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Dell is the company that changed the modern computer world as we know it. Dell set out to make computers more affordable for everyone and it worked. The company moved with the times one out of every three computers in the U.S. is a Dell. But Dell is having trouble these days. Dell can’t hit its financial numbers and its customers aren’t happy. The company has let its customer service get worse and worse, and customers have started losing faith. Dell finally seems to realize it has a problem and says it is hiring more customer service representatives. But, news reports state that the 400 new employees the company has hired in Oklahoma City are for corporate clients only. That’s just not smart. Until Dell puts the focus on the customer, you buy one of its computers at your peril.

Would you believe that half of all teachers quit in the first five years of employment? It happens because teachers aren’t paid enough and because they burn out. But it also happens because teacher’s unions are ripping off their own members in their retirement plans, according to the LA Times. Teachers receive a special retirement fund called a 403b plan. And teacher’s unions are asking insurance companies for kickbacks in return for designating those companies as the teachers’ 403b company. One company mentioned in the article was ING. That in itself is shameful. But the teachers are the ones paying for it with huge management fees. Above board companies such as T. Rowe Price get 0.35 percent for management fees from teachers. On the other hand, companies that are in the union deals are charging teachers ten times that amount. In one union deal in California, teachers are paying 25 times that amount. Teachers can get out of these ripoff plans by doing a 1035 Exchange. Think about going with one of the lowest commission companies such as TIAA-CREF, Vanguard or T. Rowe Price. It will save you a ton down the road.

Clark has defended Wal-Mart for years, despite the fact that the company continues to enrage people. He’s always believed that by making things more affordable for everyone, Wal-Mart has kept inflation from increasing more and has helped the economy. But Clark is not very happy with Wal-Mart today. The company wants to build a new distribution center in Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing, but the company is trying to get families to sell off their land so the state can build roads leading to the center. The Sentinel reports that Wal-Mart has been out threatening people to sell their land for the money they are offering or suffer the consequences. If people refuse, Wal-Mart plans to use its government power to make move them anyway and give them a tiny fraction of what they would have gotten. If the story is true, there is no reason for one of the largest companies to behave like a bully. Clark is appalled at this and hopes Wal-Mart realizes it is in the wrong.

For the first time in years, summer jobs are easier to find this year. That’s great news for young people in high school or college. So, why is it happening? Well, first of all, the job market is stronger. Secondly, although it doesn’t feel like it, the economy is stronger. And these jobs are paying higher than minimum wage. In addition, companies are offering more paid internships for young people in various years of school. Now the job may not be that interesting. But that doesn’t matter; getting your foot in the door is key. You can look around for jobs you want later. Statistics show that about 40 percent of people who worked as an intern at a company go to work for that company after graduation.

You may have heard about the government spying on our phone records, after three phone companies agreed to serve up our information on a silver platter. Only Quest refused to go along with the government’s fishing expedition. We hear “offers” for this all the time. When you go to a retail store, you’ve probably heard the clerk ask if you want to save money. All you have to do is register with the company and let them track you. You are then offered various sales depending on what you buy. But everywhere you turn, we’re giving up private information. Sometimes it’s without our consent, but many times we give out our own information by choice. So, be aware that you’re being tracked and it could come back to bite you if you’re not careful.

Clark had to take a deep breath when he read a story about debt in America recently. Would you believe that the amount of debt carried by the typical American family is up 33 percent in three years? And that’s even adjusted for inflation! Americans are spending and borrowing themselves into oblivion. We have the mentality that when we want something, we want it right then and there. We don’t want to pay for it then, but we still want it. And if it’s a 0-percent financing offer or a “No, No, No” plan, we think of it as even easier to obtain. Auto makers were extremely successful with the “0-percent financing” model, and other industries are following suit because they know consumers will go for it. Just because there is no interest doesn’t mean the item is free. You want to make sure you pay each month ahead of time to ensure the check gets there and don’t put off your payments until the end.