05.02.25 Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / Tariff Adaptation

Summary

The Clark Howard Podcast: Episode Summary – May 2, 2025

Host: Clark Howard
Episode Title: Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / Tariff Adaptation
Release Date: May 2, 2025

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1. Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Clark Howard Podcast, host Clark Howard tackles listener criticisms in the "Clark Stinks" segment and delves into the complexities of tariff adaptation for businesses. Balancing humor with insightful financial advice, Clark addresses a variety of consumer concerns, providing clarity and practical solutions.

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2. Clark Stinks Segment

Clark Howard opens the episode with his favorite segment, "Clark Stinks," where listeners critique his advice. This segment fosters a transparent dialogue between Clark and his audience, highlighting areas where his guidance may need refinement.

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a. Social Security Timing

Caller: Anonymous Caller at [03:11]
Criticism: Clark's blanket advice to delay Social Security benefits until the latest age disregards individual circumstances.

Clark's Response:
At [03:47], Clark acknowledges the validity of the criticism, emphasizing that while delaying benefits can be advantageous for many, exceptions exist. He states:

"Anonymous, you are completely right that although general advice is waiting till 70 is ideal for Social Security, there are always going to be exceptions... If there's a preexisting medical condition, taking Social Security earlier might be appropriate."

Clark underscores the importance of personalized financial planning, highlighting actuarial data that supports delayed benefits for longevity.

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b. Recording Customer Service Calls

Caller: John at [05:14]
Criticism: Clark's stance on recording customer service interactions overlooks the protections these recordings provide.

Clark's Response:
At [06:07], Clark defends his position by explaining:

"When companies record you, they're not doing it for the consumer's benefit... it's for their protection."

He advocates for using alternative methods like chat transcripts to maintain records of customer interactions, expressing skepticism towards the current customer service landscape.

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c. Top Tier Gasoline Guidance

Caller: Eric in Texas at [07:32]
Criticism: Clark inaccurately advised that most discount gasoline retailers do not offer top-tier gasoline.

Clark's Response:
At [08:57], Clark clarifies his understanding of top-tier gasoline standards and acknowledges the oversight:

"I was not aware till after that podcast that a lot of my beloved independent convenience store chains do not sell top tier gas. I'm going to do more reading on that."

He questions why Sam's Club doesn't offer top-tier gasoline like Costco, inviting further discussion on the subject.

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d. Airline Customer Service Issues

Caller: Tom at [10:04]
Criticism: Clark unfairly blames airlines without considering passenger accountability.

Clark's Response:
At [11:00], Clark provides context regarding American Airlines' use of AI to manage seat allocations:

"...American implemented an AI system that... auto rebooks you on another flight... This is an abuse of the customer."

He emphasizes the importance of understanding the system's mechanics before placing blame, encouraging listeners to file complaints when warranted.

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e. Costco Membership Value in Rural Areas

Caller: Molly at [12:49]
Criticism: Clark's advice on the impracticality of Costco memberships for those living in rural areas is unfounded.

Clark's Response:
At [14:06], Clark responds by comparing Costco and Sam's Club delivery services:

"Sam's Club, if you have the PLUS membership, you get free delivery with almost everything... When you order Costco online, they're charging you a higher price almost always than what the same item is in the warehouse."

He concludes that for remote locations, Sam's Club may offer more value through delivery options.

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f. Tariffs on Auto Components

Caller: Barb at [14:49]
Comment: Questions the impact of tariffs on U.S.-assembled vehicles from foreign brands.

Clark's Response:
At [15:07], Clark explains the intricacies of tariff applications:

"Tariffs are based on components. Even in the cases where foreign automakers have built plants in the United States... the parts, the components come from all over the world. So there are still significant tariffs..."

He highlights the challenges manufacturers face in sourcing components globally to mitigate tariff impacts.

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3. Tariff Adaptation Discussion

Clark transitions to a broader discussion on how businesses innovate amidst tariff challenges. He references an Axios article about Optologic's "Lumina Tariff Optimizer," a tool that assists companies in optimizing their supply chains considering global tariffs.

At [19:36], Clark emphasizes:

"Businesses always adapt if they want to survive and thrive. This is just an example... People always adapt."

He reflects on the resilience and adaptability of businesses in the face of economic disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, reinforcing his belief in the capacity to navigate adverse conditions.

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4. Listener Questions and Advice

Clark addresses several listener inquiries, offering tailored advice on financial and consumer-related topics.

