Funeral Consumers Alliance - A funeral industry watchdog group
Everest Funeral Planning and Concierge Services - Provides personal funeral planning and price negotiation services
OrganDonor.gov - U.S. government organ and tissue donation awareness site
Bureau of the Public Debt - A consumer site with basic debt information and an online bond-transaction page
Prosper - An online community for person-to-person lending
Zopa - A British social-lending site that's coming soon to the United States
Circle Lending - Formalizes and administers private loans between individuals

There are now new rules about mortgages in place after all the problems with the "fake-a-bake" loans that poisoned the marketplace. "Liar's loans" (also called Alt-A loans) will now be stopped. "Liar's loans" got their name because you didn't have to prove anything about your financial situation to the lender. You paid a little higher interest rate and the lender just gave you a wink and a nod to whatever you said about your bottom line. Meanwhile, there are new laws for sub-prime loans now in place. In the past, lenders had fake opening rates so that people could qualify initially, but then they would reset at a higher rate forcing homeowners into foreclose. In fact, one in five loans made to people with damaged credit is now in delinquent status. So now, thankfully, the banks have to actually qualify people based on what the rate will become after the low introductory period.

Clark would like to have seen the regulators do even better by saying that people would have to qualify based on what the highest possible rate could be -- but the banks would have balked at that model. The result of the new regulations is that people will be qualifying for smaller, less expensive homes now. This is a good thing; people are not helping themselves by being forced into foreclosure and being put out on the street. Lenders now have to make sure that the loan makes sense for the customer. Another alternative is the one presented by Bruce Marks and the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America. The NACA makes loans to people only after they've saved money for a year to demonstrate that they can handle their mortgage. It's almost like being on probation. Say for example your rent is $800 and the home you want to buy will have a monthly payment of $1,200. You've then got to save $400 every month to prove yourself ready for a loan from Marks' organization. NACA rates are often three-quarters of a percent below the standard rate.

The fact that we're all going to die is an uncomfortable subject, but it's one Clark thinks is periodically worth discussing. The reality is that most people pass away without telling their family what should happen at the time of their death. This oversight puts loved ones in a "mission impossible" scenario where they have to consider funeral arrangements while coping with the emotions of bereavement. Unfortunately, the funeral industry has figured out how to make extra dough during such situations. But did you know that by joining a funerary or memorial society like Funerals.org you can save up to 75 percent off? You simply pay a fee and make arrangements in advance. Some people may think that talking about this topic is somehow not respectful of the deceased. That's part of the psychology of field -- funeral homes profit off making it "bad" to talk about money at such a difficult time. But by planning early, you don't force your family to play a guessing game. And you also save money for your heirs.

Clark knows that most people won't ever get around to joining a funerary society. So he also recommends visiting EverestFuneral.com to help save money with funerals. With Everest, you can hire a concierge to negotiate on your family's behalf with funeral home directors. Or you can simply pay $30 and they'll do local price comparison shopping for you. On a related note, The Boston Globe reports that going to a home owned by Service Corporation International -- the biggest funeral company in the world -- will cost you more than going to an independently owned one. The independents charge up to 25 percent less than SCI establishments. Finally, there's always the option of organ donation to save a buck. Clark plans to donate his vital organs at the time of death to those who are in need of replacements. As part of that arrangement, his body will then be cremated free of charge. Clark says that if marveling at the fact that he's willing to take his thrifty ways to the grave is what it takes to get you to investigate some options, well, his work is done!

Not very long ago, Clark mentioned that people from the United States are now going to Mexico for dental care. That discussion sparked some unfriendly response. Now London's Financial Times has done a report about the medical tourism trend. People are going overseas to Thailand and India to save money on surgeries. The number of Americans going overseas is rising 20 percent per year, according to the report. The savings can be extraordinary -- up to 75 percent. The big question is, "What kind of care will you get overseas?" While the quality does vary, many third-world countries have first-rate hospitals that cater to foreigners. The Financial Times reports that Singapore is the best place to go for overseas medical care that is roughly equal to American care. You'll still save substantial amounts there -- up to 50 percent off -- and have a private nurse for 24 hours a day. While Clark admits that he is a medical idiot, he does believe that if you are grappling with the cost issue alone you should consider this option. There are now medical tourism businesses that handle accommodations, finding doctors and all the other logistics of getting care abroad. Be sure to vote in our new poll when you visit our homepage and tell us what you think about this emerging trend!

What do you do if you need money but want to avoid borrowing from the banks? In the past, Clark has always recommended credit unions. But now there are even more options available. Prosper.com is a site where people lend money to each other instead of a bank being in the middle. The investor who takes a risk in lending to you earns relatively high returns and you get a low rate. This is a big success that's growing exponentially. The way it works is that a borrower gets a lot of cash from several different people online. That helps lower the individual lender's risk in the case of default. People are essentially becoming their own loan officers by calculating the risk to see if they want to be part of a loan. There's a similar website in Britain called Zopa.com that's getting ready to come to the United States. A little competition in this field is going to be a healthy thing. However, there are some core differences between Proper and Zopa. The former grades your credit and then assigns you a lender, while the latter is tougher and only allows loans to those with moderate credit.

The volume of transactions on sites like these is growing. So is this a threat to the banking business? While it's still small potatoes today, over time it could be. CircleLending.com is also a good site to use for lending to people who are your family members or friends because it helps you negotiate a contractual agreement. Meanwhile, Clark has a rule for lending to family that he calls the "one time out rule." It states that you can lend to a family member once (and only once) as a gift. Even though they will call it a loan, you may never see the money come back. If it does, you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's kind of the same idea as the old saying, "First time shame on you, second time shame on me."