11.25.24 BEST OF: The Fate Of Traditional 401(k)s & IRAs / Carry On Karma Vs Baggage Fees

Summary

The Clark Howard Podcast – Best Of: The Fate Of Traditional 401(k)s & IRAs / Carry On Karma Vs Baggage Fees

Release Date: November 25, 2024

In this special "Best Of" edition of The Clark Howard Podcast, host Clark Howard dives deep into crucial financial topics that matter to everyday consumers. From the future of retirement accounts to smart travel strategies, Clark addresses listener questions, dispels common financial myths, and offers actionable advice to help you save more and spend less.

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1. The Future of Traditional 401(k)s and IRAs

Listener Question: Kevin from Utah expressed concerns about rumors claiming the federal government might seize 401(k) funds to bolster Social Security.

Clark's Response: Clark reassures listeners that while sensational headlines can cause panic, the rule of law in the United States remains robust, preventing such extreme actions. He clarifies that:

"The odds that traditional 401ks, traditional IRAs, will cease to exist, the odds of that, pretty good. And that's only for future contributions. The money already in would stay in, would grow tax free, tax deferred, really." (02:34)

Clark explains that the government’s financial challenges might lead to changes in how retirement accounts operate, particularly favoring Roth accounts over traditional ones. However, existing funds in traditional accounts remain secure and continue to benefit from tax-deferred growth.

2. Managing Ticket Resales and Security Concerns

Listener Question: Lisa from Georgia raised concerns about Ticketmaster requiring Social Security numbers and bank account details to resell tickets, fearing potential identity theft.

Clark's Advice: Clark acknowledges the standard nature of these requests for legitimate business purposes but offers a safety net by recommending the use of separate or "throwaway" bank accounts for such transactions. This minimizes risk by ensuring that your primary accounts remain secure.

"They don't want to pay merchant fees to pay you for the tickets they sell. And that's why you have to give them the checking account number for ACH for sending the electronic payment." (06:51)

3. Student Loan Forgiveness and Financial Planning

Listener Question: Paul from Washington, D.C., shared his impending student loan forgiveness and sought advice on allocating the freed-up $700 monthly payment.

Clark's Guidance: Clark commends Paul’s financial discipline and suggests a balanced approach:

• Investment Accounts: Prioritize investing the extra funds to outpace inflation and benefit from favorable tax treatments.
• Savings for Enjoyment: Allocate a portion towards personal enjoyment or future needs, ensuring financial stability doesn’t come at the expense of quality of life.

"Make sure you're putting some money aside for your enjoyment today and in the near future because you're already saving so much money." (10:26)

4. Travel Tips: Carry-On vs. Checked Bags

Discussion: Clark emphasizes the financial and logistical benefits of traveling with only carry-on luggage to avoid hefty baggage fees and the risk of lost bags. He shares personal strategies and highlights the increasing costs associated with checked baggage across most airlines.

"I never check a bag. ... because the baggage fees, depending on the circumstance, they're 35, 40, 45 bucks for a single check bag." (20:05)

Clark recommends investing in a sturdy, affordable carry-on suitcase and mastering the art of packing efficiently to ensure all essentials fit comfortably.

5. Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Listener Question: Clifford from Kentucky sought recommendations for travel rewards credit cards to enhance his upcoming international trips with his daughters.

Clark's Recommendations: Clark outlines the top travel credit card options, weighing their benefits against annual fees:

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred: A balanced option with a moderate annual fee, ideal for travelers seeking valuable rewards without excessive costs.
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Offers premium benefits like airport lounge access and a substantial annual travel credit, suitable for frequent travelers.
3. Capital One Venture X: Combines a competitive annual fee with robust rewards earning potential, including higher points per dollar spent on travel.

"As you said, you want to start getting travel in your life and if you're going to travel regularly, that's when having one of these works." (25:03)

Clark advises selecting a card that aligns with your travel frequency and spending habits to maximize returns and benefits.

6. Travel Insurance for Medical Emergencies Abroad

Listener Story: Stephen from Wisconsin shared a harrowing experience of a medical emergency in Mexico, highlighting the financial and logistical challenges faced when healthcare costs arise overseas.

