Friday Flight - Long Airport Lines, Rent In Installments, & Plasma Payday! #1119

Summary

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Podcast Summary: How to Money – Friday Flight #1119

Long Airport Lines, Rent In Installments & Plasma Payday!

Hosts: Joel and Matt
Date: March 27, 2026

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Overview

In this lively Friday Flight episode, best friends and co-hosts Joel and Matt tackle a week’s worth of personal finance stories impacting everyday people. From chaotic airport security lines to the rise of rent-in-installments schemes, the troubling evolution of personal loans and credit reporting, a debate on selling plasma for cash, and beyond, the duo provide their usual mix of humor, skepticism, and actionable tips.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tooth Fairy Economics (03:36–05:27)

• Rising Tooth Fairy Payouts: The average payout is $5.84 per tooth—prompting both hosts to question societal expectations.
  • Joel: “Is this the K-shaped economy in tooth fairy form?” (04:03)
  • Both hosts admit they give their own kids “a buck and a Kinder egg,” and see no reason to escalate.
  • Matt: “There’s something about rewarding something that feels inevitable that I don’t like.” (04:42)
• Behavioral Incentives: Discussion on how overpaying might incentivize undesirable behaviors, like kids trying to lose more teeth.

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2. Airport Security Chaos: Government Shutdown Fallout (05:58–10:59)

• TSA Walkouts: Widespread long lines due to a partial government shutdown—TSA agents are missing paychecks and not reporting to work.
  • Joel: “If someone stops paying me to do the job, I think I might stop as well.” (06:42)
• Practical Advice:
  • Use tools like Q Sensor to track real-time security wait times (better than the official TSA app).
  • Consider services like CLEAR for expedited security (though expensive, may be worth it for frequent travelers).
  • Matt: “CLEAR stock is up 60%—huge beneficiary here.” (08:33)
  • Some travel credit cards, especially top AMEX cards, will cover CLEAR fees—check benefits!
  • Travel insurance generally won’t cover missed flights due to TSA line delays.
• Billionaires Stepping In?: Elon Musk offered to pay TSA wages as a show of public spirit.
  • Matt: “Set a time limit—wait for Bezos to step up… an upward spiral of altruistic goodwill gestures.” (10:42)

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3. Rent in Installments: Buy Now, Pay Later Spreads (11:08–12:48)

• Affirm Breaks into Rent Payments: Some renters can now split monthly rent into biweekly payments (with fees).
  • Seen as “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) trend infiltrating largest monthly expenses.
  • Joel: “You might not get charged extra interest… but there appears to be a monthly service fee. …You’re going to pay more overall and your landlord might charge you an additional fee too. …Your financial life exists on a thinner margin. Just bad ultimate outcome.” (11:24)

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4. Accidental Landlords: The New Trend (12:48–16:44)

• Matt and Joel discuss homeowners unable to sell, turning to rent out instead.
  • Some speculate platforms like Zillow may push owners in this direction.
  • Caution: “Don’t immediately put on your passive income glasses—it’s not passive.” (14:16)
• Key Takeaway: Carefully assess if accidental landlording makes sense. Run the numbers, understand the part-time responsibility, and know possible tax implications.
  • Growing trend of regret among recent homebuyers facing unexpected costs and flat appreciation.

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5. Homeownership vs. Renting: Regret on the Rise (16:39–19:51)

• More buyers “house poor” after overextending in recent years.
  • Matt: “You see your 401k just kind of growing like gangbusters and you think, wait a minute, why am I even doing this [homeownership]?” (17:44)
• Forced savings via automatic 401k enrollment is changing the wealth-building landscape.
  • DIY repairs highlighted—Matt: “Swapping out a toilet was one of the earliest home projects I did…” (18:13)

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6. Student Loan Shakeup: Treasury Takes Over (19:51–20:57)

• US Treasury is starting to manage student loans, beginning with collections on defaulted accounts.
  • Cautious optimism, but both hosts expect a confusing rollout with underwhelming customer service.
  • Joel: “It’s likely going to be confusing… not the most streamlined, smooth operator kind of process…” (20:42)

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7. The Explosion of Personal Loans—and Why They’re Problematic (21:09–23:35)

• Personal loan use is at a record high for debt consolidation, but interest rates are still in double digits.
  • Joel: “Personal loans suck. …It’s just another debt vehicle people are adding to the Titanic of their personal finances.” (21:54)
• Analogy to Titanic's wooden door: Not the lifeline people expect.
  • Notable moment: Awkward aside about watching Titanic’s “paint me” scene with parents as a teen.

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8. Credit Bureaus Failing Consumers (27:57–34:06)

• ProPublica Report: Experian resolved only 1% of complaints in 2025, up only to 20% in 2024 (still poor). Equifax is doing comparatively better.
  • Joel: “There’s just no cop on the beat… consumers have little leeway.” (30:46)
• Why It Matters: Incorrect reports can raise mortgage and insurance costs—on average, 24% higher premiums with low credit scores.
• Practical Tips:
  • Use AnnualCreditReport.com for free, federally compliant reports.
  • File complaints with individual bureaus and with ConsumerFinance.gov, even if chance of resolution is slim.

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9. Plasma “Donation” for Cash: Side Hustle or Symptom? (34:06–38:21)

• Selling Plasma is big business—not truly a donation, as you’re paid.
  • Centers now appear in wealthier suburbs, signaling middle-class financial stress.
  • Some new donors can earn $800+ in the first month (with time/visit limits).
  • Plasma Pay Calculator can show local rates.
  • Matt: “If it’s one time [for $1,000], I think I’m gonna do it.” (37:50)
  • Notable moment: Extended friendly banter over the calculator’s accuracy.
  • Caution: Not everyone qualifies to donate (e.g., tattoos may disqualify).
  • Joel: “I hate the fact that some people feel like that’s the only way they can make ends meet.” (37:22)
• Broader Context: Medical debt and health insurance coverage are worsening, pushing more people toward side hustles, borrowing, or skipping care. Check out resources like $4 for potential medical debt forgiveness.

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10. Oil, Plastics & Costs Rippling Through the Economy (41:03–42:08)

• Polyethylene (key to plastics) costs are rising amid ongoing war and oil supply shocks.
• Matt: “The longer the war drags on… we’re going to start to see more prices increase…” (41:28)
  • Not just gas—expect ripple effects in many consumer categories if disruptions continue.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Tooth Fairy Logic:
  Matt (04:42): “There’s something about rewarding something that feels inevitable that I don’t like.”
• On Travel Credit Cards and CLEAR:
  Matt (09:29): “A lot of the higher end AMEX cards… include [CLEAR].”
• On Rent in Installments:
  Joel (11:24): “Your financial life exists on a thinner margin. Just bad ultimate outcome.”
• On DIY Homeownership:
  Matt (18:13): “Swapping out a toilet was one of the earliest home projects I did…”
• On Plasma Sales as a Symptom:
  Joel (37:22): “I hate the fact that some people feel like that’s… the only way they can make ends meet.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tooth Fairy Economics: 03:36–05:27
• Airport Security Chaos: 05:58–10:59
• Rent in Installments: 11:08–12:48
• Accidental Landlords: 12:48–16:44
• Homeownership Regret: 16:39–19:51
• Student Loan Update: 19:51–20:57
• Personal Loan Surge: 21:09–23:35
• Credit Bureau Failings: 27:57–34:06
• Plasma Side Hustle Debate: 34:06–38:21
• Oil & Economic Ripple Effects: 41:03–42:08

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Tone & Style

Joel and Matt deliver practical advice with accessible humor and friendly skepticism, always questioning mainstream trends and “innovations” in the finance space. The show mixes light banter, actionable takeaways, and the reminder that living richly means making informed and purposeful decisions with (and sometimes in spite of) the system.

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For resources and calculators mentioned, visit the episode page at howtomoney.com.

Transcript

[Joel]

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[Matt]

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[Joel]

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[Matt]

By the way. Yeah, big league reliability for your small business? Well, that's genius. Meet [e-mail] welcome to how to Money. I'm Joel and I am Matt, Today

[Joel]

we're talking long airport lines, rent and installments, and plasma pay.

[Matt]

Yeah, buddy. This is our Friday flights, the little compilation of the different headlines from the past week that we're gonna get to, specifically how they pertain to your finances. And I will say I'm excited to talk about plasma plasma paydays.

[Joel]

But it's not like a plasma gun like you'd see in some sort of sci fi novel. This is like.

[Matt]

Or a plasma torch, actually.

[Joel]

Your body produces.

[Matt]

I wanted a plasma torch when I was in college.

[Joel]

I don't even know what that is. Is that like a welding tool?

[Matt]

Uh huh. Okay. Yeah. Cause I was wanting to be able to work. It all makes sense when I share some of these things with you. Right, Joel?

[Joel]

Yes. It's like little pieces to the puzzle of what makes you you.

[Matt]

You've got to know here about the tooth fairy. Have we talked about the tooth fairy recently?

[Joel]

It's been a while. Well, but this comes out every year, like what the average tooth fairy payout is.

[Matt]

So we have. But it's been a year.

[Joel]

Yes, it's probably been almost exactly a year.

[Matt]

Old man shaking fists at sky territory of like, I can't believe it's been a year.

[Joel]

But like, you know the amount, because I wrote it on our outline here. But like, if you.

[Matt]

Is that really the average amount? $5.84.

[Joel]

Okay, which.

[Matt]

$5.84, that's the new going rate. Sounds like a lot. Evidently for the tooth fairy.

[Joel]

But if that's the average, I mean, some people paying like 10 bucks for a tooth, and I mean, that is how averages work. Is this the K shaped economy in tooth fairy form? Are the. Are the rich getting richer and paying loads of money for.

[Matt]

No.

[Joel]

To their kids who are losing teeth or.

[Matt]

I don't know. I wonder if folks. If folks exaggerate how much, because maybe they feel guilty for maybe only giving their kid a buck, which is what I do. And I will say, do you feel guilty? No. Okay.

[Joel]

Me neither.

[Matt]

I. Unabash. Is that what y' all do? Y' all do a buck?

[Joel]

A buck and a Kinder egg? Yeah.

[Matt]

Okay. Yeah. The candy to like, help with the right teeth.

[Joel]

Exactly.

[Matt]

We do. We do a buck.

[Joel]

That's a way to make it fun

[Matt]

in a nicely written note. But no. I feel zero pressure at all from society to say, oh, tooth fairy should be paying out a little bit more. And you want to know why? I was thinking about it. There's something about rewarding something that feels inevitable that I don't like. Right. Like, I want to save my. And like, I'm not. I'm not going to not celebrate a kid's birthday. That's inevitable too.

[Joel]

Right.

[Matt]

There's certain sort of things.

[Joel]

I guess if you were to take that logic to the extent.

[Matt]

But I do want to make sure that I'm putting emphasis on the things that they have more control over, the things that they work hard for, where they've sacrificed, you know, like all the things that I want to see more of. Let's encourage those types of behavior and not make a huge fuss over.

