Million Bazillion

By Marketplace

Kids & Family

What's Million Bazillion about?

Million Bazillion is a podcast from Marketplace that inspires families to talk about money. Described as “a godsend for anyone who knows a little kid with big questions about money,” by The New York Times, the podcast tackles questions from: “What is cryptocurrency?” to “How do I save money?” and “How does inflation work?” Hosts Ryan Perez and Bridget Bodnar take listeners on an awesome adventure to answer the awkward, complex and sometimes surprising money questions from real kids.
Million Bazillion is made possible in part by The Ranzetta Family Charitable Fund and Next Gen Personal Finance, supporting Marketplace’s work to make younger audiences smarter about the economy. This podcast is presented by Greenlight, the debit card and investing app for kids and teens.

4.7

564 ratings

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LAST EPISODE

Introducing: PBS Kids’ “Jam...

09.21.2023

“Jamming on the Job” is a multigenerational, music-inspired podcast for kids ages 4 to 8 and their parents and caregivers. It stars Christina Sanabria and Andrés Salguero, the Latin Grammy Award-winning kids’ music duo known as 123 Andrés. Join Christina ...

Million Bazillion episodes:

09.21.2023 Introducing: PBS Kids’ “Jamming on the Job” “Jamming on the Job” is a multigenerational, music-inspired podcast for kids ages 4 to 8 and their parents and caregivers. It stars Christina Sanabria and Andrés Salguero, the Latin Grammy Award-winning kids’ music duo known as 123 Andrés. Join Christina ...
09.19.2023 Why do some jobs get tips but not others? In our previous episode, Bridget promised Ryan she’d take him to Happy Land Theme Park and Resort. And Bridget keeps her promises! It’s the perfect place to answer Henry’s question. He wants to know why some jobs get tips and ...
09.12.2023 What’s a recession? Let’s talk about it. When listener Lulu asks a question about economic recessions and depressions, Ryan and Bridget know they have to go to where some of the best scholars of recessions and depressions are working: the Federal Reserve! While learning about how the ...
09.05.2023 What is an auction and how does it work? It’s a new season of Million Bazillion and in this episode, Ryan and Bridget are answering Hezekiah’s questions about auctions. He wants to know everything about them — what are they, how do they work, and what’s up with those ...
08.29.2023 New episodes of “Million Bazillion” coming Sept. 5! Hey Million Bazillionaires, are you ready? We’ve got another season of “Million Bazillion” coming out Sept. 5! This season, Bridget and Ryan will be answering your questions about recessions, auctions and something called a Ponzi scheme. It’s gonna be an ...
05.30.2023 Financially Inclined: How to budget While Bridget and Ryan are busy working on Season 5 of Million Bazillion, today we’re bringing you a special episode with lots of smart money advice from Marketplace’s newest podcast, “Financially Inclined.” Host Yanely Espinal gets into the basics of ...
03.14.2023 Why are there so many of the same stores? In our final episode of the season, Bridget and Ryan get a question from Will in Ohio and are taking a cross-country road trip to answer it. Will wants to know why there are so many of the same stores. ...
03.07.2023 Why do some people get paid more than others? For this week’s question, both Henry and Nathanial wanted to know why workers don’t get paid the same. Ryan and Bridget help break down what’s known as the “wage gap” with the help of the Vindicators superhero squad who are ...
02.28.2023 “Million Bazillion” Presents: “Money Mania” game show It’s the inaugural (maybe the only one ever?) “Money Mania,” a game show from “Million Bazillion” in which five lucky listeners compete in an elaborate obstacle course to get their questions answered. This week, we’ll tackle questions like: What is ...
02.21.2023 Why do countries have different currencies? On a trip to Washington, D.C., Bridget and Ryan take this question from Oliver in Illinois: Why do different countries use different currencies? There’s the U.S. dollar, the Mexican peso and Japanese yen, just to name a few. This week, ...
02.14.2023 What is insurance? Bridget and Ryan are stuck inside during a major rainstorm, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to answer a question they got from Archer in Los Angeles: What is insurance? Archer’s dad is an insurance agent, and he wants to ...