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a. Basement Renovation Amid Economic Uncertainty

Caller: Ian in Ohio at [26:30]
Question: Should Ian proceed with basement renovations considering potential recession and tariffs?

Clark's Response:
At [27:01], Clark reassures Ian, explaining that while tariffs may initially raise material costs, a potential recession could balance prices as economic activity slows:

"Labor costs are such a heavy component of it, so it will be kind of a wash and activity will slow down... contractors are hungrier to do work for you."

He advises evaluating the proportion of labor versus materials in renovation costs, suggesting that labor might become more affordable amid reduced demand.

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b. Federal Lifetime Gift Tax Exclusion

Caller: Mattincolrado at [28:10]
Question: Inquires about the federal lifetime gift tax exclusion of approximately $13 million and its implications.

Clark's Response:
At [28:29], Clark clarifies gift tax regulations:

"You can give anybody $19,000 in a year and there's no tax implications at all for you as the giver, them as the receiver."

He explains that gifts below this threshold do not affect the lifetime exclusion and emphasizes the benefits of regular, tax-free gifting.

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c. Appliance Extended Warranties

Caller: Anthony at [28:29]
Question: Should Anthony purchase an extended warranty for a new appliance?

Clark's Response:
At [29:42], Clark firmly advises against purchasing extended warranties:

"No, no matter how hard the salesperson pushes you to buy the piece of trash, extended warranty or service contract, don't do it."

He recommends saving the money typically allocated for warranties in a high-yield savings account to cover unexpected expenses independently.

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5. Insights and Conclusions

Throughout the episode, Clark Howard emphasizes the importance of personalized financial decisions, adaptability in business practices, and consumer empowerment. By addressing criticisms candidly and providing nuanced advice, Clark reinforces his commitment to helping listeners achieve financial freedom.

He concludes with a motivational note, encouraging listeners to utilize Clark.com's resources and stay informed to make smarter financial choices.

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Notable Quotes:

• Clark Howard [03:47]:
  “If there's a preexisting medical condition, taking Social Security earlier might be appropriate.”

• Clark Howard [08:57]:
  “I was not aware till after that podcast that a lot of my beloved independent convenience store chains do not sell top tier gas.”

• Clark Howard [15:07]:
  “Tariffs are based on components... So there are still significant tariffs even on vehicles that are assembled in the United States.”

• Clark Howard [19:36]:
  “Businesses always adapt if they want to survive and thrive. This is just an example... People always adapt.”

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Conclusion

This episode of The Clark Howard Podcast masterfully balances listener engagement with expert financial advice. By addressing criticisms openly and exploring complex economic topics like tariffs, Clark provides a comprehensive and relatable resource for consumers seeking to enhance their financial well-being.

For more insights and personalized advice, visit www.clark.com/askclark.

Transcript

[Clark Howard]

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[Clark Howard]

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[Clark Howard]

See full [e-mail] this message comes from Greenlight. Ready to start talking to your kids about financial literacy? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app that teaches kids and teens how to earn, save, spend wisely and invest with your guardrails in place. With Greenlight you can send money to kids quickly, set up chores automate allowance and keep an eye on your kids spending with real time notifications. Join millions of parents and kids building healthy financial habits together on Greenlight. Get started risk [e-mail] Spotify it's my pleasure to welcome you here to the Clark Howard show where our mission is to serve you with advice and information that empowers you so you make better financial decisions in your life. Today is our first May podcast. Do I love Maybe.

[Anonymous Caller]

May is awesome.

[Clark Howard]

May is just the greatest month for people who live in really hot climates. It's not intensely hot, yet extreme daylight. And we've got month after month of wonderful, not cold weather wherever you are in the us.

[Anonymous Caller]

I love that April showers bring me flowers too. Lots of flowers.

[Clark Howard]

Well, you know, I think Astroturf is beautiful, so that's true. So in this first May podcast, we're beginning with my favorite activity in the podcast in the YouTube show Clark Stinks. And after I answer some of your questions, I'm going to talk about innovation in the face of tariffs. A new tool has been created to help companies navigate the implications of tariffs and to me it shows why I always tell you human beings are so innovative. Companies adapt or they die. They adapt to thrive. We're never just one thing just sitting there, and this is a great example of it. But it's time for you to hear how I may need to adapt in order to thrive in serving you in today's Clark Stinks. I should have never encouraged you to speak. You almost think I'm pretty stupid. You should be ashamed of yourself. Well, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you're Right pal.

[Anonymous Caller]

Alrighty then. Clark stinks first. Clark stinks in May too. Blanket advice advice like take Social Security as late as possible is just plain bad generalized advice. It depends. If you have a bad health history and probably won't live to 70, you'd be crazy not to take it early. I think you need to qualify some of your general investment advice. There are exceptions. My sister died at 63 and was lucky to live that long, but she planned on taking Social Security at 67 just in case men currently have a 75.8 year life expectation. That means for a lot of people postponing Social Security is a terrible choice.

[Clark Howard]

Anonymous Anonymous, you are completely right that although general advice is waiting till 70 is ideal for Social Security, there are always going to be exceptions and your late sister is a perfect example being in her case lucky to have made it to 63 and she was going to wait for Social Security. If her health was that clearly not good, 62 would have been appropriate. There are exceptions, but I want to deal with the stat that you gave men living to approximately 76 years old. That's from birth. If you look at how long the life expectancy is of a man or a woman who makes it to different ages, 60, 65, 70 on like that, what are known as actuarial risk, you'll see that the age that somebody on average will live to is actually much later than the 76 for men and 80 whatever for women, whatever it is for women. So if you're playing the odds and there is no pre existing medical condition and there is no catastrophic financial reason that you need to take Social Security between 62 and 69 years old, 70 is ideal.

[Anonymous Caller]

You don't stink like two day old roadkill on a hot summer day, but you're getting close. When you're upset with not being able to record customer service agents, you fail to take into consideration that the recordings from the company or government are for both the employees and the consumers and taxpayers protection. As for the federal government, these recordings are held for 30 to 40 days and the taxpayer may request a review of the call and the agents could be graded on the accuracy, tone, correctness of the advice given. If a call needs to be recorded by a taxpayer or consumer, they can write to the agency or company and ask for permission to record. You're correct. Some states allow for one person, but you don't know where the customer service representative is located and they may not be in a state that allows it. From personal experience, protocol is to hang up if the person calling declines on stopping the recording reporting, you need to do more research before reaching from the gut.

[Clark Howard]

John, John, thank you. All right. Thank you for the specific information about the federal government. I've never heard you ever heard that. Let's go to talking about with a company. When companies record a call, they're never doing it for the benefit of the consumer. Not at all. Not even remotely. And it is wrong on every level in my opinion, that a company thinks it's fine for them to record us, but it's not okay for us to record them. That's why one of the things I've learned to use of late when I'm dealing with customer no service is to do a chat where you can have a transcript of the chat. You ever done that? And then there's no question what you were told by customer no service. You got to think about this from my perspective. Customer no service has become an adversarial thing that companies don't want to provide and do so at the least possible expense, often with contracted call centers where the people you're talking to don't even have the authority or the knowledge to fix the problem you're having. Am I a cynic about customer no service? You bet.

[Anonymous Caller]

All right, two about gasoline that I'm going to read. Love you brother, but man, you missed the mark on your episode about top tier gasoline. Yes, Costco is the best, no doubt, but most discount gasoline retailers are not top tier like Wawa, which you mentioned, Sam's, Walmart, Buc EE's, et cetera. Also, most branded gas stations are indeed top tier. They even have an app so you can locate a top tier station near you, which are mostly branded stations. Lastly, Amazon prime and Walmart plus also have programs that get you additional discounts on top tier gasoline at places like Exxon and mobile. Thanks for your insights to keep us on the path to economic freedom, Bart and then this one. Eric's love for the independent convenience store change doesn't stink, but his guidance on their gas sure does. On the podcast, Clark specifically says the oil company brands are not offering top tier gasoline. However, I found that aside from Costco, the oil company brands are typically the only locations selling top tier gas. The independent convenience store chain locations are great places to grab a bite or to eat or grab some necessities, but personally I don't fill up with them because their lower priced fuel is lacking the additives recommended by car manufacturers. Luckily, I have Costco on my daily commute to work making filling up with top tier cheap and easy and and Those other times. I know of a few oil company brand stations in my area that are typically only 10 or 15 cents higher than Costco. Eric in Texas.

