In this episode of Weird Finance, Paco talks to Braxton Brewington about debtor’s unions and why they’re important, how debt is used as a form of power, how unions and collectives can work together and create leverage, debt strikes, and the state of student loans. Braxton Brewington is an organizer and spokesperson for the Debt Collective (@thdebtcollective) —the nation's first union of debtors. Braxton is a North Carolina native and proud North Carolina A&T State University graduate—the nation's largest HBCU. Braxton has worked on several local and national political campaigns from New Hampshire to Georgia. Most recently, Braxton has been working with the Debt Collective leading the charge to cancel student debt. Currently, Braxton is a Sociology PhD student at UNC Chapel Hill, where he'll be researching social movements and the media. This episode also features a segment called Slow and Steady with Leo by Leo Aquino (@queerandtranswealth), an award-winning author, poet, and anti-capitalist personal finance expert.  A special thanks to the talented and generous Ramsey Yount for producing, editing, and sound designing this episode.  Thank you to Gabe Sena and Jenna Parker for lending your voice to our special PSA.  The theme music was written and performed by Andrew Parker, Jenna Parker, and Paco de Leon. Stay in touch and sign up for Paco’s weekly email newsletter, The Nerdletter.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Weird Finance, Paco talks to Erin Lowry about her latest book, Broke Millennial Workbook, how she’s changed her advice on emergency fund savings, ways to move away from hyper-individualistic thinking to community-based thinking, how to have conversations with your parents about money, and advice for people who are struggling in the current economy. Erin Lowry (@brokemillennialblog) is the author of Broke Millennial, Broke Millennial Takes On Investing, Broke Millennial Talks Money and Broke Millennial Workbook. Her first book was named by MarketWatch as one of the best money books of 2017 and by Business Insider as one of the best personal finance books for 2020. Her second book was named one of the best self-help books for personal finance by VICE in 2022. She’s appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, CNBC and The Rachael Ray Show and quoted in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and has written for The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, USA Today and Bloomberg Opinion. Erin lives in New York City with her husband and their rambunctious dog. This episode also features Loose Change, a short segment where Chris Laughter talks to strangers to ask them their thoughts, feelings, and opinions about how we relate to money and one another. This week we’re exploring the link between money and happiness. A special thanks to the talented and generous Ramsey Yount for producing, editing, and sound designing this episode.  Thank you to my sweet wife, Jenn Pablo for lending your voice for our special PSA.  The theme music was written and performed by Andrew Parker, Jenna Parker, and Paco de Leon. Stay in touch and sign up for Paco’s weekly email newsletter, The Nerdletter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Weird Finance, Paco talks to Shaun Evaristo about the path he took to become a dancer and choreographer, how he’s overcome his fear of numbers and the idea that he’s bad with math, and how he’s navigating through the biggest loss of his career thus far. Shaun Evaristo (@shaunevaristo) is a Filipino American dancer and choreographer. He has worked with well-known artists such as Justin Bieber, Pharrell Williams, Miguel, Tae Yang, and much more. Creator of the dance brand Movement Lifestyle Shaun continues to carve in his craft using movement to access self discovery, creativity and expression. An international instructor for over 20 years, community will always lie at the heart of sharing his passion for dance.  This episode also features The Price Report, a short segment with Michael “Frosti” Snow (@FrostiFresh), where he takes us on a journey, examining the cost of one thing in the hopes that it helps us have a better understanding of well, everything. This week we’re exploring the cost of tipping. A special thanks to the talented and generous Ramsey Yount, for producing, editing, and sound designing this episode.  Thank you to Jenna Parker and Gabe Sena for lending your voices for our special PSA. The theme music was written and performed by Andrew Parker, Jenna Parker, and Paco de Leon. Stay in touch and sign up for Paco’s weekly email newsletter, The Nerdletter.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Weird Finance, Paco talks to Erin Levine about the value and importance of prenuptial agreements, advice on how to approach marriage to avoid divorce, how to talk to your partner about money, and the growing cost of divorce. Erin Levine is a lawyer turned founder of award-winning, venture capital-backed justice tech company, Hello Divorce. Erin is revolutionizing the broken divorce system by combining easy-to-use digital tools with integrated expert advice to make the divorce process more accessible, kinder, and a lot more affordable. This episode also features The Economic Outlook with financial astrologer Susan Gidel. This is a short segment where Susan, our resident economic cosmonaut, does what many humans have done before us for thousands of years: she looks to the stars to try to understand our economic present and predict our financial futures. For more guidance from Susan, sign up for her Red Letter Trading Days newsletter. A special thanks to the talented and generous Ramsey Yount for producing, editing, and sound designing this episode.  Thank you to Jenn Pablo for lending your voice for our special PSA. The theme music was written and performed by Andrew Parker, Jenna Parker, and Paco de Leon. Stay in touch and sign up for Paco’s weekly email newsletter, The Nerdletter.   Links & Resources 13 Questions to Ask Before Getting Married By Eleanor Stanford Why You Will Marry the Wrong Person By Alain de Botton How Much Does A Divorce Cost In 2023? Divorce costs can differ by thousands of dollars, depending on which state you reside in  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Weird Finance, Paco talks to Jay Handy about how we value art, having a meditation practice, starting an asset management firm, how art and investing intersect, art as an asset class, and the intrinsic value of art in our lives. Jay Handy has his MFA from the Lesley College of Art and Design and is an alum of Harvard Business School. He co-founded SignalPoint Asset Management, where he has been a financial advisor and senior portfolio strategist for 15 years and counting. Having personal experience with the power of support for overcoming hardship, Handy has volunteered with organizations to benefit causes such as reducing health and economic barriers to success. Handy was the president of The Odyssey Project and the founder of the Diabetes and Sports Foundation. Jay has built an international art career as a printmaker, with exhibitions in England, Greece, Spain, Italy, and India and his art publication in the Brazilian magazine Revista Literária Pixé, and included in prestigious exhibitions like the Florence Biennale. This episode also features a segment called Stock Watch with Amanda Holden (@dumpster.doggy). In this segment, we’ll follow a stock-picking competition between a dog named Henry, a cat named Hugo, and a human baby. If you’d like to learn more about investing from Amanda, sign up for her online course, Invested Development. A special thanks to the talented and generous Ramsey Yount for producing, editing, and sound designing this episode.  Thank you to Jenna Parker and Gabe Sena for lending your voices for our special PSA. The theme music was written and performed by Andrew Parker, Jenna Parker, and Paco de Leon. Stay in touch and sign up for Paco’s weekly email newsletter, The Nerdletter.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.