
Retirees Returning to Work / Medical Privacy Warning
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Clark Howard
I'm so glad you're with us here on the Clark Howard Show. Our mission is to serve you with advice and information that empowers you to make better financial decisions in your life. Today. I'm going to begin with something about planning for retirement. If you're somebody who wants to retire early, if that's your goal, what do you got to worry about? What do you have to think about? Got some things I want you to consider. And later, you've probably seen ads online and other places for memberships. Online memberships where you can have medical tests done that give you insights to your health. But the key thing that I was totally flipping about was who has access to that data? Well, now I got to tell you, that was something I should not have ignored. So let's talk about stuff you can't ignore with retirement. All right, so listen to this that I saw in a Kiplinger article. 50% of people who go back to work after they retired had to go back to work because they retired thinking they had enough money for retirement, but they didn't. So I want you to think about what a bummer this is. You think, hey, I'm good. I'm done with working, I'm out of here. And you're having a great time not having to deal with an alarm clock not working. And then something happens that you realize, oops, I don't have enough money for this decision I made. And the problem here is the momentum you give up in a career when you quit. A lot of careers, once you put that firebreak in place, you're gone. You can't easily get back to what you were doing, earning what you were earning. So this is something I don't want to scare anybody, but we've addressed in the past the problem with the gap at whatever point you retire after age 50 to when you become eligible for Medicare at 65, that one big unknown is availability and how much it's going to cost you for health care coverage for that period of time when you're on your own and you've got to cover your health insurance. So we got these twin issues that often we kid ourselves on, but they need to be really thought through. And I think it's a great time in your life when you're thinking about this, that you hire a fiduciary fee only financial planner. You can hire somebody who just pay for advice on an hourly rate or someone who goes through with you, what you're doing, how well you're set up or not set up to retire. And there's another factor too. A lot of times people after age 50, because even though age discrimination is supposedly illegal in the United States, the laws are not enforced at all. And so a lot of people are forced out, particularly corporate jobs when they would really like to continue working, but they get pushed out in an Aegis thing, they're thrown out. And so then you're like, what am I going to do? And that's hard because you may not be able to. As you hunt around for another opportunity because of your age, you may have a hard time finding another equivalent opportunity. And so you decide, well, I'm just going to go ahead and retire. This is a hard one because you may find that you're better off, I hate to say it, taking a job that you feel like put you backwards from where you were in your career, but continues a steady paycheck and hopefully includes health benefits as well, to get you to the point where your original intended time to retire was where you'll be okay financially. And then there's a whole nother thing. And so that's why this is not all one thing. Even though my wife says I'm the most absolute person in the world, it's either this or that. This is not this or that. There are a lot of people who are actually okay to retire or to bag work and feel like they're nervous that they don't have enough and they work longer than they need to and it's hard for them to let go because the fear of the future. And again, if you feel like you have to keep working, but other people like, what are you still working for? You got enough. That's another case where you hire a fiduciary fee only financial planner to give you a sense, are you okay or are you not? Krista?
Caller/Listener
Okay. Eric in Massachusetts says you talked about possible tax implications when investing in mutual funds versus ETFs, specifically in regards to taxable investment accounts. During the podcast I looked up whether the Fidelity Zero funds which I'm invested in in a taxable account are mutual funds and discovered they I know you've previously recommended investing in these funds even in taxable investment accounts, so I was just hoping you could address whether you've changed your opinion regarding the Fidelity Zero funds. Would you recommend that I stop investing in them and switch to similar ETFs offered by Fidelity? I enjoy the Fidelity credit card giving me 2% cash back and invest the rewards into my brokerage taxable account.
Clark Howard
All right, I want to deal with the last thing first. Congratulations to Fidelity that they years ago came up with this simple 2% cash back product and have stuck with it over the years. Seems like so many others come out with these cards, decide later you know, marketing team will change or the finance people are like why are we giving people this great deal? And they yank it away and say our terms and conditions have changed. When you get that notice that terms and conditions have changed and have you ever seen it mean something was getting better? Probably not, right? The answer to your question though is the Fidelity Zero funds are a type of mutual fund, but they are an index fund. Index funds have far more favorable treatment as a general rule, particularly broad based index funds like the Fidelity Zero funds that they are not going to generate a meaningful amount of current tax each year, which you would have with a more traditional professionally managed mutual fund. So you're just fine in the Fidelity Zero funds in an investment account Mark
Caller/Listener
in Illinois says, my brother and I co own my late mother's house in Colorado. We could sell it for around $300,000 and he currently lives there as we clean it out. But he thinks this might be the only housing he can afford at this time. Unfortunately he doesn't have two nickels to rub. So if he can qualify for a home loan, how does this need to work to a Pay off the lender roughly $100,000 b pay me my share roughly $100,000. How do we handle his $100,000 in equity? Since I'm ready to sell and want my name off the house, we can't sell it for $200,000. So does he just try for a $300,000 loan to buy the house then turn around and pay his 100k back to the lender right away hoping for a recast? Or is the only option to sell outright, which we each take our proceeds after paying closing costs in the lender and then he moves to the rent game with some cash in his pocket.
