What Clark Howard does

Clark Howard Inc. is a privately held consumer finance media company founded in 1990 by consumer advocate Clark Howard and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company operates Clark.com, a free content platform that provides financial advice and product recommendations across cell phone plans, credit cards, insurance, investing and retirement, and streaming TV. The platform combines editorial reviews produced by Team Clark with interactive tools such as the Phone Plan Finder and a suite of financial calculators (mortgage, retirement, savings, auto, loan). Distribution is multi-channel: a long-running podcast, YouTube channel, daily email newsletter, online community forum, and a free phone advice hotline (636-492-5275).

The underlying technology is a content management and recommendation platform, not a software product; the proprietary elements are the Phone Plan Finder tool and the editorial review methodology that rates carriers, credit cards, banks, and insurers on price, network reliability, and customer service. The business model is affiliate referral: the company earns commissions when readers click through to purchase recommended products, including cell phone plans from MVNOs such as Visible, Tello, Mint Mobile, and US Mobile, as well as credit card applications and insurance quotes. There is no subscription or consumer pricing; all content and tools are free. The company is founder-owned and operated, with no disclosed institutional investment, and operates exclusively in the U.S. market.

The end users are individual U.S. consumers seeking to reduce spending on cell phone service, optimize credit card rewards, compare insurance, and access investment guidance. The primary buyer persona is the cell phone plan shopper, with secondary segments in credit cards, insurance, and individual investors. Strategic positioning is built on editorial independence — no paid promotion — and a 30+ year trusted brand, which together form the principal competitive moat. Clark Deals operates as a sub-brand extending the affiliate model into a broader consumer deals vertical.

Name

Clark Howard

Legal name

Clark Howard Inc.

Website

https://clark.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clark Howard Inc. operates Clark.com, a free consumer finance advice platform offering editorial reviews, comparison tools, and podcasts across cell phone plans, credit cards, insurance, and investing, monetized through affiliate commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Finance Media

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Credit Education, Monitoring & Consumer Credit Management Tools (FSAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer Credit Counseling & Budgeting (FSAEAFAA)

Keywords

• Personal finance advice
• Consumer financial education
• Money saving tips
• Cell phone plan comparison
• Credit card reviews

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Commissions: Clark Howard earns commissions when readers click through to purchase products or services from recommended providers. The site clearly discloses: 'To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site.' This includes cell phone plan referrals (MVNOs like Visible, Tello, Mint Mobile, US Mobile), credit card applications, and insurance quotes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clark Howard operates Clark.com, a free consumer finance advice platform providing editorial reviews, comparison tools, and educational content on cell phone plans, credit cards, insurance, investing, retirement planning, and streaming services. The platform monetizes through affiliate commissions when users purchase recommended products via referral links, while never accepting payment to influence recommendations. Content is distributed through the website, podcast, YouTube, newsletter, and community forum.

Product overview

Clark.com is a consumer finance and money advice platform operated by Clark Howard. The core offering is editorial content including cell phone plan reviews and recommendations (covering MVNOs and major carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon), financial product comparisons (credit cards, insurance, investment options), and streaming TV recommendations. The platform features interactive tools including a Phone Plan Finder that helps users find personalized cell phone plans based on their preferences, and financial Calculators covering mortgages, retirement, savings, auto, and loans. The site also offers ancillary content through the Clark Howard Podcast (audio advice), a daily Newsletter (money-saving tips and deal alerts), a Community Forum (user discussions on financial topics), and Clark Deals (aggregated consumer deals). The portfolio is organized as a content platform with multiple topic-specific sections rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Team Clark: The editorial and research team behind Clark.com that provides reviews and recommendations for consumer financial products.
• Clark Deals