[Joel]

Over the tooth fairy. Start paying more for teeth. Maybe they start punching the good ones

[Matt]

out, you know, don't want to incentivize them to do the wrong things. That's right.

[Joel]

That's probably a good reason not to pay too much.

[Matt]

Yeah. So I don't know.

[Joel]

I'm curious. I love hearing from how to money listeners. So if you have a reason, if you pay tons or a lot more than we pay and you have a good reason for it, let us know.

[Matt]

Or if they take a completely different approach, they might do something I don't. I would love to hear a completely outside of the box approach to dealing with those teeth and what the tooth fairy actually does, you know, because it. It's kind of weird. If you think about it, though, you

[Joel]

turned them into a society and it

[Matt]

looks great as the society that we do this. Yeah. Should we get into it? We talking about the. Let's do it.

[Joel]

The war. Well, let's start talking about the airport. There's a war at the airport, man. Or at least at some airports.

[Matt]

War to make the country make your. Make your flight on time.

[Joel]

Exactly, exactly. I got a text from a friend yesterday who was at the airport in Ohio mega early, and he was like, oh, actually the TSA line wasn't too bad. So I've got like three hours to kill in the terminal. He got there super early. But yes, long lines at the airports around the country are a thing because a lot of TSA workers aren't showing up. And why aren't TSA workers showing up? Well, because they're not getting paid because they're missing paychecks because of a partial government shutdown. And so I do not personally blame the TSA agents, Matt. I think if. If someone stops paying. Paying me to do the job, I

[Matt]

think I might stop as well.

[Joel]

Yeah. At some point.

[Matt]

How many lists? Don't you worry. We will still be there for you, even if we have a falling out with the network. That's Right, that's right.

[Joel]

Even if they're like, we're not paying

[Matt]

you a dime, we'll still find a way to do it. It might look different, let's be honest. But yeah, we like what we do.

[Joel]

Exactly. But yeah, so that the president sent ICE agents in to take over some of the duties. But you know, it takes months to train a TSA agent. And so this could actually cause problems down the line for World cup stuff like that when we just have fewer TSA agents when we need them. But yeah, a lot of travelers missed flights or showed up super early. They're waiting in multi hour lines. Some of the airlines have been accommodating, but this is obviously just a frustrating, frustrating thing for the airlines and for travelers alike. And so I think it's really important to check the, the wait lines before you head to the airport. The security wait lines. There's a site called Q Sensor.

[Matt]

Yes. Which Q Sensor is amazing.

[Joel]

It's way better than using the TSA app, which I don't even know. Maybe the guy who runs the TSA app isn't working either right now. So check out Q Sensor.

[Matt]

I can't get the TSA app to download. Oh yeah, the guy that normally takes care of that. He's not showing up.

[Joel]

Yeah, exactly. He's at home watching Jerry Springer.

[Matt]

Q Sensor is amazing. Like, I'm not totally sure where they're getting this data. Like it's a. I think it's a combination. I was trying to look, look into it. It's a combination of actual government agencies, but then also sort of like a real time on the ground like Waze or GasBuddy where for people are providing the information. More of the crowdsourced approach. But yeah, totally check that out.

[Joel]

Which is cool. Yeah. So. Oh, and one other thing I guess people can do if they've got extra cash they want to spend to avoid lines is sign up for clear. It's instead of like TSA Precheck. This is a private security program. And TSA Precheck lines are shut down in many airports right now too because they're consolidating. And clear stock Matt is up 60%.

[Matt]

I also saw that because they're a huge beneficiary. People are going to say, wait a minute, why are you all talking about a single stock here? Because y' all are all about indexing and chill. But this would have been a perfect instance of using some of that play money, like the 5% or less. Some of that play money. This is totally the kind of thing Where I'll buy a singular share of a company just as a speculative. That. Yeah, yeah, just for funsies. But it doesn't surprise me at all that they're going through the roof.

[Joel]

And I think it's what, like $210 though?

[Matt]

209. Yeah, it's fairly expensive. But if you can skip a multi hour long line, use it to breeze through the airport on future occasions for the rest of the year, then it might be worth it. I was going to say one of the reasons I also like clear because it's going more in the sort of privatized direction. So the libertarian inside of me is like fist pumping a little bit there, but.

[Joel]

And people who have it and travel frequently, they swear, oh, totally worth it.

[Matt]

Yes. I rarely travel like you, but. Oh, I wanted to mention some credit cards. Travel credit cards in particular will pay for your clear membership. It's either included or you get a clear credit. A lot of the higher end AMEX cards in particular include that. So be sure to check that out. And we've been asked about whether long security lines make travel insurance more appealing. And the answer is no. Travel insurance, it almost never covers you. If you miss the flight because the security line was long, like that's typically on you. The only way you'd be covered is if you got a cancel for any reason type of insurance, which is much more expensive. Standard policies, they won't get you anywhere. And a final note, I saw that Elon said he's going to, he's going to offer to potentially pay TSA workers in order to bring them back. Which I'm like, this is the direction. I want to see more billionaires going in the direction of more public, like, oh, how can I step in here to bridge the gap a little bit?

[Joel]

So if you're gonna have all that money, maybe endear us to you by doing something good for humanity. And right now travelers would, I think even people who are like anti elon might come around just a little bit if he started paying the TSA agents out of his own pocket. They came back to work and the line started flowing again.

[Matt]

Yeah, set a time limit. Just say, hey, I'm gonna pay for all TSA workers for the next week. And then wait for the, wait, wait for Bezos to step up. Right? Like, and then it becomes this competition, this upward spiral of billionaires, some altruistic goodwill gestures towards the Americans.

[Joel]

You're gonna, you're gonna pay TSA workers for a week, Matt?

[Matt]

Dude, I could pay TSA workers for like three seconds. And then all my money's gone. That's right.

[Joel]

If you don't like the price of rent, well, you now have an option to make it feel like less of a slap in the face. Rent now, pay later. Of course, Matt is now a thing. The buy now, buy now, pay later. Ification of everything is finally here. And you can now do this with your biggest monthly expense, which is your rent. And so this is not shocking, but it is saddening. Right? I was not like, whoa, can't believe they did this. This feels crazy, but it does. It is a huge bummer. When I read about a firm getting into the rent payment space, the rollout. It's small currently, but more renters are likely going to see an option to split their rent payment into bi weekly amounts instead of the traditional model where rent is due in full on the 1st of the month in the near future. I get why this sounds appealing to renters, but that also doesn't mean it's in their best interest or in the best interest of their finances because you might not get charged extra interest. This is how BNPL gets people over and over. But there appears to be a monthly service fee for this offering that essentially the pleasure, the ability to get to delay means you're going to pay more overall and your landlord might charge you an additional fee too. I think of this, Matt, as very similar to those paycheck advance loans where they ask for a tip. But that tip is often, if you were to extrapolate it to if this was an interest rate basically on my income, it would be exorbitant. You get used then to the arrival of your paycheck early or you get used to stretching out your rent payments and your financial life essentially then exists on a thinner margin. Just bad ultimate outcome.

[Matt]

Yeah, there is no buffer at all. While we're talking about where we live, Joel, we're seeing an uptick in accidental landlords. And so this is happening by folks who are putting their home on the market. They're not getting the price that they're wanting. And so then they are listing that house for rent on Zillow, which makes sense, you know, like you're already spending a whole lot of time on Zillow anyway. And I would actually. Man, I wouldn't be surprised if this is even. This is more speculative. This isn't news sharing. This is me just putting my tinfoil hat on. It wouldn't surprise me if Zillow's. If there's some sort of feature where they're rolling this out as an option to folks who have listed their house and be like, hey, by the way, do you know that you could potentially get this much? And then all of a sudden folks eyes are getting big and they're doing the math and they're thinking, oh, oh,

[Joel]

your house is really on the market for 60 plus days. Don't you want to consider renting it instead? Exactly. Maybe, maybe Zillow could do that.

[Matt]

Yeah, that's, I'm speculating here. I will say this is an awesome way to get into rental real estate. Turning your primary home into a rental property. That's awesome. If you're so inclined. But I do think a lot of home sellers are a little unrealistic about how much their home might be fetching on the rental market right now.

[Joel]

Or even just on the housing market. Like they, they listed at 800 grand because they saw their neighbor get that and they don't realize, well, actually it's probably more like 765.

[Matt]

Yeah, it is.

[Joel]

And the appreciation is still massive. But they opt to make a big life decision here because.

[Matt]

Because, well, that's the difference.

[Joel]

Their home's not worth quite as much as they thought.

[Matt]

Yeah, exactly. And it's not that I don't think it's super hard to be a landlord, it's just that it takes a good amount of time because you gotta, you need to make sure you properly vet a tenant. You gotta deal with vacancy, any repairs. Maybe that's less of an issue if you've had your home listed because hopefully you've addressed some of the underlying things that you thought might be the most problematic. But then on top of that, there's also tax consequences if you end up running it out for too long. And so I would say you really got to crunch the numbers if you are so inclined to do this. I would say, like, I want more people to give this a shot. I think you should give it a go if that's something that you want to do. If you are willing to sign up for a part time job. Because don't immediately just put on your passive income glasses and see everything as a passive income here. It's not a passive income. It certainly takes a good amount of time. There are more and more tools out there that are making it easier. But basically you're still signing up for a part time gig.

[Joel]

Yeah, I think to boil it down, count the cost, know what you're getting into. Eyes wide open. The accidental landlord thing. I kind of thought of myself that way, Matt, with my first rental property, but only because the numbers were so overwhelmingly good because I paid so little for the home to begin with. And, and so I was like, well, I'd be an idiot not to do this, but I think a lot of other people are saying, well, I didn't quite get the price that I wanted. Maybe I got an offer or two, but they were just not quite as high as I'd like, so maybe I should rent this out instead. And they don't really know what they're getting into and then it ends up being a mistake ultimately for them because they're not fully prepared. So be fully prepared if you go this route. And man, I think homeownership is just, you need to think long and hard about whether it's for you or not. In general, we're seeing more tales of regret from people who wanted to own a home but overextended themselves in order to make it happen, especially people who purchased a home in the last couple of years. Matt, there's a lot of people who are like, I'm trying to get out of this, or I didn't realize it came with all the burns and hassles that come along with home ownership. And anybody who's owned a home would tell you, oh, yeah, no, it's like there's part time job aspects to owning a home as well. Right? There's. And if you rent that, it just doesn't exist in nearly the same way. So I think homeownership is a great goal. But yeah, you're like, you're like, when's

[Matt]

the guy going to show up to fix the dishwasher?

[Joel]

Right? Oh, wait a minute, I got a. I'm that guy.

