’ to score money. State and federal authorities are also warning against fake charities soliciting to provide relief to coronavirus victims. Only give to organizations you know are real to avoid the scams. AT&T TV is being heavily marketed at $49.99 – but after clicking to sign up, the junk fees kick in. There are massive penalties to cancel a 2 year contract. No other streaming service asks that. Sleazy, underhanded, deceptive and wrong. Driven by fear and desperation, they impose a 2 year contract and only tell you the price for the first year, but you can’t get out of the second year at double price + junk fees – without paying a massive termination fee. Ridiculous. DirecTV and AT&T internet customers will get the pitch. Know it’s garbage and there are much better alternatives. Hopefully AT&T will come to its senses and compete with integrity. Rebuttal welcome. This is a lousy way to treat brand loyal customers and others. Their other streaming service, AT&T TV NOW gives you the ability to cancel with no penalty. Confusing much? See our streaming guide   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices