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Have you ever wondered about the logic behind the layout of your local supermarket? For example, why do they always put the milk way in the back of the store? Supermarkets know that if you come in for a single-item purchase, you're more likely to pick up some stray stuff if you have to wander through to get to what you really want. But this logic has started backfiring on retailers. They're finding that consumers don't want to be manipulated in this way. Now the Kroger and Publix food chains are putting mini-convenience marts with gas pumps in their parking lots in front of the store to better serve customers. While they may not get as many impulse buys, they appeal to customers by saving them on time.

Likewise, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that customers who enter the huge Wal-Mart super-centers with a shopping list in hand can only find two-thirds of what they want. So now there's a push for new signage in Wal-Marts to clearly identify the sections of the store. Finally retail stores are going to make it easier to find what you want! On a related note, how long do you wait in line at the supermarket? People often say an average of 15 minutes, but the actual time in line is 4 minutes and 27 seconds, according to a recent study. Keeping that wait time as low as possible really benefits supermarkets. They know that customers will abandon their carts if they're waiting on a line for too long. Then stores will have to restock the shelves and freezers with goods that have been left sitting without refrigeration and may have spoiled. Clark likes to say that retailing is one of the purest forms of free enterprise we've got. If you aren't happy giving your business to one market, go to another one. The greatest power you have as a consumer is the power to walk away.

Did you know the average wedding today costs around $30,000? If you go back just two generations in this country, you'll discover that people routinely got married for under $100. But if you've planned a wedding anytime recently, you know that the price tag associated with every aspect of the big day has been ballooning. Some brides have been known to pay $2,500 (and even up to $35,000!) for their dresses. Thankfully, there are a number of inexpensive wedding dresses available on the market. Retailers like Target, David's Bridal and Filene's Basement offer them in the $100-$200 range. As Clark says, your special day is not about the dress, the caterer or anything else; it's about picking the right mate. It's a day that should be about having a big heart, not a big wallet.

The stock brokerage industry is divided into two camps: There are the brokers who work on a full commission from the investments they sell you, and those that get paid based on the financial advice they give you. Meanwhile, consumer protection in the field is very weak. The industry has a mentality that brokers are salespeople who shouldn't have to follow any business code of ethics. It's as if the majority of the industry doesn't really care about the financial interests of its clients. In fact, the industry even conned the federal government into passing a law that says brokers aren't liable for bringing you to financial ruin so long as they presented you with "suitable" investment options. If you sign up with a stock broker, you actually waive your right to take them to court if they cheat you. You have to sign a form that forces you to go through company-run arbitration if there's a dispute. That makes it nearly impossible to get back your lost money! A study showed that you have a one in ten chance of winning in arbitration against stock brokers. It's a real kangaroo court scenario, according to Clark. Now, Clark has no problem with arbitration if it's mutually agreed upon by both parties. But this kind is crammed down your throat. Sure there are good brokers out there, but many others are not ethical. Clark's advice is that you never go to a full-commission stock broker. Only use brokers who get paid for their advice, not those who earn a commission from the investments they sell you.

If you've been paying attention to the news lately, you're probably familiar with the name Roy L. Pearson. He's the judge who sued a Washington, D.C., dry cleaner for $54 million when a pair of pants from his $1,000 suit went missing. Pearson lost his case in late June, but his outrageous request for $54 million created media frenzy fed by fear about lawsuit-happy people abusing our legal system. The whole episode really reminded Clark about a $2 million lawsuit McDonald's faced when a woman sued them for being burned by hot coffee. Once again, the plaintiff lost in that case, but people still live in fear of being sued at the drop of a hat. Many folks have asked Clark if he's ever been sued himself. The reality is that Clark once did have a legal tussle with a politician he referred to as a crook on air. The suit was thrown out in summary judgment, but Clark incurred $31,000 in legal defense fees. Meanwhile, that politician is now in prison for his wrongdoing. But that was only one suit that Clark faced in 20 years as a high-profile consumer advocate. So while you shouldn't do dumb things in your daily life to attract lawsuits, you also shouldn't worry excessively about being sued. The fear of lawsuits is often greater than the reality of them. And as Clark says, "Truth is the greatest defense."