[Matt]

That's me. Or have to schedule it or I have to pay somebody to do that. That's the. Yeah, I think that's one of the things. I mean, obviously people know that when, you know when you move from a rental to a home that you own, you're more responsible for. But I think it's a combination too of the fact that we've seen prices plateau essentially, and maybe it felt worth it as you continued to see the number increase. And you're like, okay, well, it's worth it. You feel, I mean, you are wealthier because of the equity that's being built in that home. But I think it's the combination of the fact that that's sort of leveled off a little bit. So you're not seeing the equity growth in that. So you're not seeing your net worth grow, while at the same time we've Seen the number of folks who are auto enrolled and especially work sponsored retirement plans like that has become this sort of automatic default thing. Right. Like the reason that homeownership has been such a a win for Americans over the decades is because of the fact that it's a forced method of savings. And essentially we're getting that more and more with workplace retirement accounts with the 401s. And so on one hand there's this thing that takes a ton of work. It's a hassle, A lot of folks don't enjoy doing it. On the other hand, you see your 401k just kind of like growing like gangbusters and you think, wait a minute, why am I even doing this? Not to mention I saw. So the article you're referencing is from the Cut and one of the people they talked to was like, man, we got a new toilet, but we can't even get a plumber out here to install the toilet. It's just funny because it's not because

[Joel]

they no plumber would return their calls. It's because they can't afford to have someone come out to put.

[Matt]

It's expensive, it's tough to find. It's finding good work. But that's. It's helpful to be able to take on some of these projects. Like literally swapping out a toilet was one of the earliest home projects I did on the first property that we purchased as an investment property. It's not that hard. You just unbolt that sucker, pull it up, scrape off the wax ring, put a new one. You know, new tools even, they even come with a wax ring. Like it's all there. There's nothing overly complicated about it. And I don't know, sometimes it takes just a little bit of trial and error and kind of figuring your way through it.

[Joel]

You're right. I think some people who bought a home in the last couple years, they're frustrated because they're like, the price run up hasn't been what it was over the last decade.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Joel]

And when things level out and your home equity is not growing, you're like, I thought that was the ticket to building wealth. You know what the said over many years that it's not necessarily the ticket. And then also maybe people bit off more than they could chew and so they're a little house poor. Which feels kind of like tying an anvil around your waist. You're like, I'm stuck to this thing. It's nice. I like the house maybe, but it's not the financial, it's not providing the financial benefit that I thought and actually it's costing me more than I would have hoped as well.

[Matt]

Totally agree. Yeah. This reminds me of conversations I remember having with friends who, after the Great Recession and the housing bust, these, it was a similar kind of conversation where they saw folks getting burned. And so with that they opted to rent for a number of years. And there can be several reasons why you make that decision. But they also missed out on buying when there was, when the opportunity was the best. Yeah. And I don't know. That's something I think about too. How we're impacted by recent events and how that shapes how we view things, especially something as big as the purchasing of a home.

[Joel]

100%.

[Matt]

Let's talk about student loans, Joel. Because the. The Treasury Department is officially taking over student loans. The Department of Education announced at the end of last week that it's finally happening. It will be done in phases. So the first phase is going to include collecting on debt that is in default. The government's going to use private collection agencies as a way of attempting to essentially like rehabilitate borrowers who are behind and then transfer of all student loans. And the different financial aid programs are going to take place after that. So we'll see how it, how it unfolds, how they roll it out. It's likely going to be confusing and as we see with a lot of things where the government's involved, it's not oftentimes the most streamlined, smooth operator kind of process that takes place and getting

[Joel]

that customer service right. If you, if you're having an issue, it could, could be perilous or non existent. So yeah, I'm curious to see how this shakes out.

[Matt]

I'm not super excited to see. Probably going to be how folks are going to get burned.

[Joel]

A lot of frustrated borrowers.

[Matt]

Yeah. Let's talk about if it doesn't work out that way then. All right. Yeah, I'm pumped. But it's just not the, I mean, come on. The government set their expectations. They've set the bar as to what our expectations should be when it comes to executing something like this.

[Joel]

Well, well, another kind of debt map. Personal loans. They are the hot new debt product. They are the Hansel of Zoolander of debt. Right. And so TransUnion has some new numbers out and they're basically saying that personal loans are being taken out in record numbers right now for a lot of people it's the goal of getting a personal loan is to consolidate debt. Right. So that they pay less interest. Like well, if I turn My credit card debt into a personal loan. Well, I'm making out like a bandit. Right. Because it's a lower interest rate attached to a personal loan than what you pay on a credit card. But personal loans suck. We don't like personal loans at all. Our friends at Money Management international report that 40% of folks who come to them have a personal loan now, versus only 27% just a few years ago. So more and more people. It's just another debt vehicle that people are adding on to the Titanic of their personal finances. That is. That is sinking into the cold, cold ocean. And these average interest rates on personal loans for folks with great credit are still in double digits. So, like, if you. Matt, wanted to go get a personal loan, you're probably still paying, like 12 or 13%, like, not very attractive. It's better than most credit cards.

[Matt]

It's better than credit. Yeah. If. If the. If. Yeah. Personal loans are around 12, and I think average credit cards are around 19. So it's. I mean, it's significant. Yeah. But it is not the golden ticket that I think a lot of people think. Think it is. Like, that's the difference. If you. If you're looking to borrow your Titanic reference, if you are. If you view these personal loans as the wooden door that you think you're

[Joel]

gonna be able to cling to in

[Matt]

the cold, cold water. I don't. It is not. Yeah. I don't think things are gonna. You're gonna end up more like.

[Joel]

I'll never let Jack. I still remember seeing that. Seeing that movie in the theaters with my parents. I don't think I've ever seen it all the way.

[Matt]

So awkward. I've.

[Joel]

Then it got to the paint me Jack scene sitting next to my mom.

