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Today's topics are "Best Of Clark" repeats from recent shows

Senior citizens are getting taken in big numbers when they go to "free" seminar lunches or dinners. There's a federal-state joint investigation right now seeking to expose the practice of sales people trying to pitch seniors all kinds of investments, trusts and other products that our elders don't need. Of all the complaints filed with state securities regulators, Dow Jones reports that a third of them come from senior citizens. Meanwhile, roughly a third of all enforcement actions taken by the states are against con artists who have been ripping off seniors. A lot of older people have an old-fashioned sense of values, so if someone offers them a meal they feel obligated to that person or company. Cons know this and prey on the elderly. The problem is that you have no idea what kind of investment fraud you might be getting pulled into if you go to one of these "free" meals. Clark advises people to call their parents and grandparents and alert them to this problem. That "free" lunch your elderly parent may be considering would be better served by you. Go take your parents and grandparents out for a meal and you'll help protect their retirement savings and fulfill their need for companionship at the same time!

On his recent book tour, Clark met a gentleman who was about to become a refugee from corporate America because of downsizing. He decided that buying a franchise was the right way to go from there. Clark asked him what he knew about the industry, and he said "nothing." He said the franchise company promised incredible profits, but you can't always trust their word. Clark asked what his previous field was...he answered computers. Clark asked him why he wanted to go into a field that had nothing to do with his business experience...was he burned out? He said no, he just thought he could make a lot of money with this franchise. But Clark wants you to think long and hard before you do buy into one, especially if you're a corporate refugee. Clark's advice: work in the industry first and see if you really like it. Learn it from the inside out, even if it means emptying trash cans at first. Franchises are much harder to sell than buy, so you want to be 100 percent sure you want to stick with it. Corporate refugees, you have to be especially careful since what you used to do was probably very specific. You'll have to be a multi-disciplinary person -- a utility player -- if you're going to go from an office into running your own business. If you're not, you're probably not the kind of person who should own a franchise. Meanwhile, what do you do if you have experience but can't find a regular job? Try consulting. Use the knowledge you gained in the corporate world and put that to use helping others who can benefit from your advice and experience. If you've gained the currency of knowledge, education and training and just kick it to the curb, you'll be throwing the baby out with the bath water!

Have you ever wanted to see a film but didn't want to order it on Netflix and wait for it to come in the mail? And what if you just couldn't find the time to get out to your local Blockbuster and rent a copy? TiVo has teamed up with Amazon to make sure that you can get a wide variety of films delivered directly to your TV screen without ever leaving home. The pricing for the newly revamped "Amazon Unbox on TiVo" service runs about $2 for older films and $4 for new releases. The service was initially launched last winter, but back then you had to select your movie and watch it on your computer. This new upgrade is great for self-professed "techno-idiots" like Clark, who can now get their favorite flicks directly on the boob tube!

Best of all, this new technology marks a great stride toward IPTV or internet protocol television. With IPTV, the internet offers the ability to completely control the content on your screen. Here in America, we lag behind many other countries in Internet and tech advances because of the shared monopoly of the cable and phone companies. But there's more neat stuff like this coming down the pike. Imagine the day when you'll basically have the entire Hollywood archive of movies at your fingertips. Get ready to break out that microwave popcorn!

In the days when people would spend an entire lifetime working for one employer, they were frequently given gold watches at their retirement parties. While that tradition may now seem old fashioned, there's one thing that's becoming even more antiquated: pensions. The Los Angeles Times now reports that two-thirds of those employers who still offer pensions are eliminating them for new hires or planning to do so in the next few months. It's getting to the point where pensions will be a forgotten concept for future generations of workers.

The reality is that you need to think in terms of how you are going to pay for your own retirement. You can not rely on somebody else; that kind of support is increasingly not there. Clark recalls the donnybrook that took place in the Supreme Court when IBM battled to change its pension plan. The computer maker won and cheated out longtime employees who were counting on pension funds for their retirement. The moral here is that if you're relying on a company to provide for you or your family in the golden years, it's time to reassess your plans for the future.

Here's another one of Clark's rip-off alerts! For years, AOL has made it difficult for people to get out of their contracts. To add financial insult to that injury, the Internet service provider charges a whopping $24-$25 dollars for dialup. Who in the world would pay that when there is basic DSL available in many markets for $10-$15 dollars? Unfortunately, some 12 million people still do fork over their hard-earned cash for dialup! Maybe it's because when you call up and try to drop AOL, the customer service representatives transfer you repeatedly and are argumentative. Then finally when you think you've gotten out of the contract, you're billed again next month. In fact, there was an internal conspiracy going on where financial incentives were given to employees to cheat the American people.

Now AOL has entered into a settlement where they've agreed to reform their business practices -- even though they didn't admit to any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, they're only paying a minimal fine and not one of their executives has been jailed for allowing this conspiracy to steal. If you're one of the people who has had money stolen by AOL after you cancelled the service, the settlement also allows you to get restitution from the company. Look for a link to the customer restitution form on Clarkhoward.com when AOL makes it available. Why is it that a big company can steal without any meaningful consequences? As Clark says, individuals who practice the kind of trickery AOL has for years would find themselves with some new jewelry -- handcuffs. Updating a related story, Sprint has recently been firing their customers for making too many customer service calls. Now the state of New York is trying to make Sprint waive the cancellation fee for those customers the carrier wants to drop. Clark fully believes the cancellation penalty should work both ways.

Here on the show we always give out free advice to you, the consumer. But did you know that we also get it back from our dedicated listeners? After receiving a tip from one such person, we've put up a list of FREE software that you can download from the Internet. It's divided into dozens of areas of interest, so you can surf around easily to get software, books, games, free conference calling and so much more. While the quality of stuff that's free is all over the board, you can rest assured that none of it will cost you one thin dime. Bookmark the page...it just may come in handy!