This Is Uncomfortable

Most of us tell little white lies at some point or another to make things less weird about money. But what happens when disaster strikes, and your money situation becomes impossible to hide?This episode originally aired in August 2019. We’re working on an episode and we need your help. What’s getting you through those long days in lockdown? Big or small, as long as it doesn’t have to do with work, we want to hear about what’s bringing you joy and why. Drop us a line at (347) RING-TIU, or (347) 746-4848. You can also send us a voice memo at uncomfortable@marketplace.org, or fill out the form below.

Jessie Suren grew up hearing the same advice over and over: College would be her ticket to the middle class, even if it meant taking out tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. But when the job she applied for after graduation fell through, she ended up working at a call center to hound people who had fallen behind on their loan payments. She feared she was staring at a window into her future, and she would spend the rest of her twenties doing whatever it took to get her balance to zero.

The WNBA is a workplace with a track record of standing up for its rights and beliefs. And this year, players went up against an unlikely opponent: a U.S. senator who co-owns one of the league’s teams. Plus, we take a look at the WNBA’s fight for fair pay.

After hooking up with her roommate, one woman can’t seem to avoid him — or his spending habits. Then, a couple tries showing their love for each other … in a way neither of them actually loves.This episode originally aired in our first season, in September 2019. We’re off this week working on some new stories, and we need your help: A lot of ideas about who we’re meant to be as adults get instilled into us at an early age, by the things we see our parents do or the expectations they set for us. We’re curious: Growing up, what did success look like to you? And how has that changed as you’ve gotten older? Let us know by calling us at  (347) RING-TIU, or (347) 746-4848. You can also send us a voice memo at uncomfortable@marketplace.org.

This Halloween, we have listeners’ spooky stories about good ideas gone bad, from giving a hormonal teen a debit card to getting into business with a scammer. Plus, a Backstreet Boys obsession that goes awry.

You find out your partner has hidden thousands of dollars of debt. Now what?Jordan Rosenfeld is a writer. Follow her on Twitter @Jordanrosenfeld.  

Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman are very good friends. And as hosts of the podcast “Call Your Girlfriend,” and co-authors of “Big Friendship,” they’re also in business together. This week they sit down with Reema to talk about how work has changed their friendship and what they learned from couples therapy. Later, they join “The Group Chat” to answer listener questions about friendship and money.By the way, we’re still looking for your stories of hiding a purchase, some funds or anything else money-related from a romantic partner! Whether you are or were casually dating or married to this partner, we want to hear about it! Give us a call at 347-RING-TIU (347-746-4848).

Money gets complicated when a marriage falls apart. First, we’ll hear from a divorce lawyer who ends up representing herself. Then from a couple trying to plan for the day they hate each other.Plus: Have you hidden a purchase, some funds or anything else money related from your partner? We’re working on an episode about that, and whether you were casually dating or married, we want to hear about it! Give us a call at 347-RING-TIU (347-746-4848).

Marilyn worked hard to afford her own home. But when a sheriff showed up at her front door with a summons for eviction court, suddenly she was stuck trying to navigate a system with confusing rules.

One woman’s smile becomes a marker of poverty that feels impossible to escape.