Clark's Advice: Recognizing the unpredictability of travel, Clark underscores the importance of comprehensive travel health insurance. He recommends:

• Annual Policies: For frequent travelers, providing ongoing coverage.
• Trip-Specific Policies: For occasional trips, ensuring protection without long-term commitments.

"Having one of these policies, if you travel frequently, you have an annual policy. If you travel infrequently, you can buy one for the specific trip that covers medevac, that covers medical bills outside the United States." (26:01)

7. Grocery Shopping and the Flip Flipp App

Listener Tip: Lisa from Wisconsin introduced the Flip Flipp app, a valuable tool for aggregating grocery store ads and facilitating efficient shopping.

Clark's Enthusiasm: Initially unaware, Clark quickly adopts the app after a listener recommendation, praising its effectiveness in finding local deals and saving time.

"I downloaded it. It is awesome. ... I'm able to see what they've got on sale. I'M able to search for specific items." (28:05)

Clark encourages listeners to utilize such apps to optimize their grocery shopping and stretch their budgets further.

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Conclusion

In this edition, Clark Howard effectively addresses pressing financial concerns, from retirement security to smart spending strategies. By engaging with listener questions and sharing practical advice, Clark empowers his audience to navigate complex financial landscapes with confidence and savvy.

Whether you're worried about the longevity of your 401(k), seeking ways to avoid unnecessary travel fees, or looking for tools to enhance your shopping efficiency, this podcast episode provides invaluable insights to help you save more and spend less.

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Resources Mentioned:

• Flip Flipp App
• ClarkHoward.com
• ClarkDeals.com

For more personalized advice, submit your questions at www.clark.com/askclark.

Transcript

[Clark Howard]

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[Christo]

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[Christo]

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[Clark Howard]

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[Christo]

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[Christo]

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[Clark Howard]

Book your next trip [e-mail] I am off on adventures. So this is a best of edition of the Clark Howard Podcast. I hope you enjoy it. I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. Have an enjoyable holiday week. It's my pleasure to welcome you here to the Clark Howard Show. You know, our mission is to serve you and empower you with knowledge that helps you make better financial decisions in your life. And in this episode, I'm going to address something, starting with a question because we've had so many questions from people who were hearing this stuff and seeing the stuff about how 401ks are going away or the federal government's going to take our money and all that. I'm going to address that. Also, the airlines have decided that they want to charge you as much or more sometimes to check your bag as what it is for you to fly. Well, at least it would be great affairs with that cheap. And I want to make sure you know what's happening before you get to the airport. So Christo, let's start with one of many questions, just using this one as a representative one.

[Christo]

So Kevin in Utah wrote in and said, clark, I've been reading articles that they're talking about seizing our 401k funds to save Social Security. Do you know anything about this? If there's any truth to this, what do you suggest we do to prepare?

[Clark Howard]

So Kevin, there's a lot of rumors that with how short of money Medicare and Social Security are, that the feds are just going to swoop in and steal the Money from you, as has actually happened in a lot of developing countries or less developed countries, what we used to call third world countries, and the rule of law in the United States is strong enough that I'm not worried about that at all. The idea, and there are a lot of scare lines. That's what I call headlines like this that draw eyeballs. There are a lot of headlines out there, scare lines saying that the 401k is going away. They're the things saying the 401k money you have is going to evaporate, that the feds are going to run off with it, all these things. So they're not going to run off with your 401k. But the odds that traditional 401ks, traditional IRAs, will cease to exist, the odds of that, pretty good. And that's only for future contributions. The money already in would stay in, would grow tax free, tax deferred, really. Because everything in a traditional 401k, everything in a traditional IRA, everything you pull out is tax later on. There's no incentive for the federal government to seize those funds because it's a tax time bomb for people who are in a traditional 401k or traditional IRA anyway, because every dollar in there, including everything that's earned, is ultimately taxed. Why would the feds though, go to a system where it's all the equivalent of Roth? Because right now the benefits of a traditional 401k and a traditional IRA are overwhelmingly tilted towards the highest income earners in the country. They get the big upfront tax benefit. Most taxpayers don't see a meaningful tax benefit upfront from doing an IRA or a 401k. At the same time, the government is starved for the funds today to pay for the deficits today in Social Security and Medicare. And there is no. They call it the trust funds. There's really not. There's an accounting gimmick. So the government needs to unfortunately tax us more for Medicare or Social Security or cut the benefits or a combination of the two. And one of the ways it's a backdoor tax increase, at least for now, is to eliminate traditional 401ks and traditional IRAs. So I think that will happen. That will happen. But it doesn't mean the money in one will be stolen by the government. Instead, regardless of what you make at a workplace, you'll only have option to do a Roth 401k if you're income eligible. And the income limits may change. You know, if they do away with traditionals, you'd be eligible to do a Roth IRA either, or in addition to a Roth 401K. When would any of this stuff happen? Well, Congress can't even pass non controversial things right now. And until we have a non dysfunctional Congress, no changes like this would happen anyway. But I think it's likely it will happen potentially later this decade.

