Krista (2:37)

And I don't remember ever seeing that on an EOB that it says whether they have to contractually write it off. I'll have to look for that.

Clark Howard (2:43)

You read the explanation and in legalese it says that okay, but it goes through. It says, you know, charged, disallowed, blah blah, blah, blah, blah. And so a lot of medical providers do balance bill for disallowed, which they may or may not be allowed to do. And that's the whole.

Krista (3:04)

Okay. Yeah. Well, I learned something new every day on this show. Diggler in Tennessee says Clark. You're beginning to smell like carbon monoxide. Does carbon monoxide smell? I guess it does.

Clark Howard (3:15)

I thought it's odorless.

Krista (3:16)

I thought it was too. You are becoming too comfortable making recommendations on vehicle purchases. Yes, Carvana and Carmax are still go to for pricing and policies. However, the colorless and odorless. There we go. Aspect of this advice. Carbon monoxide. CarMax now charges a documentation fee, typically around $699. They've also increased the business tax fee to $180. This is apparently not the case in my state of Georgia because the state law requires the advertised price to be inclusive of fees. Please make sure the audience knows to ask for a PO or buyer's order prior to purchase to ensure they're not being tricked.

Clark Howard (3:55)

Thank you. I got a lot to say about this one. First, CarMax is absolutely going through a midlife crisis. Stock's been hammered, companies not been doing well and they now have a new CEO trying to turn things around. CarMax was such an innovator and a new wonderful way to buy used vehicles and things like, you know, I hate what are called packs, junk fees from dealers. And the whole documentation fee or doc fee is just a bunch of hui. It's just additional dealer markup. They might as well call it what it is. And with the history of CarMax and what they did as a breath of fresh air in the car business, this runs so counter to what they were about and is very disappointing. Now let's go to the end of what you said, 100%. Anytime you're shopping for a vehicle, you want to shop from the comfort of your own home. First you want a full detail of all fees, junk fees, government imposed taxes, everything involved with buying a vehicle so that there's not a game of bait and switch where you think the price is this and then you get there and the price is this plus another 1800 bucks. So that is wonderful advice.

Krista (5:21)

Marion, South Carolina says Clark doesn't stink too bad, but government enforced monopolies do. When Clark talks about hospital systems consolidating practices, he should mention and explain certificate of need laws. Many states still have these on the books. An Entrepreneurial healthcare provider could see a need for a new specialty practice or even hospital. But they must get a certificate of need from their potential competition first before regulatory approval. Basically, they need to get permission from the big hospitals to potentially compete. And of course, the competition rarely agrees. There's a need for a new service provider that restricts supply, raises prices, and like most government involvement in healthcare, it stinks.

Clark Howard (6:02)

Mary, you are completely right. Certificate of need laws have been used cynically by incumbent medical providers to do just what you said to prevent competition. And I just saw a new pie chart of where our money goes for health care, and this is going to shock you. The largest part of the pie now is hospitals, and it's been going up at a rate many, many times inflation as hospitals have engineered this system of creating regional monopolies or shared monopolies, usually with one other hospital system in the largest metro areas, usually two other hospital systems, total of three, squeezing out competition and pushing prices up. And if we want to do something about health care costs, one of the things we'll do is we will do some serious trust busting of these hospital monopolies all over America.

Krista (7:06)

David in California says, I think there may be a bit of confusion around how credit cards and banks fit into spending decisions. So I want to clarify my perspective. Credit cards don't create desire or tell people what to buy. People already want things, and it's the stores and sellers that actively encourage purchases through advertising and sales. The bank isn't telling anyone to go buy a new tv. What a bank does is simply provide a way to pay. A credit card gives someone the ability to make a purchase, not the instruction or pressure to do so. If someone can't afford something outright, the card allows them to buy now and pay later, but. But the decision and responsibility still belong to the buyer. That said, I strongly agree that people generally should not purchase things on a credit card and then pay high, often unusurous interest rates. I said that the right way, didn't I? Avoiding that kind of debt is usually the wiser choice. Still, it ultimately remains an individual's decision to make. Ultimately, the seller is the party interested in making the sale. The bank's just facilitating the transaction.

