Would you be willing to see your mail delivery drop from 6 days a week to 5? That's one proposal that's been floated by the Postmaster General to help the financially ailing United States Postal Service get back on its feet.

The USPS has seen a drop in business because of the slowing economy and because of technology. People now routinely use computers and cell phones to communicate and pay bills.

That means the relative importance of mail delivery has really changed in our lives. Two years ago, the USPS was delivering 213 billion pieces of mail each year. Now they expect to deliver 180 billion this year.

Unfortunately, the Congressional committee that heard the Postmaster General's plea to drop one day of service per week wasn't keen on the idea. That's too bad considering that a one-day cut in service would be a savings of $3.5 billion annually.

So Clark has another market-based solution: If Congress is so sure that we all want mail 6 days, why not set up a system so that recipients can pay a fee for that level of delivery? Under Clark's system, we'd be given 3 days of delivery a week for absolutely free. But you would have to pay for any service above that.

Let the marketplace set a value on the frequency of mail delivery!

Clark has been using prepaid DHL overnight envelopes that he bought at Costco as one way to save a buck. DHL is typically cheaper than FedEx or UPS. But as of January 30, they're exiting the domestic overnight shipping market.

Not having a third competitor is bad for business. When you have a duopoly -- like there will be with FedEx and UPS -- you typically have higher prices, worse service and less innovation.

As for Clark, he'll have to find another means to get cheap shipping. He may have to degrade service and go to 2-day or 3-day shipping, or go for ground service instead of overnight air service. Lastly, Clark wants to mention USPS as another option -- so he doesn't get chewed out on the Clark Stinks forum!

All across America, people have filed complaints about the plague of automated calls coming to their homes. The recent surge in "robo-calls" is because they now cost a fraction of a cent to make thanks to the Internet.

The FTC has now issued new rules about robo-calls. Starting just before Christmas, you'll have an option at the end of a robo-call to press a button that indicates they can no longer call you. Then, beginning in September 2009, companies will actually have to ask for express permission before they even call you.

If you're on the Do Not Call list, you should already be exempt from robo-calls. Of course, that's not always the case. So will robo-callers really comply with the new FTC rules? Clark doesn't know.

Clark's solution to the problem is that he and his wife never answer their home phone. All calls are screened by an answering machine. He recently cleaned out the answering machine and found only 1 out of 42 calls was legit. And they're on the Do Not Call list!

Several categories of businesses will be exempt from the new FTC rules, including banks and airlines. With banks, they are allowed to robo-call you up to 18 months after the end of your business relationship with them.

There is some controversy over whether calling to inquire about a bank's services constitute the start of a business relationship -- even if you never do any further business. This remains a gray area in the law.

When was the last time you got a notice in the mail from your bank that began, "We value your privacy…"? These privacy policies are typically printed in mice type and written in legalese. They explain all the harm that the bank will visit on you -- by selling your private information -- as part of their normal course of business. But ING Direct is reversing this trend. Their privacy policy explains in plain English that you'll have to opt in to their information-sharing program if you want them to share your info. Meanwhile, if you tell the average bank not to share your info, they're still allowed to do so with select "marketing partners." Clark thinks ultimately there's more money to be made from being honest to your customers than in taking advantage of them.

Clark recently received a postcard in the mail from an "award verification center," which trumpeted that he won a guaranteed prize. The prizing included his choice of either a couple of cars valued at $49,000; a massive shopping spree; a luxurious vacation; or a cash award.

But when he looked closely at the postcard, he noticed the words "commercial solicitation" printed in very small type.

In order to redeem his "prize," Clark needed to call the verification center within 3 days. They would then arrange for him to receive his prize on the day of his visit. Therein lay the key. This was obviously a solicitation for selling a timeshare or something similar.

Needless to say, Clark didn't call. So when you get a similar solicitation, do not bite. Throw it away.

Clark wants to share a “free insurance policy” that will help you protect your credit. It involves opting out of those pre-approved credit offers. Best of all, it’s free, simple, fast and efficient. You can eliminate more than 90 percent of those pesky offers you’re being bombarded with if your FICO score is 700 or above.