[Christo]

Okay, we'll go to another question here from Lisa in Georgia. I purchased some expensive concert tickets from ticketmaster. They were $300 each. I'm now unable to use the tickets. Ticketmaster offers a pretty easy way to resell the tickets, possibly at a loss, but it's still better than nothing. In order for Ticketmaster to pay you for the tickets after they've resold them, they do require that you input your Social Security number and your debit or bank account number, not the credit card you purchased them with. Is this safe? I've had my identity stolen once before, so I try to be extra careful.

[Clark Howard]

So, Lisa, is it safe? Not if Ticketmaster gets hacked. It is a standard procedure and it's one of these cases where giving your Social Security number. Let's start with that first. Is considered to be a legitimate business purpose. Because if you are someone who routinely buys and sells tickets and you're making money from it, ultimately they have to report to the irs. And that's how the IRS knows you're running a ticket business and taxes you want it. Your sale of these individual tickets and a 1099 being issued to you later is not going to be significant or meaningful. But if you were doing this regularly. Yeah. So the second thing, they don't want to pay merchant fees to pay you for the tickets they sell. And that's why you have to give them the checking account number for ach for sending the electronic payment. If you're worried about that, it's really easy for you to set up an online bank account. They're free, no minimums, usually are $1. And you can use that account to receive the funds. So you don't have to worry that your regular checking account is at risk.

[Christo]

And then don't you think pretty much if you're doing any, like we should all have what I call my throwaway checking account, like a free checking account that you use if you're using any app.

[Clark Howard]

Cash app.

[Christo]

Yeah, yeah. This kind of circumstance, when anyone needs to ach, you know, your ach, and then you just transfer it into your other bank when you get the money or whatever.

[Clark Howard]

Well, it's funny, you, you know how I call Zelle Big bad Zell and don't use Zell and all that. So I had somebody who stopped me when I was walking the dogs just two days ago. He said, so you tell me I can't use big bad Zelle, but it's the only way I can pay my rent. And now you got me all terrified. And I explained how you set up a separate checking account, not with the financial institution you have your banking with, with another one, preferably with an online bank because there's no fees and you pay your rent through Zelle with it, so that you don't put all your money at risk because of all the security problems that exist with Zelle. You don't want to have it attached to your regular bank account where you could lose everything in there. And if you have overdraft, you could lose that money too. Because even the new protections that come with big bad sell have not relieved the risk overall to consumers using Zelle.

[Christo]

Paul in the District of Columbia says in just three short months, my student loans will be forgiven.

[Clark Howard]

Congratulations to you.

[Christo]

My monthly payment is about $700. When they're forgiven, should I add that $700 to the 900 I currently put in my savings account every month? I'd say I have roughly six to eight months of expenses in my emergency fund. Put it in a taxable investment account. I already max out my 403B with half Roth and half pre tax and max out a Roth IRA to lower my income enough to max out the Roth. Oh, and that's another.

[Clark Howard]

That's why he's doing half and half.

[Christo]

Or pay even more principal on my mortgage. I currently pay 750 extra every month and my interest rate is 2.75%. I'm overwhelmed with the options in a good way. What is your advice for one of your biggest fans?

[Clark Howard]

Well, first of all, Paul, it sounds like you could teach a seminar on living on less than what you make.

