Million Bazillion

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 grown-ups, we’d love to hear your money jokes, money poems and best money tips so we can feature them on the podcast!

Send them to us using this online form. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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 go … “ummmmmmm.”

With new episodes every weekday, “Moment of Um” is designed to give you that little boost of knowledge you didn’t even know you needed.

Here’s a list of just some of the questions you might hear answered:

Take a sneak peek right now, and follow the show wherever you listen to Million Bazillion!

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 it’s not their only one. This week, we’ll learn about how our brains work when we’re shopping, why it’s hard to resist a sale and some of the ways physical stores encourage us to spend a little more money. Let us know what you thought about this season and what you want Jed and Bridget to do next! You can reach us at Marketplace.org/million. 

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 is connected to lots of other jobs — and how those connections keep our economy running. Plus we’ll hear from a bunch of people with cool jobs that you probably didn’t even know existed, and we’ll ask a group of kids to tell us about the jobs of their dreams. Got a money problem you need help solving? Tell us about it at Marketplace.org/million.

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 get to keep some of the money it makes. Of course, there’s no guarantee that a company will grow — that’s what makes putting your money in the stock market risky. On this week’s episode, we’ll explain how it all works with the help of some Dutch spice traders, comfy sneakers, a bull … and a bear! Got a money problem? Tell us about it at Marketplace.org/million. 

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 currency, and who decides whose picture goes on each bill. We’ll get you all those answers — and more! Plus, we’ll meet a museum’s money curator, learn about the way money art protects us from fakes and think about how we’d design our own money … if anyone asked us.

P.S. We want to hear your jokes about money. Click here to send us a voicemail!

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, from school supplies to sports equipment, often cost more when they’re designed to look like they were made for girls. People have taken to calling this phenomenon the “pink tax.” This week, we’ll learn more about why it happens and what’s being done about it. We’ll also ask some random kids a not-so-random money question, and Bridget will introduce us to her new smart speaker — which has oddly great taste in music.

Don’t forget: We want to hear from you about your money problems! Go to Marketplace.org/million for instructions on how to send us a voicemail.

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 building a fence or traveling to another country. Borrowers often had to leave something valuable with the bank until they paid off the loan. To keep all that valuable stuff safe, banks became supersecure. That made them great places for everyday folks to deposit their money.

This week, we’ll learn about the history of banks and how they work today and why they don’t work for all of us. Our old friend Bill Maurer will help us sort it all out, while Jed and Bridget see if they have what it takes to run their own bank.

Don’t forget to send us your questions about money at Marketplace.org/million!

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 money on things we care about — like schools and libraries, health care for elderly people, police, parks, sewers and so on. With the help of a rambling troubadour and a tax policy expert, Jed and Bridget teach Robin Hood that the way tax dollars are spent today reflects what we prioritize as a society. Plus, we’ll ask random kids some not-so-random questions.

Sign up for our bonus newsletter to get a tip sheet, episode extras and cool comics about each week’s episode! It’s all at marketplace.org/bonus!

Keep sending us your questions about money at marketplace.org/million!

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 his old economics teacher, Ms. Grizzle, who took us on a very hands-on field trip to the factory that stamps out U.S. coins. Plus, we talked to an expert about all the ways that money moves through our economy. You may never look at coins the same way again!

Sign up for our bonus newsletter to get a tipsheet, episode extras and cool comics about each week’s episode! It’s all at marketplace.org/bonus!

Keep sending us your questions about money at marketplace.org/million!