10.29.25 The Housing Market & Involuntary Landlords / Restaurants: Less Is More

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clark Howard Podcast

Episode: 10.29.25 – The Housing Market & Involuntary Landlords / Restaurants: Less Is More
Date: October 29, 2025
Host: Clark Howard
Co-host: Krista

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Episode Overview

This episode explores two main themes:

1. Current Trends in the Housing Market and the Rise of Involuntary Landlords
2. How Restaurant Portion Sizes (and Pricing) Are Changing—Potentially for the Better

Clark answers listener questions throughout, focusing on practical personal finance, fraud protection, estate planning, and strategies to save more and spend less.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Housing Market Update & Involuntary Landlords (00:52–06:58)

Main Insights

• The overall U.S. real estate market has stagnated; many condo markets are “essentially dead,” especially in Florida. (00:52)
• Homeowners with ultra-low mortgage rates (2–3%) are hesitant to sell despite life changes.
  • Instead, these owners are increasingly renting out their properties, becoming "involuntary landlords."
• Condo owners face additional rules: some cannot rent at all; others may do long-term, but not short-term, rentals.

Advice for New Landlords

• Screen Tenants Carefully:
  “Biggest mistake a new landlord makes is doing proper checking on somebody who could be a potential tenant.” (05:39, Clark)
• Use online landlord resources to conduct thorough background checks, automate rent collection, and arrange maintenance—crucial if you live far away.
• Opportunity: More involuntary landlords = more diverse (and potentially more affordable) rental options for tenants compared to corporate apartment complexes. (06:40)

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2. Listener Questions & Advice

(a) Luggage – Savings vs. Quality (07:13–10:32)

Listener: Neil in Missouri

• Neil and family are expert savers (401k, IRAs, no debt, pre-owned cars paid with cash, mortgage paid off).
• Question: Is buying more expensive, brand-name luggage worth it, or do cheap bags suffice?

Clark’s Advice:

• Buy midrange, warehouse club brands (Sam’s Club Member’s Mark/Costco Kirkland Signature) – “If it croaks on you, they just give you your money back or a new one.” (09:41, Clark)
• Durable, cost-effective, reliable return policies outweigh paying for luxury brands.

(b) Senior Bank Account Fraud & Reimbursement Barriers (10:34–14:53)

Listener: John in Virginia (about his mother)

• Elderly parent’s account hit with repeated small, fraudulent withdrawals.
• The bank only agrees to refund the most recent transactions and insists she appear in person (7-hour round trip).

Clark’s Take:

• File a formal complaint at consumerfinance.gov, especially if the bank is unhelpful (11:48).
• Recommends readers check bank statements closely monthly:
  “Criminals now no longer do bank robbery... they can steal money electronically so easily and virtually never get prosecuted.” (13:15, Clark)
• Sympathetic to the plight; labels the bank’s requirement as “mean spirited and insanely ridiculous.”

(c) Net Worth Calculation – Real vs. Perceived Wealth (14:53–17:35)

Listener: Bill in Indiana

• Challenge: Standard “what you own minus what you owe” definition of net worth ignores taxes and inflation.

Clark’s Response:

• Acknowledge that traditional accounts lose value to taxes; Roth dollars are post-tax and thus more “real.”
• “What net worth statements are is a snapshot of where you are today…” (16:45, Clark)
• Track trends over time, but use online tools to estimate tax-adjusted, inflation-adjusted wealth for true planning.

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3. Restaurants: Portion Control, Value, and Health (19:32–24:10)

Main Insights

• Clark notes a positive trend: National chain restaurants (e.g., Olive Garden) are offering smaller portion sizes at lower prices—not just for kids, with “junior” menu items. (19:32)
• This move provides:
  • Greater customer perception of value.
  • Health benefits due to more appropriate portion sizes.
  • Cost savings for diners.
• Restaurant industry likely to follow trend—it's a win for the wallet and the waistline.