[Christo]

I'm one of Paul's biggest fans.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah. Live in one of the most expensive metro areas in the United States, Washington, D.C. the metro area D.C. if you want to know what housing costs are going to be in much of the rest of the country in like 30 years, go see what it costs to live in the D.C. metro area. You'll feel like you're in Southern or Northern California. You're obviously someone who has enormous discipline in how you handle money. So one thing you didn't say that you are leaving any money available for leisure, fun, adventure, travel, whatever. You are doing so well with money. I don't want everything to be about saving every last penny. You deserve a reward because you've been so disciplined about paying on your student loans. You paid for 10, 20, 25 years, whatever it is, to qualify for the federal loan forgiveness of the remaining balance. So now suddenly you're going to have 8,400 bucks a year extra. I'd put some money since you're such a diligent saver, open another savings account that's for saving, for fun you want to do or putting money towards if you have a car. A lot of people in the D.C. metro area don't have a car, but if you do have a car, start putting money aside to buy your next newer used vehicle. If you are going to do more though, just with net money you don't need for any of those things. I would add more to your investment account, not more to savings. The 750 extra every month you're paying towards your mortgage. I'd rather you put that 9,000 a year into your investment account where it's diversified across a variety of index funds so that you are outrunning inflation. Long term savings accounts will not outrun inflation over time and the tax treatment of savings accounts is bad ugly where the tax treatment of investments is much more favorable. So over time, good years and bad years, you'll have the bad years, you'll out earn significantly what you can earn in a savings account and the earnings will be taxed much more favorably. So I'm giving you a mixed message. Make sure you're putting some money aside for your enjoyment today and in the near future because you're already saving so much money. And if there is more excess savings, I want you investing it, not saving it because you already have such a big rainy day account coming up ahead. If you do take me up on this and you decide to take a trip somewhere, know the airlines are going to try to separate you from your wallet with baggage fees and they're much much bigger starting pretty much now with the full Fair Airlines and with some others as well. I need to tell you the strategies to handle travel and what you do with that bag going forward.

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[Clark Howard]

James McComb reporting live from home in my bathrobe in slippers. Tonight we're talking Dunkin Poehler Peppermint Coffee. Gene's here with the latest. Gene, do you copy? The Home with Dunkin is where you want to be.

[Christo]

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[Clark Howard]

Okay? Predictable as could be, the people that are travel writers, travel bloggers, people who do travel on YouTube. They're all doing videos about why they only travel with a carry on bag. And then what followed is I saw a number of stories about what is the best carry on bag to use. There was one headline I saw, how to pack for a two week trip with one small suitcase. So you talk to anybody who travels regularly and you'll hear one thing consistently that they never, never, never, not ever check a bag. I travel no matter how long I'm going away, one small carry on bag. Of the dimensions I'm allowed to take, I always buy the regulation carry on bag. And as I shared recently from a question from a podcast, I use the Sam's Club Members Mark Carry on suitcase. It's $89. It is a phenomenal carry on suitcase. And a lot of these articles I saw people are talking about carry on suitcases that are $1,200, $750. I mean just incredibly expensive suitcases. And I'm like, are you going to a fashion show for luggage? I mean, the Sam's Club Members Mark suitcase has supplanted my old worn out Costco Kirkland Signature Carry On. They don't sell for now, a Kirkland Signature Carry on. But the Reality is you learn to pack in a way that works. I'm going on a 12 day trip soon and I've got everything thought out in my head to get it all in one carry on suitcase with my backpack as well. And I'll be fine and I won't smell, I promise. I shower and I'll have enough clean clothes to get through the time. Because the baggage fees, depending on the circumstance, they're 35, 40, 45 bucks for a single check bag. If you have a second check bag, it bumps up from there to a higher cost. This JetBlue, American, United, Alaska, trying to remember who else raised the bag fee. But it's pretty much across the board except for Southwest where bags fly free. So you check two bags up to £50. So I say I never check a bag. When our daughter went off to college, is that seven years ago cross country, what we did was we bought inexpensive large check baggage size bags. They were like some of them were 40 bucks, some were 50. Very low quality. We loaded them up with stuff and each of us took two of these. So we had six of them flying across the country. And so we were able to move 300 pounds of stuff across the country for free with Southwest. Now also, if you are a customer of one of the full Fairlands, American, United or Delta, some of the other airlines do this as well. If you have their annual fee credit cards, you will get one free check bag each time you fly. That will make the lowest tier, usually is 100 bucks from one of the airlines. If you regularly fly a full fare airline and you think I'm nuts with the carry on and you want to check a bag, you can get their lowest tier credit card that qualifies for a free bag. And you'll make back the money pretty quickly because depending on the airline and the card, it may qualify for everybody on the reservation that you paid with that airline card. So each of you would get one free check bag which would save, I mean think about two people going, that's 160 bucks or so you'll save on one round trip with each of you having a checked bag. And so inquiring minds want to know is, I have been asked repeatedly. We've been on a ton of cruises as a family and a lot of the cruises have formal nights. So then you're having to take a whole nother wardrobe. We don't go to the formal nights. On those nights we go to the cafeteria on the ship or a more casual place on the ship that you don't have to dress up. Because the whole idea of being on vacay for me is not having to dress up. And I know there are people who love dressing up on a cruise and having all the pictures taken and all that. That means nothing to me. And if I have my bag with me, I know it's going to get to where I'm going. But if I check the bag, think about the numbers game. How many bags the airlines lose every single flight? Many. Never to be reconnected with you. That's why I don't check a bag.

