Clark's life is usually quite busy, but there's been a little more going on than usual during the past couple days. Earlier this week, he spoke about closing on an REO foreclosure. In the midst of everything, his family's dog died. Clark's wife and his middle child have been very upset by the death of Costco Wholesale. QT, the family's other dog, is still doing well despite being nearly blind. Meanwhile, Clark's wife was in a car wreck a week ago. The other party's insurer has been stalling, and their car is at the body shop just sitting and waiting for authorization. Finally, his wife said, "You're America's consumer champion. You always give advice to others about consumer problems. What's your advice for yourself, Clark Howard?"

That set Clark on a path that's been educational (but not necessarily fun) as he's learned to deal with the other person's insurance company. One possible solution is to subrogate, which means Clark will go to his own insurer, pay the deductible and let the two insurance companies fight it out. Another possibility is to go the litigious route. The woman who hit Clark's wife has proven delightful, so they're trying to avoid having it come to that. But insurance channels are notoriously difficult to navigate; even if your insurer is good, you still have to deal with the other person's insurer. When Clark checked Consumer Reports' rankings of the best and worst insurers, he found the other person's insurer about halfway down the list. So Clark has consumer problems just like anybody else. He'll update you on what happens if he has to go to court.