Clark Behind The Headlines
From HLN's Money Expert Clark Howard

Have you heard about this E.coli outbreak that killed two people and made hundreds more sick? It’s because of a food processor in New York that had to issue a recall on a huge amount of ground beef. They weren’t testing for a strain of E.coli that was banned 15 years ago.

If you remember, in 1993 there was a deadly E.coli outbreak involving the fast food chain Jack in the Box. And as a result of that, the U.S. Department of Agriculture banned this strain of E.coli from meat and introduced new rules for companies to test their products. But they made it voluntary. Well, a lot of meat companies, including this big one in New York State, came under pressure from the slaughterhouses and suppliers and decided, “Yeah, well, we're just not going to test for that.” And as a result, you have people dead who wouldn't be, and people hurting who wouldn't have been. Inexcusable.

It is so third world that we have the ability to prevent these illnesses and deaths, and just because of financial interests of meat packers, we don't do it. But a few retailers are making an effort. Costco Wholesale processes its own meat, and it fully meets the advisory guidelines and tests everything they put on the shelves. It’s just something where you think, why would a business cut corners like that and why would the meat industry have people lose faith in the safety of the food supply just to shave a penny here or there?

You know, in capitalism, businesses that mess up get punished by the marketplace. And often they get destroyed like the people who sold tainted peanut products. But the fact is, the people that get sick or die are still sick or dead.

The answer is very, very simple. The Department of Agriculture needs to make mandatory the inspections for the E.coli strains that they know are deadly. Think about if it was your kid who died because some meat processor decided to cut a corner and not test its product to make sure it's safe. I find that very upsetting.

HLN Money Expert Clark Howard.

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

KIM:
I have student loans, a Stafford subsidized and Stafford unsubsidized, that were consolidated to lock in a low interest rate. I have heard that after either working for the government or in law enforcement for 10 years you can ask to have your loans forgiven. I work for my state's government and am considered law enforcement. It will be 10 years in November. My loans are current. In fact I pay more than the minimum payment very month. Can I ask for my student loans to be forgiven if they have been consolidated?

CLARK:
Okay, here's the story. Under the income based repayment plan you are eligible for forgiveness of the remainder of your student loans after 10 years of payments if you're working for a non-profit or for government, or 25 years if you work in the traditional private sector. But you have to go in to the income based repayment plan first for the clock to start ticking. Believe it or not the years you've already been paying don't count toward the 10 years so get yourself converted to income based repayment and get that clock running.

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

DAWN:

We're about to come in to a sum of money, around $17,500. We want to invest it so it will get a good return, but we don't want to tie it up for a long period of time because we're elderly. We want the option of being able withdraw some money if it should ever be needed for emergencies. What should we do?

CLARK:

Well, that is a real predicament because you want to earn more than you can on a CD, but at the same time you want to be able to have the money at any time.

That's not easy. What I recommend in a case like that is that you take one-third of the money, just under $6,000 and treat it as your very conservative, "mad money" part of the portfolio.

And in that case you put it in to CDs or savings accounts, best rates you can find in the country. You're going to probably find a good list at bankrate.com.

The other two-thirds, because you said you're older and this is money you want to have some growth from but - I'm reading between the lines - you don't want a lot of risk.

I'd like for you to look at a balanced mutual fund where the money is split between bonds, which is where you're kind of a lender to companies, and stocks.

And that gives you some amount of risk, but very low, with a chance for a much nicer return over time.

Having trouble managing money? Do your money goals seem impossible? Clark Howard wants to help you! We're looking for individuals or families 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 Carmen and Ray Zych in Des Plaines, IL.

One of the things that I'm concerned about is that we don't have enough money to put aside.

I currently have a Roth IRA through my employer, and my husband and I each have one through our bank. What we are trying to do is sort of play catch-up. So I work part-time at a second job, and most of that money I'm putting into a retirement fund.

My husband thinks that putting everything away is foolish because if you are saving and saving and saving, you are not enjoying your life now and he has a good point. We would like to get a small little house, live in a small little town and just quietly spend the rest of our life relaxing.

We need a Money Coach!

