This Is Uncomfortable

How were you raised to think about money, and how do you know when the values you inherited no longer fit? What do we owe other people, and when is generosity a duty? Reema talks with Abigail Disney, the grandniece of Walt Disney, about family, legacy, and giving away millions.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

How many subscriptions are you paying for right now? Whether we’re watching TV, listening to music, or even just storing photos, it feels like we are required to rent so many parts of daily life these days. Reema talks to tech reporter Lance Ulanoff and finance writer Hanna Horvath about the origins of the subscription economy, what lies ahead, and how we can cope.

Plus, we’ve got another edition of “Alice Ge...

Is a frustrating dynamic in your workplace keeping you up at night? In our recurring advice column, “Work Drama”, we try to find answers to your sticky work questions. This week Reema is joined by Marketplace correspondent Kristin Schwab and host/correspondent Sabri Ben-Achour to answer your workplace questions – from favoritism getting in the way of a promotion to persistent recruitment for the office kickball l...

This week we’re sharing an episode of the Marketplace climate solutions podcast “How We Survive.”

The new season is all about the controversial ways humans are tinkering with nature in an effort to save the planet, from shooting sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, to launching sunshades into space. In this episode, they explore the wildest intervention to date: de-extinction.

The team takes a tour of Colo...

Have you ever daydreamed about leaving your office job, moving to the countryside, and living off the land? In 2008, Laura Griggs and her husband did just that: they moved to a small farm in rural Missouri and raised their family there for nearly a decade. Reema talks with Laura about the real cost of homesteading, and why she ultimately had to leave it behind.

And later in the episode, we’ve got another edition of Alice G...

How are you supposed to juggle caring for your aging parents while also raising young children of your own? And how do you budget for those competing responsibilities? This week, Reema talks to Nicole Chung, author of “A Living Remedy,” about her experiences caring for her parents in their final years of illness, how the U.S. healthcare system failed them, and the toll it took on her both emotionally and financially.

This week, we’re sharing an episode of “Proxy,” a podcast about the emotional questions that make people feel alone — and the conversation that unfolds when you find someone who gets it.

Sam is a progressive person who suddenly has more money than friends and family — and he doesn’t know how to feel about it. He wants to be generous. He wants to be responsible. He wants to stop feeling guilty...

Marriage brings with it a slew of state and federal privileges – when it comes to taxes, inheritance, and benefits – but what if that’s not the most important relationship to you? What legal and financial options are out there for chosen family? Reema talks to LGBTQ+ legal advocate Angela Giampolo and tax expert Brixton Carothers about everything from setting up a revocable living trust to forming an LLC with a po...

Weddings are meant to be joyful milestones and a chance to show up for the people we love. But for many people today, being a part of a wedding can come with multi-day trips, expensive outfits, and financial pressure that leads to years of debt.

Reema is joined by cultural commentator Josh Lora and The Atlanticeditor Annie Joy Williams to talk about the cost of being a wedding guest, why wedding culture is getting more expensiv...

Unfortunately, a lot of us know someone who has been scammed… but how many scammers do you know?

After reporter Carlos Barragán’s mother fell victim to an online romance scam, he traveled to Lagos, Nigeria, to investigate the world of “Yahoo Boys,” as Nigerian scammers call themselves. He spent years getting to know these young men, earning their trust and reporting the most intimate details of their li...

Lots of us have dreamed about taking on a completely different career, but how do you actually make the leap? This week, Reema visits a cohort of people pivoting to the trades in North Carolina and speaks with career coach Phoebe Gavin to get her tips on making a successful pivot.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.

Today, we’re featuring an episode of NPR’s “It’s Been A Minute.” Reema Khrais joins host Brittany Luse and Wailin Wong, host of NPR’s “The Indicator,” to talk about the hidden ways money shows up in dating and marriage.

And we’ve got a new “This Is Uncomfortable” project to share! You’ve heard Reema Khrais ask rapid-fire “uncomfortable money questions&...

Do you ever look at the world and think: everything is so uncertain, who knows if I’ll ever be able to retire … so I might as well get those concert tickets? Then you might be doomspending. Reema talks with The Financial Diet’s Chelsea Fagan and behavioral economist Judd Kessler about why we doomspend, and what we should do instead. Plus, producer Alice Wilder makes a confession.

If you liked this episode, sh...

How far would you go to participate in a boycott? Cancel your concert tickets? Spend 25% more on groceries? What about refusing to visit your family? This week, Reema speaks to Canadians who are going to great lengths to boycott the United States. Plus, a conversation with financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin about how to practice “good enough” boycotting.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. A...

Got a tricky situation at work and not sure what to do? In our recurring advice column, “Work Drama,” we try to find answers to your sticky work questions. This week, Reema is joined by Tobin Low of “This American Life” to answer your workplace questions – from coworkers falling asleep mid-meeting to crushing on your boss.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And if you have any work d...

What do you do when your child’s ideas about money start to sharply diverge from your own? Reema is joined by journalist Patrick Radden Keefe to discuss his new book, “London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth.” Along the way they get into the thorny realities of parenting in a time when young people are aspiring to be like the ultra-wealthy.

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As the U.S. immigration crackdown intensifies, some undocumented people are choosing to leave the country. But what’s the financial and emotional cost of leaving?

Reema speaks with immigration lawyer Michael Foote, who is helping his clients navigate this process, as well as two undocumented immigrants at different stages in their departure: Javi (not his real name) is an undocumented college student saving up to move abro...

Would you feel comfortable telling your best friend how much debt you’re in? That was the last thing Jamie Feldman wanted to do, but when her credit card debt spiraled out of control, she knew she needed help. Together, Jamie and Rachel Webster tackled that debt and documented the process with their award-winning podcast “Debt Heads.”

Reema is joined by Jamie and Rachel to talk about friendship, shame and how o...

Would you share your children’s most intimate moments on social media if it meant you could make millions? Family influencers are building businesses around their kids, sharing everything from toddler meltdowns to puberty talks. For some families, that income is a lifeline. But it also raises difficult questions about privacy, money and parenthood.

Reema talks with journalist Fortesa Latifi about her new book, “Like,...