[Clark Howard]

Eric, thank you very much. And top tier, if you're not familiar with the term, it is an industry standard for the quality of the gas going in your vehicle. It's like a seal that you're getting an approval seal. Like we used to have something called the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. It's kind of like the equivalent of that. It means that you should be able to have the highest level of trust on the gas that's being sold at that place. I was not aware till after that podcast that a lot of my beloved independent giant convenience store chains do not sell top tier gas. And I'm going to do more reading on that. But it's interesting that Costco sells top tier gas and Sam's Club chooses not to. What's up, Sam's Club? You're trying to compete better with Costco. Why don't you sell gas that your members can absolutely trust and sell top tier?

[Anonymous Caller]

You stink because you side with the consumer even though they're clearly in the wrong. An example, a caller said they got to the gate in the quote, nick of time, and the gate agent refused to let her board since her seat was already given away. Regardless of the sob story, she got there late, probably after final boarding, and they probably called for on the PA numerous times. And finally after final boarding gave her seat to someone else. You gave her advice to file a complaint should the gate agent have kicked the other person off the plane to let her through. If she got to the gate on time like everyone else, this would not have happened. Even if there's dislike for the airline, it doesn't mean everything is their fault.

[Clark Howard]

Please, Clark, please name the airline. In this case, it's important with the story.

[Anonymous Caller]

It was American. Call it like it is sometimes. Tell the consumer if it was their fault. Fault. Stop enabling everyone to complain about everything that goes wrong, even if it's their fault. Maybe this is why American tourists have a bad reputation in other countries. We are enabled to do no wrong and it's always someone else's fault. Tom.

[Clark Howard]

Tom, thank you. And I don't know if you work for American Airlines, but American Airlines has been very much in the trade media about this. American implemented a AI system that most passengers that fly American, United and Delta connect at giant transfer hubs. And so American in its wisdom came up with a technology that uses AI to decide, okay, that flight from wherever it's going to post at its gate so many minutes late and they auto rebook you on another flight even if, let's say you're doing carry on bags, they don't have to worry about moving bags from one plane to another and it misses the flight and all that. And so even if you present yourself at an American Airlines connecting flight within the time limits you're supposed to be there, they've already taken your seat away from you. I think it's an abuse of the customer and I think any American Airlines passenger connecting at a hub where you arrive at the gate in the time that's required and they already took your seat away, you have a right to complain and you should to the dot.gov now the general issue, you present yourself at the gate past the arrival time you're supposed to arrive at the gate and you're not a connecting passenger, then yeah, that's your bad. The real problem has been with connectors on American, United and Delta who end up stranded, which I believe was what the original exactly what the original was with American Airlines and they gave her.

[Anonymous Caller]

Seat to a crew member is what she said, if I recall correctly. Like to a It was a non rev passport. Non rev yeah, Clark said that someone There are two about this one, that someone should keep their Costco card while living in rural Wyoming if they get provisions on their semiannual trip. And the better question is if they should keep their membership. I agree with that. And to be more specific, 2% of X equals $65 would find us that X is equal to $3,250 a year spent at Costco. It doesn't have to be all in person at Costco, but it could be ordering something online. So I check if they deliver to them in Wyoming. If there's an appliance they project, then they may want to keep the card signed a middle school mathlete. And then apparently Clark hasn't lived in rural America and so can't be blamed for not knowing the benefits of a Costco membership for someone living in rural Wyoming. So he doesn't stink like cow manure either. I think he said owning a Costco membership wouldn't be worth it for someone who lives in Wyoming and only makes it to Costco twice a year. Being in that situation myself, I have to disagree. My family finds the items we can order from Costco diapers, canned foods, shelf stable, groceries, et cetera, as well as the cash back from the Costco credit card to be worth the membership fee. Thanks for all your help. Molly.

[Clark Howard]

Molly thank you. And I have a response to both of these because I'm thinking about it and it should have occurred to me at the time. Did I mention that Sam's Club, if you have the PLUS membership, you get free delivery with almost everything price the same price as it is in the store and they'll deliver to you Costco. When you order Costco online, they're charging you a higher price almost always than what the same item is in the warehouse. So in a situation where somebody lives more remotely from a warehouse club, I think the tie goes to Sam's in most cases, if Sams in fact will deliver to your address.

[Anonymous Caller]

Clark mentioned on a recent podcast related to the ability to purchase high end vehicles in the US recently. In 2018, a Volvo manufacturing plant opened in Ridgeville, South Carolina. A BMW plant open in Spartanburg, South Carolina. I would speculate that no tariffs would be on autos produced at these locations.

