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Friday, August 10, 2007Other Dates

Websites/phone numbers mentioned:

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financialengines.com - are you financially ready to retire?

Today's topics are "Best Of Clark" repeats from recent shows

Wal-Mart launches in-store pick-up

Wal-Mart has seen some erosion in online sales because of competition from other e-commerce sites. Users have to pay sales tax because the company has a presence in every state, so everyone has to pay tax. That is not the case with other Internet retailers. Wal-Mart also charges for shipping, while other sites do not if you hit a certain price point. Because of the lag, the company is trying something new to help boost online sales -- in-store pick-up. Customers can now order items online, then go into a store to pick it up. There are no shipping costs, which is great for consumers. There is also a benefit for Wal-Mart, according to The Orlando Sentinel. People who order items online end up spending an additional $60 on average in the store when they go to pick up their items.

"Intelligent Keys" not so hot

Intelligent keys are coming with lots of new models of cars. Many times they make life a little easier, but the smart keys for some new Nissan Altimas have had just the opposite effect. The I-key can become permanently disabled if you leave it touching certain kinds of cell phones and the phone rings. There is no way to fix it, and these I-keys cost about $400 a pop. Nissan is including I-key malfunctions under the factory warranty, so call your dealer if you have been affected by this problem. A modified I-key -- which should be available by early fall -- is on the way from Nissan. In the meantime, the company advises that cell phones and I-keys should be kept at least one inch apart at all times. Owners of the 2007 Nissan Altima sedan and the 2007 Infiniti G35 have reported the most problems with I-key issues.

A new way of marketing

GlaxoSmithKline has decided to advertise one of their prescription drugs in a revolutionary way: They are planning on telling the whole truth about it. When you watch most commercials for prescription drugs they make it seem as though your world will be a rosy place after popping their particular pill, and the side effects scroll along the bottom of the screen in tiny mice type. GSK, however, has released a weight loss pill that is being marketed not as a miracle pill, but as a slow but sure way to weight loss. How impressive is it that this company is willing to buck the system and just be honest with consumers?

Anti-virus software that automatically renews

Auto-renewals have become almost regular in certain industries. The virus software companies in most cases make it next to impossible to cancel. If you don't buy the software at a retail store, you are more than likely to be automatically renewed. One way to make sure that you don't get stuck with one of these auto-renewing softwares is to read the user agreement thoroughly before you sign up. So if you don't want to get billed too high a rate and not be able to switch services, watch your back and do your homework.
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