Clark Howard (8:08)

Okay, true and not so true. You know, the bank's pitch repeatedly has been, hey, yeah, we're charging the world's highest fees for processing Visa and MasterCard at your business, but when people use our product, they buy more from you than they would otherwise. So both parties are in this together. Same reason retailers have so heavily adopted the sleazy pay and for business is it gets people that are on the bubble about buying something to buy it. There's something totally different about the way we used to do things where we carried cash and now where money seems almost limitless because it's digital or it's plastic or whatever. And so the real problem is psychological. It's the way we as people approach money. If we see something in a store, it feels like we got a limitless supply of resources and we buy things that we impulsively want but don't necessarily need. So you want to get that under control. Do something really dull. Use cash. And then the funniest thing, think how many businesses now won't accept cash.

Krista (9:34)

Yep.

Clark Howard (9:34)

And then you're not going to spend a penny with them.

Krista (9:37)

Richard in Florida says Clark and Krista both are smelling pretty stinky on this one. I live in Jacksonville and just bought my first home. My car. Insurer USAA told me they wouldn't directly insure a home in Florida and would farm me out to a third party. Since I've heard both of you guys talk about Amica Mutual Insurance many times on the show, I decided to get a quote from them. I only to be told Amica is also not taking any new homeowners insurance clients in the state of Florida. Jacksonville isn't even hit by hurricanes often. What gives?

Clark Howard (10:06)

Yeah.

Krista (10:07)

So you're familiar with this one, Clark?

Clark Howard (10:09)

I am familiar with this. So the Florida insurance market is brutal and it's because Florida is on the ocean and does not have rigid or good building standards. I've talked before about how the state of Alabama imposed really strict building standards in coastal Alabama and insurers are happy to be there. So you have to build a property in coastal Alabama on the Gulf, you have to buy a home, build a home that meets very strict standards to deal with wind and water. Florida has chosen not to do that. And if I were an insurer, would I insure a home in Florida? No, I wouldn't. And yes, northeast Florida historically has not been hit by hurricanes and went without any serious hurricane for 40 years and now has been hit with three in 12 years. So the conditions are different for an insurer looking at Jacksonville than they would have been in the past. And I'm telling you, building standards, getting it right up front would be what the state of Florida and every other state that has coastline should require in coastal counties. Very strict hurricane standards in building. And then an insurer would be willing to insure. Think how many Clark stinks. That's going to generate.

Krista (11:52)

Bob in Washington says if there was an odor that an incomplete answer gave off, I would have been able to smell you from across the country. Parents wrote in about their child who found the college that they wanted to go to, and it looks like a great fit. The cost out of pocket for the year was $30,000, and they wondered if they should take out a loan or remove money from retirement accounts. Mr. Howard.

Clark Howard (12:12)

Oh, come on.

Krista (12:13)

You did talk about those two options, but you missed one that would have helped the most. How did you pay for your schooling? The same way our three children paid for their college. They got jobs and worked their way through school. Granted, they did get some small government loans, but they paid for their schooling mostly by working in college and summer jobs as well as saving money. Their last two years of high school, they graduated with small government loans when they all have successful careers now, in part because they invested in themselves and worked hard to get the education they wanted. I was so surprised that you didn't mention a student worked to pay for the majority of their costs.

Clark Howard (12:46)

So I have found that people have not always accepted When I talk about how I had to pay my way through college after my dad lost his job. One of the key differences when I went to college was how relatively cheap college was. I was at a private college in undergraduate school and my tuition was $2,400 a year. And even if you inflation adjust it, which we did last time this came up, it was like 8,000 a year in today's dollars, I think it was. And so I was able to work full time and go to college at night and pay all my expenses. There were times I couldn't afford to buy a book for a class, that kind of thing, but I was able to get through on my own. Today that's much harder. Tuitions are much higher, even at many state schools. So it does require more work. But I don't want to ever make somebody feel shamed by, well, your kids should be working that, you know, families have their own culture. And yes, I agree with what you said, and I did it for me. And then when I went to get a master's, I went to work for IBM because they would reimburse my tuition. And so I worked at IBM during the day as a bill collector and went to grad school at night. And so I didn't have to pay for school unless I got a C in a course. And then they didn't reimburse. I had to lay out the money, and then they reimbursed I got the best grades my life when I was working for IBM because I was terrified I was going to have to not get reimbursed for a class.

