Funerals.org - Join a nonprofit memorial society
InfomercialScams.com - Investigate hotel ballroom sales scams
LeftFootCompany.com - Get digitally customized men's dress shoes

Here's a deadly topic that people don't like to talk about -- planning your funeral arrangements in advance. Clark became a lifetime member of a nonprofit memorial society back in the '70s. Is that what you'd call advance preparation or great pessimism? He was in his 20s and already thinking about when he wouldn't be here! The memorial society gave him access to group buying power to get a great deal on cremation or burial. Being a member will cut the costs of your disposition by about 75 percent. You simply pay a lifetime fee of around $25-$35 that varies by state. The memorial society will contact a funeral home to make arrangements at a low price. Be sure to tell your loved ones you've joined and give them access to the paperwork so they know how to proceed when the time comes.

There is an alternative, which is to pay in advance for burial arrangements. But Clark is against this option. The Washington Post recently reported on a cemetery in Maryland that catered to pre-need clients. But the operator stole the money -- instead of putting it in escrow -- and then sold the operation and moved to Florida. The new owners didn't know anything about the existing customers and couldn't honor their contracts when they did pass away. So the families had to pay a second time. That's why Clark advises you not to pay in advance, but rather to just plan in advance. Funerals.org is one site where you can join a memorial society.

What can you do if you haven't done any planning and you're in sudden need of a funeral home? Many homes have gone through roll-ups and been bought out by huge national chains. But the homes will still retain the old family-operated names. Unfortunately, economies of scale do not apply here. In fact, national chains come in and raise the rates astronomically. So try to do some comparison shopping (as hard as that may be at the time) and find a locally owned and operated funeral home. That should run you about a 1/2 to 2/3 off the cost of the giant monster mega-chains. Remember, you can't tell from the name outside, so you must ask.

Have you ever had a shoe that felt like it was made for your foot? Clark has been a longtime fan of mass customization. For example, Nike has been making sneakers that are customized as far as the look and styling goes. But now there's a company coming to United States called Left Foot that will do the same for the world of men's dress shoes. Left Foot starts by taking a digital picture of your feet. Then you have your pick of more than 300 styles of footwear, including golf shoes. The end result is a shoe that fits you perfectly down to every last dimension. Forbes has already reported on how people are raving about this company. But at $300/pair, these shoes are way out of Clark's price range. The rich who become early adopters of this technology will help the rest of us out by driving future prices down. Meanwhile, Clark paid about $15 for his dress shoes. They've lasted forever -- probably because he wears sneakers every day of the year!

Gift cards have been declining in popularity, but people still continue to give and get them. The problem is when you receive one that's intended to be redeemed at a place that doesn't appeal to you. Someone once gave Clark a Blockbuster gift card. He's hardly seen a movie from this millennium, so he's the wrong guy for that gift! Meanwhile, Clark's associate producer Joel once bought a Blockbuster card from a student who was selling them in his neighborhood. When he tried to redeem it, there was nothing on the card! The student had scammed him.

Some 30 percent of all gift cards are fraudulent, empty or stolen. People buy them on Craigslist or eBay and later find they're worthless. If you're looking to avoid such hassles, Clark recommends trying SwapAGift.com. This site allows you to get rid of your gift card or buy one -- all with buyer protection. Internal theft rings pose another problem in the gift card world. Sometimes employees conspire to sell used gift cards from their places of employment. So be aware that gift cards are not always a safe bet. Many retailers don't stand behind their cards; you'll take the hit if you get a bad card and are denied at checkout. Think about how embarrassing this must be for people who receive them as gifts. Do you tell the giver? Clark thinks you should.

Clark loves companies that put the focus on the customer. To name just a few, there's Costco, USAA, Amica Mutual and Southwest Airlines. It's as if these elite companies get up every morning and think, "How can we please our customers?" Amazon.com is another company that also puts the customer first -- yet it has become the Rodney Dangerfield of Wall Street. Analysts have always taken issue with the company's offers of free shipping. But you have to create a level of trust with the customer and this is one way to do it. Similarly, USAA and Amica don't earn trust with low premiums; they do it by really helping customers when they have claims. As a counterpoint, Allstate suffers from low public opinion. This insurer spends a lot on imaging ads, but doesn't always deliver a good customer experience. Management is trying to turn that around, according to The Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, Amazon's management has been pleasing customers from the beginning. So it's no wonder their stock is up 140 percent over the last year; company size is up 35 percent; and revenues are at $15 billion/year. Companies know they should treat their customers well, but how many realize that the way to do it is by treating your employees like gold?