Vivian dives into the truth about Buy Now, Pay Later services and why splitting a purchase into “four easy payments” might be way more dangerous than it looks. In this episode, she breaks down how companies like Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm exploded in popularity, why these payment plans are changing the way people shop, and how BNPL can quietly wreck your budget and credit score if you’re not careful.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. What Buy Now, Pay Later services actually are, how they evolved from old-school layaway programs, and why modern BNPL combines some of the riskiest parts of both layaway and credit cards.

2. Why BNPL can encourage overspending, how multiple small payments create a false sense of affordability, and what happens to your credit score if you miss a payment.

3. Who should and definitely should not use BNPL services, plus Vivian’s preferred alternatives for building credit, managing cash flow, and making purchases without borrowing against your future income.

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In this next installment of "Am I The Asshole? Finance Edition," Vivian is back to sort through the financial disasters you've been too afraid to say out loud, calling out who's actually in the wrong with zero sugarcoating.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. How to set financial boundaries without blowing up your relationships and how to recognize when someone's counting on you being too uncomfortable to enforce them.

2. What you actually owe people in tangled money situations: think joint purchases that go south, informal loans that never get repaid, and group dynamics where one person is quietly carrying everyone else.

3. How to stop letting guilt, obligation, and "but they're family" override your financial common sense, plus Vivian's takes on when generosity becomes a pattern you need to break.

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Vivian sits down with Danielle Robay, the journalist Forbes called the “Queen of Questions” and host of Question Everything and Reese’s Book Club podcast, for a conversation about the underrated skill that can change your career, relationships, and life: knowing how to ask good questions. From networking and career pivots to money conversations and personal growth, Danielle breaks down why curiosity might be one of the most valuable assets you can build.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. What makes someone a genuinely great conversationalist, how to ask questions that actually lead to meaningful answers, and the networking mistakes most people don’t realize they’re making.

2. How to navigate difficult or awkward conversations, from bringing up money with partners and friends to asking smarter questions during interviews, coffee chats, and career transitions.

3. How Danielle defines success beyond financial achievement, the mindset shifts that help people keep growing instead of staying stuck, and why curiosity, connection, and self-awareness matter just as much as ambition.

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Got a financial question you want answered in a future episode? Email us at [email protected]

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Vivian gets candid about how she built Your Rich BFF, what it really took to leave a $625K-a-year job, and the financial strategy behind becoming a full-time entrepreneur. In this episode, she breaks down the realities of betting on yourself in the creator economy, from building a financial runway and managing unpredictable income to navigating imposter syndrome, scaling a business, and knowing when it’s actually time to make the leap.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How Vivian went from posting finance videos after work to building Your Rich BFF into a multimillion-dollar business.

2. What aspiring entrepreneurs need before quitting their jobs, from emergency funds and business plans to cash flow forecasting, tax planning, and diversifying income streams, so you’re not relying on one paycheck.

3. How to survive the emotional and financial realities of entrepreneurship, including managing risk, avoiding lifestyle inflation, handling imposter syndrome, and building a business that can actually sustain you long term.

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Got a financial question you want answered in a future episode? Email us at [email protected]

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Vivian is back by popular demand with another round of “Am I The Asshole? Finance Edition,” where she dives into your messiest money dilemmas and delivers her unfiltered verdict on who’s actually in the wrong. From inheritance drama and relationship debt disasters to wedding expenses, friendship resentment, and family financial guilt trips, this episode proves that money can make even the closest relationships extremely complicated.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. How to navigate financial boundaries with partners, friends, and family members, including when helping someone financially crosses the line into being taken advantage of.

2. What people actually owe each other in messy money situations, from destination wedding cancellations and shared travel costs to scams, loans, and group expenses that suddenly become awkward.

3. How to protect your own financial future while still showing up for the people you care about, plus Vivian’s honest takes on guilt, entitlement, resentment, and the emotional side of money no one teaches you about.

