Popcorn Finance

By Chris Browning

Business Investing

What's Popcorn Finance about?

An award winning short form podcast discussing finance in about the time it takes to make a bag of popcorn

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LAST EPISODE

383: Scammers Be Scammin

06.06.2023

Who else has been inundated with scam calls lately? Fraud and scam calls are nothing new but they are becoming more prevalent nowadays. They’re getting more clever by using tactics like phone spoofing or impersonating reputable businesses. That’s why in ...

Popcorn Finance episodes:

06.06.2023 383: Scammers Be Scammin Who else has been inundated with scam calls lately? Fraud and scam calls are nothing new but they are becoming more prevalent nowadays. They’re getting more clever by using tactics like phone spoofing or impersonating reputable businesses. That’s why in ...
05.30.2023 382: Am I Paying Down My Debt Too Fast? Is aggressively paying off your debt causing other areas of your life to suffer? Years ago my wife and I accumulated over $27k worth of debt and it haunted me every day until I paid it off. Credit card interest ...
05.23.2023 381: How the SECURE Act 2.0 is Changing Saving for College What happens to the money saved in my 529 plan if my kid doesn’t go to college? This episode is all thanks to a question I received from a listener from my recent episode with Marc Russel (378) asking about ...
05.16.2023 380: It's OK to Take a Little Risk When Investing How should we be thinking about risk when it comes to our investments? Investing has been a major topic of discussion these past few years with the rise and fall of crypto, NFTs, and the Gamestop saga of 2021. It ...
05.09.2023 379: Bank Failures Continue as First Republic Bank Shuts Down Have you heard of the recent closure of First Republic Bank? Similar to Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic was placed under FDIC control and then quickly sold. In this episode we'll cover why this happened, who bought First Republic, and ...
05.02.2023 378: 529 Plans for Non-Parents: How to Help the Kids in Your Life Pay for College Do you have a child in your life that you want to help pay for their college tuition? Tuition costs can range anywhere from $10k-$40k depending on if you attend a public or private college. Even on the lower end ...
04.25.2023 377: Student Loan Forgiveness Alternatives Things are not looking good for student loan forgiveness. It looks like widespread student loan forgiveness might not be happening. But there's still some good news on the horizon. In this episode, we're diving into the latest developments on public ...
04.18.2023 376: How to Protect Your Money from Online Scams Have you been getting inundated with scam calls or fraudulent emails lately? Scammers are constantly finding new ways to try and get your personal and banking information. That’s why in today’s episode of Popcorn Finance I’m sharing the common scams ...
04.11.2023 375: How to Get More Time to File Your Taxes for Free - H&R Block Tax Tips If you need more time to file your taxes there is a simple and free option. Let's talk about why you'd want to file a tax extension, when you should make a payment, and the things you need to know ...
04.04.2023 374: How to Budget with Rising Prices How has your budget strategy changed since inflation kicked in? Allison Baggerly, the creator of Inspired Budget and my cohost on the This is Awkward podcast is joining me today! She’s on the show to talk about how to budget ...
03.30.2023 373: The 3 Most Common 1099 Forms - H&R Block Tax Tips It feels like we get a million tax forms in the mail every year. In this special bonus H&R; Block Tax Tip episode lets breakdown 3 of the most common 1099 forms that you should be on the look out ...
03.28.2023 372: The Great Money Reset - Part 2 Have you ever quit your job in pursuit of your dreams? The idea is great in theory, but what if your dreams don’t work out or you run out of money? Jill Schlesinger, a certified financial planner CFP® and the ...
03.21.2023 371: The Great Money Reset - Part 1 How did the pandemic change your perspective on work, money, and life? It’s been 3 years since the start of the pandemic and my guest today, Jill Schlesinger, a certified financial planner CFP® and the host of the Jill On ...
03.16.2023 370: Why Did Silicon Valley Bank Fail So Quickly? It felt like Silicon Valley Bank Failed so quickly, what happened? In this special bonus episode let's break down three big factors that led to the seemingly overnight forced closure of Silicon Valley Bank. Today's bag of popcorn is brought ...
03.14.2023 369: The Silicon Valley Bank Failure Let's talk about Silicon Valley Bank and what happened over the weekend. The FDIC has stepped in and along with the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to try and stabilize a rough few days for the banking industry. In ...
03.07.2023 368: Don't Get Hacked! How Password Managers Can Help You Keep Your Money Secure and Protected Be honest, do you only use a handful of passwords for everything in your life? This episode is a reminder that you probably need to take a look at the passwords that you are using! Robb Dunewood from the Tech ...
