• clarkhoward.com - tips on record keeping

There is a new gimmick going around the insurance business that Clark is not sure about. He’s been trying to figure out if it’s a deal or not. Basically, you buy an all-in-one policy that includes auto, homeowner’s and life insurance. Metlife calls its plan “Grand Protect” while AllState calls its “Encompass.” Companies have been rolling them out state by state, so some newspapers have started looking into them. Turns out that these plans cost significantly more than buying individual policies. So, look into them seriously before making any decisions, and Clark recommends that you say, "Thanks, but no thanks."

Teens have been buying blue jeans at enormous prices lately. The figures totally stun Clark. One pair of jeans could cost anywhere from $100 to $1,500. And parents are not deterring this spending. Well, new reports from industry analysts show that if companies stopped making jeans today, there could be 5-year oversupply of jeans on the way. Retailers are frantically trying to stop orders because there are so many being manufactured. So, if teens can be patient they will get great deals on fancy jeans.

Money Magazine has just released a story about whether or not it’s a good idea to use coupons. About two-thirds of people use coupons today. Among the wealthy, the number jumps to three-quarters of people. So, do they save money? For every $1 that people use in coupons, they’re spending went up $8. Apparently, people feel they should reward themselves when they save money. Think about what your behavior is in grocery stores. Are you spending more money than you would if you didn’t use the coupons? It’s food for thought!

About five years ago, Clark signed up for an experimental program with his utility company. The utility gets to seize Clark’s air conditioner on hot days when the demand is higher. In return, he gets a bounty and the company saves tons of money. That’s because it costs a power company much more to get that last bit of energy than it does when the company is producing energy on a non-hot day. So, each additional source of energy costs more than the one before. And, it's a win-win if the company can conserve resources and the customer gets the payback. The idea of adjusting prices based on how much it costs to provide energy is starting to take root. Several states are experimenting with meters that people can adjust themselves depending on demand. Therefore, consumers can control their power bills. Pennsylvania, Florida and California are all experimenting with programs. Look for something similar in your state.

Microsoft has had lots of problems with its Internet Explorer program. It’s constantly being attacked by people sending viruses and trying to infiltrate users’ computers. As a result, last year Clark started encouraging people to use Firefox, an alternative browser. It’s an “open source” browser, which means that people at a non-profit organization are behind it and there is very little chance of it getting infected. Now, Firefox has a competitor. It’s from AOL, which is a bit shocking. But AOL has put out a new Netscape product that is very effective at protecting users. And best of all, you don’t have to be an AOL customer to use it. If you’re still using IE, consider switching to one of these programs. To get there, type netscape.com into your address field. In little, tiny type you’ll see a link on the left side of the screen. This is not to pick on Microsoft, but the company has not done a good job protecting its user’s computers.

You may have noticed home getting larger and larger over the years. We’ve gone nuts when it comes to the size of houses we’re building, and builders are giving us exactly what we want. But to every trend there can be a counter reaction or reversal in trend as a result. Take Texas, for example. Everything is big in Texas. But right now, people in Dallas are actually starting to buy smaller homes. They want these smaller homes because it’s less maintenance, lower bills and a better-structured home. But one builder has had trouble convincing banks to help him subsidize these homes because it bucks the trend. His customers prefer an 1,800 square foot house rather than a 3,000 square foot house. But he finally convinced them, and now it’s a trend. In fact, Matt Holly apparently can’t find enough land to build all of these small houses. When you buy a house, don’t base it on pizzazz. Instead, look at the quality of the home in general.