[Matt]

Yeah. It's not that they're inherently evil personal loans, but if you are, again, clinging to those as your only lifeline, you got to have a plan. You certainly've gotta have a plan. And unfortunately, I think people are putting too much weight on the personal loan as how they're gonna be able to escape it when in reality, there's that underlying behavioral change that needs to take place also. Joel, I wish I could have been there. Right on the other side of you.

[Joel]

I wish I wasn't there with your mom. I still like that memory is. It's seared into my brain. Oh, man.

[Matt]

All right.

[Joel]

I don't think my mom remembers it, but for me, it's like, the most awkward thing ever.

[Matt]

Next time we hang out, all of us together, I'm going to Ask her. Just do you remember going to see Titanic with Joel when he was 12 year old? Yeah. Or however old you were. All right, we've got more to get to. We're going to talk about the story. I'm most excited about selling plasma. We'll get to that and more right after this.

[Joel]

For small businesses, every hire matters, but the time and resources required to hire right are Limited. Luckily, LinkedIn Hiring Pro is built for that reality. It's your hiring partner designed to help you hire with confidence by surfacing only the right candidates without turning hiring into another full time job.

[Matt]

Yeah, posting a job, that's not always the hard part. It's the finding, connecting with and screening the right candidates. Hiring Pro streamlines the entire process from drafting your job to shortlisting candidates and conducting AI powered interviews for initial screenings, all through a conversational interface that lets you describe what you need in plain language. Nearly 60% of hires find a candidate to interview within a week. With Hiring Pro, you spend less time searching and more time connecting with the right talent.

[Joel]

Hire right the first time, post your first job and get $100 off towards your job. [e-mail] howtomoney that's LinkedIn.com how to how to Money Terms and conditions apply.

[Matt]

We are a gardening family. Well, at least Kate and I are. It's a tough sell for the kids and spring is such a rewarding time of year as we see the new spurts of growth. Right? We're tracking the fresh baby buds. We begin to enjoy some of the

[Joel]

fruits of our labor.

[Matt]

But it is a constant labor of love truly pruning in the off season to weeding, making room for new growth and plants. Now we got to stay on top of it. We have a renewed sense of responsibility and that is also how we should be thinking about protecting the life that that we've built for our family. It is a priority for us and luckily policygenius makes finding the right life insurance policy a breeze.

[Joel]

Policygenius is an online insurance marketplace that allows you to compare quotes from some of America's top insurers side by side for free. Their licensed team helps you get what you need fast so you can get on with your life. You can easily find what you need in terms of coverage, amounts, prices, terms. No guesswork, just a lot of clarity.

[Matt]

Protect your family with a policy that grows with your life. With Policygenius you can see if you can find 20 year life insurance policies starting at just $276 a year for $1 million in coverage. Head to Policygenius.com to compare life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save. That's policygenius.com struggling to see up close? Make it visible with Viz. VIZ is a once daily prescription eye drop to treat blurry near vision for up to 10 hours. The most common side effects that may be experienced while using VIZ include eye irritation, temporary dim or dark vision, headaches and eye redness. Talk to an eye doctor to learn if VIZ is right for you. Learn [e-mail] I love to travel and

[Joel]

one of the most rewarding experiences of my life was traveling all around Australia. I hit up the great city of Melbourne. The coffee scene was incredible. Had my first flat white there and now it's my morning drink of choice. I took a lovely road trip down to the 12 apostles, which is a beautiful collection of limestone rocks jutting out of the ocean, catching some breathtaking views on the Great Ocean Road. And of course I found a great local brewery, the Great Ocean Road Brew House. Snagged a couple of delicious beers and I've still got that T shirt. I even hopped on a plane to visit the delightful island of Tasmania. Hobart is one of my all time favorite towns and visiting the Mona while there was one of my highlights. My trip to Australia was one of the best investments I've ever made. I loved every minute. The wildlife, the culture, the people and those memory dividends of our epic excursion. They keep paying off every time I see a picture of that trip or I reminisce with my travel companions. Australia is a destination that proves joy and financial wisdom can go hand in hand. Explore more destinations in Australia and start planning your memorable [e-mail] all right, we're back. Matty, let's get to the ludicrous headline of the week. This One comes from ProPublica and the headline reads Credit Bureaus are leaving more Mistakes on Frustrated Consumers Reports under Trump's cfpb.

[Matt]

Matt, CFPB being the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Yeah, of course we've talked about them.

[Joel]

We actually interviewed the man who was at the helm of the CFPB in its heyday and in its infancy.

[Matt]

Previous president. President. Was he considered the president or like the chief CEO?

[Joel]

Yeah, I forget what you call the what the term for the leader of that agency is, but he, the chief Protector, Richard Courtray was awesome, man. He was such a good dude and they, they did a lot of good work under his tenure at the CFPB. But the CFPB is not the same institution in 2026 as it was when he was at the helm. And there have always been, by the way, problems with credit bureaus not removing credit report errors. When people notify them. The. The credit bureaus are. We're not their customer as individuals, so they're not attentive to our needs. If we say, hey, there's a problem in my credit report, they're like, you're not. I don't care. Like, go away. You're bothering me. And so the problem is getting worse, though. Like, it's. It's worse than it has ever been. The bureaus are less responsive than ever before. And the CFPB used to hold TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. They used to hold their feet to the fire, but not so much these days. The number of total complaints has risen substantially. But cases where the bureaus fix the problem have dropped off a cliff. So here's a data point, Matt, that I found interesting in this report from ProPublica. Experian resolved 20% of complaints in 2024, which is not good. Right? That's bad. 20%. It's pretty rough. But guess how many they resolved last year.

[Matt]

Oh, I know.

[Joel]

1%. It's horrendous.

