The Clark Howard Podcast — April 10, 2026

Episode Title: Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / Scammers Going For Broke
Host: Clark Howard
Co-Host: Krista
Date: April 10, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features two signature segments of the Clark Howard Podcast:

1. Clark Stinks (Listener feedback and critiques, with Clark’s responses and discussion)
2. Scammers Going For Broke (An in-depth look at current scam tactics threatening consumers, especially retirees)

Clark and Krista engage listeners with their trademark wit and warmth while navigating constructive criticism. The episode is packed with practical advice for financial safety, up-to-date insights on personal finance trends, and real-world solutions for listener questions.

Segment 1: Clark Stinks — Clark Answers His Critics

Starts at 02:05

Theme:
Listeners share feedback (often criticisms or challenges) about Clark’s advice, prompting honest self-examination and informative discussion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Pronunciation Beef

  • Listener “Ken from Texas” complains about Krista’s pronunciation of ‘Nevada’.
    • Clark’s Take: Both versions are fine, joking about regional quirks.

    “Nevada has so many people who've moved there from different places that I'd say both of them are actually okay, Krista. So in my book, you don't stink.” — Clark (02:41)

• Tech in Older EVs

  • Thomas argues older Teslas still receive solid software support; even if updates end, legacy tech is still functional.
    • Krista finds it puzzling that the rest of the auto industry hasn’t adopted similar over-the-air updates.

    “The rest of the automotive industry hasn't adopted this. It's really weird to me.” — Krista (03:59)

• Retirement vs. College Saving

  • Danielle shares a heartfelt story about her mom sacrificing for her education, defying Clark’s usual “retirement first” advice.
    • Clark commends Danielle’s gratitude but reiterates his stance:

    “Your story ... is a wonderful exception to what I normally say. ... So often though, kids don't really appreciate like you do what their parents do in terms of sacrifice...” — Clark (06:33)

• Investing with Online Banks

  • Sarah suggests Clark undersells online banks’ investment options (she uses Ally & SoFi with automated ETF investing).
    • Clark admits it’s a new angle for him and commits to researching it for future episodes.

    “What I would like to do is at a future time I want to look at some of the online banks, the investment options they have ...” — Clark (08:03)

• Social Security Timing & Living for Today

  • Rich in Virginia pushes back on Clark's wait-until-70 SS advice, wanting to travel while healthy.

    • Clark empathizes but stresses caution:

    “Life is always a series of compromises and choices. ... I want people to have enough money to get by.” — Clark (10:50)

    • Notable quote from listener:

    “Why are you denying families the joy of a slightly smaller but earlier paycheck just to build a mountain of cash I might not live to spend?” — Rich (08:47)

• Automating ETF Investments

  • Akshay corrects Clark: Fidelity (and other platforms) now allow automated ETF investing.

    “Automatic investments is no longer true [that they’re only for mutual funds].” — Akshay (11:36)

• Life Insurance: Annual Renewable Term vs. Level Term

  • Matthew disputes Clark’s “10X salary” rule and challenges the dismissal of annual renewable term insurance.
    • Clark explains his “get it done” philosophy, recognizing ideal but favoring action over perfection.

    “I don’t want perfect to be the enemy of the good ... overwhelmingly people fall by the wayside and they never get to that issuing a policy.” — Clark (13:28)

Notable Quotes

• “One parent can take care of 10 kids, but 10 kids can't take care of one parent.” — Clark, echoing his late father's advice (06:29)
• “There's nothing more valuable for your wallet than being a lifetime learner.” — Clark (14:33)

Segment 2: Scammers Going For Broke

Starts at 22:02

Theme:
Clark gives a sobering account of the fast-evolving world of financial scams, describing the new, sophisticated strategies fraudsters use and the steps consumers can take to protect themselves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Sophistication of Scams

  • Criminals are increasingly shifting from violent crime to online, tech-driven cons.
  • Retirees and those with investment/retirement accounts are high-value targets.

    “So much crime that we used to have, violent crime, is down ... now it involves a laptop computer, a phone, buying cheap software that helps you run your own con ...” — Clark (22:12)

• Types of Scams Described

  • Pretexting (fraudsters posing as trusted institutions or even police).
  • “Reload” scams: Victims get scammed a second time by “lawyers” promising to recover their stolen funds.

• AI Risks

  • Clark describes impostor scams using AI to fake his voice and likeness, including fraudulent endorsements.

    “There was this video that was an AI video having me endorse a company I'd never heard of...and people being mad at me.” — Clark (25:22)

• Protective Strategies

  • Credit Freeze: Clark urges all listeners to freeze their credit to prevent identity fraud.

  • Check Accounts Regularly: Especially brokerage/retirement/investment.

  • Never Click Links in Emails/Texts: Navigate to official sites directly.

  • Don’t Answer Calls from ‘Institutions’: Let it go to voicemail and call back using known numbers.

  • Beware of ‘Sense of Urgency’ Play: Scams almost always pressure immediate decisions.

    “You have to stay on your guard with one of the key things of almost all modern scams, and that is sense of urgency. You got to do it right now or else.” — Clark (27:59)

• Mindset Advice

  • Stay vigilant, but do not become cynical: Most people are good.

Segment 3: Q&A

Starts at 28:46

Google Wallet & Autofill — Noreen in Michigan

• Question: Is Google Wallet tied to autofill for online purchases, and how to control it?
• Advice:
  • Autofill is built into digital wallets and browsers; you can use one-time cards (virtual numbers) for added safety.
  • Clark: Log out of Google account on browser if privacy is a concern.
  • Krista: Just don’t proceed if you’re uncomfortable; manually enter card data as needed.
• Lighthearted banter on football and travel as usual.

Used Car Loan Dilemma — Danny in Tennessee

• Scenario: Mother’s 2016 Ford Escape has a failed transmission, she owes more than it’s worth, and has already leased a new car.
• Options & Advice:
  • No good options, but Team Clark recommends selling the broken vehicle as-is and taking the loss rather than dumping more cash into repairs.

    “I would sell it as is ... take your loss that you’re going to absorb for your mom and be done with it.” — Clark (34:17)

Coverdell ESA vs. 529 Plans — Kurt in North Carolina

• Question: Should he keep funding both ESAs and 529s for his kids or consolidate?
• Advice: Migrate funds from Coverdell ESAs to 529 plans and only fund the 529s going forward, due to better flexibility and law changes.

  “529s ... have far more flexibility to them than you're going to have with a Coverdell Education Savings Account.” — Krista (36:10)

Memorable Moments

• Listener Rich’s tongue-in-cheek request for Clark to tip 200% instead of 20% (09:00) and calling him a “big tightwad.”
• Danielle’s touching narrative about her mother’s sacrifice, countering financial dogma with lived experience (04:30–06:30).
• Clark’s humility and humor as he acknowledges learning from his listeners:

  “Things never stay the same. And I can't stay the same. I've got to continue to learn, and we all learn from each other.” — Clark (14:33)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Clark Stinks: 02:05–17:30
• Scammer Segment: 22:02–28:46
• Q&A:
  • Google Wallet Autofill: 28:46–32:08
  • Car Loan Dilemma: 32:08–35:21
  • Education Savings Accounts: 35:21–End

Takeaways

• Constructive criticism makes for better advice.
• Stay vigilant—scammers evolve as fast as technology does.
• Financial decisions are rarely one-size-fits-all; real life nuance matters.
• Action (even if not perfect) beats inaction in many financial areas (insurance, saving, fraud protection).

Clark wraps with practical reminders about tax filing deadlines and encourages listeners to be proactive and lifelong learners in their financial journeys.