[Christo]

All right. And that's the truth. You walk the walk. Clifford in Kentucky says, thanks to you, I'm getting my finances in order. But over the last couple of years I've not been able to travel like I used to. Now I'm lowering my debt and increasing my income. So in the next couple of years I would like to travel with my daughters. I wondered if. And they named oh, the bank of America. I'll just name it Travel Rewards card or the Wells Fargo autograph card would be best. I had issues with Capital One before so I kind of ruled out the Venture X card. Unless you think it would be significantly better than the other two.

[Clark Howard]

So it's the elite travel cards that are not specific airline related. There are three that are the most respected in the industry and the first is the American Express Platinum. It has a massive annual fee. It's $700, 695. Want to be precise. And it's really designed for people who like fancy hotel rooms, who might want to sit in fancy seats on a plane, that kind of thing. So I, I don't recommend that for you unless you really like elite travel. So it leaves two choices that are the most respected. First from chase. Chase has two versions of the Sapphire. One is $95 a year and is considered to be the best bargain of travel cards for people who are traveling, want benefits but don't want the full array of benefits. And then the second from Chase is the Sapphire Reserve which is a 550 annual fee. I thought it was more 550 annual fee. It has a lot of additional things. Free lounges and a lot of airports.

[Christo]

$300 credit and travel 300.

[Clark Howard]

So you got back 300 of the 550 each year. And then the third is the previously mentioned by you. The capital one was a nightmare for you. The Capital One Venture X. What makes it such a great card is it has a cheaper annual fee.395. They give you $300 in credit for travel each year. So it nets 95 bucks and then they give you 10,000 points which wipes out the last 95 each year at renewal. So if you travel even just a few times a year, you can net zero costs with it and you get the lounges. But the big advantage of Venture X is you get two points for every dollar you charge Base and the others, the Amex and the Chase cards, you only get one point for each dollar charge. And you've used the Sapphire reserve for years. Yeah, love that car.

[Christo]

I love it. And when you book through, if you book travel through their portal using the points that you have, like I've done it for rental cars and other things, I always check the prices against the regular sites to make sure it's, it's the right price. But you get 20 of the points back when you redeem them. So that's one of the great benefits of it because it ends up costing you a lot less in the end to book these trips.

[Clark Howard]

So we have a write up for you if you want to see it on clark.com of comparing the two Chase cards to each other and to the other two, the Amex and the Capital One Venture X. And at some point there's going to be another card that comes into the mix that really tries to hem in because these three issuers, chase with the two AmEx and capital One, really dominate now. The travel reward space for independence not tied into a specific airline.

[Christo]

Or you could get a cash back card, 2% cash back and just cash back.

