Easy trick to avoid spam emails (9 15 26)

💵 Today’s Top Stories

This Simple Trick Will Help You Avoid Spam Emails

Cut spam email out of your life so you can sift through your email inbox in peace. Here’s how to do it. Read more.

Clark’s Blueprint for Funeral Planning

Death isn’t a fun topic of conversation. But planning can prevent financial and emotional heartache during a vulnerable time for loved ones. Read more.

Is There a Safe Way to Use Your Debit Card?

Clark has warned consumers for years about the dangers of using a debit card for daily spending (lack of consumer protections, risk to your cash). But there are some exceptions, as Team Clark explains. Read more.

Why You Should Consider a Prepaid Phone Plan

Prepaid cell phone plans can save you hundreds of dollars per year. Here’s how they’re different and some of Team Clark’s favorite options. Read more.

💸 Ask Clark

Ask Clark Howard

Podcast | YouTube

On his podcast, Clark Howard answers real reader questions on money, credit, debt, retirement, travel, and more, along with co-host Christa DiBiase.

Today's question

David in Massachusetts asks:

"I’m caught between two of your core tenets—saving money versus protecting myself. I recently won an expensive item in an online auction from a seller I don't know. To protect myself, I want to use a credit card, but the site charges a 2-3% fee for card payments. Alternative methods like checks, Zelle, PayPal, or wire transfers save money on fees, but they carry huge risks like check washing, fraud, or zero buyer protection if the item is misrepresented. Should I risk my money to avoid the credit card surcharge, or pay the extra fee for the protection?"

Clark's answer: David, absolutely use the credit card – and here's why.

First, when two Clark tenets conflict, protection almost always wins over saving a few bucks. If something goes wrong with a high-value item from a seller you don't know, a credit card gives you strong chargeback rights under federal law. Direct payment methods like wire transfers, Zelle, or physical checks leave you completely exposed if the seller misrepresents the item or never ships it. Once that money leaves your account, it's gone for good.

Second, you can soften the blow of that 2% or 3% credit card surcharge. If you pay off your statement balance in full every month and use a flat-rate rewards card that pays 2% cash back, that reward effectively wipes out most, if not all, of the junk fee.

Submit a question for Clark

📊 Stat of the Day

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📱 $1,999: Cost of Apple’s new foldable iPhone Duo. Pre-orders begin in October, but Clark recommends purchasing previous generation models to save money.

💰 Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals

8-night Miami & Florida Keys trip from $1,159

Get this deal.

5-night Tahiti black sand retreat from $2,995

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See All of the Best Deals Today

🎙 Podcast

Think you need an expensive, full-blown security system to protect your home? Think again. Clark shares how even a single inexpensive security camera can serve as a massive deterrent against burglars. While surveillance technology certainly has its drawbacks when it comes to privacy, Clark breaks down the major safety benefits for homeowners. Plus, Clark dives into a shocking recent investigation exposing major problems at StubHub. Once considered a reliable platform that brought legitimacy to ticket resale, StubHub is now facing intense backlash from customers stranded at major events like the World Cup. Clark discusses findings from a Wall Street Journal report detailing how the company reportedly gutted customer service, altered contact methods, and hid their legal address to dodge arbitration requests and frustrate customers seeking refunds. Hear Clark's take on this unbelievable situation and what it means for anyone buying resale tickets today.

Watch the Full Episode

☎ Need Money Help?

The Team Clark Consumer Action Center is a free helpline that can help you navigate your money questions. Call 636-492-5275. Visit clark.com/cac for more information.