Personal Health Note:
Clark relates his own history with portion control and weight loss, emphasizing the ability to enjoy eating out without overeating:
“If there's smaller portions available, try them... you'll be satisfied... your calorie count goes down.” (23:09, Clark)

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4. More Listener Q&A

(a) High-Yield Savings vs. Money Market for Rainy Day Funds (24:10–25:57)

Listener: Heather in Georgia

• $30K emergency fund, paid cash for car.
• Question: Where to keep rainy day funds?

Clark’s Recommendation:

• If already with Schwab, Vanguard, or Fidelity: use their money market funds.
• Otherwise, use high-yield online savings accounts (better rates, flexibility).

(b) Negotiating Better Savings Interest Rates (25:57–27:39)

Listener: John in Florida

• Initiated transfer out of Internet savings account—received retention offer with 0.3% higher rate.

Clark’s Take:

• New, shrewd tactic: “Play hard to get” with banks; attempt a withdrawal, and you may get a better rate.

(c) Estate Planning: How Much to Leave to Kids? (27:39–32:22)

Listener: J.P.

• Asks Clark about inheritance/legacy plans.

Clark’s Philosophy:

• Children receive equal, but not excessive, inheritance:
  “…never enough for them to never have to get up in the morning and go to work.” (28:16, Clark)
• Rest goes to charities Clark has vetted personally (“organizations I’ve had firsthand experience with, that I know are going to efficiently use the money.” – 30:16, Clark)
• Spouse has different perspective—more generous with the kids.
• Clark emphasizes modeling work ethic over mere words.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Landlords:
  “Whether you become a landlord voluntarily or involuntarily, you need to spend some time [learning the ropes] to protect yourself.” (05:56, Clark Howard)
• On Portion Sizes:
  “If there’s smaller portions available, try them. You’ll find you’re likely to be satisfied. You’re going to feel like you had enough food, your body will have had enough food, your calorie count goes down…” (23:09, Clark Howard)
• On Inheritance:
  “Never enough for them to never have to get up in the morning and go to work. That I found over the years. . .often when people inherit an enormous amount of money, they tend to lose their work ethic.” (28:16, Clark Howard)

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Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------| | 00:52 | Housing market trends and landlording discussion | | 07:13 | Q&A: Saving vs. splurging on luggage | | 10:34 | Q&A: Elderly parent bank fraud | | 14:53 | Q&A: Net worth calculation accuracy | | 19:32 | Restaurants: Smaller portions, better prices | | 24:10 | Q&A: Where to keep emergency savings | | 25:57 | Q&A: Negotiating better bank savings rates | | 27:39 | Q&A: Clark’s estate/inheritance planning |

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Tone & Style Notes

• Clark is friendly, direct, and occasionally lighthearted (“Every answer to every question is either a Roth or it’s a warehouse club—or freeze your credit!” – 10:05, Clark).
• The show is peppered with practical wisdom, honest appraisals, and a focus on empowerment.
• Krista compliments, challenges, and adds empathy to listeners' situations.

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Key Takeaways

• Housing Market:
  Slowdown means involuntary landlording is up; know the rules and screen tenants carefully.
• Saving & Spending:
  Buy quality at a fair price—especially with items like luggage; don’t fall for false savings in disposable items.
• Fraud Protection:
  Always monitor your accounts; act swiftly and escalate complaints as needed.
• Consumer Strategies:
  Test the “retention offer” move when withdrawing funds; always negotiate.
• Health & Money:
  Smaller restaurant portions can be a win-win for budgets and bodies.
• Estate Planning:
  Leave enough to support your family, not spoil motivation; vet charities you support.

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For further tips or to ask Clark a question:
Visit clark.com/askclark

Transcript

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[Clark Howard]