Clark Howard
This is an impossible situation to work out fair and square for both of you. This is really, really hard. Okay, so one question I've got for you, Mark. When your late mom passed away, I'm sorry about the loss of your mom. The mortgage existing on that house has what's known in it as a due on sale clause, which also triggers in the event of the mortgage holder's death. And so if both of you are just paying on the mortgage that your mom already had, the lender obviously doesn't know that your mom has passed away. And in most loan contracts, most that loan is called and it has to be paid off expeditiously. So the property, as a general rule, needs to be sold. Now, you may have a different circumstance where you've already refi. But doesn't sound like that. So this situation, as much as your brother wants to live in the house, the only smart way to handle this, unless your daddy war bucks and you've got tons of money yourself and you want to help your brother out, in which case is you would hold a loan on the home that you'd make to your brother and he would become the owner of the house. But that doesn't sound at all like where your head's at. You're not running a concession to benefit your brother. The house should just be sold. And I know that may sound cold, but that's exactly what I would do. And then your brother's going to have 100 grand to go look for a place that he can buy with a very substantial down payment.
Caller/Listener
Or he could rent and just put that in a high yield savings or invest.
Clark Howard
Okay, so I'm reading between the lines.
Caller/Listener
Maybe he's not so great with money, right?
Clark Howard
He doesn't have two nickels to rub together. In his brother's case, the four savings of taking that 100 grand and putting his down payment on a house would be a wonderful way of having forced savings in the brother's life.
Caller/Listener
Okay. Chris in Ohio sent this one in. Clark. I'm in my mid-30s and my annual bonus will be getting paid out in the next few weeks. With my bonus money, I have enough to either pay my house off $50,000 at 6.125% or a newly purchased vehicle $45,000 at 4.125%. Originally, I was planning on paying off the car with the bonus money. However, with getting a better interest rate with the vehicle, I'm leaning towards paying off the house now and shipping away at the auto loan over the next two years. Let me know your thoughts if I'm missing any risks with paying the house off prior to the auto loan.
Clark Howard
Chris, first of all, I love who you work for that you get a bonus big enough they're going to pay off the balance on your mortgage.
Caller/Listener
Yeah. And that he's in his 30s and has such a low balance.
Clark Howard
Exactly. That you owe so little on your house. I mean this is great. Yes. Six and a quarter percent six and eight interest rate on. I think it was six and eight you said on the loan, pay off the mortgage. Be mortgage debt free. Car loans extinguish so quickly. Relatively speaking, 4% rate, that's a low priority. Even though technically the mortgage interest is deductible. The auto loan some cases is usually not. Blow out the mortgage, own your home free and clear and then pay off the loan as you agreed. Now the big thing you didn't say is how you're saving for retirement. And you know my obsession with people as young as they can to really Devote Energy and a percent of your paycheck to saving an employer provided Roth 401k or your own Roth IRA is a really, really ultra high priority for you after you pay off the mortgage before you would blow out the 4% rate on your vehicle loan, which is a very favorable rate. Coming up ahead, just heads up on all these independent medical tests not being provided by a medical facility or a doctor. We got talk.
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Caller/Listener
could have done better. Like cutting your own hair. Yikes. Or forgetting sunscreen so now you look like a tomato.
Don McDonnell
Ouch.
Caller/Listener
Coulda done better. Same good for where you invest. Level up and invest smarter with Schwab.
Clark Howard
Get market insights, education and human help when you need it.
