Clarkhoward.com - Clark's plain English guide to the economic stimulus payments
Clarkhoward.com - Clark's work at home guide
Clarkhoward.com - Clark's credit freeze guide

Clark has been fielding a ton of calls about the economic stimulus payments. People have been really confused by the media coverage of these rebates that will be coming in late spring and early summer. That's why Clark has compiled his new plain English guide to the economic stimulus payments. When you visit this page, you'll see Clark opens with a blog-style posting in which he talks about his disapproval of the stimulus package. From a standpoint of fundamental economics, this package is sound and fury signifying nothing -- except it will feel like something when you get that check or direct deposit. Since he does disapprove, he wants to be sure you turn a negative into a positive by using your refund to pay down your debt. It's like following the first rule of medicine: Do no harm. Otherwise, this package may be an economic prescription that can potentially harm us as a country.

Automakers are starting to build vehicles with the idea that people are spending more and more time in their automobiles. A major trend among manufacturers at Detroit's North American International Auto Show was creating vehicles that are like rolling houses -- not necessarily in their size, but in their amenities. Clark and his executive producer Christa both have Honda Odysseys that are 4 years apart. It's instructive to see how much has changed in such a short period of time. Christa's newer Odyssey has multiple outlets for video players, tons of cup holders, fancy pop-down wireless video screens and seats that fold down very easily. Some vehicles are even being built with power inverters for laptops, and Sirius satellite radio is offering TV channels so you don't have to carry around DVDs for your kids. It's like cars are becoming a destination instead of a means to reach a destination.

Clark's executive producer Christa recently gave up soft drinks for Lent. She had been drinking about 3 or 4 beverages a day. A recent Purdue University study found that soft drinks with saccharine actually make you gain weight, not lose it. Researchers believe the saccharine alters your appetite and makes you want to eat more. When the results of this study were released, everyone on Team Clark immediately thought about Clark and his love of soft drinks. Christa will go for 40 days without a soft drink. Can Clark go for 4 days without one? How about 4 hours?? Meanwhile, an older study suggested that diet sodas trick your brain and body in a bad way. While they're sweet to your palate, they don't offer any real sugar for the body to metabolize. There's a real disconnect between what your body expects and what it actually gets. That's why some people think drinking even one diet soda a day actually increases your chances of gaining weight.

Several weeks ago, Clark told you that his wife was in an auto accident. While everyone involved was fine, he promised to report back about the challenges he was having with the other party's insurance company. They didn't want to pay and kept pushing Clark to file a claim with his own insurer -- a process known as subrogation. The problem with subrogation is that 2 insurers can cut a deal, leaving each driver with an at-fault accident on their driving record. In this case, there was no question that the other driver was the one who hit Clark's wife.

While the insurance struggles were going on, Clark and his wife were able to use a spare vehicle they have to get around. The insurers like to play a waiting game because they know that not everyone has more than one vehicle. So most people eventually roll over and just go the subrogation route. Clark was able to instead become politely persistent. He got on a first-name basis with the investigator and called every single day. On the 8th day, the other person's insurer agreed to pay for damage to his wife's car.

The game is to continually stall in the hopes that you'll eventually go to your own insurance company. Clark's just glad he didn't have to file suit in a small claims court against the other driver. But had he done so, their insurance company would probably have capitulated when they were faced with the expenses of a court date. In the end, you are your own best advocate.