[Matt]

It's awful. Yeah.

[Joel]

I mean, you can't make that up.

[Matt]

Yeah, I will say.

[Joel]

I guess you could, but you. Yeah, but it's really.

[Matt]

But why would you. That's real. When the data is there for you, you don't even have to lie, Joel. That's right. I will say. I'm gonna give props. I'm gonna give credit to where credit's due. That was specifically with Experian.

[Joel]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Equifax, which. Who we've. I mean, hammered before in the past. They're our local credit reporting agencies, our

[Joel]

local friendly cred in Atlanta.

[Matt]

They've actually kept up with. With complaints. So they're. You don't see the fall off with them specifically. So I don't know if it's the

[Joel]

other two that are.

[Matt]

If it's more.

[Joel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Matt]

So TransUnion, they have seen a decrease. Not nearly as much as Experian, though. So Equifax is like, okay, business as usual. TransUnion, you see a slight decline, and then Experian. I don't know what's going on over there, man. But they're totally like, just like, okay, we're going to fire everybody and just keep breaking in the money. Perhaps. I don't know exactly how the business model. I mean, I know how the business model model works, but who is being Incentivized to not be responsive in this case. Yeah. Not to put my tinfoil hat on again, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's somebody who's quite friendly with the current administration. That's all I'm going to say.

[Joel]

Well, and there's just no cop on the beat to say, Experian, you got to do your job, you got to do better. And consumers have little leeway. They have no place to turn when Experian, like tells them to leave them alone or just refuses to answer their queries. So big problem. There's sadly not a lot of a solution here.

[Matt]

Yeah. And it has a big impact on, you know, we talk about personal finance here. So this stretches, it has ripple effects to, you know, a lot of different aspects of life.

[Joel]

And for a lot of people, Matt, think about that. For some people, they've already used their credit score. They bought the house, they bought the car they wanted or whatever. They're not planning on making a big purchase. And so their credit score is important, but it's not, you know, an 80 point ding because of incorrect information isn't going to ruin their life. But other people find out what you, their, what their credit score is in a time of need where their, where their credit is being pulled. And then they're like, actually you don't get the loan, you don't get the home, or you're paying a much higher rate because of this, of this information, of what we're seeing, even though that information is inaccurate. So I can't imagine how frustrating that would be to be in the process of making one of the biggest purchases of your life and then getting turned away because their credit bureaus are so bad at their job.

[Matt]

That's right. That's why I would recommend to check out that annual credit report that you can actually get weekly, man, proactively ahead of time before, you know, dig that well before you need it.

[Joel]

And it's important to mention that's the only website federally guaranteed to get your credit report for free.

[Matt]

That's right. So another instance of how this is going to impact you, your home insurance rates are going to be meaningfully impacted as well. There is an analysis of 70 million homeowner policies and they found that homeowners with low credit scores pay on average 24% more for identical coverage than someone who has a really good score. So if you're buying a home and your credit score isn't that great, not only will your monthly payment increase because of higher interest rates, your mortgage rate, but you're gonna like you're adding insult to injury because a bigger chunk of your escrow is gonna be going to homeowners insurance as well. And so it's just like a double whammy of bad news when it comes to in particular, I mean, and there's some folks, unfortunately, and like a lower score is warranted, you know, they haven't handled it well. It's just the reality of the system. I don't love the system, but it's the reality of it. But even worse though are instances of folks where their scores and the reports have incorrect information and they're being substantially harmed from having to pay more for virtually everything related to owning a home.

[Joel]

I think it's still wise for people to check their reports and to file a complaint with each individual credit bureau if they see a mistake in hopes that there will be a correction. Right. And you might, in case of Equifax, you're more likely to actually have them

[Matt]

interviewed on your behalf and roughly 20 to 30% chance of having that fixed.

[Joel]

Yeah. So it's not nothing. And then if you do have an issue, I would still file a complaint with. At consumer finance.gov, you're just less likely to have someone take your complaint seriously and do something about it in 2026 than you would have been back in the day. And I know that's just a frustrating place to be. So I would still continue that. Go, go about that process though, the way it exists. If you're having an issue, but man, is it going to get fixed? Well, it's less likely than before.

[Matt]

Less likely. All right, Joe, let's talk about plasma.

[Joel]

Let's go.

[Matt]

This is something we've talked about in the past as a side hustle. You specifically did this while you were in college. I did recall you mentioning that. We've got listeners who have emailed us about their plasma selling endeavors, like just even to have some extra cash on hand. But the times they had an article about middle class folks who feel forced into selling plasma just to get by. So new data finds that plasma donation centers are increasingly open in like fancier, nicer parts of town, like, like wealthier suburbs and more expensive neighborhoods within cities. And man, the fact is. So I hate that folks are doing it because they feel like they need to do that in order to get by. But I not going to lie, I do like the opportunity for folks here because you can make some pretty decent money by donating plasma. In the article, they're talking about folks who are making over $500 a month by going fairly regularly, which is usually

[Joel]

two times a week. And it's about an hour per visit. So if you do that. Yeah, that's not an insignificant amount of money.

[Matt]

It's not. But we'll link to a calculator. This is an awesome calculator. It's called Plasma Pay Calculator. And you can actually see how much you can make to find donation centers that are close to you. And, of course, this is why I'm excited, Joel, because I looked into it, and in our area, do you know how much I can make?

[Joel]

I think I looked at $800 plus dollars.

[Matt]

Yes. A month.

[Joel]

Pretty nuts.

[Matt]

Close to $1,000 a month. And this is going once a month?

[Joel]

No.

[Matt]

Yes.