Simply go to OptOutPreScreen.com or call 888-567-8688. Be aware that you’ll be required to give your Social Security number. That’s how credit bureaus track people, so it’s a necessary part of the process. Opting out of these offers is especially important if you move and your mail goes to an old address, or if you have a jointly shared mailbox.

Meanwhile, you also can eliminate other kinds of junk mail for free at DMAChoice.org. In fact, you can even choose to get more junk mail if you want! But who would want that?

Finally, there’s a site in beta that can help cut down on the number of catalogs you receive. The address is CatalogChoice.org, though Clark’s not exactly sure how well the system is working yet.

Clark chuckles when he hears people getting upset about the cost of a stamp going up by a penny. One person he spoke to was in a tizzy about trying to buy Forever stamps before the price went up. But it's only a 2.5% percent increase, so it wasn't exactly a good idea to tie up money buying Forever stamps in bulk.

The postal service may be less relevant in the e-mail age, but a stamp still remains a deal. With great reliability, they'll take a letter from one place in the United States to another for little more than 40 cents in just a couple of days.

On the other hand, the USPS is doing a lousy job competing with UPS and FedEx when it comes to reliable tracking. But regular mail remains a deal. Clark saw a USPS chart that showed the price of a stamp is actually cheaper now -- adjusted for inflation -- than it was in 1913, 1935 or 1965. So even though the price of a stamp just went up, he still salutes it as a Clark Smart buy.

When you're presented with a contract, do you know what you're reading? Most of us don't. In fact, Business Week reports that only 1 in 8 Americans can read a long, dense text and comprehend it. There's obviously a problem with our educational system when 88% of us are clueless when looking at a contract. This news was significant to Clark because he's always asking callers, "Well, did you read the contract?" If we expect consumers to sign agreements, we should also expect that contracts be written in simple English. The nation's newspapers usually write at a 6th grade level. If they can tackle world issues at that level, why is it that we don't require our contracts to be written in plain English? Clark's guess is that if you knew what you were agreeing to in a contract, no one would ever sign one! But we can only have a truly free market when there's complete transparency.

Clark is adamant about shutting down junk mail -- not exactly cold, but maybe cool, as he says! The Direct Marketing Association offers a free, online-only service at DMAChoice.org that allows you to stop catalogs and junk mail -- or get more of them, if you desire. Most legit mailers are a member of the DMA, so this could reduce your load of junk mail by up to two-thirds. When you're at the DMA site, you may see a direct link to OptOutPreScreen.com, which will prevent the major credit bureaus from sending pre-approved credit card applications to you. One other website you may want to check out is WorldPrivacyForum.org, which is a clearinghouse for all these matters Clark has been discussing.

One word of advice: People are sometimes afraid to use the DMA site because you have to give a credit card number to verify your identity. You will not be charged. This practice was put in place because some folks were putting others' names on the receive list just to annoy them. When it comes to the OptOut site, people are scared of ID theft because you have to give your Social Security number. But you actually help prevent ID theft by cutting down on pre-approved applications that may be going to an old address where they could be picked up by ID thieves.

Clark loves competition. He always worries when you have a shared monopoly like FedEx and UPS do in the package-delivery business. Shared monopolies usually result in higher prices or a decline in service. Case in point: FedEx and UPS announce their rate increases every December. Now it looks like DHL will step up as a viable competitor and cease being the 98-pound weakling of the industry. That's because DHL is teaming up with Walgreens to launch service centers in 6,500 stores. One of the big problems with DHL -- owned by the German post office -- had been that it was difficult to find a drop spot. Clark recently had to send an overnight package via DHL. He had to pass several FedEX and UPS drop areas and travel to a shady, industrial part of town to get to the DHL facility. But that will all change thanks to the Walgreens deal. In capitalism, it is the third competitor that creates true innovations in price and service. Meanwhile, Clark buys his DHL overnight mailing envelopes at Costco for a low price. Did you know that there are now 50 million Americans (out of our 300 million total population) who are Costco members? That's about 1 in every 5 adults -- even though Costco is only in about 37 states.

