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The car market is going through some tough times right now. Sales are the worst they've been since the financial crisis of 1998. Toyota has reported lower sales for three months in a row, especially with their trucks. Ford's sales are down 20 percent over the last month and 14 percent over the whole year. GM is probably doing the best, which in this case means their sales are just on par with last year's figures. Meanwhile, dealers are scrambling because they're overloaded with '07s on their lots and the '08s are already in place. Add all of these factors up and it's clear that consumers are in charge of the car market.

People often ask Clark for a recap of what they should know when buying a new car. First off, get your financing in place before you buy. You'll usually get the lowest rates from a credit union or an online bank. Keep this rule of thumb in mind: If you can't afford a car on a standard 48-month installment plan, you're overbuying. Once you have your financing in place, check out Consumer Reports for recommendations about quality vehicles. Then check prices in the marketplace. Look at CarsDirect.com where you'll get a guaranteed price on a car. You should also test drive the car you want before buying. Visit a car rental business and see if you can rent one for cheap over the weekend. That way you'll have two days to decide if you like driving the car, not just 10 minutes. If you have to interact with a car dealer, try doing it by e-mail to avoid high-pressure sales pitches. And make sure the Internet price you get includes all junk fees like documentation charges.

For years Clark has taken issue with eBay because it's enabled counterfeiters by creating an unmonitored marketplace where they can peddle their bogus goods. Now he's saluting the company because of its coordinated effort to crack down on people selling recalled toys that have lead paint. Clark's executive producer Christa -- a frequent eBay seller and buyer -- usually takes a very libertarian view of things. But in this case she too salutes the company's efforts since the products in question have already been recalled by the government. Meanwhile, Clark has a market-based solution to the counterfeiting problem. He believes eBay should have bonded sellers. People would pay for a bond and the company would reimburse buyers if they were sold bogus goods. Sellers would then be able to command higher dollars for their legitimate goods under Clark's plan.

Do you get spam text messages on your cell phone? Clark recently got the same spam message on both of his cell phones from two different carriers. It was a text message for a "hot" stock that he later read was making the rounds. This whole field has become a new battleground in the cell phone business as spammers have moved from e-mail to text messages. The cell phone companies benefit whenever you get spammed because most people are on metered plans and pay five or 10 cents for every text they receive. If this sounds like you, call your carrier and ask to be reimbursed or credited for every spam text that hits your phone. After all, it's your money -- no matter how little it is. You may also want to get unlimited text messaging if you have teens on your plan. Some teens use text messaging a hundred times a day! Finally, you might also want to have international calling blocked on your cell. This will protect you from hefty expenses if your phone is stolen and someone tries to call overseas.

What if cities trying to reduce air pollution and traffic made bicycles available for free on their streets? Some European communities have been trying this out for years. There's even one car-dependent suburban Atlanta community that's had a program like this. The typical setup is simple: The bikes, which are usually painted bright yellow to deter people from stealing them, can be picked up and dropped off at various locations around town on the honor system. Now The San Francisco Chronicle reports that that city is in the process of setting up a free bike-sharing program. Other cities that have expressed interest in doing the same include Washington D.C., Portland, Ore., Chicago and New York. Clark thinks this is a really great trend that could help increase the life expectancy of our population. Our average lifespan is about 79 years, a figure that's lower than in other nations around the world because of our sedentary lifestyle. Bike-sharing programs are one way to encourage people to get moving.