The Clark Howard Podcast – Episode Summary
Episode: 08.29.25 – Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / SCAM WARNING: Healthcare Plans
Host: Clark Howard
Date: August 29, 2025
Overview
In this episode, Clark Howard dives into his regular “Clark Stinks” segment, where he responds to listener criticisms, clarifies his financial advice, and corrects any potential misstatements. The second half of the show focuses on a fast-moving scam involving fake healthcare plans, which are proliferating as health insurance costs soar. Clark also takes a series of listener questions on term life insurance, mortgages and insurance in Florida, teacher retirement plans, and more.
The tone remains conversational, self-deprecating, and packed with practical money advice.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. "Clark Stinks!" Listener Feedback & Clark's Responses
(Timestamps: 01:05 – 19:52)
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) vs. FSAs
- Listener Critique: Clark wasn’t clear about eligibility rules regarding HSAs and FSAs.
- Clark's Response:
- Confirms you can't have both an FSA and an HSA for the same type of coverage at once due to IRS rules—not brokerage policies.
- Notes that FSAs are inflexible and can result in forfeiting unused funds.
- "It's not Fidelity saying, 'Well you can't do an HSA.' It's the law..." (03:04)
Insurer Accident Apps & Privacy
- Listener Critique: Clark overstates privacy risks with insurer tracking devices; app data can actually protect you in a liability case.
- Clark's Response:
- He remains cautious: terms of service allow insurance companies to use any data against drivers.
- Clark prefers dash cams for their user-controlled evidence. Shares anecdote defending dash cams:
- "The police officer watched your dash cam video and told the other person, just knock it off and gave them the ticket..." (06:30)
Bicycle Safety
- Listener Suggestion: In addition to helmets, cyclists should use reflective/high-vis gear and LED lights.
- Clark's Response:
- Emphasizes not assuming car drivers can see you, given high SUVs and distracted driving:
- "Do not ever assume that that driver has seen you." (07:49)
- Shares his own use of reflective gear in winter.
- Emphasizes not assuming car drivers can see you, given high SUVs and distracted driving:
Whole Life Insurance & Self-Insuring for Wealthy
- Listener Critique: Ultra-wealthy don’t need complicated or expensive whole-life insurance for long-term care: just self-insure.
- Clark's Response:
- Agrees; for those with $4 million+ in investable assets, insurance is generally unnecessary unless heirs or spouse protection is a concern.
- "...once your assets, investable assets, not including real estate, go beyond $4 million, then you can absolutely self insure." (09:16)
- Agrees; for those with $4 million+ in investable assets, insurance is generally unnecessary unless heirs or spouse protection is a concern.
Changes in Credit Card Lounge Access
- Listener Correction: Capital One Venture X no longer grants lounge/priority pass access except for major spenders.
- Clark's Response:
- Clarifies the distinction between cardholder and authorized user privileges, but agrees the value is eroding:
- "The lounge thing they sold so heavily is why to sign up for these cards that now they're taking privilege back but not lowering the annual fees." (11:36)
- Clarifies the distinction between cardholder and authorized user privileges, but agrees the value is eroding:
Sugary Soda & Health
- Listener Critique: Clark jokes about drinking soda; listeners point out health costs.
- Clark's Response:
- Acknowledges his addiction to diet drinks but tries to stay hydrated:
- “It is an addiction, if you will, but it's one I've not been able to break.” (13:20)
- Acknowledges his addiction to diet drinks but tries to stay hydrated:
Medical Insurance Abroad
- Listener Shares Experience: Third-party insurance often means you pay out-of-pocket abroad and get reimbursed later—keep a high credit limit.
- Clark's Response:
- Reminds listeners that bills must be settled immediately in many countries, sometimes under threat of detainment:
- "You are actually detained and not allowed to exit until the bill is settled." (14:20)
- Reminds listeners that bills must be settled immediately in many countries, sometimes under threat of detainment:
Employee vs. Contractor Classification
- Listener Critique: Clark oversimplified IRS guidelines between employees and independent contractors.
- Clark's Response:
- IRS rules are real, but rarely enforced due to understaffing; still, he urges caution and credibility.
- "All I've got is credibility. And we can't mess with that." (17:14)
- IRS rules are real, but rarely enforced due to understaffing; still, he urges caution and credibility.
Flying on Thanksgiving
- Listener Joke: Clark's advice ignores NFL football on Thanksgiving.
