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Have you noticed that magazine rates are very cheap these days and newspapers are free or near nearly free in many cities? It’s happening because people who grew up in the television and video game era don’t read newspapers. So, publications are having to beg people and distribute free newspapers to get them to read the product. It started in Europe and now is spreading to the state. So, if you enjoy browsing through the paper, now is the time to sign up for a subscription. The price may even be negotiable when signing up.

Clark quit smoking quite a few years ago, but he admits he used to smoke like a chimney. Therefore, he has always been interested in the topic of smoking in the workplace and how it is accepted. Well, a story in the Detroit News gave him his answer. According to the paper, a Michigan company fired four employees because they tested positive for tobacco after the company instituted a no-smoking policy. It’s legal in Michigan to fire employees on those grounds. But Clark thinks that is just wrong. About 80 percent of you agreed with him in a recent poll, which asked whether it was fair to fire existing employees because they smoke. He thinks it’s fine not to hire someone because he or she is a smoker. It adds huge health care costs. But doing what’s fair is also important.

Clark has always encouraged people to learn about investing and to do it themselves whenever possible. It’s a wealth of knowledge and it can save you tons. But how much difference does it really make? Financial writer Jane Bryant Quinn conducted an analysis into this subject recently. She compared what people make when putting their money in a low cost mutual fund versus one sold by a high-commissioned broker or salesperson. In the first scenario, she compared investments of $10,000 over 15 years. If you choose the low cost fund, you’ll have $26,000 after 15 years. In a commissioned fund, you’ll have only $20,000. And, after 30 years, you’ll have 64 percent more money! That’s huge. It happens because, year after year, your money grows exponentially. So the longer you have the money in the fund, the bigger the difference. The problem is that most people don’t know what expenses they’re paying for their mutual funds, and companies make it very hard to understand. But you can’t go wrong with Vanguard, TIAA-Cref, Fidelity Investments and T. Rowe Price. These are all low to moderately low fee companies, with Vanguard having the least expensive fee structure. Check them out. It’s your money!

The FTC has published its list of the No. 1 consumer complaints out there today. People made complaints in a number of areas, but only two had real statistical significance. Identity theft was No. 1, followed closely by auction site fraud. And when anyone says “auction site fraud,” it means eBay. eBay has been a fast-growing enterprise that has recently raised prices, and customers are being more disgruntled. Clark thinks eBay is hurting itself by failing to police its marketplace and protect its customers. It’s a brilliant idea. But because of eBay’s inability to protect users, buyers and sellers must be extra careful. Therefore, consumers must realize that they may lose their money if they enter into a transaction. It’s up to eBay whether it wants to care. But you need to know what could happen before you do business on the site. With larger transactions, it is buyer (and seller) beware. Clark doesn’t think this business model will work for long with eBay. But for now, it’s up to you.

Americans pay more for health care than any other country. The ironic thing is that right now we rank with third world countries in terms of life span, infant mortality and other standardized measurements. Clark thinks we need standardized plans that are simple and easy to understand such as the Health Savings Accounts or HSAs. But right now most people only have insurance through their employer or extremely high individual insurance. And it’s causing people severe financial harm. According to Harvard University, about half of all bankruptcy filing are due to medical bills. Most of those people were middle class, had health insurance and owned their own homes. But the non-reimbursed portion of medical care put them into bankruptcy. Hospitals, labs and doctor’s offices should have a price list for patients so they know what they are getting into. We need capitalism and competition in health care to keep it affordable.

The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates again, which means that the prime rate is going up and credit card rates will most likely go up. Home equity loans will also go from 4.5 to 5.5. percent, and that rate will slowly increase. At the same time, something strange is happening. Typically when the Feds raise interest rates, other rates go up too. Mortgage rates, for example, typically go up with interest rates go up. But that has not happened this time. Home mortgages have gone down, not up. So, a 30-year fixed rate mortgage will now be about 5.25 percent. A 5-1 ARM will be about 4.75 percent at the most. So it’s a good idea to “go long” as they say. You fix your costs at a lower rate than you can float your costs. So, those with floating rate credit cards should do what they can to pay down their debts. And, if you’re in an ARM, think about getting out and shifting to a fixed loan.