02.07.2023 What is the black market? Bridget and Ryan go back to school to talk with students for career day about their jobs as podcasters. But when hunger strikes, they get caught up in an underground black market snack operation that gets them into a bit ...
01.31.2023 “Million Bazillion” returns Feb 7 Bazillionaires, get ready! A new season of “Million Bazillion” is dropping earlier than usual this year. Bridget and Ryan are back February 7 answering more of the big questions kids send us about money. In Season 4, we’re digging into ...
08.09.2022 Why can’t kids have jobs? After hearing Ryan and Bridget talk about money all season, one of our young listeners wants to know when she can start earning some money. This week we’ll look back to the time when lots of kids had jobs and ...
08.02.2022 What is cryptocurrency? One of our GOAT listeners called in with a question about cryptocurrency, and Ryan is psyched. Crypto is everywhere right now, but it can be kinda hard for kids (and grown-ups!) to know how it all works. We’ll head to ...
07.26.2022 What do grown-ups do with all their money? If you add up all the money a grown-up makes in their lifetime, it might sound like a lot! Surely they must have more to show for it. Where are the castles, the ponies, the fancy cars? In this episode, ...
07.19.2022 How do big video platforms make money? A listener wants to know how the creators behind his favorite online videos get paid. It’s a surprisingly complicated question, and Ryan and Bridget have to go viral themselves to find out the answer. Accompanied by their new dog and ...
07.12.2022 Why are so many toys made in China? It’s a rainy day, the perfect time to answer a question from one listener who started looking at the bottom of his toys. A lot of them say “Made in China,” but why? Ryan Perez and Bridget Bodnar get some ...
07.05.2022 What’s the deal with inflation? This week, Ryan and Bridget hear from a kid who can see the future! Or, at least, a kid who knows our dollars will be able to buy less stuff as time goes on. It’s all because of inflation, something ...
06.28.2022 Why is it so awkward to talk about money? Ryan and Bridget tackle one of their most challenging questions to date: Why is it so awkward to talk about money? Using a board game that comes to life and a catchy song, they’ll find an answer that’s better than ...
06.21.2022 What is a credit card, and how does it work? Bridget gets to know her new co-host, Ryan, who has a lot of fun ideas but doesn’t know much about money. They’ll work together on a question that quite a few listeners were wondering about: What are credit cards, besides ...
06.14.2022 “Million Bazillion” is back June 21! Calling all Bazillionaires! “Million Bazillion” is back with a brand-new season starting June 21! Bridget has a new co-host named Ryan, and together they’re taking on the toughest money questions your kids can think of. Questions like: How do credit ...
05.19.2022 We’re looking for your money jokes, poems and tips! Hey Million Bazillionaires! We’re coming back soon for an all-new season of “Million Bazillion,” answering the questions you have about money! This season, Bridget’s joined by a new co-host, Ryan, and they need your help! With the permission of your ...
01.31.2022 Introducing Moment of Um! Hey Million Bazillionaires! We wanted to let you know about a new podcast from our friends at “Brains On.” It’s called “Moment of Um.” It’s your daily answer to those questions that pop up out of nowhere and make you ...
08.26.2021 Honey vs. Pickles (from “Smash Boom Best”) Hi Million Bazillionaires! We’re all done with this season of “Million Bazillion,” but today, we want to share another show our host Jed is a part of: “Smash Boom Best!” In this episode, two iconic foods go jar-to-jar in a ...
08.10.2021 Why do prices end in $0.99? Ever notice how lots of prices at the store end in $0.99? So did Eli from Philadelphia, and he asked us to find out why. Turns out, it’s a method retailers use to get us to buy something — and ...
08.03.2021 Why are jobs so important? Having a job is how we earn money to pay for the things we need. Money is important but it’s not the only reason people work. This week we’re going out to the pizzeria, where we’ll learn how every job ...