I'm so glad you're with us today on the Clark Howard Show. Our mission is to serve you with advice and information that empower you to make better financial decisions in your life. And in today's episode, I have an update on the housing market and why some people are reluctantly choosing to become what's been referred to over the years as involuntary landlords. How that's benefiting tenants as well. Also, you may have noticed some changes to menus that are both good for your wallet and your health. That's a riddle I'll fill in later. So real estate values in the US have pretty much flatlined. There are occasional micro markets in the United States that are still seeing meaningful increases in home values or condo values year to year. But as a general rule in data of various housing markets, the housing market may actually in a number of places have declined. Time on market increased enormously. I just read a story about people in the condo markets, how condo markets in so much of America and nowhere more amplified than in Florida that condos aren't selling in a lot of places at any price. The market is essentially dead right now and a lot of communities for condos and units that move move at a lower price. In addition, there are a lot of people going back over the last 15 years who intentionally bought investment properties, usually single family homes, duplexes or townhouses to rent out as investments. And now joining them, a lot of people who for life circumstances have maybe a home with an ultra low mortgage rate and they don't want to live in that house anymore or a property anymore, but they also don't want to sell it because the payments are so crazy low with an ultra favorable mortgage rate. That is, they may have taken a job somewhere else in the country or their life circumstance could have changed. Their kids could have grown out of the house, they could have had kids, they could have gotten divorced, life circumstances. And at the same time they don't want to give up this once in a lifetime opportunity of having a mortgage. It's 2, 3%, maybe, maybe 4, but usually twos or threes. So they're becoming landlords and this is a smart decision. A lot of the condo owners though, that are in a situation where you need to sell and the market's just dead, it's past frozen, it's dead right now you may not be allowed to rent out because the condo may have a rule against rentals. A lot of times though, in Florida there may be rules against short term rentals at a condo, but not long term rentals. And an opportunity for a dead property to come back alive bringing you income. But I just want to tell you as somebody who's been a landlord for gosh, over 40 years, 42 years I've been a landlord. At first you're going to make some mistakes. Biggest mistake a new landlord makes is doing proper checking on somebody who could be a potential tenant. A lot of people who know they're not going to qualify from a background check with a big apartment complex will take advantage of a rookie landlord and they'll rent that place and then maybe they never make a rent payment or maybe they're doing activities at that property you don't want going on. Maybe they're using it as a party house. You don't know when you become a landlord either. Voluntary, involuntary, you need to spend some time. There are so many wonderful sites online that will brief you on what you need to know as a would be landlord that will help you get the same kind of background checks done on a prospective tenant that a big apartment complex can do that will help you with collecting the rent every month. There are even services that will help you with the maintenance and repairs you might need at a property. Particularly which becomes important if you become an involuntary landlord because you moved across the country and you can't easily deal with things when you're hundreds or thousands of miles away. So know that there are great reasons why somebody becomes a landlord and it can be all different circumstances. But do your homework when you become one to protect yourself. And by the way, the good news for tenants is that all the people coming in is involuntary landlords creates more opportunity for you to potentially get a better living situation, better deal, whatever it is, than you get going to the big corporate apartment complexes.

[Krista]

Krista okay, this question came in from Neil in Missouri. Dear Clark, My wife is a longtime listener and has Convinced me into a save more and spend less lifestyle early in our marriage. We are both in our mid-40s with children age 6 and 9.

[Clark Howard]

Obviously Neil's wife's broken. Brilliant.

[Krista]

She's brilliant. Financially, we are maximizing our 401k and IRA contributions yearly.

[Clark Howard]

We have wait with two young kids. They're doing that.

[Krista]

We have a brokerage account with a mix of growth and income funds performing well and have no debt. We always buy ordinary pre owned cars that we can afford with cash and we paid off our mortgage in 2021.

[Clark Howard]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I love that. Paid off the mortgage. Two young kids saving money like maniacs. Investing in the future.

[Krista]

Okay, hang on, there's. But wait and wait.

[Clark Howard]

There's more.

[Krista]

This lifestyle of save more and spend less allows us to prioritize our incremental leisure spend and amazing experiences. Like you, we love to travel and show the world to our two kids. In the last three years we've been to Australia, Brazil, England, Italy, Spain and Mexico. As an avid traveler yourself, we are curious to know how do you think about buying luggage? We've generally gone to discount stores and overstock outlets to try to find good bags at reasonable values but they always seem to end up with broken wheels or crack shells. We pull these bags across airports, train and bus stations and long walks to our hotels, but we don't beat them up beyond normal wear and tear of their use. It would hurt me to do this, but do we need to consider spending big money on buying good branded bags that will last more than a few trips or should we continue buying these bags that seemingly have a short useful life?

