TIAA-CREF.org - Retirement planning for teachers or call 1-800-842-2252
Funerals.org - Nonprofit memorial society
EverestFuneral.com - Funeral planning and concierge service
NAPFA.org - The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

It used to be that weather was the topic of choice for small talk. But these days it's gas and the high prices at the pump. Callers are telling Clark that some gas stations won't let you fill up your tank completely; they cap you at a certain dollar limit. This helps protect them from drive-offs and bum credit card numbers in the age of inflated gas prices. If you go back 3 years ago, the cost to fill up was 40% what it is today. That's an enormous change in a short time.

Since we can't control what we pay at the pump, we'd better start controlling other factors. In Denver, 400 cars have been equipped with technology to monitor how you're driving and let you know how to maximize fuel economy on the road. So far this experiment has yielded a 20% increase in fuel economy. Clark himself has become obsessive about using cruise control, even on suburban drives.

Years before computers were routinely in cars, Volkswagen helped increase fuel economy by 30% in its stick shift vehicles. They had a light that would flash and beep to alert you when to shift gears. Most drivers tend to shift too early and waste fuel.

Many more automated solutions will be coming in the next few years. But for now, it's all about controlling our behavior as drivers. That means no jackrabbit starts. When Clark got his first hybrid, a Honda Insight, he averaged about 58 miles/gallon. On the highway, he was getting 70-77 miles/gallon. It's all a matter of what you're willing to do -- be it drive a smaller car, drive smarter or drive less.

In the midst of all the doom and gloom about employment forecasts, Clark recently told you about certain opportunities in the job market. But there's an underground opportunity just around the corner that could go mainstream in the next few years. You've heard of white collar and blue collar jobs, right? Well, how about green collar?!

There could be potentially millions of jobs coming in the environmental sector. Clark thinks back to the UC Davis professor he had on the air who worked for 20 years to develop plug-in hybrids. These kinds of cars start out electric and then switch to gas when they run out of juice. After years of pooh-poohing plug-ins, GM is now advertising a plug-in called the Volt coming in 2010. Likewise, Toyota spent years being hostile to the idea of modifying the Prius to be a plug-in hybrid. Now they're going to launch that version in 2010 for fleet sales before entering the general market with it.

Here's another example of a green business: Our old electronic waste is often shipped to Third World countries where kids disassemble computer monitors and get exposed to dangerous chemicals. Clark recently read a Forbes story about an independently wealthy man who thought there had to be a better way. So he launched a business called ERI (Electronic Recyclers International) in Fresno, CA. ERI employs ex-convicts who follow safety standards in taking equipment apart and recycling it. It's been a real money-making venture. And it also benefits ex-cons by providing employment and opportunity for those who haven't had much in their lives.

Look around each corner and you'll see green opportunities going forward. Clark thinks retro-fitting houses to make them energy efficient will employ those laid off in construction. Bringing home green by working green will soon be more of a reality.

If you use AT&T for DSL service, did you know that the ISP reserves the right to block your access to a website if they don't like the content? That is a restriction of free speech. Under AT&T's terms of service, they have the right to read your e-mails, IMs and keep records of the websites you visit. When a reporter contacted them about their violation of net neutrality, AT&T said they'll remove the clause from their terms of service. But they had not done so when the reporter checked again several months later. Maybe now they'll finally remove it. More likely they'll just block your access to Clarkhoward.com when this information goes up on the website! But AT&T is not alone in what it's doing. Comcast also had a history of blocking customers' access to content they didn't like. What we need is a federal policy for net neutrality. ISPs simply sell you a service, they're not Big Brother!

RIP-OFF ALERT: Most of us do not tell our loved ones what we want at the time of our death. Is it cremation, burial, a fancy casket, a cheap pine box? We may try to bring up the topic, but our loved ones may not want to hear it because it's painful.

The funeral industry has gone through major changes in last 2 decades. Large national chains like SCI and Stewart have bought up ma-and-pa businesses, yet they haven't changed the old names of the funeral homes. That way they give the illusion of still offering the personal hometown touch. The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Greater Kansas City surveyed 74 funeral homes in their area to compare prices. Prices ranged from $3K to over $7K for the exact same services and products. The most expensive homes were owned by the major funeral chains. Curious about what inflation will look like in 2040? Go to a chain funeral home, Clark says!

Of course, you can avoid costly funeral arrangements at the time of your death by planning in advance through a nonprofit memorial society like Funerals.org Clark has been member for 31 years. You get the benefit of group buying power for prices that are at a 70% discount. If you join, be sure to tell your loved ones and give them the necessary paperwork you've filled out.

Most people, however, won't join a memorial society. So if you're faced with a sudden death in the family, you may want to contact EverestFuneral.com. For a fee of $500, they'll negotiate the best prices on your behalf. That can amount to a savings of thousands of dollars. Finally, be sure your loved ones know about your organ donation wishes. A new study finds that more than 90% of Americans want to donate their organs, but only about 25% are signed up to do so.