[Clark Howard]

Barb, Barb, I wish that was the case, but the way the tariffs have been designed, you look at a Volvo final assembly in the US And South Carolina, the BMW, Mercedes plant in Alabama, Nissan plant in Tennessee, Toyota plant. Toyota's got plants all over the place, Georgetown, Kentucky, Texas, where anyway you look at any of these, the tariffs are based on components. And if the components that are final assemblied at these plants were all made in the United States, you'd be right. There'd be no tariffs. But even in the cases where foreign automakers have built plants in the United States, or you take GM or Ford or Stellanis, which owns Chrysler and what other brand they have, Dodge, and you look at their final assembly, the parts, the components come from all over the world. So there are still significant tariffs even on vehicles that are assembled in the United States. That's the way the tariff thing works. And speaking of tariffs, straight ahead, I want to talk about a true example about how as much as I despise tariffs and always have that we will adapt and so will the world. And I got proof of that for you coming up.

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[Clark Howard]

Are manufactured is so complicated and you could have a component of something that was made in America, but Different pieces of that component were made overseas, and those individual elements are all subject to tariffs at all different rates, depending on what country part of that came in from. Can you imagine what an impossibility it is for a company to figure out the optimal sourcing of an item? Because we live in a world where the complexity of goods that we buy is so extreme that it is pretty much impossible for every part of everything that any citizen in any country ever buys, that every part of it in total was made in that country. So what do you do if you're a business? Well, I read an Axios article about a company called Optologic, which is a supply chain software provider who launched a product called the Lumina Tariff Optimizer that actually allows companies to figure out where in the world each piece that they're going to need to make their item is the cheapest overall cost, including cost of manufacture and whatever tariffs there would be on that item coming into the United States. This is being used right now by big companies. Even retailers that source a lot of items are using this. And so it's not for a small business trying to figure something out. But the point of this is that we always figure it out. People always adapt. Businesses always adapt if they want to survive and thrive. And this is just an example. You know, nobody Woke up on January 1st running any company and was like, oh, we're going to have the worst tariffs coming our way since the 1930s happening in just months. But they did. And there's a lot of confusion with them. Know when it applies, what item, what component of an item, and all that. And so it's hard because running a company is hard enough providing a product or service at a price that people want a tough thing, getting the quality right. Hard. I mean, if you've never owned a business, it's something that you may not understand how hard it is to do it well. But I will tell you, if you dial back five years ago, five years ago, we were right. In that initial fog of the COVID war and all the disruptions in so many ways. And all the predictions of all these businesses that were going to just wholesale fail. And yeah, there were failures, but what happened? Mostly people learned to adapt. Businesses learn to adapt and survive and ultimately thrive. And so never sell our ability short to deal with adverse circumstances and figure it out. You know who doesn't figure it out? People who have blinders on all the time like they're a racehorse and they're not thinking about how conditions are always going to change, always going to change. And that is a certainty of human life and a business. And there will be good times, there will be bad times, there will be times in between. Adapt. We always do.

[Anonymous Caller]

Change is constant.

[Clark Howard]

Haven't we seen that? I mean, you think about with what we've done, serving people with advice and information, guidance, it never stops changing how we reach people.

[Anonymous Caller]

Right? You just mentioned in a meeting we're in yesterday that we used to send faxes out forever ago. I mean, it's insane.

[Clark Howard]

I mean, when Chris is talking about faxes, we actually had an information service that people would pay for and they'd receive a fax they paid for with up to the minute information. And that was the quick way to get things out.

[Anonymous Caller]

I had a doctor's office ask me for a fax recently and I was like, what?

[Clark Howard]

Can you believe? Can you believe it? Okay, all right, I know we got to go. Questions, but I'm sorry, this is a pet peeve of mine. What year is it?

[Anonymous Caller]

2025.

[Clark Howard]

2025. Why is it that everybody in medicine and the medical insurance industry thinks it's 1985, 40 years ago? Fax machine. Wait, wait. Okay, so this is typical of a doctor's office. You want to make an appointment. How do you make an appointment at a doctor's office? Okay, you pick up a phone and you call them. Are you serious? Everything else in the world, you go on an app or you go on your computer and you make an appointment. Right.

[Anonymous Caller]

I'm sorry, I disassociated when you said 1985 was 40 years ago. I'm like, what?

[Clark Howard]

What's wrong with that?

[Anonymous Caller]

That's insane.

[Clark Howard]

What does that mean, disassociated? I just see you English major.

[Anonymous Caller]

Yeah. Psychology term. I just keep hearing 40 years ago.

[Clark Howard]

40 years ago. Wow. So medicine.

