Clark Howard: Save More, Spend Less and Avoid Rip-offs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//WAPFORUM//DTD XHTML Mobile 1.0//EN" "http://www.wapforum.org/DTD/xhtml-mobile10.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://m.clarkhoward.com/mobile/","20120504081633","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1336119393"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=1.0, minimum-scale=1.0, user-scalable=0"> <title> Clark Howard: Save More, Spend Less and Avoid Rip-offs | www.clarkhoward.com </title> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633im_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/media/2012-05-02-12-20-35/web/site/www_clarkhoward_com/images/favicon.ico"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633im_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/media/2012-05-02-12-20-35/web/site/www_clarkhoward_com/images/favicon-apple-touch-icon.png"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633cs_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/CACHE/css/7d4a4d0e2a82.css" type="text/css" media="handheld"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633cs_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/CACHE/css/7d4a4d0e2a82.css" type="text/css" media="screen"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633cs_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/CACHE/css/aeb70e55cf02.css" type="text/css" media="handheld"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633cs_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/CACHE/css/aeb70e55cf02.css" type="text/css" media="screen"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633cs_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/CACHE/css/ae79d9552829.css" type="text/css" media="handheld"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633cs_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/CACHE/css/ae79d9552829.css" type="text/css" media="screen"> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633js_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/media/2012-05-02-12-20-35/web/common/javascript/jquery-1.5.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">/* <![CDATA[ */ var cmg = {}; cmg.query = jQuery.noConflict(true); var mediaurl = "https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/media/2012-05-02-12-20-35/mobile/common/"; var site_domain = "www.clarkhoward.com"; var metrics_signin = 0; /* ]]> */</script> </head> <body> <div class="cm_mobMainContainer"> <div class="cm_mobHeaderWrap">  <div id="cm_mobLeaderboard"></div> <div class="cm_mobCHHomeHeader"> <h1>Clark Howard for Mobile</h1> </div> <div id="cm_mobSiteSwitch"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://www.clarkhoward.com/" class="cm_mobFullSiteLink">View full site</a> </div> <div id="cm_mobLogo"> <a href="/web/20120504081633/http://m.clarkhoward.com/mobile/"><img alt="www.clarkhoward.com Logo" border="0" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633im_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/media/2012-05-02-12-20-35/mobile/site/www_clarkhoward_com/images/logo_mobile.png"></a> <br/> <span id="cm_mobPositioningStatement">Save more, spend less and avoid rip-offs</span> </div> <div id="cm_mobNavDiv" class="cmNavigation"> <ol class="cmSiteNav"> <li class="cmMenu_1"><a href="/web/20120504081633/http://m.clarkhoward.com/mobile/listen_live/ ">Listen Live</a></li> <li class="cmMenu_2"><a href="/web/20120504081633/http://m.clarkhoward.com/mobile/podcasts/ ">Podcasts</a></li> <li class="cmMenu_3"><a href="/web/20120504081633/http://m.clarkhoward.com/mobile/#shownotes ">Shownotes</a></li> </ol> </div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633js_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/CACHE/js/ab4aabaf8244.js" charset="utf-8"></script>  </div> <div class="cm_mobBodyWrap">  <div class="cm_mobStoryListBlock"> <h3>Featured Story</h3> <h4>Facebook now lets you update your organ donor status </h4> <small></small> <p><p><br/>Through organ donation, you can make a difference even when you're not with us anymore.<br/> <br/> Facebook has now made it possible to update your page with your organ donor status and be added to your state's official organ donation registry. By building this feature in, Facebook is doing something to empower people to save lives.<br/> <br/> However, there's already a backlash against the Facebook initiative. <em><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012205020403" target="_blank">The Detroit Free Press</a>  </em>reports there are privacy and legal issues with posting that you want to be an organ donor that still have yet to be sorted out.<br/> <br/>Be that as it may, I love what Facebook is doing because it brings awareness to the issue of organ donation. I agreed to become an organ donor many years ago when the option first became available to me, so it's something I believe in deeply.