The Clark Howard Podcast
The Clark Howard Podcast

07.24.26 Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / AI Shopping Bots

July 24, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / AI Shopping Bots

The Clark Howard Show's Clark Stinks segment returned this week, and listeners had plenty to say — from the meaning of "overbuilt" apartments to the wisdom of maintaining credit cards after paying off debt. Later in the episode, Clark warned listeners about the hidden agendas lurking inside AI shopping tools, which he says are designed to generate referral income, not find you the best deal.

The "Overbuilt" Apartment Market: Semantics with Real Consequences

Eric from North Carolina took issue with Clark's characterization of the apartment market as "overbuilt," arguing that what's happening is actually the market "right-sizing itself to handle the demand" after years of elevated housing costs. Housing advocates, Eric noted, have been hoping for exactly this situation.

Clark clarified that he was speaking from the business side. From an investor standpoint, apartments in the South, Southwest, and parts of the West have been overbuilt — which is why we're seeing mergers of apartment management companies "out of weakness, not strength." Too many developers built at the same time, anticipating they could sustain the high rents landlords had been pushing, and the resulting oversupply is now softening rents.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (01:02) **Show Opening & Clark Stinks Introduction** - Clark introduces the episode and the Clark Stinks segment where listeners critique his advice.
  • 2 (02:06) **Listener Critique: "Overbuilt" Apartment Market** - Eric in North Carolina challenges Clark’s characterization of the apartment market as "overbuilt," arguing it's a healthy correction for high housing costs.
  • 3 (04:50) **Listener Critique: Credit Card & FICO Score Advice** - John in South Dakota argues Clark’s advice to keep credit cards open for a good FICO score promotes debt and worshipping credit.
  • 4 (09:13) **Listener Tip: Managing Subscription Creep** - Diana from Massachusetts shares her system of recording promo sign-ups and setting calendar reminders to cancel before they renew.
  • 5 (11:17) **Listener Clarification: Costco Visa Interest Rate** - Russ in Connecticut notes that a caller disgusted by a rate increase on the Costco Citi card should have no impact since she carries no balance.
  • 6 (12:18) **Listener Critique: Rental Application Fees** - Kurt in Arizona questions why Clark supports landlords charging application fees for background checks, calling it a cost of doing business.
  • 7 (13:40) **Listener Critique: 529 Plan Age-Based Portfolios** - Jeff in Colorado warns that age-based portfolios can be too aggressive near college, citing a $6,000 loss in 2022 when stocks and bonds both fell.

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Guests on this episode

Clark Howard

Show Notes

Friday - Clark Stinks day! Christa  shares Clark Stinks posts with Clark. Submit yours at Clark.com/ClarkStinks. Also,  many of us are getting more comfortable using artificial intelligence in our daily lives. While AI can be an incredibly useful tool, a dangerous new trend is emerging that could cost you serious money: AI shopping bots. Before you let an AI bot handle your wallet, you need to understand the hidden agenda at play.

All this and more on the July 24, 2026, episode of The Clark Howard Show.

  • Clark Stinks: Segments 1 & 2
  • AI Shopping Bot Pitfalls: Segment 3
  • Ask Clark: Segment 4

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Clark.com resources:

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