Krista (14:31)

That's motivation, but yes.

Clark Howard (14:33)

So your point is well taken and I will tell you that what happened to me that seemed like oh at the time turned out to be one of the greatest things that could have happened to me. It was really easy for me to launch into a career life out of grad school because I already had three years of work experience by the time I was finished with education. Big leg up.

Krista (15:02)

Someone also said you should have mentioned going to a community college for two years and then transferring into the dream school as an option.

Clark Howard (15:09)

And that is a great suggestion that you've heard my obsession with community college. We've had a lot of Clark stinks from people who are unhappy with me that I promote community college. So this is an area people are very sensitive about the whole college thing.

Krista (15:25)

All right, I'm going to read one more. Jane in Ohio says Krista, I'm so disappointed in your comments regarding a tax preparer being responsible for an incorrect tax return. Krista made the assumption the tax preparer was the responsible party and bears all the responsibility for the incorrect filing. Being a CPA and preparing tax returns for over 30 years, the client doesn't offer all information regarding their taxes and in a lot of instances the taxpayer doesn't supply the necessary information to provide a correct return. It can be the fault of the taxpayer. Taxes are very complicated and clients don't always understand their full financial activities. I like to think my clients are capable of answering my questions and providing me with their full tax picture. But I also understand clients are not knowledgeable in tax law and sometimes don't provide all their financial activity, both unintentional as well as intentionally. I don't like to blame, but I would rather determine how to correct the error whoever made it. Baby Clark, keep up the great work and don't let Krista get away with such assumptions. Boo on you Krista. And Jane, you're so right. I didn't even think that way when we heard the question. I just assumed that it was the error of the tax preparer and you're totally right. So I apologize.

Clark Howard (16:34)

And by the way, I need to also say that I am not setting a good example. Last week I had to file an extension on my taxes and it will be months till my return is ready. I had to pay in some extra tax with the extension. Did you file on time? I did, so I have a pretty complicated financial life and it takes a long time to get everything done. And this is my story year after year that my real tax filing date is October 15, not April 15 and it's just the way it is. Anyway, thank you for all of your posts on Clark Stinks and I appreciate so much this spirit of community where we all learn from each other. Coming up ahead, talk about a sensitive subject. I'm going to talk about proms and how much money people spend Investing with

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Clark Howard (20:17)

So proms are quite a thing. The promposal made to order for social media that it's like everything about it is an event. Average amount people are spending on a prom apparently is about eleven hundred dollars. Now this is at a time that people really don't have a lot of extra cash laying around and limos, fancy dinners, fancy dresses, fancy tuxes. I mean, the whole aura of this is so extreme now. It's like everything now is a made for social media event, not just proms. Think how many things go on in people's lives that instead of enjoying the moment, it's all about how it's going to post on social media. And so this is one that I got to be careful with because a lot of people are really sensitive talking about spending on prom. And if you're just loaded with money and you want to blow it out, I mean, I saw in the Washington Post story about how One mom spent $25,000 on her daughter's prom. $25,000. I mean, that's quite a headline, right? But if you just have money, you know, and you would rather just burn it, spend a fortune and you know, I could pull the, the Uncle Clark thing and say, well, I remember back when I went to prom. No, no. You know, societies change over time and it's a whole different focus now. But when money's tight, what's wrong with going to get a used dress or buy. I mean, I bought a used tux once. You can save so much money on all the different elements and having a limo. Okay, so the limo. A lot of parents justify the limo because the DUI problem. And a lot of kids are, even if it's against your house rules, they're going to drink at a prom. And so knowing they're not behind the wheel of a vehicle. Get that. But compare the cost of, let's say an Uber or Lyft to a limo. I Mean, there's a lot that. That we do now that we do almost by rote, because that's what people do. And it is. It's a cool night for teenagers. Prom's cool. Is it less cool if you spend less money on all the things involved with it? In my opinion, no. In your opinion, maybe, yes. And, Krista, do you remember what you spent on prom or your parents spent on prom for you?

