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Random Photo: Fred D!

Random Photo: My Amazon Delivery

Random Photo: Trashy Love

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Hey Geeks! We've all seen those sketchy emails and messages that scream ''SCAM.'' However, the latest phishing attack reported my https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/facebook-scam-24-hours-are-left-ro-request-review-see-why/51447/Kaspersky, targeting Facebook business account owners takes things to a new level. Here's the lowdown on what's happening and how to protect yourself. ...

Frustrating Xbox owners around the globe, reports are flooding in across the web that Xbox Live is currently down. Whether you're looking to jump into a game, stream your favorite shows, or navigate the dashboard, users are finding themselves locked out of any functionality. Users from Reddit to Twitter to my own living rooms are reporting that accessing any service is impossible. This includes playing games, accessing cloud saves, using apps, or even browsing the Xbox Store. The crux of the problem seems to be tied to the Xbox Live login. X...

Hey geeks! Remember when Google rolled out goo.gl back in 2009? Yup, it was that long ago. Other than Bit.ly, it was the go-to tool for turning those ridiculously long URLs into neat, tiny links. Fast-forward 15 years, and Google's decided it's time to pull the plug on goo.gl. So, what does this mean for you, me, and the entire internet? Let's dive in. Why People Use URL Shorteners People use URL shorteners to create clean links because no one wants to share ugly, lengthy URLs. Shortened links also allow users to measure the performan...

Hey Geeks! Some big news hitting the wires today. A massive tech outage has thrown a wrench into major services worldwide, messing with everything from public transport to hospitals and banks. Here's the scoop: What's Causing the Outage? The chaos seems to be linked to a software update from Crowdstrike, a well-known player in cybersecurity, providing services to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies, that affected Microsoft cloud systems. This update caused a glitch in Falcon; their cloud file protection system effectively blocke...

Fresh on the heels of a TiKtok ban, the US Government has banned Kapsery Software in the US due to its ties to the Russian Government. Ban Implementation Details On June 20, 2024, the https://www.reuters.com/technology/biden-ban-us-sales-kaspersky-software-over-ties-russia-source-says-2024-06-20/US government announced new restrictions on inbound sales of Kaspersky software in the US will come into effect on September 29, 2024, giving businesses 100 days to transition to alternative cybersecurity solutions. The ban will also apply to software up...

In its recently released mobile device best practices guide, the National Security Agency (NSA) goes old-school geek and advises people to turn their phones off and on again....

We're doing it again! 10 lucky geeks and Gamers will receive $100 Amazon Gift cards just for looking around between now and the end of the month. ...

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If you have attempted to download directly from GitHub recently, you have undoubtedly seen the dreaded Unicorn! display, letting you know that No server is currently available to service your request.

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Move over, Dr. Evil; Russia has just hit Google with a fine that would make even him laugh maniacally. That’s right: a whopping $20 decillion! For context, that’s $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. It’s the kind of number so absurd that it stops being math and starts becoming pure science fiction. ...

Ah, the holidays—where buying gifts online should be about finding the perfect ugly sweater, not losing your credit card info to some sleazy scammer. But beware, the ''card declined'' scam that is on the rise and poised to play Grinch this season. ...

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Hackers target Bengal cat enthusiasts in Australia, who were targeted by cybercriminals using SEO poisoning and Gootloder. This threat is significant enough that Sophos issued an https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2024/11/06/bengal-cat-lovers-in-australia-get-psspsspssd-in-google-driven-gootloader-campaign/official warning advising people to avoid searching for Bengal cat information altogether, highlighting the scale of the issue. ''GootLoader campaigns are increasingly targeting niche interests to stay under the radar. These campaigns illus...

Vehicle prices are continuing on the downward trajectory, which is something that money expert Clark Howard has been saying would happen. “The used vehicle prices are on a steady downturn, and the new vehicles are on a downturn as well but not as steep because they don’t have as far to fall as the used […]

The post Report: 10 Used Cars With Big Price Drops appeared first on Clark Howard.

Vehicle prices have been causing sticker shock for the past couple of years, but money expert Clark Howard says used cars have normalized recently. A recent report from vehicle research site iSeeCars indicates that shoppers are still throwing their dollars toward older used cars as the price of new cars remains stubbornly expensive. Here are […]

The post New Report: The Average Price of a Used Car appeared first on Clark Howard.

Car shoppers have been dealing with inflated vehicle prices for a few years now. With the average price of a new car still pretty high, one option that may have crossed your mind is to buy a car with a salvage title. In the vehicle marketplace, there’s a major stigma attached to buying salvaged cars, […]

The post Should You Buy a Car With a Salvage Title? appeared first on Clark Howard.

It’s no secret that electric vehicles (EVs) are starting to grow on the American public. A study from vehicle research site iSeeCars.com measures the number of EV chargers in the top U.S. cities and their rate of installation as a barometer of how EV-friendly the places are. Which Cities Are the Most Electric Vehicle-Friendly? While […]

The post Report: Top Cities for Electric Cars appeared first on Clark Howard.

Once you’ve been in a car accident and the insurance company decides to total your vehicle, one of the main things you’ll have to decide is whether to keep the car or not. Insurance companies will typically “total” a vehicle if the cost to repair it is more than the car’s value. And in some […]

The post Should You Keep a Car That’s Been Totaled? appeared first on Clark Howard.

