HELP ME CLARK
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

Having trouble managing money? Do your money goals seem impossible? Clark Howard wants to help you!

We're looking for families or individuals who are willing to be profiled on HLN. Those chosen will get money advice and information from Clark Howard.

Filed under: Clark Howard • Economy • Help Me Clark • Living

HELP ME CLARK
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

Having trouble managing money? Do your money goals seem impossible? Clark Howard wants to help you!

We're looking for families or individuals who are willing to be profiled on HLN. Those chosen will get money advice and information from Clark Howard.

Filed under: Banking • Clark Howard • Finance • Help Me Clark • Living • Uncategorized

MONEY COACH
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

Having trouble managing money? Do your money goals seem impossible? Clark Howard wants to help you!

We're looking for families or individuals who are willing to be profiled on HLN. Those chosen will get money advice and information from Clark Howard.

Filed under: Clark Howard • Credit • Finance • Help Me Clark • Uncategorized

MONEY COACH
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

Having trouble managing money? Do your money goals seem impossible? Clark Howard wants to help you!

We're looking for families or individuals who are willing to be profiled on HLN. Those chosen will get money advice and information from Clark Howard.

This week’s question comes from Nina Campagna of Palm Harbor, Florida:

Filed under: Banking • Clark Howard • Finance • Help Me Clark

HELP ME CLARK!
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

Having trouble managing money? Do your money goals seem impossible? Clark Howard wants to help you!

We're looking for families or individuals who are willing to be profiled on HLN. Those chosen will get money advice and information from Clark Howard.

Filed under: Clark Howard • Credit • Finance • Help Me Clark • Retirement • Savings

Clark Behind The Headlines

From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

I'm going to talk out of both sides of my mouth for a minute. And I know I’m not the first human being to do this. But all through the years, I've talked about the fact that when you're going to college or you're going to study a trade, you should pursue what you love and then figure out how you're going to make money from it, rather than chase education or training in a field that means nothing to you, but you think it's going to earn you a good income.

Now there's a third thing that I have not mentioned often, and it’s this: Do not feel pressured by a parent or family member to pursue a particular course of education just because it's what they do.  You should do what you want to do, not follow in somebody's footsteps.

So, having said all that, there is a listing on Yahoo! HotJobs of the degrees that pay the absolute least amount.

Where do you earn the least?  Drama.  Fine arts.  Hospitality and tourism.  Education.  Horticulture.  Spanish.  Music.  Theology.  Elementary education.  And, the lowest degree of all in terms of pay, social work.

Interestingly enough, the way they measure this is not by what the starting annual salary is, but where you’ll be, salary-wise, midway through your career.  And someone who is a social worker - and has been at it for decades - averages, even after all that time, just over $40,000 a year.  A teacher in elementary education, mid-career, just over $42,000.  Drama has the highest average of the 10 lowest, at just under $57,000 a year, mid-career.

With all of these jobs, you do them out of love.  You don't do any of these because you think you’re going to get rich.  But being rich comes in all different forms and flavors, and it's not just about money.  And I would propose to you that someone who is taking one of those degrees that I just referred to, and loves what they do every day, is richer than somebody who goes for a degree just because the pay is high. (Incidentally, Yahoo! HotJobs also compiled a list of the highest-paying degrees. Engineering degrees of various types were generally the areas where people would earn the most.)

I know that for a lot of people, there’s a belief that money is all that matters.  I promise you, once you're out there working, it's not.

Filed under: Behind the Headlines • Clark Howard • Finance • Investing

HELP ME CLARK!
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

Having trouble managing money? Do your money goals seem impossible? Clark Howard wants to help you!

We're looking for families or individuals who are willing to be profiled on HLN. Those chosen will get money advice and information from Clark Howard.

Filed under: Clark Howard • Credit • Finance • Help Me Clark • Savings • Taxes • Uncategorized

MONEY COACH
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

Having trouble managing money? Do your money goals seem impossible? Clark Howard wants to help you!

We're looking for families or individuals who are willing to be profiled on HLN. Those chosen will get money advice and information from Clark Howard.

This week’s question comes from Jim and Cindy Bidwell of Palm Harbor, Florida:

Filed under: Clark Howard • Money Coach • Mortgage • Real Estate • Uncategorized

HELP ME CLARK!
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

Having trouble managing money? Do your money goals seem impossible? Clark Howard wants to help you!

We're looking for families or individuals who are willing to be profiled on HLN. Those chosen will get money advice and information from Clark Howard.

Filed under: Clark Howard • Finance • Help Me Clark • Insurance • Living

Clark Behind The Headlines

From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

It’s disturbing how many phone calls I get from people who work as independent contractors or freelancers and are not getting paid. They want to know what they can do about it. It is a terrible problem and a lot of companies treat their freelancers and independent contractors like dirt when it comes to being paid. The way this often plays out is if somebody doesn’t pay you, the only option truly available is to take them to small claims court. Now I understand that going to small claims means you will probably never work for them again, but do you want work for a company that doesn’t pay you?

I think there should be a website where independent contractors can rate how well or how poorly a company pays. Big companies decide how credit-worthy another company is by going to look at a Dun and Bradstreet report. But what about you as the person who’s working on your own, serving at the pleasure of this non-employer, and they stiff you? We need this for those working as freelancers. That’s how capitalism works. A need is met in the marketplace and your reward for it is money – a real paycheck!!

Another piece of advice: before you take a freelance job you should establish upfront how, when and how much you’ll be paid. And if you’re providing services to a small business that might be low on cash, you should establish a Paypal account to make it ultra easy for that business to pay you. The key is to get your money as quickly and efficiently as you can.

Filed under: Career • Clark Howard • Living