If you're a business owner, you know that sending bills to customers is expensive. It can run about two dollars per addressee, which is well beyond just the cost of paper, printing and postage. Many businesses have been trying to steer customers toward e-billing, but not everyone has embraced it yet. So what's a business to do? How about subsidizing the cost of billing with fancy ads on monthly statements?! The Wall Street Journal reports that technology exists to deliver four-color targeted ads directly on your bills. Here's one possible scenario: Say your average electricity bill is $150 every month. Based on that information, the power company knows that you're likely to have a large house and a high level of affluence. Therefore market research might tell them that you'd be an ideal customer for an in-lawn sprinkler system. So that could be one of the ads you'd be served on your electric bill. This whole idea is very similar to what Google does when it delivers ads to your computer based on your Internet search criteria. Clark admits that there's a definite creep-out factor here. It reminds him of election years when Volvo owners are targeted by the Democrats and Jaguar owners get solicitations from the GOP.

Have you noticed that you’re getting more direct mail delivered not only by the United States Postal Service, but also by independent delivery agents? The reason is because there’s been a deal in Washington that ties the cost of first class mail to the rate of inflation. So junk and bulk mail is now a much better deal. If you own a business and you’ve done direct marketing with the USPS, be on the lookout for private delivery services that may offer you a lower price. Clark is glad that these third-party deliverers are busting up the USPS monopoly. Not that he totally hates the existing postal service; he actually thinks it’s a great deal that you can get your mail delivered anywhere domestically for 41 cents. But many European countries have already done away with their postal monopolies. Their regular mail can come from a variety of carrier companies. We consumers benefit whenever there’s competition in the free market.

There is a new practice out there called “trigger list marketing” that Clark wants you to know about. It’s a new way the credit bureaus have thought up to make money off you. Basically, they sell all kinds of personal information about you including how much your home is worth and how much you owe on it. So, if you’re getting intrusive letters and phone calls from lenders who know way too much about you, it’s because of the credit bureaus. The courts are now involved and are trying to determine if the bureaus are acting illegally. But in the meantime, you can destroy the ability for credit bureaus to build dossiers on you. All you have to do is “opt out” of the programs. You can do it on the Web site optoutprescreen.com or you can call 1-888-567-8688. You want to do this anyway when you move. But it’s important to do it now to avoid being put on trigger lists.

New laws make it easier for companies to bother you with junk faxes. But Clark knows how you can stop them anyway. Get the scoop!

For more info on this topic, you can see the FCC's statement on fax advertising.

Clark’s mailbox gets filled every day with catalogs, most of which his family has never ordered. It’s like a new exercise program because Clark has to lift them out of the mailbox and carry them inside every day. Business Week published a story on how many catalogs people are receiving these days. You can stop these catalogs from coming simply by contacting the Direct Marketing Association or DMA. You can either sign up to stop the mailings online by paying $5, or you can write a letter to the DMA for free. The address is above.

About 90,000 people have put themselves on the national “Do Not Call” list. It’s frustrated telemarketers to no end. So, they’re coming up with new ways to pitch us their products. The latest way is to send you advertisements in the mail. The Boston Globe reports that half of all businesses are planning to increase their spending on junk mail in the next year. The good news is that you can stop the junk mail coming to your house with one, quick registration. Go to dmachoice.org, fill out the form and pay just $5. You’ll eliminate about 70 percent of the junk mail coming to your home if you sign up.

When people go to the movies today, they are forced to sit through 15 minutes of previews and advertisements before their movie actually begins. This creates a lack of credibility with the theatre’s schedule because a 7:00 movie really does not start until 7:15 or 7:20. The reason that the theatres continue to run tedious previews and advertisements is because they do not make any money from ticket sales in the first couple of weeks of the showing. Instead, the theatres only make money from the concession stands and the previews and advertisements. Throughout the year, theatres earn 1/3 of a billion dollars from previews and advertisements. Clark thinks that theatres should bribe consumers to view the previews and advertisements. He thinks if someone actually watches 15 minutes of previews then they should receive something free from the concession stand. He says the only way to fight back against the theatres is to stop going to movies and wait until they come out for rental.