Clark Howard

@ClarkHoward
Price gouging: How to protect yourself

Price gouging: How to protect yourself

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 11:06 AM EDT, Wed August 29, 2012
If there’s one issue that gets almost all American consumers riled up, it’s the price of gas. And if there’s a second issue that gets Americans almost as enraged, it’s having to pay a higher price than what’s fair. As Isaac developed from a storm into a tropical storm and eventually into a hurricane, Americans anxiously stood by and hoped that gas prices wouldn’t spike to overwhelming levels, knowing that it was probably going to happen.

When there is any kind of price hike, the widespread concern is almost tangible. But in some circumstances, consumers can fight back, and now is the time to be prepared for just that.

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Apple victory may not slow Android takeover

Apple victory may not slow Android takeover

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 3:30 PM EDT, Tue August 28, 2012
You’ve probably noticed something is going on with Apple, but may be wondering what exactly that is.

To bring you up to speed, a lawsuit involving Apple and Samsung regarding alleged patent infringement led to a jury awarding apple $1.05 billion from the South Korean electronics giant. Samsung was found guilty of “willfully” copying Apple’s iPhone and iPad designs with its own products.

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What's Isaac going to do to our gas prices?

What's Isaac going to do to our gas prices?

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 1:41 PM EDT, Mon August 27, 2012
Natural disasters have the potential to cause millions of dollars in damage not only to the local economies where they occur, but also to the country’s national economy. And in areas that aren’t adequately prepared for a storm or disaster of extreme strength, the results can be devastating.

Tropical Storm Isaac has already ripped its way through offshore oil and gas operations off the Gulf Coast, and experts say it may became a hurricane and go ashore near New Orleans on the seventh anniversary of Katrina’s landfall. Many people in and around the area are still recovering from the destruction Katrina caused back in 2005.

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Deal of the Day: Free AARP membership!

Deal of the Day: Free AARP membership!

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 5:03 PM EDT, Mon August 20, 2012
When you spend $15 or more on Walgreens or W brand health & wellness products between now and August 25, 2012, you will get a free 1-year AARP membership.  If you're already a member, don't worry, you still get a deal! For people who are already AARP members, this offer will qualify you to receive a free 1-year renewal on your existing membership. And the offer is good everywhere! Just visit any of the more than 8,000 Walgreens locations nationwide to take advantage of this offer.

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Kids headed back to school? We're here to help!

Kids headed back to school? We're here to help!

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 11:59 AM EDT, Mon August 20, 2012
The second-biggest shopping season of the year is already in full swing and the National Retail Federation projects consumers will spend a total of about $83.8 billion for back-to-school shopping this year.

According to the NRF’s 2012 Back-to-School spending survey conducted with BIGinsight, the average parent with kids in grades K-12 will spend about $688.62 on their children, up from $603.63 last year. The jump in spending for college students is even higher, with the total back to college shopping receipt reaching $907.22, up from $808.71 in 2011. That includes things like dorm furniture, collegiate gear, school supplies and personal care items.

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Deal of the Day: Self-publishing!

Deal of the Day: Self-publishing!

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 5:17 PM EDT, Fri August 17, 2012
A lot of people want to publish a book but don't know how to do it. Many times people don't  know where to turn after they're rejected by big publishing houses, or after they're contacted by fake publishing houses that were more interested in their money than their book!

The Internet has changed the world of publishing by not only making the process easier, but it's now cheaper.

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Don't buy textbooks when you can rent!

Don't buy textbooks when you can rent!

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 11:58 PM EDT, Thu August 16, 2012
It's back-to-school time, which usually means spending tons of money on books. The College Board estimates that the average student at a four-year public college will spend about $1,168 this year on books and supplies. That’s outrageous. Those books are used during a 12- to 15-week period before they get tossed or forgotten about at the end of the semester. And the fact is, a lot of American families just don’t have the money for that right now. But fortunately, there are ways to save!

HLN Money Expert Clark Howard suggests renting your textbooks, instead of buying them. There are now several online resources that rent college textbooks, as well as books for other levels of school. Two that Clark likes are Chegg and CourseSmart. On top of renting out textbooks, a lot of sites also offer digital access to textbooks on smartphones, tablets and e-readers., and you can usually choose to rent or buy them.

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Deal of the Day: How to get freebies!

Deal of the Day: How to get freebies!

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 4:04 PM EDT, Thu August 16, 2012
The Internet is filled with coupons, deals and bargains, you just have to know where to find them. There are all sorts of hidden giveaways and promotional products that you can get without spending any money at all, but you have to be careful when you sign up for promotions, because there can be some pretty dangerous gotchas involved.

Consumer Reports Money Adviser released its list of the best ways to find product freebies online.

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Investing in Facebook: Still too risky?

Investing in Facebook: Still too risky?

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 1:17 PM EDT, Thu August 16, 2012
Remember when Facebook went public a few months ago? Of course you do, everyone does. But you probably have no clue what’s happened since then, well unless you have some fascination beyond the fact that the entire spectacle was pretty much a bust.

And things haven’t improved very much. Shares of Facebook are now falling to all-time lows after the company reached the expiration of a lock-up period. It’s also a chance for early investors and insiders to finally get out. Facebook stock dropped 7%, or $1.49, to $19.71 in Thursday morning trading. At one point the stock dropped to $19.69, the lowest-ever intraday trading price. And if it gets down to $19, Facebook stock will have lost half of its value since the company went public back in May. Oh, and shares haven’t closed above the $38 IPO price since the first day of trading.

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Buying back-to-school gadgets on a budget

Buying back-to-school gadgets on a budget

By Alexandra Thomas
updated 11:57 AM EDT, Thu August 16, 2012
If you’ve bought back-to-school gear for your kids, or any kid, in the past couple of years, you’ve probably noticed that the entire back-to-school shopping experience isn’t what it used to be. Spiral binders and big heavy textbooks have been replaced by tablets and e-readers. And although kids may be thinking about how cool they’re going to look with that sleek new gadget in hand, a lot of parents are thinking something else: pricey!

According to a survey by deal-aggregator site TechBargains, about 36% of shoppers plan to spend more money on electronics during their back-to-school shopping this year. And it isn’t because people are all of a sudden rolling in dough; the majority of those who expect to pay more say it’s because schools are now requiring more.

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