[Clark Howard]

All right, so I have a compromise on this between do you buy rock gut, cheap, really questionable luggage or buy ultra fancy luggage. I think you buy it from the warehouse clubs. Krista, could you go.

[Krista]

I will grab our. Yeah, we do have a show.

[Clark Howard]

We have a show and tell today for those of you who watch our YouTube show because Krista's going on a trip with a friend who didn't have a good carry on bag. And so Krista, if you will show to our YouTube audience what you have here. This is the Sam's club members mark. It's got the members Mark logo on it. Members Mark carry on suitcase.

[Krista]

Nice handle.

[Clark Howard]

69 on Sam's Club.com it is fairly light, hard sided luggage.

[Krista]

It looks like honestly one of the fancy brands is called away. It looks very much like an away brand but actually even a little, I hate to say it, sturdier.

[Clark Howard]

And the thing about it if you buy members mark, Costco is not selling Kirkland Signature luggage right now. But you buy that members Mark suitcase and it croaks on you, they just give you your money back or give you a new one.

[Krista]

Nice.

[Clark Howard]

So that's why you know every answer to every question is either a Roth or it's a warehouse club.

[Krista]

Or freeze your credit.

[Clark Howard]

Or freeze your credit. Yeah. So anyway, that's what I would do. 69 bucks. That may be more money than you've been paying at the outlets, but it's a really reliable, durable suitcase. The soft sided ones hold more stuff than these hard sided ones. But I've been very happy with the members mark suitcases.

[Krista]

Okay. And we appreciate it. Thank you.

[Clark Howard]

Sure.

[Krista]

John in Virginia says my 80 year old mother maintains a bank account in another state that she uses solely to collect rental income. Recently she discovered that her account has been the target of ongoing fraud. Someone obtained one of her physical checks and has been emailing the bank each month using her account and routing numbers to request withdrawals ranging from 35.99 to 48.99. That's $35.99 to $48. Because honestly, like, it could be worse.

[Clark Howard]

Right? But it's a common criminal act to take small amounts. Remember there was the thing with the bank that sold its credit card numbers off to crooks and they were debiting $7 a month from people's accounts and nobody noticed for years that $7 was vanishing from their accounts going to crooks.

[Krista]

These unauthorized withdrawals have been occurring for approximately 12 months, totaling $1,032. Upon notifying the bank, we were told that only the last six months of fraudulent transactions would be refunded as it was her responsibility to statements. Additionally, we were informed she must visit a physical branch in person to receive any reimbursement requiring a three and a half hour drive each way. What can we do to persuade the.

[Clark Howard]

Bank an 80 year old. I know 80 year old mom. Really? Really. Okay. File a complaint with consumer finance.gov they're still processing complaints. This is a large regional bank that has a really bad complaint rate record. Really bad. And so to require an elderly person to go three and a half hours each way to get back what would end up being like 500 of a thousand is ridiculous. Now also I'm worried because the bank's only required to get back the last 60 days, which usually works out to three months of the charges, not six. So I'm worried that customer no service has quoted the wrong amount of refund imagine she drives at 80 plus years old, three and a half hours and gets there and says yeah, I don't know why they told you you were getting that much money, you're not getting that much. But this is why you hear me say over and over and over and over again that you've got to go through your statements every month because criminals now no longer do bank robbery. Going into a branch. How often do you ever hear about bank robberies anymore? Physical bank robberies?

[Krista]

Yeah, you don't.

[Clark Howard]

I mean that used to be such a common crime. Why would they do that when they can steal money electronically so easily and virtually never get prosecuted for that? So that's why. No, that's what Jesse James would do. If Jesse James was Robin today, he wouldn't go in the bank branch with, you know, six shooters. He would be stealing electronically sitting there on his laptop. So know that and please check your statements every month. But the bank requiring the three and a half hour trip each way is beyond mean spirited and is insanely ridiculous.

[Krista]

I wonder if there's no getting around that if John has financial power of attorney for his mom, if he could maybe be her proxy and do that.

[Clark Howard]

I guess it's just the whole thing of.

[Krista]

I know, it's crazy. I'm just saying.

[Clark Howard]

It's just, it's just mean. It's just mean.

