The Clark Howard Podcast
The Clark Howard Podcast

08.24.26 The U.S. Savings Rate / Home Buyer Warning

August 24, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

“Two cents of every dollar people make they’re saving, not spending. This ain’t gonna work.”

The U.S. personal savings rate has collapsed to 2 percent, meaning Americans are saving just two cents out of every dollar they earn. Clark Howard opens the episode with this stark federal data point, then pivots to a major consumer warning about the real estate industry’s post-lawsuit landscape: buyer’s agents are now pushing “waterfront agreements” that can lock you into paying a full commission for an entire year—even if you never work with that agent again. The throughline of the episode is that financial security depends on intentional, automated habits, and that the biggest threats to that security often come from fine print and cultural spending norms.

The Savings Rate: From COVID Shock Back to Crisis

Clark revisits a topic he raised weeks earlier, when the savings rate stood at 4.7 percent. The latest federal data now shows it at 2 percent. He contrasts this with the early COVID period, when lockdowns forced people to stop spending on restaurants, travel, and entertainment. Outstanding credit card debt “collapsed” during that time, and people were “shocked how much money they were saving.” For Clark, that moment revealed just how much of American spending is truly discretionary.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (01:04) **Show Open & Mission** - Clark introduces the show’s purpose: empowering listeners with financial advice.
  • 2 (01:51) **U.S. Savings Rate Collapse to 2%** - Clark delivers an urgent update on the national savings rate, which has fallen to a critically low 2%.
  • 3 (03:45) **The Cultural Mindset: Saving vs. Spending** - Clark discusses the cultural and psychological barriers that prevent Americans from saving, even when they can afford to.
  • 4 (07:06) **Listener Update: ACAT Transfer Lock at Schwab** - A listener shares a manual workaround for locking ACAT transfers at Schwab to prevent fraud.
  • 5 (08:58) **Real Estate Investing: Apps vs. Index Funds** - Clark advises a listener on the pitfalls of real estate investing apps and recommends low-cost index funds instead.
  • 6 (12:06) **When to Buy Postal Insurance** - Clark gives a clear rule of thumb for deciding whether to pay for insurance when mailing valuable items.
  • 7 (14:23) **Segment Intro: New Home Buyer Warning** - Clark introduces a major consumer problem stemming from new real estate commission rules.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Clark Howard

Show Notes

The latest financial data shows the U.S. savings rate has dropped to an alarming rate. While many households are struggling just to cover the basics, many middle and upper-middle-class families are falling into the lifestyle trap. Find out what the new rate is and what you should aim for instead.

Also today, new commission structures for home buyer agents are proving problematic.  Recent lawsuit settlements were supposed to make agent commissions more transparent and negotiable for home buyers. Instead, the law of unintended consequences has created a nightmare for consumers. If you are shopping for a home, know what to watch out for.

Plus, Christa shares your #AskClark questions and Clark gives his take. All this and more on the August 24, 2026, episode of The Clark Howard Show.  Submit your opinions or questions: Ask Clark.

  • Automatic Saving Gets It Done: Segment 1
  • Ask Clark: Segment 2
  • Home Buyer Warning: Segment 3
  • Ask Clark: Segment 4

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