Krista (23:30)

Mine was a little different. I went to a few. I went to prom in my hometown with a friend and I. You wore the same dress that I wore to that at the prom at my school, which was totally different. We didn't have to spend money like this at all. We went out to dinner, but that was it. So it was like nothing. I mean, the dress was the only real cost for me, but that was me. My daughter's prom. I think her ticket was probably $80, maybe for the ticket, maybe 100. And then her dress we actually bought used on Facebook Marketplace. It was someone's old bridesmaid dress that they had had tailored. It was just a simple dress, and it fit her like a glove. So that was really able to do that use.

Clark Howard (24:16)

Dresses are good, right?

Krista (24:17)

Yeah, for sure.

Clark Howard (24:19)

Yeah. And in spite of rumors that I used a coupon for dinner at the prom, I did not.

Krista (24:26)

You would have, though, if you could have. You would have.

Clark Howard (24:30)

You think I would have? Don't you think that would be. I wonder if you. If you'd been dating your date for a while, they'd be okay with that.

Krista (24:41)

I would think that someone you were dating would expect it. Were you not like that in high school?

Clark Howard (24:46)

Oh, I was always thrifty.

Krista (24:48)

Yeah. I mean, did you not pull out the coupons with Lane until a few months in or what happened there?

Clark Howard (24:55)

Probably immediately.

Krista (24:56)

Oh, I mean, no shame in that game.

Clark Howard (25:00)

Yeah.

Krista (25:01)

It's worked out for you.

Clark Howard (25:02)

That rhymes pretty well.

Krista (25:04)

Also, the cost of people spend on. On outfitting dorm rooms can be absolutely insane. You see some of these things on social media about people flying in decorators and just doing all this crazy stuff to their dorm rooms.

Clark Howard (25:17)

Right. So do you know what's about to happen at college campuses all over the country?

Krista (25:23)

What?

Clark Howard (25:24)

This is just unbelievable. Every college campus just about in America will have big dumpsters, Big by every door.

Krista (25:33)

Oh, yeah.

Clark Howard (25:34)

Where people throw away furniture, televisions, decorate decorative things like drapes and stuff. And they fill dumpster after dumpster with perfectly good stuff.

Krista (25:47)

Yeah.

Clark Howard (25:48)

That is just being disposed of at the end of a semester at the dorm.

Krista (25:53)

Yeah, I witnessed that.

Clark Howard (25:54)

Refrigerators yeah, you name it. So I know in some cities now there are things where the public can come and help themselves to what's in the dumpsters before stuff is hauled away.

Krista (26:08)

Yeah. When my daughter moved out in last spring, the school did have. They had some organization that came in that would take donations that were. They were going around to all the different dorms and rooms and stuff and we were giving them the stuff that was still good, but it was. The dumpsters were over flowing everywhere. Okay, let's go to some questions. They all involve children. I mean not young children. Okay. Betty in Missouri says three years ago I wrote an ebook. I grossed about $100 a month, maybe a little more. Now my son and I have created a partnership where he wrote an app based on my ebook. We've made over $2,000 gross during the first two months of selling the app.

Clark Howard (26:47)

What?

Krista (26:48)

Yeah, we have an agreement to split the profits after the expenses are paid. He set up the app in an LLC for tax purp. I'm not part of the llc. He's in his high earning years and I'm retired. What's the best way? Hopefully simple to set this up. If the current sales trend continues and if the income grows. I told my son Clark Howard would be proud of us. Thank you for all you do, Clark.