[Krista]

I know. Well, they're trying to prevent more fraud, but it is.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah, well, this is one of the banks that's going to get gobbled up and when their signs come down in the states they're in, that'll be a good day. But I'm not. Okay. So you may be wondering why I'm not naming them in this case. Because we don't know that all the circumstances are exactly a set. But there will come a time that I will.

[Krista]

I don't understand why they can't just refund into her account that the money was taken from. Then of course she could take it out. It's so crazy.

[Clark Howard]

Of course they could. It's just, it's just mean.

[Krista]

Hopefully the complaint will work.

[Clark Howard]

Mean, mean, mean, mean.

[Krista]

Okay, Bill in Indiana says Clark, for years I've heard that net worth equals what you can minus what you own, minus what you owe. I don't see how this can possibly be accurate. What you own is not net of current or future tax liabilities, let alone the effects of inflation. Retirement accounts, taxable brokerage accounts have tax consequences. Even selling a paid off house will incur expenses. So why do financial advisors and the financial industry use such terminology. It leads households to believe they have more wealth than they do. Clark, please help put an end to the fallacy of what you own minus what you owe is your net worth, when gross worth is a better descriptor.

[Clark Howard]

Okay, I love what you said here. So let's take a situation where somebody has overwhelmingly their money. In traditional retirement accounts, you have about a third less money in them than what it appears to be because when you withdraw that money later in life, you're paying ordinary income tax. On the other hand, if you have money in an investment account, the money you have there, depending on your tax bracket, which you're going to net out, will be 80, 85, 90% of that money. If you have money in a Roth version of something, a dollar you see is a dollar you have now. And your thing about inflation, if money is invested, then in theory and in practice over many decades, hundreds of years, actually, that money will grow over time if it is invested not in savings, but if it's invested. So you can use tools like on iPhones and androids, there are apps you can download that will estimate future value of things that can estimate net of tax. And you can use these to figure out am I really on course but what net worth statements are? Is there a snapshot of where you are today, how much money you owe, how much money you have? And you're able to see, hey, I'm, I'm building up a nice net worth. What really matters? The trend is your friend or your enemy. Over time, if your net worth keeps rising, that's your friend. Coming up ahead. Something else your friend. Two ways I got something about food. That's a trend. That is a positive trend for your health and your wallet. That's a good twofer.

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[Clark Howard]

There'S something I'm really excited about. So I used to weigh a lot more than I do, and one of the problems I had was that if I went out to eat whatever food was put in front of me, I ate it and I was eating way beyond the point at which I would still be hungry. Overeating. And it's been a thing historically in restaurants, hey, give them a giant plate of food and they'll feel like they really got value. But today dollars are so short that I've taken real notice. Something I read in the financial press a while back. Yeah, a couple months ago, I guess, about the Olive Garden experiment. They only alluded to one time prior, that Olive Garden has been testing in about half their locations, having like a junior menu, not a kid's menu, but like smaller portions of the same items side by side. It's something that some smaller regional chains have done for years where they offer two different sizes of entrees and you get to decide do you want the cheaper one or you want the bigger one. So the Olive Garden thing, at a time that people really are stressed about cost, their research found that it changed people's perception of the value of how affordable it was. Well, I mean, gosh, obviously if you're paying a lower price, that that would make people feel like they were getting a better deal. Because the reality is, particularly when you start looking at things like pasta and that kind of stuff you're talking about the portions were served in the United States are Crazy big. If you were in Italy and you were served a pasta plate, it would be a family portion and it would be for everybody at the table. It was a big table, like a group of eight. They might serve you two of the pasta dishes. I want you to know those pasta dishes they serve are about the same amount of food that we're served in the u. S per person at a restaurant when they bring that big heavy plate piled high. And that's always been the philosophy. But I want you to think about this. All the benefits of places that were and you know, the restaurant industries, like any other people see something work with a big national player and they're like, maybe that would be a good idea. And it becomes ongoing thing that more and more people do in a time that trying to get people to eat out. If I'm a restaurateur, maybe you offer smaller portions for a smaller price because you're gonna actually benefit that customer health wise. And you're absolutely going to benefit them in the wallet. And so I found that I now order things that are smaller portions when that's available. I've been doing that a long time. Way before inflation is part of my whole thing with weight control. And I'm obsessed with my daily calorie count, which is such an obsolete concept, but I am, and it's how I lost £50 and have kept it off for nearly 20 years. And I can eat at home and it's easier at home to control portions. But even eating out, I've learned to be able to do that. And then I have the added joy that I have to be extra careful with sodium because I had. Two years ago I had an aortic valve replacement and sodium will kill the replacement valve if I have too much sodium. So I do like a matrix of those two things. But if there's smaller portions available, try them. You'll find you're likely to be satisfied. You're going to feel like you had enough food, your body will have had enough food, your calorie count goes down. And if you've been fighting the scale, maybe your weight will be better too. And added to it, if you can walk to and from the restaurant, even better.

