What do Klarna, DoorDash, and your uncle’s hot dog stand have in common? Debt, and that might not be a bad thing. In this episode, we break down the difference between good debt and bad debt, why profitable companies often look broke on paper, and how investors justify pouring money into businesses that never turn a profit. Topics covered:- Klarna, Afterpay, and the rise of buy-now-pay-later debt- What makes debt “good” vs. “bad”- Why most profitable companies still carry debt- How inflation can make debt cheaper- Startup growth strategy and why some companies never want to show profit- Investor logic (or lack thereof)- Your Favorite Stocks on a D&D alignment chart- The cursed vibes of the word “SaaS”#BusinessDebt #FinancePodcast #buynowpaylater —Buy The Dead Cow is a casually educational finance podcast from two romantic partners: one speaks fluent Wall Street, the other still isn’t totally sure what a "stock" is.Zach Stone (he/him) is a retail trader and small business owner. Savannah Geary (they/them) is a science communicator who watched The Big Short one time. Together, they’re your two smartest dumb friends breaking down money in a way that actually makes sense—plus jokes, news, and the occasional shoutout to Robert Walpole.Yes, it’s a podcast about finance—but really, it’s about everything. Because if you squint hard enough, anything can be about money: history, bubble gum, even your weird uncle’s conspiracy theory about GameStop.The name? It’s what happens when you combine “buy the cow” and “beat a dead horse.” You’re welcome.—Our theme song is “Spaghetti Western and Spaceballs” off the album SPACE Ranger by Lucky Bunn. Used under a CC-BY license. You can find the album on Soundcloud.I'm rotating thumbnails! You may see these images:https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/debt_9882028?related_id=9882182&origin=searchhttps://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/money-bag_2108625https://www.picpedia.org/finance/images/loan-agreement.jpghttps://gunshowcomic.com/648 THIS IS FINE DOG IS BY KC GREEN!!! It is a meme but people should know the artist's name!!!!

We're talking Trump’s tariffs again. What’s the real reason? In this episode, we break down the confusing rollout of new tariffs, dig into the Wells Fargo report on manufacturing, and explore why trade deals aren’t a satisfying explanation. Is this economic posturing… or military preparation? We also take a detour into Star Wars to ask: how would the Galactic Empire fund a war?Topics in this episode:• Wells Fargo manufacturing report• Trade wars and trade ceasefires• Defense spending and economic signaling• Tariffs as military strategy• Project 2025 economic policy• Fictional Finance: Star Wars #trumptariffs #economics —Buy The Dead Cow is a casually educational finance podcast from two romantic partners: one speaks fluent Wall Street, the other still isn’t totally sure what a "stock" is.Zach Stone (he/him) is a retail trader and small business owner. Savannah Geary (they/them) is a science communicator who watched The Big Short one time. Together, they’re your two smartest dumb friends breaking down money in a way that actually makes sense—plus jokes, news, and the occasional shoutout to Robert Walpole.Yes, it’s a podcast about finance—but really, it’s about everything. Because if you squint hard enough, anything can be about money: history, weed, even your weird uncle’s conspiracy theory about GameStop.The name? It’s what happens when you combine “buy the cow” and “beat a dead horse.” You’re welcome.—Our theme song is “Spaghetti Western and Spaceballs” off the album SPACE Ranger by Lucky Bunn. Used under a CC-BY license. You can find the album on Soundcloud.I am rotating thumbnails! You may see these icons in those thumbnails. https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/paper_2541984?term=paper&page=1&position=2&origin=search&related_id=2541984https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/graph_3390793?term=graph+down+money&page=1&position=69&origin=search&related_id=3390793

This week on Buy the Dead Cow, we’re talking about prevailing wage, how the federal contractor minimum wage quietly acted as a backdoor minimum wage, and why the Trump administration’s recent changes might mean lower pay for a lot of workers across the country. 
Also in this episode:
- What even counts as a "foreign film" under a proposed 100% movie tariff?
- The Davis-Bacon Act… David Baker Act? Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing?? Proper Nouns are Hard, okay?!
- A finance game we call Bull or Bull, where Zach guesses which terms are real and which ones I or ChatGPT made up—Buy The Dead Cow is a casually educational finance podcast from two romantic partners: one speaks fluent Wall Street, the other still isn’t totally sure what a "stock" is.Zach Stone (he/him) is a retail trader and small business owner. Savannah Geary (they/them) is a science communicator who watched *The Big Short* one time. Together, they’re your two smartest dumb friends breaking down money in a way that actually makes sense—plus jokes, news, and the occasional shoutout to Robert Walpole.Yes, it’s a podcast about finance—but really, it’s about everything. Because if you squint hard enough, anything can be about money: history, weed, even your weird uncle’s conspiracy theory about GameStop.The name? It’s what happens when you combine “buy the cow” and “beat a dead horse.” You’re welcome.—Our theme song is “Spaghetti Western and Spaceballs” off the album SPACE Ranger by Lucky Bunn. Used under a CC-BY license. You can find the album on Soundcloud.I am rotating thumbnails! You might see graphics with elements of the following:

