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Clark always talks about spending less, but here's something it might be worth to actually spend some money on. The Clear program -- which appeals to frequent travelers -- puts you through a supposed Homeland Security background check where you're fingerprinted and have a retinal scan. The cost is about $100 or so, and those who pass the screening are issued a smart card with a chip that stores your info. When you get to the airport, you pop your card in a machine, have your palm scanned and then go through an expedited security area.

The Department of Homeland Security has been reluctant to do a trusted traveler program like they do in Israeli. Clark recalls traveling from Zurich to Israel when there was a security issue with his flight. All the passengers were taken to a bunker, partially strip-searched in private rooms and all carry-ons and bags were searched. That's real security. Here we are 7 years after 9/11 and we still don't have real security. But Clark believes the Clear program is a start. It will allow TSA workers more time to deal with people who aren't in the program.

Then there's the whole question of profiling vs. legitimate questioning. In Western Europe, travelers can be interrogated repeatedly to expose behavioral tics like sweating and shifty eyes that may give away a potential terrorist. No system is perfect, but we need to be smarter about security because we're spending billions and not getting the job done. Oddly enough, it's many of the full-fare airlines that are opposed to background checks. They must have amnesia about 9/11.

About 2 years ago, a listener informed Clark that moisture degrades shaving blades. So Clark went on his now-famous kick where he used a single 17-cent razor and made it last 1 year by drying it after every use. Well, now comes word that Gillette is marketing a 5-blade razor for women called the Venus Embrace. Once you get past 2 or 3 blades, are you actually getting a closer shave? Not really. The Venus Embrace just allows women to be ripped off just like men in the razor blade aisle! So ladies, if you want to overpay for the Gillette blade at least make it last by drying it off after each use. That way they'll rip you off less frequently.

Clark recently opened a drawer under his sink and found two 55-count bags of Schick double-edged razors. One bag was open and he had 51 shavers left, while the other was completely sealed. Using one blade a year, Clark has calculated that he'd have to go past the century mark in age to use up the 55-count pack that's already open! He'd have to live to be 158 years old to use both packs in their entirety! But he doesn't expect to live that long, so Clark will be donating the unopened pack to a shelter where he and his wife volunteer.

CLARKONOMICS: The financial activities of the past weekend and the collapse of overseas stock markets highlight that the world has lost faith in U.S. markets, banks and brokerage houses. Bear Stearns -- a company not really familiar to most Americans -- lost 99% of its value, and the Federal Reserve worked all weekend to engineer JP Morgan's bailout purchase of the company using taxpayer money.

So what's going to happen next? No one knows. The Fed's moves have paradoxically been both not enough and too much. Our financial markets got into trouble bit by bit, with idiotic mortgage lending and other practices. Bear Stearns was involved in structuring, which is really like selling garbage with a bow on it. Here's an example: Say that Christa wants to buy a home. She goes to Clark's bank to borrow. Clark lends her the money, but he isn't sure she'll pay back the loan. So Clark turns around and sells off Christa's loan to Joel's brokerage house, which offers to pay 95 cents on the dollar. But Joel doesn't think Christa will pay either, so he bundles her loan with thousands of others like it and markets them to individual investors and big institutional investors. That, in a nutshell, is an explanation of the mortgage securities market. The individual loans became hot potatoes and people suddenly started getting burned.

So here we are as Americans with excessive debt; a government taking on debt like crazy; and the Federal Reserve trying to pump money into the system, which sends the dollar into the toilet and starts a vicious circle. Consider this: People who don't use U.S. currency are not paying high gas prices. So why are we? Simply put, it now takes more U.S. dollars to buy the same barrel of oil thanks to the Fed devaluing our currency. If all this negativity sounds awful, realize that it's all part of capitalism. Relief will come, but it will be a very slow process.

The latest market developments have left a lot of question marks. People who have money invested are worried; people with 401(k) investments want to know if they should do a U-turn; and people with no money invested at all want to know if any of this should mean something to them.

If you're under the age of 50, the fact that stocks are really stinking it up actually benefits you. You can buy more stock with the same amount of money you put in every paycheck via your 401(k) or IRA. You may want to invest a part of your money internationally. The truth is that there will be stronger economic growth overseas than here in the United States in the coming years. That's going to be especially true of developing countries throughout Asia; to a lesser degree in former Communist Europe; and possibly in South America and Africa. We here in the United States have 4% of the world's population, yet more than a third of the wealth. So we'll continue to be a very rich country. It is important to be an owner in capitalism. You can be an owner through mutual funds and index funds available via your 401(k) or IRA. Right now, things may be tough for you and your retirement/investment strategy. But over time, ownership is a sure way to create wealth for you and your family.

Are you in it for today? No, you're in for the long haul. Take a look at Clark's investment guide for pointers. The simplest approach to investing may be a targeted retirement fund. Clark also likes Fidelity's 4-in-1 fund. The key is to spread your money out and continue to contribute to your retirement savings through the tough times. When it comes time to read your 401(k) quarterly statement, you may want to get some generic antacid -- you sure won't be able to afford the name-brand stuff!

The majority of people don't have a penny invested, though. So should any of this matter to them? Well, we as a country and individuals have been borrowing money we don't have. That means the economy is slowing down. President Bush hopes we're not in a recession, but really we're in a consumer recession. We're all in this together and we'll all get out together. There may be some pain, even if you didn't have a penny invested. But there's also great opportunity for the 30% of us who are in good financial stead at this time. The other 70% of us will have to tighten our belts, which is something politicians don't want you to do -- at least not before the November elections. On the other side of the ledger, you have active traders who got burned in hedge funds. Clark's advice is to stay away from doing trades with leverage, which is a fancy term for borrowed money. All you want to lose is what you put in, not 100 times what you put in. So only put in what you can afford to lose and still sleep at night. Be safe and smart, and don't play it too cute.