[Clark Howard]

But you know, as you said, you want to start getting travel in your life and if you're going to travel regularly, that's when having one of these works. If you're not going to travel regularly, you just occasionally will pop out there and go somewhere then doing the Sapphire preferred or doing a simple cash back card as no annual fee would be usually my favorite because nobody tells you oh no seats are available using your points on that day. Your cash is good any day at 2% cash back.

[Christo]

Stephen, Wisconsin says I found this on Facebook. I bring it to your attention as my wife and I are traveling more out of the country and wondering how to better protect ourselves from this happening. And I linked this for you Clark. I don't know if you've read it or not but it's a I have.

[Clark Howard]

About Mark who had a stroke stroke.

[Christo]

In Mexico and they had to life flight him.

[Clark Howard]

Oh man, it it's such an incredibly sad story. The good news is Mark is doing better but he's got a long Road back to recovery and huge bills. Huge bills. And in Mexico, where he was, if you end up in a hospital, they will not treat until you pay to deposit up front in thousands of dollars. They will not release a patient to another medical facility until whatever bill you've accumulated there is paid in cash. The whole thing is just a horror. So this goes to something that comes up probably five, six times a year. People will ask us about travel policies. Going back to the cards. We talked about the cards. The premium travel cards will help with a vac, but they won't pay the bills. But you can buy a travel a health travel insurance policy. If your own insurer will not pay for care outside the United States, some do. Most don't. So having one of these policies, if you travel frequently, you have an annual policy. If you travel infrequently, you can buy one for the specific trip that covers medevac, that covers medical bills outside the United States. To an extent it is something that is rare, but when it happens first you got the medical to deal with and financially as well, it can be life changing. So I appreciate you bringing this story to the table. There unfortunately have been many marks out there who have ended up elsewhere in the world, ended up having an injury or an illness that requires medical care not adequately available where you need the care for an injury or illness and all these issues come to the fore.

[Christo]

Lisa in Wisconsin says a grocery tip for you based on your February 22nd podcast. There is an app. Oh by the way, this was the most popular thing people wrote in about over the last few weeks. Like so many people wrote in. There is an app which helps you search for specific grocery items and view ads in one spot. It's called Flip Flipp, so two P's in there. I use it to see all my local grocery store ads in one spot. It does also have a search feature for say, milk and will bring up any mentions and ads of that item. Thank you for all your daily dedication to helping others. You're so likable, helpable and feel like a family member.

[Clark Howard]

Uncle Clark, Lisa, I gotta thank you so much because somebody stopped me right after that podcast and said why are you not using Flip? So I downloaded it. It is awesome. I mean, I don't know if there's any spying they're doing on me that's bad or whatever.

[Christo]

Is it worth it?

[Clark Howard]

But it is, man. It's great. Like, look at this. See, I picked my favorite supermarkets and I'm able to see what they've got on sale. I'M able to search for specific items.

[Christo]

And see Aldi, Dollar Tree.

[Clark Howard]

You've got. I got. Yeah, I got Aldi, I got Lidl, I've got Dollar Tree, and I've got traditional supermarkets and Walmart here and all that. And it is such an incredible time saver. And thank you, Lisa and all the others.

[Christo]

Yes, you can stop writing in.

[Clark Howard]

Wrote in. No, please write all you want.

[Christo]

I mean about Flip.

[Clark Howard]

But I mean, I got stopped immediately by someone saying, you're not using Flip. Yes, now I'm using Flip. It makes it so much easier for me to see who's got the best sales that week.

[Christo]

I should probably mention it again in Clark Stinks since half of them came into Clark Stinks. We'll just quickly mention it this week.

[Clark Howard]

Remind me, okay, that I was really stinking it up, that I didn't know.

[Christo]

This is what Clark Stinks is all about. The Clark Collective giving us knowledge.

[Clark Howard]

Members of Team Clark, Clark east, making it happen. Thank you so much for joining us today and thank you for being of service to your fellow listener and viewer. This is, this is really great stuff. We all learn together. There's no way. I'm just a guy. There's no way one person can have knowledge about all these different things and changes that happen and all that. And that's why it's so important. We're all there for each other and remember what we're devoted to. That you learn ways to save more, spend less is what Flip is about. And avoid getting ripped off. Have a great rest of your day.