Sep 23, 2026 · 36 min
Clark Howard targets internet bills and college debt
09.23.26 How To Shop Home Internet / College Savings Strategies
The episode connects everyday cost-cutting with high-stakes education decisions, from negotiating internet service to managing student loans and 529 savings.
- 1Comparing providers and billing policies can expose savings before automatic internet price increases take hold.
- 2Accelerated coursework may reduce college costs, while simple debt repayment can outweigh uncertain investment and tax advantages.
- 3Home equity and whole-life insurance can add risk when families use them to manage education debt or tuition.
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Clark argues that a recent graduate should simply pay off $13,000 in subsidized federal student loans instead of dividing the money between debt repayment and a 529 account.
The brief
Clark Howard opens with a practical audit of home internet bills, urging listeners to compare wireless and cellular-based alternatives before accepting automatic price increases.
Provider switching can lower monthly costs, but cancellation rules matter: companies may continue charging through the end of a billing cycle after service ends.
The episode then turns to college economics, using Clark’s three-year degree as an example of how extra coursework under flat-rate tuition can reduce total costs.
For $13,000 in subsidized federal loans, Clark favors paying the balance rather than splitting money into a 529 and relying on uncertain investment returns or tax benefits.
The sharpest warning concerns education debt backed by a home or whole-life policy: financing college should not quietly put family assets at greater risk.