02.28.2023 367: How Money Can Affect You Emotionally and Physically Can your financial problems manifest into physical health problems if left unaddressed? My guest today is Jason Vitug, wellness advocate, author, and CEO of Phroogal and he believes that there is a clear correlation between mental health and financial wealth. ...
02.21.2023 366: How Should We Invest With Rising Interest Rates? Do rising interest rates mean we should abandon our investment plans? The short answer is no and in this week’s episode, I’m sharing a snippet from a recent interview from my weekly segment on NBCLX where I explain why. Higher ...
02.14.2023 365: Big Changes Coming to the 2023 Tax Season Are you up-to-date on the changes being made to our tax system this year? This week we’ll be discussing 4 changes going into effect this tax season. These changes include a new tax filing deadline, updates to tax credits and ...
02.07.2023 364: Could an Algorithm Stop You From Getting Your Next Apartment? Is an algorithm the reason your rental applications aren’t getting approved? Robb Dunewood, the host of the popular podcast The Tech Jawn, is on the show today to talk about algorithms and the ways in which they are created that ...
01.31.2023 363: Time to Set Those 2023 Financial Goals What are your money goals for 2023? In today’s episode, listeners sent in their personal finance goals they hope to achieve this year. The goals range from wanting to save for a family home to finally paying off credit card ...
01.24.2023 362: 2023 Student Loan Forgiveness Update What is happening with student loans in 2023? Are student loan payments still paused and when does the student loan forgiveness plan start? If you’ve been wondering why there hasn’t been any news on student loan forgiveness then you’re not ...
01.17.2023 361: Help! I Can't Stop Comparing Myself to People with More Money How can we avoid the comparison trap when it comes to our finances? In today’s episode Shannah Game, host of Everyone’s Talkin’ Money podcast, and Certified Financial Planner is on the show to discuss how we can avoid getting stuck ...
01.10.2023 360: Does Timing Credit Card Payments Save Interest? Does making more frequent credit card payments actually make a difference? That's what two listeners wanted to know this week. In this episode we will take a look at how credit card interest is calculated and if the timing of ...
12.19.2022 359: What Are Your Goals For 2023? Some changes are coming to Popcorn Finance in 2023! Send Me Your 2023 Goals! Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail Call 707-200-8259 Send an email to [email protected] Connect with me Instagram \| Twitter \| Facebook \| YouTube \| TikTok Thank ...
12.12.2022 358: How Can I Save For Retirement and Help My Mom? What do you do if you parents don't have enough saved for retirement and you're stating to feel the pressure? This week I'm joined by Marsha Barnes, founder of the The Finance Bar, to help a listener find a way ...
12.05.2022 357: Should I Rent or Buy A Home? Has homeownership become another unattainable aspect of the American dream? For decades owning a home has been dubbed a right of passage in your adult life. However, with prices of homes skyrocketing over the past few years, owning a home ...
12.01.2022 356: Saving for College - 529 Plans vs I Bonds Should you believe the hype around I Bonds? In episode 355, Marc Russell of Better Wallet joined me on the show to discuss 529 plans and whether or not they’re a good option for an education fund for your child. ...
11.28.2022 355: Saving for College with a 529 Plan Are you a new parent, who’s already thinking about your kid’s future education and where to put the savings for it? No need to worry because I’ve got you covered in today’s new episode with Marc Russell, the founder of ...
11.21.2022 354: My Sister-in-Law Somehow Always Forgets Her Wallet Have you ever had a friend or family member conveniently forget to bring their wallet when out to dinner? It’s Thanksgiving Week here in the US, and this marks the start of the holiday season which is always filled with ...
11.17.2022 353: How Long Will Interest Rates Keep Rising? Why are interest rates STILL rising and how long can we expect this to keep happening? Listen to today’s episode to find out, plus hear what the Federal Reserve Chairman has to say about the state of inflation. Previous Episode ...
11.14.2022 352: Why You Should Build a Personal Brand Today Have you been limiting your job opportunities because you don’t have a personal brand? Building a personal brand is not just for influencers and celebrities, in fact, my guest today thinks we should all have one in order to further ...
11.10.2022 351: What is a Care Credit Card and How Are Hospitals Using Them? Why are hospitals pushing for you to pay with a Care Credit Card more now than in recent years? Find out the sneaky tactic hospitals are using to stop you from negotiating your medical bills with Christy Snodgrass, former RN ...
