11.12.25 Shopper Guidance In The K-Economy / Screen Addiction Solutions

The Clark Howard Podcast

Clark Howard

Investing, Entrepreneurship, Business

4.6 • 4.9K Ratings

🗓️ 12 November 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We are in a K-shaped economy again - which creates a clear trend involving a reversal in the pricing of “have to” vs. “want to" purchases. Clark shares what you need to know to stretch every dollar. And… screen addiction. Sick of it, people are tackling the problem in a multitude of ways. Shopping In The K-Economy: Segment 1 Ask Clark: Segment 2 Just Say NO: Screen Addiction: Segment 3 Ask Clark: Segment 4 Mentioned on the show: Is Now the Time to Get a CD or a CD Ladder? Backdoor Roth IRA: How High Earners Can Still Contribute The Best Phone Plan For You - Compare Phone Plans Should You Switch to a Flip Phone? A group of us ditched our smartphones for a month. It changed us. Why Clark Howard Wants You to Set Up a 'Financial Chromebook' How Do You Prepare for the Likelihood of Long-Term Care Costs? What's Clark's Opinion on the Greenlight Prepaid Debit Card for Kids? What's the Best Savings Account for a Teenager? What Brokerage Do You Recommend for First-Time Investors or Kids? Clark.com resources: Episode transcripts Community.Clark.com / Ask Clark Clark.com daily money newsletter Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275 Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Great to have you here on the Clark Howard Show.
0:07.2	You know, our mission is to serve you with advice and information that empowers you, so you make better financial decisions in your life.
0:16.4	Today, we're in the K economy again.
0:21.0	You know what that is?
0:22.3	I'm going to explain and what it means to you with your wallet.
0:27.6	Also, are you an addict?
0:33.1	Can I spit those words out, addicted to your cell phone?
0:39.3	Am I addicted?
0:41.3	Maybe.
0:42.3	What do you do to cut back if you know it's interfering in your life?
0:48.3	I'm going to tell you how I've handled it.
0:51.3	And then things other people are doing as well.
0:55.2	So the K economy, it's something that has happened at different times in U.S. history,
1:02.6	and unusually has happened actually over the last generation, I guess three different times. And we are in a K economy right now.
1:15.1	So what is it? It's where there's a huge split between how one sector of the American people
1:23.8	are doing and how other sectors are doing. So we're at a time right now where a slice of the
1:31.8	American people, somewhere around 25, 30 percent of Americans are doing the best they've ever done.
1:38.6	They've got more money saved. They've got a higher net worth. They're maybe making more than they ever have.
1:45.5	And the other 70, 75% of people are really struggling in one or more of those criteria.
1:54.2	What they owe maybe, what they're making, what they have.
1:59.3	Not being able to just afford regular things. When retailers report
2:06.6	on what's going on with them, they're all talking about this that there's a clear split
	...

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