07.27.2021 What is the stock market? Companies need money to grow, and there’s a way for them to get it: the stock market. They can sell a little piece of their company, called a share or stock, to regular people. If the company grows, those people ...
07.20.2021 Why is our money green? This week we’re tracking down answers to a bunch of your questions about why money looks the way it does. A lot of you were curious about stuff like why American money is green, why other countries have more colorful ...
07.13.2021 Why can girls’ things cost more than boys’ things? One of our inquisitive listeners, Isabella, noticed when she was shopping online that women’s clothing was more expensive than men’s clothing — and she thought that was unfair. Turns out, it happens a lot. The same or really similar items, ...
07.06.2021 The history of banks When banks first started thousands of years ago, they were known as places to borrow money, not to keep your own money safe. Through loans, they’d provide funding to farmers or traders to help them with a project — like ...
06.29.2021 Taxes pay for the things we care about Back in Robin Hood’s day, tax-collecting sheriffs forced people to pay money to a king, who decided how those taxes were spent. These days our tax system works a bit differently. We get to vote for people who’ll spend that ...
06.22.2021 How is money made? Let’s head to the U.S. Mint! We’re back for our second season! Thanks for sending in so many great questions about money. One that a whole bunch of you wanted to know more about is how money is made. To help us find out, Jed called ...
06.15.2021 “Million Bazillion” is back for season 2! Calling all Bazillionaires! Jed, Bridget and the gang are back for brand-new episodes of “Million Bazillion”! This season, we’re answering one tough money question each week from real kids! Questions like “How is money made?” “Why are women’s clothes sometimes ...
03.23.2021 Jed and Bridget need your help! Hey, Million Bazillionaires! Jed and Bridget are hard at work on season two of our show. But to get it over the finish line, we need a favor (or two)! Kids, we need your money questions! You can send them ...
12.12.2020 Teleportation vs. Telekinesis (from “Smash Boom Best”) Hi Million Bazillionaires! Jed and Bridget are still hard at work on more episodes of “Million Bazillion,” but today, we want to share another show our host Jed is a part of: “Smash Boom Best!” It’s a debate show where ...
08.25.2020 Secrets for starting a business There are lots of great reasons to want to start a business: solving a problem, pursuing a passion, even making some money. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work, and even if you do everything right, it may ...
08.18.2020 Saving money is really hard to do Jed’s treehouse needs repairs, but it’s gonna cost more than he has right now. Saving money can be tough — and even tougher to talk about! So this week on the show we’re gonna get the conversation started and learn ...
08.11.2020 Ads are there for a reason — to sell you stuff Advertisers have lots of ways of persuading us to buy their stuff. Sometimes you might not even realize it’s happening … until you find yourself riding around town on an ice-cream-making scooter. (Don’t worry, we’ll explain.) This week on the ...
08.04.2020 The price of pizza There’s a reason things cost what they do — sneakers, pizza, you name it. Businesses put a lot of thought into how much they charge, because they have to consider their behind-the-scenes costs. But you might put just as much ...
07.28.2020 Negotiation is a super important skill This week, we’re learning how to get what you want through negotiation. It’s about empowering kids — and hopefully avoiding big, nasty arguments — by employing new skills like active listening and compromise. We’ll use those skills to help our ...
07.21.2020 Where did money come from? For our very first episode, we’re traveling back thousands of years to learn about all the ways people got what they needed from each other before money was invented: bartering with whatever they had, making pacts with close friends and ...
07.14.2020 Introducing Million Bazillion! Marketplace’s first-ever kids podcast is out next week! In collaboration with “Brains On!,” “Million Bazillion” helps dollars make more sense. We’re tackling the big questions, like: Who invented money? How do you get your parents to agree to buy something ...