Hear Clark’s advice for Carmen and Ray this weekend at noon on HLN

Do you need a Money Coach? Send us an iReport video with your money questions and tell us why you need the Money Coach.

Today we will get details on President Obama’s plan to stabilize the housing market and keep millions of Americans in their homes. Here is what we know so far.

1) Help for Underwater Homeowners

The Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan has an initiative that would help people who are underwater in their mortgages to refinance into a 15 or 30 year fixed rate loan. To qualify, borrowers must be current on their mortgage. These loans must also be held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. There would be no principal reduction in the amount a borrower owes, but money could be saved over the life of the loan.

2) Help for Struggling Homeowners

The second initiative is designed to help lower monthly payments for homeowners at risk of losing their home. To qualify for a loan modification, you can be behind on your mortgage payments. And the mortgage must be on your primary home. Plus, your monthly mortgage bill must be more than 31 percent of your monthly gross income. This loan modification could lower your interest rate and/or principal balance. This is estimated to help 3-4 million homeowners avoid foreclosure.

3) Get your information together

This program will begin today. If you think you qualify, talk to your lender. In the meantime, get together some information including proof of income, your most recent income tax return, any second mortgage documents, your credit card payment information if you carry balances from month to month and finally, any info on other loans like car loans or student loans.

Catch Gerri every Saturday at 9:30 am Eastern Time on Your Bottom Line.

As the economy stalls and the housing market continues in crisis, many Americans are wondering where we go from here.

Consumer questions include  what to do with their money, whether they should continue to invest and what the government is going to do to help with mortgages.

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox is a personal finance expert and author known as "The Money Coach" who answered some of those questions on CNN.com/Live.

QUESTION: Is it a good time to put more money in my 401(k)?

Khalfani-Cox: One of the biggest questions for employees these days, who are in fact dealing with the job situation, dealing with the housing crisis, is what else should I be doing because of the stock market? I frankly believe it’s a huge mistake for people to stop making contributions to their 401(K), which is their employer sponsored retirement plan.

One of the biggest problems with stopping your contributions is that you never know just quite when to jump back in. For most people they make the mistake of trying to get back in the market once the tide is turned.

People typically think “Oh, once the market has recovered and I see some evidence that stocks are starting to come back, that’s when I’ll start to invest again” and by that time you’ve typically missed the boat.

Needless to say, if you stop making contributions to that 401(K) or even your 403(b) plan, you’ll also miss out on any potential employer match.

As long as you have a significant time frame ahead of you before you are facing retirement, if you have 10 plus years, I think you’ll be just fine to continue investing in your 401(K).

CNN.com/Live will have expert financial advice and news coverage throughout the day, including President Obama's address to the nation at 9 p.m. ET tonight.

People are saving their money again. So much so, in fact, that economists are starting to get worried for the health of the economy. Now that's pretty funny because, not long ago - and I'm talking within a year here - many economists were actually concerned that Americans were spending too much and saving way too little. Oh how a recession changes things…

Let's take a look at how Americans have changed their savings patterns, and why that might be cause for alarm.

1) U.S. savings rate has risen from just 0.8 percent last August to 3.6 percent in December. Now if the amount people earn was rising steadily, this drastic increase in savings wouldn’t be cause for concern. But in the past 6 months, the average American income has been steady, if not a little lower. So where are people getting the money to save? By cutting their spending. And such a big decrease in spending over such a small period of time could spell disaster for retailers… who happen to employ a huge segment of the population.

2) People are saving more because of unrest in the economy. Before the economy started really heading into a tailspin, people were out spending. A lot. In fact, the savings rate was at historic lows, averaging 0.5 percent from the beginning of 2005 to April 2008. Sometimes the savings rate even dipped below zero percent, meaning that people were spending their savings or buying on credit. But once the housing market and stock market bubbles burst, consumers got scared about their job security and the availability of credit. (Which is to say, it's not available.)

3) A high savings rate is not necessarily a bad thing for the economy, but it is when the savings rate rises so drastically and banks don't keep up the pace making loans. By historical standards, our current rate of savings is not that big of deal. From the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s, the savings rate was much higher: from eight percent to 11 percent. The problem is how quickly Americans have changed their attitudes. In the 1950s through the 1980s, banks would usually take the money people saved and dole it out as loans for small businesses and to people looking to buy houses, cars, or education. That investment spurred further economic growth. Nowadays, though, banks are scared to make those loans. So as a result, the money people are saving is sitting in a vault, hoarded because banks executives don't trust that people seeking a loan can pay it back.