11.07.2022 350: Big Changes Coming to the Medical Bill Collections Process Is it an empty threat when a hospital says it will send your medical bill to collections? Find out the answer in today’s new episode with Christy Snodgrass, healthcare activist and former registered nurse. In this episode, Christy outlines the ...
11.03.2022 349: Finding Hope in a Broken Health Care System Why are healthcare professionals leaving the industry in droves? To shed some light on why that may be is returning guest, Christy Snodgrass, a former registered nurse turned healthcare activist. In this episode, Christy shares what led her to leave ...
10.31.2022 348: Will Inflation Make Taxes Lower Next Year? Did you know that the IRS adjusts tax brackets annually to offset inflation? So why is it making headlines right now? Find out the answer, plus how and when your taxes could be affected in the final installment of my ...
10.27.2022 347: How Do I Calculate My Taxes? Did you know that 9 states don’t have state income tax? We’re continuing the tax talk in today’s episode because honestly, taxes in the US are ridiculously over-complicated. So in order to help get your head around them easier, I’m ...
10.24.2022 346: The Secret to US Tax Brackets Did you know this one tax deduction could save you tons of money on your taxes? Tax season may seem far away but after getting sent an article on how tax brackets are changing because of inflation, I thought we ...
10.20.2022 345: How to Negotiate Your Medical Bills - Part 2 How far are you willing to go to lower your medical bills? This episode is part 2 of my conversation with Christy Snodgrass, a registered nurse turned advocate and activist. Christy shares how to avoid getting price gouged and what ...
10.17.2022 344: How to Negotiate Your Medical Bills - Part 1 Did you know that 80% of hospital bills have errors? Me neither! Christy Snodgrass, a registered nurse turned advocate and activist, knows first-hand how stressful unexpected and large medical bills can be. That’s why she’s on the show today to ...
10.13.2022 343: How You Talk To Your Kids About Money Matters Do you remember your first thought or feeling about money? In today’s episode, Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a Financial Therapist, is sharing how the language and messages we received about money as kids can affect how we interact with money as adults. ...
10.10.2022 342: Update on Student Loan Forgiveness and Taxes Will your state be taxing student loan forgiveness? The student loan situation is constantly changing so this week I’m giving you an update on how each state is handling taxing forgiven student loans. This is a follow up to Episode ...
10.06.2022 341: Will Moving My Credit Card Debt to a Personal Loan Hurt My Credit Score? Could consolidating your credit card debt into a personal loan hurt your credit score? This is the question we are discussing today as we tackle part 2 of a question sent in from a listener. Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/c/PopcornFinance ...
10.03.2022 340: Should I Use a Personal Loan to Pay Off My Credit Cards? With interest rates rising paying down credit card debt is a great idea. But is using a personal loan a smart way of eliminating credit card debt. This week a listener wrote in with this exact question so I will ...
09.29.2022 339: Interest Rates Are Going Up Again Interest rates are rising again, but why? This week I will break down the latest round of interest rate increases from the Federal Reserve and the reasoning behind why interest rates will continue to rise. Sources Fed Fund Rate History ...
09.26.2022 338: Do I Need to Put a Down Payment on My New Car? Is putting a big down payment on a new car a good idea? A listener wrote in wanting to know the best way to approach her next car purchase. I spent waaayyy too much time in my favorite program (Excel!) ...
09.19.2022 337: I'm Confused By IRA Contribution Rules, Help! IRS rules are confusing and it can make contributing to an IRA complicated. This week Megan wrote in wanting to know how she could contribute to an IRA for last year without getting in to trouble. So let me walk ...
09.12.2022 336: My Favorite Hack to Get a Pay Raise at Work Sometimes in order to get the raise you want, you need to use a couple of jedi mind tricks. Mandi is back to share one of her all time favorite hacks to help you secure that nice big raise! Connect ...
09.08.2022 335: Popcorn To-Go: Could Student Loan Forgiveness Have a Big Tax Surprise? Could the latest round of student loan forgiveness come with a tax bill from your state? Today I’ll be taking you through 13 states that could impose an income tax on your loan forgiveness. This week I am on the ...
09.05.2022 334: Should I Reimburse My Ex? What happens when you and your partner separate but you both put money in to your home? We hear from a listener who received an invoice from her ex for a few home upgrades that he made to her home. ...

