Popcorn Finance

Have you ever read a book that has stayed with you for years? "The Year of Less" by Cait Flanders is one of those books for me. That’s why I wanted to share a replay of the interview I did with Cait a few years ago on the podcast. In it, we discuss her book and how money influences every aspect of our lives, shaping who we become as individuals, and how her book helped her realize the changes she...

February’s inflation numbers left economists disappointed and housing might be to blame. We’ll discuss this and more in today’s episode of Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 1 Housing was the number 1 contributor to the total inflation number in February. Today’s Article  US Inflation Remained Higher Than Economists Had Expected in February written by Diccon Hyatt Subscribe to the FREE Popcor...

Do you know how tax brackets are set up here in the US? Also, did you know this one tax deduction saves you tons of money each year on your taxes? Today let's get into tax brackets and the standard deduction. Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at Pop...

Inflation remains stubbornly high and interest rates are staying right where they are… at least for now. We'll dive into what the Federal Reserve is thinking and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 3.2% This is the February inflation rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Today’s Article  Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady, projects three rate cuts later this year wr...

I have a house and a kid with my partner, but we're not legally married. Does this change how I should file my taxes? There is nothing simple when it comes to filing your taxes, so it makes sense that most of us have a ton of questions. That's why CPA Keila Hill-Trawick is joining me again this week to address a tricky question from Tara, a listener who wants to know if she should file her taxes s...

Are you all set for tax season this year? With the tax deadline just around the corner, CPA Keila Hill-Trawick is back on the show with some last-minute tips to help you get organized and make this tax season a little less stressful.   Connect with Keila Website | Instagram | The Build to Enough Podcast Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit...

That $5 bill in your wallet or purse isn’t going to last as long as you think and I have a few good hacks that could help you save some money! We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 4.7 4.7 years is the estimated lifespan of a typical $5 bill Today’s Article (is a news segment this week) In my weekly news segment on NECN I discuss a few money hacks I learned from th...

How can I make therapy more affordable if my insurance doesn't cover it? This week, I continued my conversation with financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin. Unlike last week's discussion in ep.430, where we explored why many therapists in the U.S. don't accept insurance, this time Lindsay offers insights on making therapy and mental health services more accessible through reimbursements, mental...

Discover the surprising percentage of money printed annually to replace old and damaged bills. Plus, get my latest guide on when, how much, and how often to tip as tipping culture continues to evolve. We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 95% The percentage of all the money printed by the Bureau of Engraving & Printing in Washington DC that is just to replace old &...

One of the best investments I ever made was starting therapy a few years ago. Unfortunately, in the U.S. most of us are paying out of pocket because many therapists don’t accept insurance. I wanted to get to the bottom of why this is so common, so I asked financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin to come back on the show to give us all a peek behind the scenes. Resources Mentioned The Mental Health...

Inflation numbers are in. Are things looking better or worse? Also, are you hoping to travel more in 2024? If so we’ve got a few tips for you. We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 3.1% This is the inflation percentage reported for January in the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Today’s Article The 10 best budget travel tips that will help you tra...

A lot has changed in the world of savings over the past few decades. Interest rates have climbed and crashed, CDs have lost popularity, and online banking has changed the way we interact with banks. Today we’re wrapping up our Saving Series by talking about these changes and more with John Blizzard, the President and CEO of Seattle Bank, and the Founder of CD Valet. John has 30+ years of banking e...

What is a financial red flag that would stop you from dating someone? Welcome to a special Valentine’s Day episode of Popcorn Finance! In today’s episode, I’m sharing the interviews I recorded with Allison Baggerly of Inspired Budget, while at the Podcast Movement conference in Denver, Colorado. One of my favorite questions we asked people was what their financial red flags were when it came to th...

In a world of high-yield savings accounts, why would I want to open a money market account? Welcome back to our Saving Series! In our previous episodes, we've delved into the world of high-yield savings accounts and CDs. Today, we're taking a closer look at money market accounts. I’m breaking down the key differences between high-yield savings accounts and money market accounts and highlighting th...

The Federal Reserve announced last week that it won’t be making any changes to interest rates right now, but it didn’t take the possibility of future interest rate decreases off the table. What does this mean for you and me? We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 5.33% This is where the Federal Reserve has set interest rates as of February 6th, 2024 Today’s Article...

What exactly is a CD and is it worth using? Welcome back to our Saving Series! Last week was all about High Yield Savings Accounts. This week let’s tackle CDs - from their origin to when to open one. Plus, I’ll be answering a question from Jackie, a listener debating whether to save up for a new car in a CD or her savings account. Episodes Mentioned 422: Savings Series - Everything You Need to Kno...

Buy Nothing Groups are popping up in almost every neighborhood across America at a surprisingly fast rate. Could this be the secret to saving your budget and our environment? Additionally, it looks like crypto scams are on the rise. We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is $2.57 Billion This is the amount of money lost to Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud reported to th...

Is now the best time to be a saver? Even if it's not the best time, it is still a great time to start saving. So I thought this would be the perfect time to start a new series all about the best places to save your money. This week we are kicking things off with the High Yield Savings Account. Let's break down the history of savings accounts, the origins of the high yield savings account, and the...

The Biden Administration is fast-tracking student loan forgiveness for certain borrowers. And the cheap streaming prices we all loved seems to be a thing of the past. We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 64 this is combined monthly price of the top 8 streaming services Today’s Article You may need to take extra steps to qualify for Biden’s fast-tracked student loa...

Are there any side hustles that can ACTUALLY help me increase my income? If one of your goals for 2024 is to make more money then today’s episode should help get you brainstorming on how best to do it! I’m joined by Melissa Jean-Baptiste, a former NYC high school teacher turned financial educator who’s on the show to share her story of finding a side hustle that helped her pay off more than $100k...

Do you know what Loud Budgeting is? I didn’t either before this episode. And did you spend more money this holiday season? The numbers say yes. We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 3.1% this is the increase in U.S retail sales this holiday season compared to 2022 Today’s Article This 2024 Money Trend Exploded on TikTok. And Personal Finance Experts Love It written...

Is the SAVE student loan forgiveness plan right for me? Today I’m answering a question from Deanna, a listener wondering if The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan - the newest income-driven repayment (IDR) plan for student loans - is right for her and her situation. To help answer this question I have student loan expert and creator of Debt Free Gonna Be, Nika Booth to give more guidance a...

Are movie theaters back from the brink of failure and is the latest student loan forgiveness program, SAVE, a good deal? We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 2 This is the number of movies that earned more than $1 Billion in 2023. Today’s Article What Is President Biden’s SAVE Plan for Student Loan Repayment? written by Kristopher Kane Connect with Nika Debt Free...

What does student loan repayment look like in 2024? Nika Booth, student loan expert and creator of Debt Free Gonna Be, is back to share some updates on student loans for 2024. A lot has changed since her last visit this past summer when the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. We cover the chaos that was the restarting of student loan payments d and where student loan f...

Part 2 of the Best and Worst Movies of 2023 What were the best and worst movies you watched in 2023? In early 2023 a friend challenged me to see who could watch the most movies released in 2023. So after watching over 70 films last year, I thought a fun way to kick off 2024 would be to throw a nice big bag of popcorn in the microwave and rank some of the best and worst movies of 2023. To make thin...