Caller/Listener
Learn more@schwab.com
Don McDonnell
Want to know a secret? The financial industry hopes you'll never discover most of what they sell you has underperformed simple index funds and they know it. I'm Don McDonnell from Talking Real Money. My co host Tom and I have been sharing this kind of inconvenient industry truth for over 30 years. We're not here to make you a sophisticated trader, also known as gambler. We're here to help you understand how an industry designed to enrich itself may be costing you. It's honest, research based advice delivered with enough humor to keep you awake. Since you're already listening to a podcast, you know exactly how this works. Search for Talking Real Money on whatever app you're using right now or visit talkingrealmoney.com or you have nothing to lose but a few minutes and maybe a few financial illusions. Search for Talking Real Money Talking Real Money is an educational podcast, hosts or affiliated with a registered investment advisor. For disclosures, visit talkingrealmoney.com this message is
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brought to you by Apple Card Apple Card members can earn unlimited daily cash back on everyday purchases wherever they shop. This means you could be earning daily cash on just about anything, like a slice of pizza from your local pizza place or or a latte from the corner coffee shop. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app to see your credit limit offer in minutes. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and more@applecard.com this message is brought to you by Apple Card Apple Card members can earn unlimited daily cash back on everyday purchases wherever they shop. This means you could be earning daily cash on just about anything, like a slice of pizza from your local pizza place or or a latte from the corner coffee shop. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app to see your credit limit offer in minutes. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and more@applecard.com youm could have knocked me over
Clark Howard
with a feather when the bankruptcy happened for 23andMe and it became clear as could be at that moment how valuable that information was going to be to people who wish harm to you, like insurance companies. That the data that 23andMe had was like handing to the insurance industry on a silver platter how to rate you or deny you for various insurance products. There are others out there that that could use the information from that database for nefarious purposes. Well, that brought up something that I've been reading about that it goes way beyond 23andMe. By the way, the data did not end up at risk, but 23andMe, before the bankruptcy was finished gave any of us the ability to wipe our records clean, which I did. So but I've talked so much about all my genetics on the podcast YouTube show that I'm an open book. It's amazing. I'm still standing here right now. All the things that I found out genetically about myself. But anyway, all these places you can go to for lab tests, you know, have any test, anything like that, there's a lot of question because federal law is quiet on what can happen with that data. That hipaa, which is something that, you know, we all go to a doctor's office and we're sending the generic HIPAA forms. But the HIPAA privacy standards do not apply outside of a direct medical environment under federal law. And I'm not aware of any states that have put in place protections that would be better than the lack of protections existing under federal law. So you stand the risk that you go and have tests done at one of these independent testing places and the information could end up out there. So I'm going to make a suggestion and there are going to be people who aren't going to like it. But if you go to an independent lab to have a test done, there's just something you want to know about and you're paying cash. Usually at these places you're not involving insurance. You use a fake name. Okay. There, I said it. They're not going to have your Social Security number and you're whoever you want to be ba blinking. I don't care who you are. You go and you. You give them a made up name so that there's no trail that leads back to you. I can't wait for the responses to that.
Caller/Listener
Great. Okay.
Clark Howard
Sorry.
Caller/Listener
Are you ready for some questions?
Clark Howard
Yeah. Clark.com say that three times is where you're going to post things. I've not thought about that I should have said is part of that.
Caller/Listener
Okay. Stephen in Ohio sent this one in. We have a. And here's the gym name. Gym membership in our household. We did not realize that they said we can't cancel for three years. Is there any way to cancel early? I thought of just canceling my credit card.
Clark Howard
That won't help you. Okay. This is one of those things that happen, Steven. It's shame on them. It would only be shame on you if you ever did something like this again. Contract gems. I despise. I despise them to my core because they are all about ripping you off with commission. Salespeople who get you to sign, get you all excited about the facilities and all that and all thereafter is your signature on a contract that obligates you. Many states limit the contract to three years. I guess that's the limit. You're from Ohio. I guess that's the limit in Ohio. These Places disgust me because they're not interested in your physical health. They're only interested in your physical self, your wallet, your credit card, your direct debit from a checking account. They are cheating you because the whole business model, the contract clubs all the commissions involved and then they usually sell off your contract to bank subsidiaries who you now are obligated to and you're stuck with that thing. And what they count on is that you may start going there to work out and as most people do, join a gym. Sadly, within six weeks, people stop working out. But your wallet continues to get worked out for three years. And wait, it gets worse. Many of these contracts have rollover provisions, which means if you don't follow the exact requirements in that contract, which may involve certified mail or something like that,
Caller/Listener
canceling 90 days early at a certain
Clark Howard
date, 90 days early, but no longer than 100 days early, you're then rolled over for another three years. You know what other industry does that? The home security companies. You know, you can't tell with home security companies if they're the crooks or they're protecting you from the crooks with the contracts. So Steven, they got you. You can't just discontinue the credit card. You got to pay it and look at it as an educational cost that you're never going to let somebody trick you, con you, rip you off in one of these type of contracts and ever again the rest of your life, period.
Caller/Listener
And in Florida, says second generation Clarky here, and torturing the third generation in the car every day, child abuse. Recently you spoke about updating your withholdings if you receive a tax refund. My question is how do you know what to change your withholding to? For example, every year my husband and I get around $3,000 back. What would I want to change in my withholdings to to make sure I don't end up paying the next year. Thanks for all you do.
Clark Howard
Right, so the most conservative answer is you reduce one or the other of your withholdings by about 1500 a year, that you just pull half the money off the table and then a year from now, if it turns out you did that and your refund still even bigger than it was before, bigger than 3,000. Then in 27 you reduce here withholding some more. But the way you protect yourself is you don't change your withholding if you don't want to end up having to pay money next year on 26 earnings is you don't pull all the money back from withholding. Stick somewhere around 50%.
