This new tool shows the states with the most spam calls

A new interactive web page from the Federal Trade Commission aims to shed a little light on what’s become a huge problem in the United States: unwanted robocalls.

New FTC robocall tool shows who gets the most spam calls

The page, which the FTC says will be updated quarterly, let’s users see spam call statistics at the state and even county level. It also includes information on calls by type, by date and whether those calls were made by a machine or a live person. The statistics are based on complaints made from October 2016 to June 2019 to the National Do Not Call Registry about unwanted calls.

The Do Not Call Registry accepts numbers from both cell phones and landlines.

The page is interactive, so it’s worth spending some time poking around on it to see what you can discover. Here are some of the most interesting things Team Clark found:

• New Jersey had the most complaints per capita, with 7,609 complaints registered per 100,000 residents
• At the other end of the spectrum was Alaska with just 1,380 complaints per 100,000 residents
• States with the most complaints were concentrated in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and West
• Calls about reducing debt received the most complaints — nearly twice as many as the next category, medical and prescription calls
• Even though it may appear that the robocall problem is getting worse and worse, it appears that they may have peaked in the middle of 2017. Complaints were at their lowest point over the last few years in January of 2019

That may be in part because phone carriers appear to finally be getting serious about reducing the number of spam calls their customers are getting. The U.S. government has announced that it is working on measures to do the same.

If you want to prevent robocalls in your life, check out Team Clark’s guide to stop robocalls for good!

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These 10 action words make your resume stand out

Finding a job has often been described as a job in itself. In some cases, that may be because your resume isn’t working as hard as it should.

The resume often makes the first — and biggest — impression with a potential employer. So, it’s essential that it have strong action words to grab the reader’s attention.

These action words make the biggest impression on your resume

Some job candidates can come with all the qualifications in the world but if their resume doesn’t have words that align with the job listing, the phone may never ring and the inbox may stay empty.

For job hunters looking for a leg up, Flexjobs.com suggests some action words as the perfect way to improve your resume and separate it from the pack.

Here are 10 action words that will help your resume

Don’t Say: Say: Why use this action verb Held Championed Gives the impression of a strong leader Talked to Instructed Shows that you were trusted Did or Met Exceeded Indicates you did more than the minimum Duties Included Improved Shows you made brought value to a task Came Up With Conceptualized Conveys a more professional tone Increased Maximized Expresses that you made something better Supervised Directed Implies that you provided direction Worked on Upgraded Indicates you took something to the next level Responsible For Accomplished Suggests that you completed the task Spoke Collaborated Signals that you know how to involve others

Brie Reynolds, Flexjobs’ senior career specialist and career coach, says that action verbs on your resume can signal to the employer what you deem important.

“I really like to see resumes where each bullet starts with an action verb,” she tells Team Clark. “Starting each line that way makes their information much easier for readers to scan and digest quickly because it flows well from one point to the next.”

Before you overhaul your resume, Reynolds has some words of caution: You can overdo it when it comes to action verbs.

“Yes, there can be action verb overload, and it really comes down to how many bullet points you’ve written for each job,” she says.

“While there are exceptions, I like the general rule of sticking to five or fewer bullet points for each job on your resume.”

Reynolds says that the main thing to remember is that you want your resume easy to read.

“You may need to change your bullets for each job application to make sure the most applicable ones are on your resume, but that’s a much better way to organize your job search than listing 10 or 15 bullets and hoping the reader will be able to figure out which ones are the most important for them to know.”

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Give your resume a makeover

To advance to the interview stage, you need to have a resume that hiring managers will notice! If you haven’t updated your resume in the past year, dust it off and update it so that you’re ready when the perfect job opportunity comes along.

Does your resume look anything like the one on the left? Follow Team Clark’s step-by-step guide to resume success in 2019!

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Best rewards credit cards: Team Clark’s picks

If you’re searching for the best rewards credit card, money expert Clark Howard says remember just two words: cash back!

“No one can tell you where you can and can’t spend your cash,” Clark says. “The best cards pay you 2% cash back on everything you do, automatically. It’s so simple!”

Although Clark likes cash back the best, many people prefer cards with large welcome bonuses to earn points or miles for travel.

RELATED: Best travel rewards credit cards

Best rewards credit cards: Team Clark’s picks

Finding a new rewards credit card requires you to think about your spending and the rewards you want. I’ve reviewed hundreds of the latest offers and selected seven of the best overall picks.

Best rewards credit cards: Table of contents

Remember, rewards credit cards are for people who avoid interest charges by always paying their statement balance in full.

If you ever need to carry a balance, then you shouldn’t worry about earning rewards and instead focus on finding a low-interest credit card. This aligns with Clark’s credit card philosophy.

Read on to compare our picks for best rewards credit cards and let us know your favorite in the comments below…

Citi Double Cash – 18 month BT offer

If you just want a lot of cash back on all of your purchases, this card makes sense. Welcome bonus None Rewards 1% cash back at the time of purchase and another 1% when you pay, for up to 2% total Annual fee None Advantages

• No annual fee
• High rate of return

Drawbacks

• No sign-up bonus
• 3% foreign transaction fee

Learn more: Citi Double Cash review