The Clark Howard Podcast – Episode Summary: June 16, 2025

Title: Kids Gone Wild Ordering Online / Rental Car Inspection Warning
Host: Clark Howard
Release Date: June 16, 2025

1. Protecting Your Finances from Kids' Online Purchases

Incident Overview:

Clark Howard opens the episode by recounting a viral story about an eight-year-old boy who ordered 70,000 Dum Dums lollipops using his mother's Amazon account. The incident highlights the vulnerabilities parents face when children gain access to their online shopping platforms.

“I'm so glad you're with us here on the Clark Howard Show... today you may have already heard the crazy story about the boy who ordered 70,000 Dum Dums on his mom's Amazon account.” [01:15]

Discussion Points:

• Parental Responsibility: Clark emphasizes the importance of securing online accounts to prevent unauthorized purchases by children. He notes, “parents routinely give kids their phone... your laptop has a lot of power to spend money. Password protection, a really good idea.” [05:36]

• Amazon's Response: After the backlash, Amazon decided to let the mother keep the lollipops and contribute to charities, mitigating some of the negative publicity.

• Preventative Measures: The hosts discuss strategies such as setting up parental controls, using password protections, and educating children about responsible online behavior.

Co-Host Insights:

The co-host shares personal experiences, including an incident with their son spending hundreds on Roblox purchases, reinforcing the need for vigilant account management. “I had an incident with my son and Roblox.” [05:15]

2. Navigating Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) Challenges

Listener Concern:

Donnie from Texas raises an issue regarding his employer-provided FSA through UnitedHealthcare. He points out that the rollover funds from the previous year are not being utilized first, leading to potential loss of funds if not manually redeemed.

“The FSA doesn't use the rolled over funds first... designed their system so there's a high likelihood that people will end up losing that money.” [05:59]

Clark's Analysis:

Clark acknowledges the issue, stating, “UnitedHealth Care is doing something that makes them a villain for not any financial benefit to UnitedHealthcare. That's weird.” [07:30] He suggests that listeners review their FSA policies and advocate for more user-friendly processes.

3. Balancing Career Choices with Financial Stability

Listener Story:

Craig from Texas shares his dilemma about leaving a high-paying job to pursue a passion for teaching. With minimal student debt and a high household income, he feels constrained by "golden handcuffs."

“...how to judge what's reasonable and not as far as personal finance goes.” [07:39]

Clark's Advice:

Clark encourages Craig to:

• Budget Review: “work on a budget... see what you can cut and still provide a decent life for the family.” [10:00]

• Long-Term Planning: Emphasizes the benefits of following one's passion, especially when supported by a partner's income.

• Research and Preparation: The co-host adds, “meet with several teachers... find out what their day to day life is really like.” [11:59]

4. Understanding Credit Card Benefits for Military Members

Listener Information:

Matt from Nebraska informs listeners that premium travel cards like the American Express Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve are offered free to military members and their dependents, including the American Express Gold card.

“American Express and Chase do this for the wonderful, brave, patriotic men and women who serve in our US Military.” [12:30]

Clark's Response:

Clark expresses appreciation for the benefits provided to military personnel and acknowledges this as valuable information for listeners.

5. Rental Car Inspection Warning: Protecting Yourself from Fraud

Clark's Warning:

Clark delves into the escalating "rental car wars," where major companies like Enterprise, Alamo, Hertz, Avis, Budget, and SIXT are increasingly scrutinizing returned vehicles for damages using advanced technology.

“Rental car rates have been going down... They are using AI to completely analyze every square inch of the vehicle looking for something they can bill you for.” [16:42]

Key Recommendations:

• Document the Vehicle: “pull out your smartphone and shoot a video of the vehicle before you leave the rental car plaza and shoot a video when you return it.” [16:42]

• Duration of Evidence Preservation: “hold it for a minimum three months.” [19:02]

Listener Anecdote:

Sandy from Georgia shares her experience of being wrongly billed $700 for a windshield crack, which was disproven by her video evidence.

“My videos of the car the day we returned it clearly showed that the windshield was not broken.” [20:56]

Clark's Advice:

Clark advises listeners to persist in communication with rental companies to obtain written confirmation that disputes are resolved and warns against trusting companies with a history of operational problems.

“Hertz is not to be trusted... you protect yourself and hurts. Get your act together.” [22:16]

6. Addressing Credit Report Misspellings

Listener Query:

Michael from Georgia reports that his last name is frequently misspelled on official documents and solicitations, despite correct information on his credit reports from all three bureaus.

“My last name is spelled wrong... How can I correct this?” [23:44]

Clark's Guidance:

Clark suggests obtaining the extended credit reports from Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian to identify where the misspellings occur. He explains that inconsistencies might stem from third-party data sources and recommends addressing discrepancies directly with those sources.

“on the extended credit report files from the bureau's again for free... you can see if you got AKA is there that match up with the misspelling.” [24:20]

7. Introducing POC Global Walkie Talkies

Listener Promotion:

Jeff from South Carolina introduces POC Global Walkie Talkies as a cost-effective alternative for staying connected overseas, comparing them to traditional methods like WhatsApp or FaceTime.

“POC Global Walkie Talkies... eliminate some of the down falls of the other methods.” [25:49]

Clark's Take:

While initially unfamiliar, Clark recognizes the potential benefits for listeners needing reliable communication without hefty data plans.

“Imagine people have relatives living overseas or whatever to have a really affordable way to stay in contact...” [26:16]

Conclusion

Clark wraps up the episode by reiterating the importance of protecting one's finances and personal information in various aspects of life, from online shopping to renting cars. He encourages listeners to utilize resources like Clark.com and ClarkDeals.com for ongoing financial advice and savings opportunities.

“Clark.com, clarkdeals.com one on one free advice through the Team Clark Consumer Action center...” [29:14]

Notable Quotes:

• “Password protection, a really good idea.” – Clark Howard [05:36]
• “UnitedHealth Care is doing something that makes them a villain for not any financial benefit to UnitedHealthcare. That's weird.” – Clark Howard [07:30]
• “I want you to take that time, figure out the budget, figure out what you can cut and still provide a decent life for the family.” – Clark Howard [10:00]
• “Hertz is not to be trusted and I can tell you that.” – Clark Howard [22:16]

This episode of The Clark Howard Podcast provides valuable insights into safeguarding your finances from unintended online purchases by children, navigating the complexities of FSAs, making informed career transitions, leveraging credit card benefits for military families, protecting oneself during car rentals, correcting credit report errors, and exploring alternative communication tools for global connectivity.

For more information and personalized financial advice, visit Clark.com or ClarkDeals.com.