The combination of fewer bank loans and increased savings is strangling businesses: they can't get the loans they need to cover costs, and they're not getting money from consumers either. That leads to store closures and layoffs, as businesses have to cut costs just to stay afloat, which in turn leads to even less spending. Such a self-reinforcing cycle is exactly NOT what we need in the middle of a recession.

So what's the solution? That, my friends, is what all the hubbub in Washington is about.

Ali Velshi is CNN’s Chief Business Correspondent.

Uncle Sam is the biggest employer in the U.S. There are almost 38,000 jobs available. Here's how to navigate www.usajobs.gov.

1) Get info

You'll want to gather your research. Go to the info center tab. You'll learn about what applications you need to fill out and how the process works. You can also discover what top occupations are in demand.

2) Start your search

You can search by job title or by the agency you're interested in. You can also search by location. And don't think that government jobs don't pay as well as private sector jobs. You can specify what six figure salary you'd like and get a list of well-paying jobs. Of course, these aren't entry-level positions.

3) Keep Track

Finally, go to the tab that reads "My USA jobs.gov" and create an account. Once you sign up with the Web site, you'll be able to receive job alerts via e-mail and you'll be able to manage your resume online.

Watch Gerri Willis on Your Bottom Line every Saturday at 9:30 am Eastern Time on CNN.

The onslaught of job losses continues. But one bright spot for the unemployed could very well be in healthcare. It’s the one of the few areas that always seems in demand—recession or no. Here's your guide to getting a job in health care.

1) Get the stats

This industry is expected to grow 22 percent through 2016—that’s twice as fast as all industries combined. It’s expected there will be 13.6 million new jobs created according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Right now, healthcare takes up 10 percent of all jobs nationwide.

Here are some job titles that are expected to grow the fastest through 2016:

–Home health aides up 48.7 percent

–Medical assistants up 35 percent

–Registered nurses up 23 percent

–Nursing aides/orderlies 35.4 percent

2) Know the requirements

You already know doctors and nurses have years of training after college. But you don’t have to train for years or go to med school for a lot of other professions. Check this out—and keep in mind that these requirements vary.

Pharmacists: 1-2 year program plus licensing requirements

Physician Assistants: 2 year program

Social Workers: Generally need masters degree

Lab Technicians: Undergrad degree

Medical Transcriptions: Vocation school, community college

Home Health Aide: varies

**source: CareerBuilder

Now, if you’re interested in a career in healthcare, start researching locally. Talk to your primary care physician. Ask about the training, the job demands and the potential for growth.

For more on jobs, tune into "Your Bottom Line" every Saturday at 9:30 am Eastern Time on CNN.

Would you like to apply for a job with the biggest employer in the country? One that increases hiring every single year? And, no we’re not talking about Wal-Mart.

1) Get the stats

The government employs 1.93 million people. This figure includes full, part-time and seasonal employees (not postal workers). Over the last few years, the increases in government hiring have been astonishing.

Total number permanent new hires:

2004 – 78,732
2005 – 87,498
2006 – 91,552
2007 – 99,335
2008 – 91,702 *

*Figure is for first half of 2008
*Source: Office of Personnel Management

Any job you can find in the private sector you can find in federal service. The government hires chemists, biologists, doctors, nurses and even art appraisers.  And, of course, there are the usual office managers, personal assistants and engineers.

2) Off-beat jobs

Now, you may never heard of the following titles, but they are real jobs: Bowling equipment repair, aircraft attendant, lamplighters, charwomen and sextons. If you are interested in checking out the jobs, go to www.usajobs.gov. On the site, you can search for job openings by job title and even by location. Only 12 percent of federal jobs are actually in Washington, so no matter where you live you have a shot at these jobs.

For more about jobs and issues affecting your wallet, tune into Your Bottom Line every Saturday at 9:30 am Eastern Time on CNN.