Clark Howard (27:11)

Thank you and congratulations in this success you and your son are having. So he's got the llc. He's the sole owner of the llc. But you are due half the income after expenses. So there are two ways to do it. One, your son actually issues you a 1099 and pays you net of expenses your half of it. The second in most states and Missouri. Right. I don't know the law in Missouri, but usually it's pretty easy to amend ownership of an llc. And depending on the state it's. It can be virtually a self help kind of thing with your LLC documents. And so if your son wanted to make you second owner of the llc in most states it can be amended without too much sweat. But otherwise he can own it and just pay you your half and you just on your tax return you list that 1099 income.

Krista (28:16)

Michael in Michigan says my son is graduated from college and will soon have his own income. I'm curious what the pros and cons are of putting the car he's been using in his name and having him get his own insurance policy. Especially whether he will pay more on his own. Any advice, Clark? I love the show.

Clark Howard (28:32)

Well, thank you so much Michael and congratulations on your son finishing college this Spring and when he has a job then that's a great time because he'll be financially emancipated at that point, will not be your dependent. And that would be the right moment to transfer ownership of the vehicle to him. Then he's insured. And the advantage is once he's not financially dependent, your assets are protected. If he did have an accident at some point he's going to be in his maybe 22, 23 years old at this point, I guess. And so insurance stays elevated till age 25, but is already better than it would have been for your son as a teenager, Michael. So I think it's fine to cast him loose, but the best answer is if he is interested in potentially staying with the same insurer you're with, they'll be able to give you a quote. What is it with him being on our policy? What's it going to be him on his own and then you can make that decision.

Krista (29:39)

Gary in Florida says my 16 year old stepson wants to start a car detailing business. If he's not incorporated, is there any liability that could come back to my wife or me and our assets like damp? If he damages a car, he lives with us full time. It would be a challenge convincing him to establish an llc. He's not the best at listening or accepting advice.

Clark Howard (30:00)

Wait, wait, wait. A teenager not wanting to listen to advice? Never heard that before.

Krista (30:06)

Oh no.

Clark Howard (30:07)

Okay. But isn't it great that he's starting a business and doing it? So you are technically correct that he would want to have an llc and again this is from a non lawyer but he'd want to have an LLC and do business as the llc. So very important that the cards he hands out, any invoice he gives someone that it has the name of the LLC because he must be doing business as that. So there's always risk for a parent going back to the prior thing about the car insurance. There's always a risk for a parent when a child or stepchild living under your roof is a financial dependent that someone, if there is, let's say, damage their car, they allege and it's big money and your stepson's not going to have it. They're going to try to allege liability on you. Even if there's the llc, the LLC is just a layer of protection against it. Now what are the odds that someone doing detailing is going to damage somebody's vehicle? Very unlikely. Unless, let's say he's moving the car to a position to do the detailing and he runs into a pole or something like that, I mean, you know, it'd have to be something more out there as a potential problem. He could be using a cleaner that could damage somebody's leather and the leather could be really expensive, possibly damaging the paint with a cleaner he's using. So there are some potentials for liability, but not enormous. And I think it's great to encourage a kid to be entrepreneurial, to be earning money to learn how a business operates. And learning just you learn almost by rote in a business like this how to control expenses, how to make sure you're charging enough to make it a decent hourly wage and the rest. So technically you're right. The LLC in which there you do it very easily online. Don't need a lawyer to set up an llc. Stepson can do that if he doesn't want to. I don't think the liability risk is likely large enough that I would worry too much. Now remember that said by a non lawyer, we may have a very clear Clark stinks from a lawyer saying that I'm an idiot about this. And I appreciate that. And you would post that@clark.com clarkstinks so I appreciate all the stuff that we've talked about today that you've taken time to write in about, to ask questions or give advice to me about how you felt like I could have given a more complete answer, a better answer. My answer was incorrect, whatever. I appreciate it very much. Because none of us have the final word and all of us learn together and all of us have the power to empower those around us that we care about, that we love, that are our family members, our friends, our work colleagues. And so we as people are not an island. And the more we can do to assist each other, the better their lives become, the better our lives ultimately are and the better society is. And with that having been said, I want to wish you a wonderful weekend and know what we're about in everything we do here on Team Clark is knowledge leading to empowerment. So you can save more, spend less, and don't let anyone ever rip you off. Now go have fun this weekend.