<br/> <br/> If you're not into Facebook, visit <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://organdonor.gov/index.html" target="_blank">OrganDonor.gov</a> for more details on how you can get involved. Organ donation is, of course, a completely personal choice. If you have religious beliefs that run counter to it, I respect that and mean no offense to you.<br/><br/>I have a friend who is having liver problems and I have volunteered to be a living donor if doctors can't find a suitable donor otherwise. (You can be a living donor of a piece of your liver, which will regenerate, or one of your kidneys.)<br/><br/></p></p> </div> <div class="cm_mobStoryListBlock">  <a name="shownotes"><h3>Show Notes</h3></a> <ul class="cm_mobShowNotesList"> <li><a href="#1">Websites and resources mentioned May 3, 2012</a></li> <li><a href="#2">ING Direct now accepting deposits through smartphones</a></li> <li><a href="#3">The cost per mile to drive a new car is more than you think </a></li> <li><a href="#4">Ooma named best home phone service again</a></li> <li><a href="#5">Spirit Air to test $100 carry-on bag fee</a></li> </ul>  </div>  <div class="cm_mobStoryListBlock"> <a name="1"><h4>Websites and resources mentioned May 3, 2012</h4></a> <span class="cm_mobNextStory"><a href="#2">Next</a> ></span> <p><p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://lastpass.com/" target="_blank">LastPass.com</a> - Online password management    <br/><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://megabus.com/" target="_blank">MegaBus.com</a> - Cheap bus for metro-to-metro travel<br/><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">AirBNB.com</a> - Rent cheap accomodations directly from owners<br/><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://ooma.com/" target="_blank">Ooma.com</a> - Cheap VoIP service<br/><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://www.carryonfree.com/" target="_blank">CarryonFree.com</a> - Sells carry-ons for Spirit Air</p></p> </div> <div class="cm_mobStoryListBlock"> <a name="2"><h4>ING Direct now accepting deposits through smartphones</h4></a> <span class="cm_mobPrevStory"> < <a href="#1">Prev</a></span> <span class="cm_mobNextStory"><a href="#3">Next</a> ></span> <p><p><br/>One of the nation's largest online banks is now accepting check deposits through your smartphone, giving you on more reason to kick the traditional big banks out of your life.<br/> <br/> I love to talk about all kind of ways that you can save money by avoiding the giant monster mega-banks. One of the ways I like of doing that is by using online banks to avoid the big banks. But for many people, that's been a bridge too far. How do you deposit your money?<br/> <br/> I do the bulk of my banking with Charles Schwab, the discount stockbroker, and I've been doing online deposits for more than a year with them. I have a Schwab app on my smartphone, and I just take a picture of a check front and back, key it in with my account info and then transmit it. It works 100% of the time after some initial bugs were ironed out.<br/> <br/> USAA has done accept digital deposits for a good long while. They're an entirely branchless bank, so they only take deposits through the phone. (Schwab, on the other hand, gives you the option to go into a branch, particularly in major cities where they're clustered.)<br/> <br/> Now ING Direct is taking digital deposits too. Before, you used to have to make a deposit with your regular bank, link your ING account up and then transfer the money over. It was a pain. But now, you can take a picture of the check and zap it right into your account.<br/> <br/> Traditional banks have been slow in offering online deposits. That's because they assume it will lead to tremendous fraud and so rollout has been slow. But as more and more online banks offer it, consider kicking your traditional big bank to the curb.<br/><br/></p></p> </div> <div class="cm_mobStoryListBlock"> <a name="3"><h4>The cost per mile to drive a new car is more than you think </h4></a> <span class="cm_mobPrevStory"> < <a href="#2">Prev</a></span> <span class="cm_mobNextStory"><a href="#4">Next</a> ></span> <p><p><br/>AAA now estimates that its costs 60 cents per mile to operate a new vehicle. Despite the recent high cost of gas, fuel costs only account for less than a fourth of the expense of operation. So where is all the money going?<br/> <br/> Depreciation. When you buy a new car, the value drops like a rock the minute you drive it off the dealer lot. Other factors that figure in the 60 cents per mile cost are insurance, maintenance, the interest on a car loan and more.