[Krista]

All right, Heather in Georgia says, for my rainy day money, is it better to keep it in a high yield savings account or in a money market account? Are there tax implications different for the different account types? We just made a major purchase of a car and we paid in cash, so our savings is a bit down. Now it's around $30,000 from our previous amount of 90, I'm hoping to build it back up to around that same amount. We have no specific purpose for this money at this time. Thanks again for all you do to help us save more, spend less, and avoid getting ripped. How many people you think pay cash for cars?

[Clark Howard]

1%, I think, is the number. Wow, it's very, very low. Percent. So, gosh, you've done a great job that you're able to say, yeah, here's your money. Don't ever tell a dealer when you're negotiating the deal on a vehicle you're going to pay cash because they're going to charge you more for it because they make so many, many, many thousands of dollars from originating the loan. So if you let them know you're paying cash up front, they're not going to quote you the same price. Enough about that. So you got this money and you're going to build it up over time. If you already do business with Schwab, Vanguard or Fidelity, do money market with them. If you don't do business with any of the three giant discounters, then what you ask the other thing. Do the High Yield Savings Account. That would be the best strategy with an online bank. And those interest rates have been falling some lately, but it's still going to be the most efficient if you're not already a customer of Schwab, Fidelity or Vanguard.

[Krista]

And John and Forda says Clark has recommended negotiating credit card interest rates. Likewise, I was able to negotiate a higher savings rate on an Internet High Yield Savings Account. The bank really? Yeah. The bank vaguely suggested contacting them about interest rates before withdrawing funds. When I called the bank about this, the representative said, they only offer the published rates I have. However, when I actually started to initiate a withdrawal, an automatic response popped up offering me 0.30% above their published rate for one year. I screen printed and accepted the dated offer. The bank continues to uphold their agreement, as do I. Logically, we know this does not work with every financial institution, and having more in savings should increase your chances of receiving an offer. But it's something to consider, particularly if you perceive unspecified hints as I did.

[Clark Howard]

So I love this. I've never heard this from anybody else, have you?

[Krista]

No.

[Clark Howard]

So, I mean, lots of businesses, if they know you're about to leave the building, or in this case with an online bank, leave them. They offer stuff to you to get you to stay. And we know the retention specialist thing and all that. But you were Talking about how YouTube TV offered you a deal recently when you were going to fire them. And they do that when you go to cancel. I don't know when they decide, when they offer it, when they don't. But they offer you 20 off a month for a period of time, something like that. This is that same kind of idea, but something we've never heard of, that you play hard to get, that you're leaving the online bank, offering you money and giving a set period of time. In your case, a year. What a deal.

[Krista]

All right, this one came in from J.P. he said, Clarko, everybody knows you're a rich guy because you squeeze every nickel till it starts its own podcast. But what will happen to that money when you're gone? Some of us face similar questions. And whatever your own decisions were, I'm curious how you reach them. I'm not sure if you wanted to answer this or not.

