Show Notes for the Clark Howard Show — July 31, 2008

Today, Ilyce Glink fills in for Clark Howard

Time to go shopping

It’s a tax-free weekend for Georgia.

With this tax-free weekend you can go shopping for:
* Clothing under $100
* Computers/computer equipment under $1500
* School supplies under $20

Join Ilyce Glink’s Fan Club on Facebook and Get a FREE EBOOK

We’re doing a push this week to get as many people signed up for my new Ilyce Glink FAN CLUB on Facebook. If you sign up by the end of the day, you’ll get a free copy of my ebook “How to Save $50/month.”

Share with your friends! If you spread the word and we get 3,000 people to sign up for the fan club, we’ll also send you a SECOND free ebook: “How to Fix Your Credit History and Score Forever,” which includes information not currently found anywhere on ThinkGlink.com.

To sign up for my fanclub, go to Ilyce Glink Fan Page on Facebook.

Ilyce Glink Fan Club members will get a special sneak peak of my new book, BUY CLOSE MOVE IN! which will be for sale starting next April. Fan Club members will also get special discounts and offers associated with our live events, videos, and other items offered at the Think Glink Store.

Sign up today to get all the benefits!

Digital Cable Costs

We had a caller wondering about her cable bill and why she had to pay an extra fee for more cable boxes and what it all meant.
We did a little digging and found that a lot more people got confused when everything switched over to digital and HD signals. It looks like with the switch over to digital, if you want to receive a cable TV signal or an HD signal, you need a special cable box or an HD box. Comcast is providing two free boxes or cable converters per household. There will be a charge for more boxes. Also note that digital does not necessarily mean HD. If you want to receive a high def signal for your HD TVs, you may need to get a special cable plan and pay an extra fee.

For more information about the Comcast cable plan, check out this story from The Seattle Times.

Visit Comcast.com or your local cable provider website for details on your local plan and fees.

Free Books and Ebook Deal

We have free books we’re giving away. Go to the Think Glink Store to get your free copy of my books: 50 Simple Steps You Can Take to Disaster-Proof Your Finances or The REALLY Useful Guide to Working Smarter Not Harder

You pay the shipping, and we’ll give you as many free books as you want!

Here’s our Free Ebook deal: Buy 3 Get 1 Free! Choose any 3 ebooks and we’ll give you one of those for FREE!! Use the discount code: freeebook

Free WiFi at Barnes and Noble!

The next time you visit Barnes & Noble, bring your laptop along and camp out in the cafe, because they’re now offering free WiFi. Visit barnesandnoble.com for more information.

Taken Advantage of by your Bank or Credit Union?

We just got a call from Roger. He bought a motorcycle with financing from the dealer, but then he called a credit union to inquire about refinancing the motorcycle loan. He sent in some paperwork and a W2, but without even consulting him, the credit union paid off his old loan. Roger says he never signed any paperwork.

Now, the credit union is holding him over a barrel. He’s being given a choice of accepting a motorcycle loan at 8.5 percent, a personal loan at 18.5 percent, or paying off the loan in full immediately.

This really raises the hair on my neck. I think this credit union is staffed with a bunch of idiots! (and I don’t use that term normally)

Here’s what Roger (and anyone who is being taken advantage of by a lender) needs to do:
1. Call the Georgia Dept. of Banking and Finance at 770-986-1633 and file a complaint
2. Call the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs at 404-651-8600
3. File a complaint with the Credit Union National Association
4. File a fair trade complaint with FTC.gov
5. Call the Georgia Attorney General’s Office at (404) 656-3300

Talk to a Housing Counselor About Refinance Options

Justina just called the show, because her house is under water. She has an 80/20 interest-only 5/1 ARM and a 600 credit score.

The best thing she can do is contact the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta and meet with a HUD-certified counselor to discuss her options.

She needs to contact their housing counselor and set up an appointment with a budget counselor to see if there’s anything else she can do.