https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/fire_9092365


https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/money-bag_2108625


https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/dollar_10535856?related_id=10535798&origin=search

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sweet_success.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:P20220221ES-0298-1_(51974425940).jpg

In this episode, we take a closer look at the stock market’s surprising rebound after April’s major tariff announcements. Has the economy truly recovered, or is something else going on beneath the surface? We talk about how companies like Amazon and Walmart are responding, why Q1 earnings reports might not tell the whole story, and how political beliefs are shaping investor behavior. Plus, I introduce a new segment, Is This Anything?, where I bring a few curious stock moves to Zach and ask if they actually mean anything.Topics covered:Liberation Day (April 2nd) and the tariff timelineThe difference between economy and market (spoiler: they're not the same)Investor psychology, meme stocks, and the role of political sentimentWhy Amazon is hoarding imports and Walmart is… notQuarterly earnings, stock drops, and funny little charts—*Buy The Dead Cow* is a casually educational finance podcast from two romantic partners: one speaks fluent Wall Street, the other still isn’t totally sure what a "stock" is.Zach Stone (he/him) is a retail trader and small business owner. Savannah Geary (they/them) is a science communicator who watched *The Big Short* one time. Together, they’re your two smartest dumb friends breaking down money in a way that actually makes sense—plus jokes, news, and the occasional shoutout to Robert Walpole.Yes, it’s a podcast about finance—but really, it’s about everything. Because if you squint hard enough, anything can be about money: history, weed, even your weird uncle’s conspiracy theory about GameStop.The name? It’s what happens when you combine “buy the cow” and “beat a dead horse.” You’re welcome.—Our theme song is “Spaghetti Western and Spaceballs” off the album SPACE Ranger by Lucky Bunn. Used under a CC-BY license. You can find the album on Soundcloud.I am cycling through thumbnails! You may see icons sourced from here:https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/dumpster-fire_11230268https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/donkey_3498452https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/smartphone_4106906https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/republican_2933058https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/thinking_2584609https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/chart_1584531

Trump slapped tariffs on literally everything. Almond milk? Taxed. iPhones? Taxed. Warhammer minis? Oh no. In the very first episode of Buy the Dead Cow (a finance podcast, technically), Savannah (knows nothing about money) and Zach (knows too much) break down what a tariff actually is, why Trump’s 2025 tariff plan is so extreme, and how it’s messing with your grocery bill, your gadgets, and global trade as we know it.

We’re talking import taxes, the supply chain Rube Goldberg machine, Shrinkflation, and why every lithium-ion battery you’ve ever touched is now weirdly political. Also: rejected podcast names that were too horny.

—

Buy The Dead Cow is a casually educational finance podcast from two romantic partners: one speaks fluent Wall Street, the other still isn’t totally sure what a "stock" is.

Zach Stone (he/him) is a retail trader and small business owner. Savannah Geary (they/them) is a science communicator who watched The Big Short one time. Together, they’re your two smartest dumb friends breaking down money in a way that actually makes sense—plus jokes, news, and the occasional shoutout to Robert Walpole.

Yes, it’s a podcast about finance—but really, it’s about everything. Because if you squint hard enough, anything can be about money: history, weed, even your weird uncle’s conspiracy theory about GameStop.

The name? It’s what happens when you combine “buy the cow” and “beat a dead horse.” You’re welcome.

—

Our theme song is “Spaghetti Western and Spaceballs” off the album SPACE Ranger by Lucky Bunn. Used under a CC-BY license. You can find the album on Soundcloud.

https://soundcloud.com/lucky-bunn/spaghettiwesternmeatballs

AI Disclosure: I had help from Firecut AI for some of the initial editing work and on-screen captions. I had help from ChatGPT for brainstorming titles and for writing summaries of the episode. 


I am cycling through multiple thumbnails! They may include these graphics:


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https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/almond-milk Almond milk icons created by Freepik - Flaticon

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