Caller/Listener
Rachel in Oklahoma says based on your advice, we've been contributing to Oklahoma529 plans for our twin daughters who are turning 13 in April. We have just over $26,000 in each of their accounts with five years to go before college.
Clark Howard
Wonderful.
Caller/Listener
With the $35,000 lifetime limit conversion to Roth IRA option, it has me wondering if we should keep investing in the 529 plans beyond the 35,000 each or if we should invest money for them elsewhere after the $35,000. As of also note, yes, we have a healthy retirement savings for ourselves. Since you say there are no student loan options for retirement. Thank you so much for helping us save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off.
Clark Howard
All right, Rachel, your kids are 13 in just weeks. You already can kind of tell what they're like. And if even one of the two of the twins seems pretty much certain to go to college, don't worry so much about the $35,000 limit because the whole purpose of this money is to use for college costs. If in your case the purpose of the money is to take advantage of the privilege where you're able tax free to convert this to Roth money for each of them and then have it grow tax free for the rest of their working years, it's the most wonderful thing you can do for your kids for long term financial security. But if college is part of the deal and it's clear to you that they're both likely headed to college, then don't change anything. Keep contributing to the 529. On the other hand, if you're getting a vibe that neither of them is going to go to college, if that's not likely, you got 26 grand in each, you could actually stop contributing now because by the time they're adults that will 26,000 will have likely grown to 35 anyway and you wouldn't want to contribute more now. It's a bit of a guess, but about where you are now with them about to turn 13 would likely by the time you'd start converting it to Ross for them would be at a point that it would be around the 35,000 anyway. So then what would you do? I'd want you to increase what you're putting in retirement accounts for yourself. And if you don't have a Roth IRA, maybe the money you were putting in the 529s starts going into your own Roths. Just an idea, but these are good problems to have that you're bringing to me about the 529 accounts that many states you get an upfront tax benefit on state income tax if your state has a state income tax, which Oklahoma has, a big one. And then you get tax free growth of the money, tax free spending for college, tax free continued growth and conversion into a Roth IRA up to the current limits. I mean it's a win all the way around. And I want to thank you so much for joining us today. I hope that you learned something today that helps your wallet win every day. And know coming up on Friday, it's time for another edition of Clark Stinks. So have a great next couple of days. And if you want more solid advice every single day, sign up for our free newsletters@clark.com newsletters and we have a variety of choices for you there. They are free and I hope they are powerful in your life because our team works so hard to give you content that builds knowledge and at the same time it's knowledge you can act on. See you Friday.
Episode Title: Retirees Returning to Work / Medical Privacy Warning
Date: March 11, 2026
Host: Clark Howard
In this episode, Clark Howard dives into two important financial topics:
Clark also answers listener questions relating to investment strategies, handling inherited property, using large bonuses, gym contracts, tax withholdings, and maximizing 529 college savings plans.
(Starts at 00:36)
Early Retirement Risks:
“50% of people who go back to work after they retired had to go back...because they didn't have enough money for retirement.” (01:22)
Losing Career Momentum:
Healthcare Gap (50-65 years):
Fiduciary Advice is Key:
Age Discrimination Reality:
"Age discrimination is supposedly illegal... The laws are not enforced at all." (03:24)
(06:03)
“Fidelity Zero funds are a type of mutual fund, but they are an index fund. Index funds...are not going to generate a meaningful amount of current tax each year.” (06:42)
(07:58)
“As much as your brother wants to live in the house, the only smart way to handle this...is the house should just be sold.” (08:53)
(11:10)
“Six and a quarter percent… pay off the mortgage. Be mortgage debt free. Car loans extinguish so quickly...a low priority.” (11:53)
(16:06)
“...the data that 23andMe had was like handing to the insurance industry on a silver platter...” (16:14)
“If you go to an independent lab...you use a fake name. Ok, there I said it.” (18:16)
(19:18)
“Contract gyms. I despise. I despise them to my core...they are all about ripping you off.” (19:35)
(22:12)
“Reduce one or the other of your withholdings by about $1,500 a year—just pull half the money off the table.” (22:38)
(23:18)
“If college is part of the deal and it's clear ... then don't change anything. Keep contributing to the 529.” (23:58)
Clark Howard's focus in this episode is a mix of hard truths (retirement, medical privacy, contract traps) and practical financial action (investment choices, debt prioritization, tax strategies). His signature blend of tough love, clear-eyed realism, and consumer advocacy is evident throughout.
Listeners are encouraged to:
Clark wraps up by inviting further questions and encouraging listeners to use his free online resources for everyday financial empowerment.