The Clark Howard Podcast
The Clark Howard Podcast

03.11.26 Retirees Returning to Work / Medical Privacy Warning

March 11, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In 2024, when 23andMe filed for bankruptcy, host Clark Howard says he was "knocked over with a feather" as he realized how valuable that genetic data would be to insurance companies looking to rate or deny coverage. That bankruptcy filing — and the company's subsequent decision to let users wipe their records clean — opened his eyes to a much broader problem: the unregulated world of independent medical lab tests, where federal privacy law simply does not apply.

The Retirement Trap: Why Half of Retirees Go Back to Work

Howard opens the episode with a sobering statistic from a Kiplinger article: 50% of people who return to work after retiring do so because they retired thinking they had enough money, but they didn't. The problem, he explains, is the momentum you give up in a career. "Once you put that fire break in place, you're gone," he says. You cannot easily get back to what you were doing, earning what you were earning.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:35) **Show Introduction & Mission** - Clark introduces the show's mission of empowering listeners with financial advice.
  • 2 (01:40) **Retirement Reality Check: The "Return-to-Work" Trap** - Clark cites a Kiplinger article: 50% of retirees who return to work do so because they miscalculated their savings.
  • 3 (03:29) **Solution: Hire a Fiduciary Fee-Only Planner** - Recommends paying a planner by the hour to get an objective "are you okay?" assessment.
  • 4 (05:09) **The Age Discrimination Factor** - Many people over 50 are forced out of corporate jobs due to unenforced age discrimination laws.
  • 5 (06:03) **Listener Q: Fidelity Zero Funds in Taxable Accounts** - Eric from MA asks if Clark's opinion has changed on using Fidelity Zero mutual funds in taxable accounts.
  • 6 (07:58) **Listener Q: Co-Owned House with Broke Brother** - Mark from IL co-owns late mother's house with his brother, who can't afford to buy him out.
  • 7 (11:11) **Listener Q: Bonus Payoff – Mortgage vs. Car** - Chris in OH, mid-30s, has a bonus to pay off either a $50K mortgage (6.125%) or a $45K car loan (4.125%).

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Clark Howard

Show Notes

Today - The growing "unretirement" trend reveals that nearly half of retirees who return to the workforce do so out of financial necessity rather than choice. Clark shares several considerations and strategies for retirement planning. Later - you may have seen ads for online memberships for medical tests that will give you insights into your health. But will your information be protected? How important is medical privacy to your financial life? Because federal and state laws are often silent on these specific privacy standards, Clark suggests a unique, cautious approach.

  • Unretirement: Segment 1
  • Ask Clark: Segment 2
  • Medical Privacy: Segment 3
  • Ask Clark: Segment 4

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