Older episodes

Popcorn Finance

What's Popcorn Finance about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Popcorn Finance episodes:

383: Scammers Be Scammin

382: Am I Paying Down My Debt Too Fast?

381: How the SECURE Act 2.0 is Changing Saving for College

380: It's OK to Take a Little Risk When Investing

379: Bank Failures Continue as First Republic Bank Shuts Down

378: 529 Plans for Non-Parents: How to Help the Kids in Your Life Pay for College

377: Student Loan Forgiveness Alternatives

376: How to Protect Your Money from Online Scams

375: How to Get More Time to File Your Taxes for Free - H&R Block Tax Tips

374: How to Budget with Rising Prices

373: The 3 Most Common 1099 Forms - H&R Block Tax Tips

372: The Great Money Reset - Part 2

371: The Great Money Reset - Part 1

370: Why Did Silicon Valley Bank Fail So Quickly?

369: The Silicon Valley Bank Failure

368: Don't Get Hacked! How Password Managers Can Help You Keep Your Money Secure and Protected

367: How Money Can Affect You Emotionally and Physically

366: How Should We Invest With Rising Interest Rates?

365: Big Changes Coming to the 2023 Tax Season

364: Could an Algorithm Stop You From Getting Your Next Apartment?

363: Time to Set Those 2023 Financial Goals

362: 2023 Student Loan Forgiveness Update

361: Help! I Can't Stop Comparing Myself to People with More Money

360: Does Timing Credit Card Payments Save Interest?

359: What Are Your Goals For 2023?

358: How Can I Save For Retirement and Help My Mom?

357: Should I Rent or Buy A Home?

356: Saving for College - 529 Plans vs I Bonds

355: Saving for College with a 529 Plan

354: My Sister-in-Law Somehow Always Forgets Her Wallet

353: How Long Will Interest Rates Keep Rising?

352: Why You Should Build a Personal Brand Today

351: What is a Care Credit Card and How Are Hospitals Using Them?

350: Big Changes Coming to the Medical Bill Collections Process

349: Finding Hope in a Broken Health Care System

348: Will Inflation Make Taxes Lower Next Year?

347: How Do I Calculate My Taxes?

346: The Secret to US Tax Brackets

345: How to Negotiate Your Medical Bills - Part 2

344: How to Negotiate Your Medical Bills - Part 1

343: How You Talk To Your Kids About Money Matters

342: Update on Student Loan Forgiveness and Taxes

341: Will Moving My Credit Card Debt to a Personal Loan Hurt My Credit Score?

340: Should I Use a Personal Loan to Pay Off My Credit Cards?

339: Interest Rates Are Going Up Again

338: Do I Need to Put a Down Payment on My New Car?

337: I'm Confused By IRA Contribution Rules, Help!

336: My Favorite Hack to Get a Pay Raise at Work

335: Popcorn To-Go: Could Student Loan Forgiveness Have a Big Tax Surprise?

334: Should I Reimburse My Ex?