[Clark Howard]

Why not? Okay, so my kids know that it's going to be a different answer based on whether I die first or Lane dies first. So my deal is, if I'm the second to die, the three kids will get each the same amount of money, but it's going to be a nice amount of money to have in their lives, but never enough for them to never have to get up in the morning and go to work. That I found over the years. There are exceptions, but that often when people inherit an enormous amount of money, they tend to lose their work ethic some, their motivation some. And so I think giving your kids some money to improve their lives financially, but not take away the incentive for ambition and being industrious and all that, that's my thing. And all the rest of the money, if I'm second to die goes to my favorite charities that I've already got set out clearly in my will. So let's say I am the first to die. Then the money goes to Lane, and her opinions are different. She has her will set up to give more money to the children, and that is her choice. And this is hard stuff to figure out, because what I don't want is I don't want affluenza. I don't want a situation where my kids are like, yeah, I'm just living great here now. So what do you do? Oh, I just live great, you know, it's just. I don't want that. Lane believes that our kids have been instilled with such a strong work ethic that it would make no difference. And she may be right. And since she's likely to be the second to die anyway, her wisdom will win out. So we shall see. Are There anything. Any other things somebody else asked how.

[Krista]

You choose charities that they were looking to choose charities for their will.

[Clark Howard]

So I have decided to support organizations that I've had firsthand experience with that I know are going to efficiently use the money that they would get from me and their causes that I hold dear. And so that's how I've made the decision about charities. I've not given to UFO organizations. And I think it's amazing. What. What was Jeff Bezos's ex wife's.

[Krista]

Yeah, she's incredible.

[Clark Howard]

What's her name? Gosh, I'm thinking out she's given away billions and billions of dollars and she has this like surreptitious method where she investigates different charitable organizations all over the country. And then money just. MacKenzie.

[Krista]

MacKenzie, Scott McKenzie.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah, thank you. It just came to me at Marion. So she's given away all these billions and these charitable organizations will show up one day and there's this check and they're like, what happened here?

[Krista]

Right. It's incredible.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah. I don't have that kind of money, so that's not going to be an issue for me. But I love the question because it's a good problem to have. And now it's a bigger issue because now that the Congress made the estate tax so obscure, so rare, we're talking about people giving money to their kids willy nilly all they want. And if somebody's developed enormous wealth, the kids are gonna being lucky to have been born on third base like that. Right.

[Krista]

So I think Lane's right, though. Just my. Whatever. I just have to say, your kids are amazing and you've done such a great job with them. I mean, they all work so hard. So hard. Each one of them really good people. Well, yeah, I mean, but you guys did a great job, so.

[Clark Howard]

She did a great job. I was just there. Anyway, have a great day. And you know what's coming up on Friday? We get to hear where I didn't do a great job. I was thinking about how, you know, I'd always do stuff around the house. And, you know, I recently installed a Japanese toilet thing at our house. And Lane's like, aren't you worried you're gonna flood the place, that you should hire a plumber? Seriously though, I did it successfully for now. Oh, man. So the kids have always seen that out of us. That, you know, if there's something that needs to be done.

[Krista]

It's true. It's impressive. Calculated risk.

[Clark Howard]

Oh, okay. I'm gonna tell a story right now and then if you don't think it's appropriate.

[Krista]

Okay, just.

[Clark Howard]

So Wayne one day was scrubbing the floors in the kitchen, and she's got, like, schmutz all over her, and she had a deposit to make. This was back when you had to go in person to make deposits. And she goes to. This was Charles Schwab. She's talking. She knows the woman behind the counter. They're talking, and she's telling. What have you been doing, Lane? Because she's just got. I mean, she's just really nasty from cleaning the floor, scrubbing it. We had a floor that seemed to really attract dirt. And so the nice one behind the counter looks at it, smiles, and says, you know, you could hire someone to scrub that floor. And that's just our way that we do things ourselves. And our kids have always seen that. And so your kids learn from not what you say, but from what you do.

[Krista]

That's so true.

[Clark Howard]

And so we've been lucky. Knock on Formica. That knock, knock, knock.

[Krista]

You on my head, because my head's made of wood.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah. So our kids have really gotten solid, solid work ethics. And that's something to be proud of for sure. Anyway, we get to find where I shouldn't be proud. The Clark stinks in a couple days. And I want to tell you, what we're all about is you being empowered with knowledge so you can save more, spend less, and avoid getting ripped off.

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[Clark Howard]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

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[Krista]

Liberty. Liberty.

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