<br/> <br/> Meanwhile, speaking of depreciation, <em>Kiplinger</em> recently named the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633/http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/best-resale-value-cars-2012/2.html" target="_blank">12 Best Resale Value Cars for 2012</a>. Here are some highlights, after five years of ownership:</p> <ul> <br/> <li>Mini Cooper - Retains 53% of the value you originally paid for it</li> <li>Infiniti G37X - Retains 45% of value</li> <li>Ford Focus - Retains 45% of value</li> <li>Audi A7 - Retains 44% of value</li> <li>BMW 128 - Retains 43% of value</li> </ul> <p><br/> Other vehicles that made the list include the Ford Mustang, the Subaru Forester, the BMW X5, the Jeep Wrangler Sport, the Toyota Sienna minivan and the Toyota Prius V.<br/> <br/> So these are the very best and they hold only <em>less</em> than half of their original value after five years of ownership! (After three years, most have 60% of their original value)</p> <p>The message is clear: Cars lose so much in value over time. They are a depreciating asset. Remember that a new vehicle purchase is almost always a lifestyle purchase and keep that AAA figure in mind. For every mile you drive, 60 cents vanishes from your wallet.<br/><br/></p></p> </div> <div class="cm_mobStoryListBlock"> <a name="4"><h4>Ooma named best home phone service again</h4></a> <span class="cm_mobPrevStory"> < <a href="#3">Prev</a></span> <span class="cm_mobNextStory"><a href="#5">Next</a> ></span> <p><p><br/>The way you bring technology into your home for communication and entertainment is changing. If you follow the trends, you can save big money.<br/> <br/> Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, just reported huge profits of $1.2 billion over just 90 days at a time when they're actually losing pay TV subscribers. So where is the money coming from? They're making their dough on Internet and phone customers.<br/> <br/> This is a company that I have trashed for customer no-service <em>forever</em>. But they have improved significantly. They're not a beacon of customer service, but the number of complaints we get on the show about them has fallen off the charts.<br/> <br/> Meanwhile, the June 2012 issue of <em>Consumer Reports</em> rates phone service and AT&T got the lowest score of all 25 companies rated for value and customer service.<br/> <br/> The absolute highest score again went to Ooma, the VoIP provider, again for the second year in a row. You buy the Ooma device for $129 - $199 and then pay a $3 monthly FCC pass-through charge and that's it for the life of Ooma.<br/> <br/> MagicJack, meanwhile, got poor scores on reliability, call quality and customer service, but the pricing makes it the cheapest option for local and long distance calling. The first year is effectively $60 and each year after that is $30.<br/> <br/> Finally, on the TV front, Amazon has its own streaming capability that it just gives away as a freebie to Amazon Prime members for $79 annually. If you order regularly from Amazon, the Prime membership allows you to get free two-day shipping on most online purchases with no minimum order size. And now Amazon has vowed a more robust streaming TV product by beefing up their original programming.<br/><br/></p></p> </div> <div class="cm_mobStoryListBlock"> <a name="5"><h4>Spirit Air to test $100 carry-on bag fee</h4></a> <span class="cm_mobPrevStory"> < <a href="#4">Prev</a></span> <p><p><br/>You buy a ticket for $9 and then you pay $100 to take your bag on board? Is that really possible?!<br/> <br/> Spirit Air is one carrier that offers seemingly great bargains, but I almost never talk about them on the show because they're not a crowd pleaser. The company seems to have leadership that loves to upset people. Yet they have been doing well financially running the airline the way they do, with low loss leader fares that they pile the junk fees on top of.<br/> <br/> So Spirit keeps pushing the envelope and their latest move is they'll charge as much as $100 one way for taking a carry on bag on the plane beginning in November 2012.<br/> <br/> The idea is the pain to your wallet intensifies through the weeks leading up to your flight. If you pay for a carry-on or checked bag at the time you buy your ticket, they charge you a lower fee. If you wait until it's time to print your boarding pass, the fee goes up. And if you wait until you get to the airport, that's when you really get clobbered.<br/> <br/> By playing this gotcha game and others, Spirit earns more than $100 per passenger in add-on junk fees <em>after</em> you've booked your ticket, according to their latest filings with Wall Street. So if you're considering flying them, be prepared that whatever low fare you may get will actually cost you another $100.<br/> <br/> Spirit Air and competitor Allegiant Air are both growing and providing alternatives for people looking for good airfare at time when the fees have been higher and higher. But you've got to be prepared for the gotchas. It's sport to them.