Reel Stories, Real Problems

Planning for retirement is supposed to be simple—save a little, invest wisely, and watch your nest egg grow. But as the 2013 Frontline documentary The Retirement Gamble reveals, the system isn’t always stacked in your favor. Between high fees, confusing plans, and a maze of financial jargon, even the most diligent savers can find themselves coming up short. In this episode, Rachael and Roxanne break down how the retirement industry...

For our final Halloween-themed episode this October we’re turning down the lights and turning up the chills by talking bout the the spookiest thing of all...the Devil! Grab a handful of Halloween candy, put on your costumes, and get ready for a glimpse at something far scarier than Satan - a moral panic!In the 1980s, frantic parents and talk show hosts thought teenagers huddled around a table rolling dice and battling dragons were ...

Dim the lights and grab a pillowcase full of candy, because every episode this month is diving into the creepy, spooky, and macabre to celebrate Halloween. Join us as we talk about all the things that go bump in the night! 

Russ McKamey is a soldier-turned-masochist who created a “haunted house” so extreme it is nothing short of torture. Nobody has ever managed to get all the way through it, so why do people continue to sign up for ...

For the month of October we’re turning down the lights and turning up the chills! Every episode this month will dive into eerie incidents, spooky stories, and haunted histories to celebrate Halloween—so put on your costumes and get ready for a frightfully fun ride!

This week we discuss the shocking case at the heart of the Beware the Slenderman documentary, which reveals more than the dangers of an internet myth—it exposes the criti...

For the month of October we’re turning down the lights and turning up the chills! Every episode this month will dive into eerie incidents, spooky stories, and haunted histories to celebrate Halloween—so grab your mellowcreme pumpkins and get ready for a frightfully fun ride!

The Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books were eerily enticing to an entire generation of young readers. But behind the jump scares and creepy illustrations l...

The 1948 documentary Going to Blazes! might be vintage, but its message about fire safety still burns bright today. In this episode, we revisit this classic public safety film to explore how a few simple precautions can protect not just your home and family, but save you money by preventing future disasters. From smoke alarms to insurance discounts, we’ll break down how fire prevention pays off in more ways than one. Because when i...

This month we’re turning down the lights and turning up the chills! Every episode this month will dive into eerie incidents, spooky stories, and haunted histories to celebrate Halloween, so grab your bucket of fun sized candy bars and join us as we talk about the things that go bump in the night! When John Landis set out to film his portion of The Twilight Zone movie in 1982, no one imagined it would end in one of the deadliest acc...

What’s it really like to grow up with more money than you could ever spend? In this episode, Rachael and Roxanne dive into Born Rich, the eye-opening documentary by Jamie Johnson that pulls back the curtain on the lives of heirs and heiresses from some of the world’s wealthiest families.

In this remastered version of an episode from our first season, we’ll explore the strange mix of privilege and pressure that comes with extreme wea...

Friendship is supposed to be about love, trust, and shared experiences — but what happens when money gets in the way? In the second season of Friends, the gang runs headfirst into the uncomfortable reality of class differences. This episode doesn’t just play the situation for laughs — it shines a light on a real issue that affects many friendships: how financial inequality can create guilt, resentment, and distance, even among the ...

Money isn’t the only kind of currency — sometimes attention, sympathy, and status are worth just as much. Nobody knew that better than Tania Head, who became one of the most famous survivors of the terror attacks on 9/11, except for one small problem: she wasn’t there. So why do people invent lies this big, especially when there’s no big paycheck at the end? What’s the real payoff for a con built on pure fiction? You’re listening t...

Can 140 characters launch a career? Dan Duvall thinks so! In this episode, Rachael and Roxanne dive into the documentary Funny Tweets, which tells the story of a man who turned funny one liners into real-world writing opportunities. We explore the value of using social media to build an audience, what has happened to Dan since the documentary was made, and what it takes to become the mayor of Hell.We’ll dive into the surprising way...

In this episode, Rachael and Roxanne talk about Action Park, the infamous New Jersey amusement park that became a legend for all the wrong reasons. We're talking broken bones, missing teeth, and a complete disregard for the safety of guests and employees alike. Part nostalgic fever dream, part cautionary tale, this film explores what happens when profit, adrenaline, and teenage invincibility collide. Was Action Park a symbol of fre...

Roxanne is in traffic court, so our good friend Amanda steps in to talk with Rachael about health insurance, medical care in the United States, and why you can't stand outside other countries and yell at the U.S. Embassy though a bullhorn.

Sources:

⁠https://www.statista.com/statistics/1290168/health-index-of-countries-worldwide-by-health-index-score/⁠

⁠https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/surveys/2024/nov/state-health-ins...

What happens when hard-working families do everything right—and still fall through the cracks? In this remastered version of our third episode, we examine the devastating impact of unemployment and economic insecurity through the lens of the powerful documentary American Winter.

In this week's episode Rachael and Roxanne watch the 2013 documentary American Winter and talk about poverty, job hunting, what American Winter reveals ...

People have been murdered for money, property, and other inheritance for as long as humanity has existed. In fact, some of the greatest tragedies in history, including everything from mass genocide to the Salem Witch Trials, happened for the sole purpose of stealing other people’s wealth, so it’s no wonder that Mr. Howell lost his mind after bequeathing his various investments to his fellow castaways. But did he really have anythin...

What happens when the world's wealthiest people can’t tell a counterfeit bottle of wine from the real thing? In this episode, Rachael and Roxanne talk about the documentary Sour Grapes, which tells the story of Rudy Kurniawan, the charming con artist who infiltrated elite wine circles and sold millions of dollars worth of counterfeit wine. Join us as we talk about defrauding the rich, the importance of government regulations, a...

What if getting ahead financially isn’t just about cutting back—but also about earning more? In this episode, we dive into practical, creative, and empowering ways to increase your income, inspired by the documentary Get Smart With Money.

From side hustles to career pivots, freelancing to passive income, we explore how real people are rethinking work and building wealth on their own terms. We’ll break down key takeaways from the...

Ah, our first episode! Back when we had a lot to say and had never tried to record or edit a podcast before. But now we have 28 episodes under our belts, so we have redone it with new, improved audio quality just for you.

Rachael is a writer and personal finance expert who got laid off in 2024. Roxanne is a homeless university professor and part-time retail employee. In this remastered version of our first episode we watch the 2013...