The Clark Howard Podcast

07.22.26 Electronics: Repair Or Replace? / Buying Insurance

July 22
33 mins

View Transcript

Episode Description

The days of automatically upgrading your phone or computer every time it slows down are officially over. Clark breaks down why inflation and rising component costs mean tech prices are going "up, up, and away." Tech giants like Apple are raising device prices to protect their profit margins. While Clark has advised against sinking money into old electronics, the math has changed. Clark shares his rule of thumb for deciding when to repair versus replace, why TVs remain the one truly disposable tech item, and how to avoid the "free phone trap" being pushed by the big three wireless carriers. Also, Clark dives into the massive shakeup happening in the insurance industry. State Farm is facing major backlash from its own agents after dropping a hammer on their compensation models—a desperate move to compete in a market where they are losing ground. Hear which company has taken the lead by embracing a hybrid model, and what to expect buying online vs. with an agent.
Plus, Christa shares your #AskClark questions and Clark gives his take. All this and more on the July 22, 2026, episode of The Clark Howard Show. Submit your questions: Ask Clark.

  • Electronics: Repair Or Replace?: Segment 1
  • Ask Clark: Segment 2
  • Buying Insurance: Segment 3
  • Ask Clark: Segment 4

Mentioned on the show:

Clark.com resources:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See all episodes