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Got a financial question you want answered in a future episode? Email us at [email protected]

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Vivian sits down with Tank Sinatra, the meme king behind @tanksgoodnews, @influencersinthewild, and his personal account @tank.sinatra, to talk about what happens when jokes become a business and viral moments reshape the way we think about money. With over 15 million followers, Tank breaks down the meme economy, what brands are actually paying for a single sponsored post, and why meme culture, think GameStop and Dogecoin, is quietly changing how a whole generation thinks about wealth and value.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. What the meme economy actually is and how to know when a meme is worth investing in, and when it's cooked, straight from one of the biggest meme account moguls on the internet.

2. How much creators like Tank really make, from the breakdown of income across platforms to what a single brand partnership post can pay, and why major companies are throwing serious money at joke accounts.

3. How meme culture has reshaped the way we define value, wealth, and smart money moves, and what that means for your own financial thinking in a world where cultural currency drives real markets.

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Got a financial question you want answered in a future episode? Email us at [email protected]

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Vivian gets real about how to survive summer wedding season without blowing your budget. In this episode, she breaks down the true cost of being a wedding guest, from the obvious expenses to the sneaky ones no one warns you about, and shares exactly how to celebrate your friends without putting yourself in a financial hole.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. What attending a wedding actually costs…  from gifts and travel to hidden expenses like outfits, pre-wedding events, and all the little things that quietly add up.

2. How to build a three-tier wedding budget so you can confidently decide what you can afford, avoid overspending, and know when it’s okay to say no.

3. The smartest ways to save on wedding travel, including credit card strategies, booking hacks, and international tips like VAT refunds that can put real money back in your pocket.

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Check out and download Vivian's new app, ⁠Ask Dolly!

Vivian gets candid about what the Federal Reserve, aka the Fed, actually is and how it affects you! In this episode, she breaks down everything you need to know about the Federal Reserve to make wise and informed decisions with your money.

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. What the Federal Reserve actually is, why it was created, and how this one institution quietly controls the interest rates on your mortgage, credit cards, student loans, and retirement savings.

2. What it actually means when the Fed raises or cuts rates: who wins, who loses, and why their decisions almost never make everyone happy at the same time.

3. Why Trump's push to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell and board member Lisa Cook is such a big deal, what it would mean for your wallet if he succeeds, and why both Republicans and Democrats are drawing the line here.

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Got a financial question you want answered in a future episode? Email us at [email protected]

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Vivian sat down with Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein, founders of "Cheap Old Houses," and hosts of HGTV's Who's Afraid of a Cheap Old House, for a conversation about home ownership in the modern era.

1. How Ethan and Elizabeth turned a passion for affordable homes into a 2.9 million follower movement, and why they believe a cheap old house is actually a smarter financial move than a brand-new build.

2. The green flags and red flags to look for when buying a fixer-upper, how much money and time to realistically budget for a renovation, and which projects you can DIY versus when to call a pro.

3. How to find deals that never show up on Zillow, what resources exist to save money during renovation, and the secrets behind buying a house for $27K at auction.

Keep up with the Finkelsteins' on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cheapoldhouses/, watch their HGTV show Who's Afraid of a Cheap Old House, and grab a copy of their book at https://www.cheapoldhouses.com/book/.

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Host: Vivian Tu 

Producer: Grace Rittenhouse

Editor: Fringe Podcasts
Got a financial question you want answered in a future episode? Email us at [email protected]

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Vivian sits down with Codie Sanchez, Wall Street veteran turned business acquisition expert and founder of Contrarian Thinking, for a conversation about building real wealth through buying boring businesses. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

1. How Codie's years on Wall Street shaped the way she thinks about money, hustle, and building wealth.

2. What "buying boring businesses" actually means, and how small business acquisitions can fit into a regular person's financial portfolio.

3. How to know if a business is set up to succeed or fail, what it takes to go from breaking even to actually profiting, and the practical steps you can take right now to stop trading time for money and start building lasting wealth.

Check out Codie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/codiesanchez/ and check out her work at https://codiesanchez.com/. 

Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTok!

Host: Vivian Tu 

Producer: Grace Rittenhouse

Editor: Fringe Podcasts

Got a financial question you want answered in a future episode? Email us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices