Jott.com - Free, ad-supported texting/e-mailing voice system
NOLO.com - Prepare your own will
LegalZoom.com - Prepare your own will RipoffReport.com - Search for modeling school scams
FTC.gov - The FTC's warning about modeling school scams
Wesabe.com - Online money management tools
Mint.com - Online money management tools Yodlee.com - Online money management tools
ClearCheckbook.com - Online money management tools

Clark wants to share news of a website that could save your life. Have you noticed how many people text or e-mail while they drive? This is a very dangerous practice. When you're traveling at freeway speeds, you can go 20 yards in the 1 second it takes you to glance down at your handheld device. There are even some states with DWT (driving while texting) laws now on the books. One day Clark nearly ran off the road while reading an e-mail. So now he only looks at his e-mails when he's come to a complete stop. But what if you're so addicted to your Crackberry that you just have to text and e-mail while driving? Try Jott.com, a free, ad supported service. Here's how it works: After registering your contact list, you call up an 800 number and say the name of the person you want to text or e-mail. Then you begin speaking your message and Jott translates it into the written word. One caveat: It might be good to mention in your e-mail that it's a voice translation. The first test that Clark sent was almost completely accurate -- except for the words "sen" (send) and "motocue" (Moto Q). Clark is very excited about Jott, but he's already wondering if it will wind up in his Internet graveyard!

There's a lot of debate about when to go to a lawyer. The truth is that in some situations they're necessary, and in others they're not. Take the situation of making a will. Most people don't have a will or they have one that's grossly outdated. The danger in those situations is that the state may decide who gets your money, or your kids could end up with that relative who is your worst nightmare when you die. People are usually reluctant to do a will because they're either afraid of death, afraid of lawyers or both! One simple way to do a will is with NOLO.com. This legal self-help service features the highly respected WillMaker software. This may be a good option if you have simple family arrangements and aren't filthy rich. WillMaker asks you questions and then pops back answers as you make your will. If you get confused, stop and see a lawyer. Or proceed with WillMaker and then pay a lawyer to review the will you create. But you definitely want to hire a lawyer if you have family members who will squabble over money, or if you have any kind of complicated family arrangements. Ditto with divorces. In some states, you can obtain a divorce yourself by using a kiosk at a courthouse. This may be a wise choice if there are no assets to fight about and there are few debts. Just be sure to hire a lawyer if there are custody or financial issues.

Lawyers get angry at Clark whenever he talks about this topic. The Texas Bar Association actually got the state legislature to make it a crime for Texans to purchase a NOLO book. NOLO got so much publicity in the process that their sales skyrocketed elsewhere. On the other end of the spectrum, Arizona is one state that's very progressive and where you don't always need a lawyer. Likewise, paralegals in California will prepare documents for you to file at a courthouse. Just for the record, Clark is not anti-lawyer. You just have to be Clark Smart about when you really need one.

The latest figures show that ID theft continues to grow at an alarming pace. The feds report that 8.5 million people had their identity stolen last year. But other private industry reports put that number between 12-15 million last year. ID theft can range from a minor aggravation to a full-on tragedy. In the latter category, Clark has heard numerous stories over the years of ID theft taking place within families. There are instances where a father will steal the ID of a son, or a mother of a daughter.

So what can you do about ID theft? Try freezing your credit file. Credit freezes are now available in all 50 states from all 3 credit-reporting bureaus. See our credit freeze guide if you're having trouble navigating the often-confusing application process. Credit freezes shut down ID thieves cold. A "perk" is that you also shut down your ability to make an impulse purchase with a new line of credit! You'll pay a nominal fee to do a credit freeze or thaw. But the cost will be nothing compared to the hassle you could have if you leave yourself unprotected. A cautionary tale comes to us from Britain, where the government recently lost the data files of 25 million people in one fell swoop. Now criminals have all the info they need to wreak havoc. The British prime minister is understandably facing a firestorm of protest.

People are always looking for good web-based budget tools so they can get control of their spending. Clark hears people telling him that their money disappears as they move up the pay scale. It doesn't matter whether they make $25,000, $50,000 or $100,000 a year! Where does the money go and how can you easily keep track of it? There are a number of websites that can assist you in this task. Clark has been talking about Wesabe.com for a couple of weeks. Now Mint.com is a new one he recently discovered. You register anonymously and give Mint access to monitor all of your accounts. They use artificial intelligence software to analyze where your money goes on a daily basis. Sometimes people aren't really ready to face up to where their money is going. That's a personal choice. Clark just wants to give you the tools you need to take control of your finances. Other options include Yodlee.com and ClearCheckbook.com. All these sites say they're safe for you to use. Are they really? Clark's willing to take the chance because a greater risk is posed by uncontrolled spending.