Products and services

• Phone Plan Finder An interactive online tool that recommends personalized cell phone plans based on user preferences including number of lines, data needs, network preference, and budget. Aimed at U.S. consumers seeking to lower their cell phone bills.
• Cell Phone Plan Reviews and Recommendations Editorial reviews and comparisons of cell phone plans, carriers, and MVNOs across all major U.S. networks (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) and virtual operators, with over 200 plans reviewed. Aimed at U.S. consumers comparing wireless service options.
• Financial Calculators Financial planning tools including home and mortgage calculators, investment and retirement calculators, savings and interest calculators, auto calculators, and loan and debt calculators. Aimed at consumers planning personal finances.
• Credit Card Reviews Editorial reviews and comparisons of credit cards including cash back cards, travel rewards cards, secured cards, and student cards. Aimed at consumers researching credit card options and rewards programs.
• Insurance Guides Information and recommendations for auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, renters insurance, travel insurance, and health savings accounts. Aimed at consumers shopping for or switching insurance providers.
• Investment and Retirement Tools Guides on investing, retirement planning, robo-advisors, financial advisors, 401(k), Roth IRA, and target date funds. Aimed at consumers seeking investment and retirement planning guidance.
• Streaming TV Recommendations Reviews and comparisons of streaming services including live TV streaming, video streaming, and free streaming options. Aimed at consumers looking to cut cable and find streaming deals.
• Clark Howard Podcast Long-running audio podcast featuring Clark Howard's money advice, consumer tips, and answers to listener questions. Available on podcast platforms for consumer audiences.
• Clark.com Newsletter Daily email newsletter delivering money-saving tips, deal alerts, and financial guidance to consumer subscribers.
• Clark.com Community Online community forum where users discuss and share experiences about financial products, services, and money topics. Aimed at consumers seeking peer advice.
• Clark Deals Aggregated deals and discounts platform on consumer products and services, operated as a sub-brand of Clark Howard Inc.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cell phone savings starting at $10/month for basic plans
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Visible (Verizon MVNO)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerVisible is featured as Clark Howard's top recommendation for cheapest unlimited cell phone plan. The site earns affiliate commissions when readers sign up through referral links. Visible offers $25/month unlimited plans on Verizon's network.
• Tello Mobile (T-Mobile MVNO)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTello Mobile is recommended as the cheapest cell phone plan at $10/month for 2GB data. Clark Howard earns affiliate commissions through referral links when readers sign up for Tello service.
• US MobilecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUS Mobile is recommended for cheapest annual plan and shared data family plans. The site earns affiliate commissions when readers sign up through referral links.
• Mint Mobile (T-Mobile MVNO)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMint Mobile is featured for best new customer offers and affordable unlimited plans. Clark Howard earns affiliate commissions through referral links.
• Consumer CellularcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConsumer Cellular is recommended as the best cell phone plan for seniors with AARP discounts. The site earns affiliate commissions through referral links when readers sign up for service.
• LivelyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLively is recommended for best senior services with specialized phones and health packages. Clark Howard earns affiliate commissions through referral links.
• RedPocket MobileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRedPocket is recommended as the cheapest unlimited family plan at $22.50/line for 4 lines. The site earns affiliate commissions through referral links.
• H2O WirelessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerH2O Wireless is recommended for best AT&T-based family plans at $25/line. The site earns affiliate commissions through referral links.
• Google Fi WirelessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle Fi Wireless is recommended for best family plan for smartwatch users. Clark Howard earns affiliate commissions through referral links.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Points Guy: Credit-card- and travel-rewards-focused content platform monetized through credit card affiliate referrals. Directly overlaps with Clark.com's credit card and rewards-card comparison content and shares the affiliate-first monetization model.
• Credit Karma: Consumer credit monitoring and financial product recommendation platform owned by Intuit, monetized through affiliate referrals for credit cards and loans. Closest direct competitor in the credit education and credit card affiliate space.
• NerdWallet: The largest direct competitor in consumer personal finance advice, monetizing primarily through affiliate referrals on credit cards, banking, loans, and insurance. Operates a comparable content + tools + community model and is the closest scaled analog to Clark.com's business.
• MagnifyMoney: Personal finance content site focused on credit cards, banking, and saving products, monetized through affiliate referrals. Closely comparable to Clark.com in tone, audience, and monetization structure.
• Investopedia: Large consumer-facing investment and personal finance education publisher with affiliate monetization on brokerage and product referrals. Overlaps directly with Clark.com's investing and retirement content vertical.
• Bankrate: Long-running personal finance publisher with editorial reviews and affiliate monetization across credit cards, banking, mortgages, and insurance. Directly comparable to Clark.com in vertical coverage, audience intent, and affiliate revenue model.
• Finder: Comparison platform for credit cards, banking, insurance, and investing products that monetizes via affiliate referrals. Comparable product-comparison tools and editorial coverage model to Clark.com.
• Forbes Advisor: Forbes' consumer-facing personal finance vertical covering credit cards, banking, investing, and insurance with affiliate monetization. Direct peer in editorial reviews and affiliate-led comparison shopping.

Broad incumbents

• Wirecutter: NYT-owned consumer product review and recommendation site with affiliate monetization. Comparable in the editorial-reviews-and-affiliate model, though it spans broader consumer products rather than financial services specifically.
• LendingTree: Established lending and credit comparison marketplace monetized through lead generation and affiliate referrals. Adjacent rather than direct: focuses more on loan/credit transactions but overlaps in consumer finance comparison intent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@clark
• Xx.com/ClarkHoward
• Facebookfacebook.com/clarkhoward

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clark Howard