- Clark's Response:
- Reminds about in-flight TV options, recounts his own experience:
- "So as long as the WI fi is reliable, you're not going to miss your Thanksgiving Day NFL games." (19:51)
- Reminds about in-flight TV options, recounts his own experience:
2. Scam Warning: Fake Healthcare Plans
(22:11 – 26:25)
- Clark’s Story: Shares how his daughter "aged out" of his coverage and was sticker-shocked at real individual insurance prices.
- Main Warning:
- As premiums rise, so do scam "healthcare plans" that promise full-featured coverage at dirt-cheap rates—these are often not real insurance.
- Pure scam: some plans take your premium and provide nothing; you find out only when you seek care.
- Bad deal: other plans advertise doctor visits but exclude coverage for major illnesses like cancer or heart attacks.
- Risk: If you get scammed out of a year’s health coverage, you may be barred from buying real ACA/exchange insurance until the next enrollment.
Notable Quote:
"Be very, very cautious and careful with any of these pitches for ultra cheap health coverage that appear to be a bargain, but they're no bargain at all when the chips are down when you get sick." (25:58)
3. Listener Questions & Clark's Advice
(26:25 – 33:55)
Term Life vs. Whole Life Insurance
- Question: Should I renew term life or switch to whole life?
- Clark's Take:
- Term life is best unless you want to use life insurance as a convoluted investment.
- Whole life policies have high commissions; agents push them for financial benefit.
- "By the way, the policy cost on a level term insurance for a year will be less than what that agent was trying to sell you for a premium for one month." (28:28)
Florida Homeowners, Paying Off Mortgage & Skipping Insurance
- Question: Should I pay off mortgage and skip homeowners insurance if I can't get coverage above $700K?
- Clark's Take:
- If home is paid off, insurance is optional, but no coverage means exposure to losing home and personal liability.
- At minimum, keep liability coverage; only truly wealthy should self-insure completely.
Teachers’ 403(b) Plans vs. Other Retirement Accounts
- Question: Given the terrible fees in 403(b)s, should teachers skip them even with a match?
- Clark's Take:
- Contribute enough to capture all available employer match, but avoid contributing more than necessary.
- Use Roth IRAs and index-fund-based investment accounts for additional contributions.
- "Even as horrible as the 403B plans are, do that, keep doing that. Because having your money instantly doubled will be worth it..." (31:45)
- Resource: Recommends 403bwise.org for evaluating plan quality.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On FSAs & HSAs:
“The flexible spending account is very inflexible—it should be called the inflexible spending account.” (02:38 – Clark Howard) -
On Dash Cams in Accidents:
"The police officer watched your dash cam video and told the other person, just knock it off and gave them the ticket..." (06:30 – Clark Howard) -
On Reflective Gear:
"Do not ever assume that driver has seen you." (07:49 – Clark Howard) -
On 403(b) Fees:
"The fees are so awful, awful, rotten, crooked, dirty on 403 plans." (33:00 – Clark Howard) -
On Health Care Scams:
"They are perhaps the hottest scam of the moment." (19:52 – Clark Howard)
"But then the other, that's the part that seems to be spreading like wildfire right now, are complete fakes." (24:20 – Clark Howard) -
Closing Reflection:
"All I've got is credibility. And we can't mess with that." (17:14 – Clark Howard)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:05 — Clark Stinks segment begins
- 02:11 — HSA vs. FSA explanation
- 05:52 — Insurance privacy & dash cams
- 07:49 — Cyclist visibility & safety tips
- 09:16 — Whole life insurance for the wealthy
- 10:53 — Credit card lounge access & perks
- 13:03 — Diet drinks & money and health
- 13:27 — Medical insurance abroad
- 15:42 — Employee vs. Contractor status
- 17:30 — Thanksgiving flying & football
- 22:11 — Healthcare plan scam warning
- 26:25 — Term life insurance question
- 29:13 — Paying off FL mortgage & dropping insurance
- 31:14 — 403(b) and teacher retirement advice
- 33:00 — Roth IRAs & index funds vs. bad 403(b)s
Final Thoughts
This episode exemplifies Clark Howard’s emphasis on listener engagement, plainspoken financial guidance, and real-world caution. From complex tax code clarifications to sharp warnings about trending scams, the episode is packed with actionable tips and forthright opinions delivered with Clark’s characteristic blend of warmth and bluntness. Whether you’re facing tough insurance choices or simply trying to keep more of your hard-earned money, this episode offers both validation and guidance.