Money Memories

A 2021 study by the Human Rights Campaign found that LGBTQ+ individuals are 6 percentage points more likely to live in poverty and that they earn, on average, approximately 89 cents for every dollar earned by their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. Money Memories is celebrating pride month and re-airing this conversation with the Berlin-based drag artist Karlie Kant. Karlie shares the financial challenges that creatives face, and what it's like to live in two different worlds.

Conversations around financial independence can often feel exclusionary. Much of the personal finance content that is available seems like it caters to people who haven't faced financial hardships. This week's guest, Alex Shapero, is a public high school teacher. Alex shares his emotional response to seeing large sums of debt and the importance of balancing financial growth with self-care.

Today, 34% of Americans are "credit invisible;" They lack access to basic lending products such as credit cards. Upstart is on a mission to change that. The fintech platform uses AI models to improve access to affordable credit. In this conversation with CEO and co-founder David Girouard, we discuss how his humble upbringing opened his eyes to the challenges the financial challenges that typical Americans face, and why he is an advocate for Upstart's mission.

Reem Kassis is an award-winning Palestinian writer whose work focuses on the intersection of food, history, and politics. Her cookbook, “The Arabesque Table,” has received rave reviews and was listed on the New York Times' Best Cookbooks of 2021. Reem talks about how she was able to overcome cultural taboos around money talks, and why she is teaching her daughters the importance of self-worth.

Reem Kassis’s website: https://www.reemkassis.com/

Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez is a personal finance writer and host of the Real Simple podcast "Money Confidential." She describes how her upbringing as a child of immigrant parents influenced her attitude around frugality, and made her realize that the common discourse around money didn't speak to her experience. Plus, we talk about why the common recommendation for emergency fund savings might not be enough for you.

Chris Ramos is a personal finance aficionado. Chris received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech University, and proceeded to work in government for several years before deciding to pursue an MBA. He was admitted to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and faced a conundrum: attend a prestigious school and take on debt, or forgo the opportunity to avoid the expense? We talk about how his mom taught him the most important lessons about credit, how to leverage the power of smart balance transfers, and the risks and rewards of taking on student loans.

Miguel Fernandez is the founder of Capchase, a fintech platform that provides financing for software-as-a-service ("SaaS") companies. Miguel shares some of the biggest mistakes he made as a startup founder, and how those lessons helped Capchase raise almost $1 billion in financing. He also shares how growing up in Spain influenced his views on risk aversion, and who he is supporting in this World Cup.

Did you know that 13% of US drivers are uninsured? This week’s guest, Murray Macdonald, is on a mission to change that. Murray is the co-founder of the insurtech company Just Insure, which aims to provide affordable coverage using advanced data analytics. Murray grew up in South Africa, and talks about how witnessing extreme income disparities influenced his belief in the importance of equal access.

Jake Blum is not only an esteemed host of his own podcast, called Quakers and Makers, he’s also a financial planner with Northwestern Mutual. Jake shares what his keys to financial wellness are, and his journey from investment banking on Wall Street to running his own business.

Elizabeth a recent college graduate and creator of the platform MyTwoCentsFinance. While she was a full-time student, Elizabeth saved more than $20,000 that helped her achieve her goal of living in Spain after graduation. She shares her strategies for financial planning, and why setting ambitious "stretch" goals is an important step in this process.