FHA.gov - Info about FHA loans
ZabaSearch.com - FREE people and public information search
Wink.com - FREE people and public information search
Spock.com - FREE people and public information search

In the early days of NetFlix, no one was quite sure if the company's business model would work. Now they've become an enormous success and have practically demolished competitors like Blockbuster.

The next challenge NetFlix has to face is the on-demand movie threat. So the company has come up with a $99 box that delivers on-demand flicks directly to your TV. A monthly subscription fee of about $9 is required to have access to some 10,000 movies.

Netflix is hoping this device will help them counter the on-demand services from some of the cable companies. But do you really want another box on top of your TV? That's become valuable real estate.

In related news, expect to see more tiny computers during the next few years. This trend should be a real boon for all the road warriors who have to lug around heavy laptops.

Clark has a new Hewlett Packard mini-laptop ($599) that weighs 2 pounds and has a full keyboard. It can fit easily in a woman's purse or inside a carry-on bag -- no need for a separate computer bag.

Think of it as HP's response to Clark's beloved "Triple E" PC. Clark was an early adopter of the "Triple E" and bought it for $399. Now he recently saw BJ's selling it for $274!

So business travelers and others, take heart. The days of hurting your shoulder are over. You no longer need to lug a heavy laptop and create a living for the chiropractors!

Gas rebate credit cards are hot right now. Is that any surprise? We're all shell-shocked by prices at the pump and the promise of HUGE rebates sounds great. But beware that these offers may only be good for a couple of weeks or months.

For example, BP has one heavily advertised offer for a card that gives you 10% back on gas for 2 months. After that, it drops to 5%, which is still not that bad.

But Clark doesn't recommend getting a rebate card for any one particular brand of gasoline. Consider this: The price of gas at BP may be, for argument's sake, 10 cents higher per gallon than other brands. So after the rebate drops down, you'd probably be better off having a plain vanilla MasterCard or Visa with rebates.

A word to the wise: Purchasing gas from a major oil company will usually cost more than at an independent. You can buy with confidence from indie brands because their gas is regulated by the government just like the majors. In fact, Clark only goes to the off-brands for gasoline because they're so much cheaper.

Clark is a devout fast-food consumer. Years ago, he even earned the nickname "The Carryout Kid" from his brother. Today, the penny-pinching guru favors the value menus at the major chains. But right now McDonald's has a civil war on its hands with franchisees upset about the dollar menu.

The franchisees are trying to pressure corporate to change the name of the dollar menu to the "McValue Menu," similar to what Wendy's did. With costs increasing, franchisees are not able to make a profit when they sell an item for a dollar. So The Wall Street Journal reports that some have already raised the prices on select dollar items. For example, they're charging $1.09 or $1.29 for a double cheeseburger.

Clark saw someone order 2 double cheeseburgers (at $1 each) and a complimentary cup of water at McDonald's -- a sure sign of inflation. Franchisees lose money every time that happens.

The dollar as a magic price point is under assault. What will the dollar stores do? Chinese goods cost more because of international inflation. They could raise prices, but the "two-dollar store" doesn't have the same ring to it!

Meanwhile, beware of hidden price increases at the dollar stores. Clark was recently shopping for shaving cream and noticed they shrunk the size but charged the same price.

Clark often wishes he had a dollar for every time someone asked him about ZabaSearch.com, the website where you can search public records to locate a person. The info on the site is not always accurate or up to date, and Clark compares using ZabaSearch.com to being a private investigator tracking down leads.

Case in point: When executive producer Christa searched her name, she got a bunch of old addresses and also some listings for a woman who shares the same moniker in San Francisco.

Now ZabaSearch.com has spawned several imitators such as Wink.com and Spock.com. Clark isn't sharing this info to make you paranoid; he just wants you to be informed about the public info that may be out there about you.