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States are spending an exorbitant amount of our money these days. This year, states are spending 8 percent more than the year before. The year before that, it was another 8 percent. The Wall Street Journal looked into the matter to find out which states are planning to spend even more. From California, to Florida, to Massachusetts, these states planning to spend more. They use the word “revenue” to indicate they’re increasing costs. We pay so much attention to what the Feds are doing. But we need to think about what’s going on at home, too. Clark thinks we need a “taxpayer bill of rights,” much like what the state of Colorado did. The bill would keep caps on spending and would give taxpayers more say in whether states increase spending or not. Sometimes these governments have surplus money coming in. Why not take that surplus money and put it away until it is needed? Wouldn’t that be a novel idea?

Clark has talked in the past about a credit card that helps save money for college. It was offered by Fidelity Investments and it paid 2 percent of all your charge volume into a college savings plan. Well, that program is no longer available to people other than those who already have the card. Now, the company has reduced the benefit to 1.5 percent. And there is now a cap on how much you can earn each year for your child’s education. This is a sign of the times. Credit card companies are reducing benefits and rewards more often these days. Or, for some specific charges, you don’t get rewards. So, it may be time to find a better card. That doesn’t mean you should close the accounts you have. Keeping them open helps your credit score. Just don’t use that card anymore. On another note, Fidelity has a new Visa card that gives you 1.5 percent back into a Fidelity investment account. There is no limit on earning power. Capital One has a card that earns you 1 percent each month, plus an additional. .25 percent at the end of the year. Of course, that could change too. Always keep your options open.

Clark and his wife took their 7-year-daughter to London for her spring break, and she loved it. London is a very user friendly city with a very safe and easy-to-use subway system. London is a very expensive city, however, especially for Americans. But Clark used his noggin ahead of time to make the trip affordable. He used Priceline to book the hotel and got a great hotel for $79 a night, and they took the subway – or “The Tube” as its known – just about everywhere. The fact that England is thriving is great for people who live there, though. For years, the country was in turmoil because union groups demanded wages but never worked and nothing got done. Now, people work, the government has changed for the better and the country is a success.

Lenders and borrowers are both drowning these days. One in eight people are delinquent in mortgages these days and typically they are people who put no money down on their homes. They borrowed 100 percent of the purchase price and now they can’t pay it back. So, lenders are not getting paid and are having to foreclose on those properties – something they hate to do. As a result, the pendulum is swinging back toward more stringent policies and requirements for borrowing. The likelihood of putting no money down, for instance, is dwindling. Countrywide, one of the largest lenders out there, is telling customers already that they will need at least 5 percent. If you’re thinking of buying a home, remember that. It’s protection for you and the lender.