[Anonymous Caller]

But yes, it's crazy that you. I did hear you make a phone call to make an appointment.

[Clark Howard]

I mean, lunacy. Think of all the people you have in that office who could be serving patients, then instead are faxing junk to insurance companies for pre certification stuff and then taking calls from people when they should be able to go on an app and make an appointment or go on the computer and make an appointment. What in the world are you people doing in medicine? Okay, enough rant. By the way, the place you go, doctors, medical providers, hospitals justify why you're 40 years behind the time with technology. Clark.comClarkston okay.

[Anonymous Caller]

Ian in Ohio says we've been planning to finish our basement for several years and have been saving a lump sum to get started. We were planning to pull the trigger this spring, but are now reconsidering. Given the economic uncertainty, we are financially stable and I'm not concerned about losing my job should a recession occur. Do you think renovation prices may come down in the near future if we enter a recession? Or are the tariffs and inflation fears going to keep prices high or higher for the foreseeable future? Any insights from your crystal ball?

[Clark Howard]

Okay, so it is my belief that of course tariffs raise prices on things at first, but then the ultimate effect if we stay with ugly tariffs is economic activity declines. We do have potentially a recession. And a lot of what you do when you do any kind of reno, it's for labor costs, not for materials. Labor costs are such a heavy component of it, so it will be kind of a wash and activity will slow down. People are already putting off bigger projects, so you may find already that contractors are hungrier to do work for you. So I would not freak out too much and I don't know how much the components of the basement redo are of the overall cost of the job are material inputs and how much is the labor cost. But with a typical home renovation or addition, labor is the biggest part of it.

[Anonymous Caller]

Mattincolrado says you talked about being able to give financial gifts to your kids or anyone up to a limit to be tax free. You failed to delve into the federal lifetime gift tax exclusion, which is like $13 million. Is it a workaround to the gift tax? Maybe you want to mention that at some point. I love your podcast.

[Clark Howard]

Thank you, Matt. All right, so I kind of think of it as the opposite. You can give $19,000 to anybody. So you can give anybody $19,000 in a year and there's no tax implications at all for you as the giver, them as the receiver. If you do that and give money out to people, it does not count against your estate tax exclusion, which under current law is like, just like Matt said, $13 million approximately. So you don't have to worry if you're handing out money willy nilly to so often as to adult children, you're giving them up to that amount of money. There's no implications for them or for you. And it has no implications for your estate unless you were to die a short while after you gave that money. And wouldn't it be a great problem to have to have $13 million? You have to worry about having more than that. That might be subject to estate tax.

[Anonymous Caller]

Anthony says, should I buy a warranty for an appliance that I'm purchasing.

[Clark Howard]

So the general answer I give is no way, not any day. And appliances are different than electronics. Electronics is a never, never, not ever rule on ever buying a service contractor extended warranty. And every time I hear a TV salesperson say, don't you want to protect this investment? A TV is not an investment. You don't insure a television, an appliance. Appliances are not nearly as reliable as TVs and they're going to break from time to time. And so that is a more solid pitch for buying a service contractor extended warranty. I still don't recommend them because why are they pitching them? Because the cost of them over the years is so much greater than the occasional oops that you have to pay for a repair. So no, no matter how hard the salesperson pushes you to buy the piece of trash, extended warranty or service contract, don't do it. Take that money that you would have paid them for that and put it in your rainy day account so when something does go wrong with something in your life, you got the money. You don't have to think of it like, well, I better have coverage for this and have coverage for that and have coverage for this other thing instead. In your life, you're better off having your own money saved in your own account, your own high yield savings account that's there for you when the oops does happen in your life. Whether the oops is the dishwasher goes bad or the TV goes bad or your car needs a repair or whatever. Save your own money and you're your own insurance company. I want to thank you so much for joining us this week and I hope that something you've heard here has been helpful to you in your life. And know that we're here to serve you so many different ways. Social media, one on one, free advice, our websites, our newsletters. It's all about you being empowered with knowledge so you can make smarter decisions in your life, have more control in your life. And that you learn ways to save more, spend less, and avoid getting ripped off. I hope this is the best weekend ever.

[Ryan Reynolds]

This episode is brought to you by Discover. Hey listeners, bet you didn't know that Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. You know what's a little less accepted? Taking financial advice from random usernames and avatars you found on some forum. That's just sketchy. No offense to all the finance bros out there on the Internet. Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. Learn more at discover.com credit card.