<br/> <br/> I love capitalism because enterprising folks make specially sized carry-ons that will work on Spirit free of any baggage charge. The deal is if your carry-on will fit between the metal posts under the seat in front of you, you don't pay a fee for it. Once you're on board, you're allowed to put it in the overhead bin for free so you haven't taken away all your leg room.<br/> <br/> One seller called CarryOnFree.com has such a demand for their Spirit sized carry-ons that they're sold out. They charge $55 a pop and that's less than the airline's baggage charge. Of course, a carry-on of this size means you'll wear the same clothes over and over again during your trip. But it does help you avoid the charges.<br/> <br/> As for me, I can get by with one of those little bags for a week!<br/><br/></p></p> </div>  <div id="cm_mobArchiveNav"> <span class="cm_mobPrevArchive">< <a href="/web/20120504081633/http://m.clarkhoward.com/mobile/2012-05-03/">Older</a></span> </div>  </div> <div class="cm_mobFooterWrap">   </div> </div>  <span style="display:none;" id="cm_s_code"></span>  <script type="text/javascript">//<![CDATA[ var cx_siteName = "clarkhoward"; var cx_rsID = "coxclarkhoward"; var cx_marketpath = "ga: atlanta"; var cx_medium = "radio"; var s_account = cx_rsID; if (("prod" == "prod") && (!((/www.prod.clarkhoward/.test(window.location.host)) || (/m.prod.clarkhoward/.test(window.location.host))))) { if (cx_medium == "radio" || cx_medium == "tv") { s_account = s_account+",coxglobal"; } else if (cx_medium == "newspaper") { var cx_state = cx_marketpath.split(/:/)[0].toLowerCase(); s_account = s_account+",cox"+cx_state+"global,coxglobal"; } } else { s_account = "coxradiodev,coxnewspaperdev,coxtvdev"; } //]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120504081633js_/http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/media/2012-05-02-12-20-35/web/common/javascript/omniture_core.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">//<![CDATA[ cmg.s_coxnews.siteName=cx_siteName; cmg.s_coxnews.linkInternalFilters = "javascript:,doubleclick.net,alt.coxnewsweb.com,legacy.com,uclick.com,signin.cmgdigital.com,www.clarkhoward.com,outbrain.com"; cmg.s_coxnews.server = window.location.host; cmg.s_coxnews.prop13 = cmg.s_coxnews.eVar13 = document.title.replace("| www.clarkhoward.com", ""); var revpathArray = document.getElementsByName("cmg_revpath"); var pathNameStr = ""; if(revpathArray.length > 0 && revpathArray[0].content !== ""){ pathNameStr = revpathArray[0].content; } else { pathNameStr = window.location.pathname.split(/[#?]/)[0]; if(pathNameStr === "/"){ pathNameStr = "/homepage"; } } if(pathNameStr.length > 99){ pathNameStr = pathNameStr.substr(0,98) + "/"; } cmg.s_coxnews.pageName = cmg.s_coxnews.eVar55 = pathNameStr; if (metrics_signin == 1) { cmg.s_coxnews.prop22 = cmg.s_coxnews.eVar22 = "gur"; } if (cmg.s_coxnews.prop13.length == 0) { cmg.s_coxnews.prop13 = cmg.s_coxnews.eVar13 = "no page title available"; } cmg.s_coxnews.hier3 = cmg.s_coxnews.channel = cmg.s_coxnews.eVar56 = "no category"; if(cx_medium=="radio" || cx_medium=="tv" || cx_medium=="newspaper") { cmg.s_coxnews.hier1 = cx_marketpath+"|"+cx_medium+"|"+cx_siteName; cmg.s_coxnews.hier2 = cx_medium+"|"+cx_marketpath+"|"+cx_siteName; var search_page_re = new RegExp(cmg.s_coxnews.server+"\/search"); var search_match = search_page_re.exec(window.location); if(search_match != null){ cmg.s_coxnews.eVar1 = cmg.s_coxnews.getQueryParam('q'); if(cx_no_results){ cmg.s_coxnews.events = "event13,event14"; cmg.s_coxnews.prop46 = "no"; } else { cmg.s_coxnews.events = "event13"; cmg.s_coxnews.prop46 = "yes"; } if(cmg.s_coxnews.getQueryParam("searchType") == "web"){ cmg.s_coxnews.eVar45=cmg.s_coxnews.prop45 = "web"; } else { cmg.s_coxnews.eVar45=cmg.s_coxnews.prop45 = "site"; } } if (cx_medium == "radio") { cmg.s_coxnews.eVar43=cmg.s_coxnews.prop43 = "personalities"; } else if (cx_medium == "tv") { cmg.s_coxnews.eVar43=cmg.s_coxnews.prop43 = "tv"; } else if (cx_medium == "newspaper") { cmg.s_coxnews.eVar43=cmg.s_coxnews.prop43 = "newspaper"; } } cmg.s_coxnews.prop4 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.eVar4 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.prop5 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.eVar5 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.prop6 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.eVar6 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.prop7 = "24"; cmg.s_coxnews.eVar7 = "24"; cmg.s_coxnews.prop1 = "1057"; cmg.s_coxnews.eVar12 = "1057"; cmg.s_coxnews.prop2 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.eVar2 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.prop3 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.eVar3 = ""; cmg.s_coxnews.prop16 = "mobile site"; cmg.s_coxnews.eVar16 = "mobile site"; cmg.s_coxnews.prop54 = "mobile"; var cookie = cmg.get_cookie ? 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Clark Howard: Save More, Spend Less and Avoid Rip-offs | www.clarkhoward.com