About this episode

Clark Howard discredits a common credit card myth and discusses the rise of sophisticated scams in the digital age.

The big banks are absolutely thrilled when you fall for the "cockroach" of personal finance myths: the completely false idea that you need to carry a balance and pay interest on your credit cards to build an excellent credit score. Not so. Clark explains. Also today, we face an unprecedented wave of sophisticated fraud, with online crime complaints officially surpassing one million for the first time. Driven by advanced AI, scammers are now launching highly realistic "spear-phishing" attacks using actual data breaches from hotels and cruise lines. If you get an urgent message claiming your upcoming hotel reservation can't be validated or that you owe more money on a cruise, do not take the bait. Stay vigilant, question unexpected requests for money, and always independently verify any urgent alerts regarding your travel plans or financial accounts. Plus, Christa shares your #AskClark questions and Clark gives his take. All this and more on the July 15, 2026, episode of The Clark Howard Show. Submit your questions: Ask Clark. Credit Card Myth: Segment 1 Ask Clark: Segment 2 Scams Gone Wild: Segment 3 Ask Clark: Segment 4 Mentioned on the show: The #1 Mistake That Can Hurt Your…

People in this episode

Host: Clark Howard

Topics covered

• credit card myths
• scams
• spear-phishing
• personal finance
• fraud prevention
• Ask Clark

Keywords

• credit score
• balance myth
• spear-phishing
• fraud
• AI scams
• hotel reservations
• travel alerts

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Carnival, FBI, Travel Weekly

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• 07.14.26 Ask An Advisor With Wes Moss · July 14, 2026 · 34 min
• 07.13.26 How Much $ Is In Your Payment App? / Weddings: Less Is More Forever · July 13, 2026 · 28 min
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