The average price for a new vehicle rose over the past month, but the increase was only negligible, according to the latest sales figures from car valuation site Kelley Blue Book (KBB). How Much Does a New Car Cost Right Now? The average price for a new vehicle was $48,397 in September 2024 — 0.4% […]

The post Report: The Average Price of a New Vehicle appeared first on Clark Howard.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever lost something. If both of your hands are still down, I’m assuming you’re lying or don’t feel like getting questioned by those around you for looking inexplicably silly with your hands up. Whether it’s your wallet, your keys or your sunglasses, you’ve misplaced or left something at some point […]

The post What’s the Cheapest Way To Replace a Lost Vehicle Key Fob? appeared first on Clark Howard.

With all the money you spend on your car, have you ever wondered what it would be like to drive a new vehicle? If so, your options are either to sell your current car outright or trade it in. In either case, one of the first things you’ll need to know is the answer to this question: […]

The post How Much Is My Car Worth? appeared first on Clark Howard.

One major way to reduce your travel costs is to look for ways to save on your car rental expenses. That’s what money expert Clark Howard has done time and time again. Clark says he’s recently put into practice a new strategy to get car rental deals when he travels — and the deals have […]

The post Clark’s Updated Way To Shop for Car Rental Deals appeared first on Clark Howard.

When you buy a car, one of the most important factors is durability, i.e. how long the vehicle will likely last.  Car search engine iSeeCars recently analyzed and ranked the cars that people have kept for 15 years or more. For its report, iSeeCars looked at more than 929,000 vehicles to determine which models are […]

The post 10 Cars That People Keep for 15 Years or More appeared first on Clark Howard.

Welcome to Ask Clark, a column designed to answer your financial questions, by money expert Clark Howard. How Can I Find an Affordable and Legit Online School? Tim from Georgia asks: “I’ve heard you a few times in the past few months say to consider skills and knowledge that may be outside of a career job position. […]

The post Where Do I Look for Affordable and Legitimate Online Schools? appeared first on Clark Howard.

With a little research and extra hard work, there are ways to pay your tuition bills without getting buried in student loan debt.

The post 9 Ways To Pay for College Without Student Loans appeared first on Clark Howard.

If you’re interested in learning a new skill, hoping to get a raise at work or considering a career change, taking a free online course could help you get closer to your goal.  In this article, we’re going to take a look at 23 online resources where you can find educational videos and university-level courses […]

The post Where To Take Free Online Courses appeared first on Clark Howard.

If you’ve sent kids to college, you’ve probably heard of FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). FAFSA offers federal government aid via loans, grants and work-study options. It determines how much financial aid your children will get for college based on your family’s income and assets. As a parent, that includes your income, investment […]

The post How Do I Avoid the Money in My Bank Disqualifying My Children From Financial Aid for College? appeared first on Clark Howard.

Money expert Clark Howard extolls the virtues of 529 plans every chance he gets. You put money into those plans and invest it, where it grows tax-free. And then you get to spend it tax-free to pay for your child’s education. The law just got even more friendly toward parents choosing to make use of […]

The post Does Clark Recommend a Separate 529 Account for Each Child? appeared first on Clark Howard.

In past years, contributing to a 529 plan presented a clear risk to parents and grandparents. It’s always been a tax-advantaged way to pay for college. But if the intended beneficiary didn’t go to college, or if they got a scholarship and didn’t need the 529 plan funds, it created a dilemma. You’d have to […]

The post Should I Contribute to a 529 Plan Only To Roll It Into a Roth IRA Later? appeared first on Clark Howard.

If you’ve ever looked for a quick, simple answer from a professional, maybe you’ve stumbled across JustAnswer. I first used the website after my cat had surgery and I wanted to ask a few follow-up questions after the veterinarian’s office had already closed. Recently, I signed up again just to see what new users can […]

The post JustAnswer Review: 5 Things To Know Before You Sign Up appeared first on Clark Howard.

The number of drivers who let their insurance monitor their driving has more than doubled in less than a decade! While many drivers were once skeptical of the practice, the benefits are becoming more and more appealing as people make the switch to usage-based insurance. And as car insurance rates continue to climb, even more […]

The post Should You Allow Your Auto Insurance To Monitor Your Driving? appeared first on Clark Howard.

Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 1 million reports of identity theft! And the AARP found that, “American adults lost a total of $43 billion to identity fraud in 2023.” So, it makes sense that — if protection exists against identity theft exists — you want it. There’s no shortage of […]

The post What Is Identity Theft Insurance and Should You Buy It? appeared first on Clark Howard.

At a time when insurance premiums are skyrocketing, especially for home and auto insurance, people are looking for ways to save money. At 2.4% in September, inflation is much closer to the Fed’s stated 2.0% goal and a far cry from its 9.1% peak. From Dec. 31, 2021, to Oct. 27, 2023, the S&P 500 […]

The post Should I Insure My Cars and Home With the Same Company? appeared first on Clark Howard.

It’s estimated that 27% of people in America live in a condo or homeowner’s association (HOA) property. If you’re one of them, then you’re all too familiar with the double-edged sword that is your HOA. On the one hand, your HOA can ensure that your community is kept to a certain standard. On the other […]

The post What Condo Owners Need To Know About Insurance appeared first on Clark Howard.

There’s a high chance your car insurance has gone up recently. If not, the bad news is it might increase at your next renewal. But there’s good news, too. You don’t have to simply accept an auto insurance increase! Take money expert Clark Howard’s advice to save. He says: “This year coming up in ‘25 […]

The post Why You Need To Re-Shop Your Car Insurance Right Now appeared first on Clark Howard.

Deed theft happens when someone steals your home’s title and takes action — or tries to take action — against your property for financial gain. Also called home title theft, this crime isn’t new. But it’s gained more attention as high profile properties, including Elvis Presley’s Graceland, have been targeted. The good news is there […]

The post 4 Signs You’re a Victim of Deed Theft (and How To Avoid It) appeared first on Clark Howard.