[Joel]

No, not going once a month.

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

Yes.

[Joel]

There's no way.

[Matt]

I'm telling you, I don't. Maybe the calculator is broken. But I put in, I input my information, and because usually there's like.

[Joel]

If you go once a week, the first payout is smaller. If you go twice in that week, the second payout's bigger. So they're incentivizing you to come twice.

[Matt]

Okay, maybe the calculator was broken, but I would encourage folks to check it

[Joel]

out because there's only once a month.

[Matt]

Once a month. And it had.

[Joel]

The calculator's broken. We shouldn't recommend this calculator. There's no way. Or if it is, please go prove this, because I will join you.

[Matt]

So I've never done this before, so I saw that, and my eyes got big. Okay, so maybe we'll just make a pact. If it truly is that much like we should be going and donating plasma, which, by the way, we shouldn't call it donating plasma. Why? Because it's not donating. You donate clothes to a shelter. Who needs clothing? You donate food to a food kitchen. This is business. Like, do you. People who are listening, you don't drive into the office to donate some of your time to the company that you work for. There's not people who are donating their services. No, no, this is. This is a. It's a side gig, you know? Like, this is. This is purely business. Donating implies, like, you're doing it out of just the goodwill of your heart to be able to further society. And that's not what's going on here.

[Joel]

That's all right. And I think you're.

[Matt]

I mean, small quibble with the term.

[Joel]

Yeah. People who don't mind trading their time and plasma for cash go for it. I guess. You're right, though. Matt, you mentioned this. I hate the fact that some people feel like that's. They're compelled to. Like that's the only way they can make ends meet is to go give their plasma away for money. Because how else am I gonna pay the mortgage or the rent this month? That's. That's super sad. And I think.

[Matt]

Okay, so I just. I just pulled up the calculator again because it was such. You were the force in which you were shutting down my host. So it has to do with the fact that I guess I'm a new donor.

[Joel]

So maybe for the first month you make some.

[Matt]

You're making, like, double or something like that. So he says new donors are earning 8 to 1200 in their first month.

[Joel]

So even still, that's really impressive in their first month, but not one visit in the month.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joel]

Okay. Maybe there's some sort of sick bonus for.

[Matt]

I'm just saying.

[Joel]

All right.

[Matt]

If it's. If it's one time, I'm. I think I'm gonna do it.

[Joel]

Do it, man.

[Matt]

A thousand bucks.

[Joel]

I think I remember when I sit

[Matt]

there, have a chat, talk to somebody, listen to my audiobook.

[Joel]

I can't remember. I thought at least when I donated plasma, you couldn't have tattoos. And I know you don't have any tattoos. I don't have any tattoos either. But for those out there who are like, oh, maybe I will do this to make some extra money. I don't know if you can still donate plasma if you have tattoos, so look into that too.

[Matt]

Yeah, it doesn't. That's not an input. They just have, like, your weight and some of the other things on there is what I remember.

[Joel]

Okay.

[Matt]

Yeah. Well, I think worth checking out.

[Joel]

I think one of the reasons that people are turning to additional ways to make money, like selling their plasma is because healthcare costs are such a bigger burden in 2026, Matt. Like, a lot of people are cutting spending. They're even borrowing money to be able to afford healthcare coverage. We're actually seeing dramatic drop in the number of people who are insured. A new study from Gallup even found that a third of Americans are skipping meals or driving less to be able to afford health care coverage. We're talking about driving less. I mean, gas prices are up. That's another thing. Especially it impacts the poorest among us more than people who have a great income. Because gas is one of those bare bones needs for the average person to get to and from work. If you make less money, it takes up more of Your budget. And so other people are borrowing money, sometimes from their future selves by rating their 401k in order to pay for current healthcare needs. Some are postponing treatments as well because, like, it's just too expensive. I can't afford to have that procedure done, even though it needs to be done, because they don't have the cash to be able to pay for it. Trade offs are the ultimate reality in life. But on the healthcare front, far too many people are finding themselves between a rock and a hard place. And Matt, this just makes one. It makes me sad because we live in a time and place where health care coverage is prohibitive for a lot of people. If you have a great job with killer benefits, yeah, maybe you've got a really good, really good insurance and that's got your back. And. But for something like a bit, for a big chunk of Americans, they just don't have that to rely on. And so it's really upending their finances in a significant way. And if you haven't had a chance to check out my recent conversation with, with Jared from $4, please do, because, man, medical debt is such a problem for so many people in our country. I was talking to a friend the other day and she was telling me about someone she knows who has put medical debt on a credit card from the hospital. And man, there's like a 95% chance that she was eligible for full forgiveness of that medical debt. And so, yeah, Jared walks through that whole system, how it works. And for a lot of people, if you find yourself putting off a medical procedure, well, there's a decent chance that based on financial assistance guidelines, you might qualify for full forgiveness.

[Matt]

Right.

[Joel]

Of that medical bill. And so, yeah, just know your rights, know what's available to you. That's, that's really important. We covered that in that conversation.

[Matt]

That's right, yeah. Jared and his team over there at $4 are doing really good work. Let's end this with talking about the price of oil. Maybe real quick, Joel, we're not going to dedicate a whole segment to it, but did you see the price of polyethylene skyrocketed, which is the.

[Joel]

Didn't see that.

[Matt]

It's the chemical compound that's responsible. Like basically all plastics, like you need that. And we've touched on the pain at the pump and the price of jet fuel going up because those are more immediate inputs. But then as the longer the war drags on, as we start to see the ripple effects of the oil shock, essentially we're going to start to see, unfortunately, prices increase and we're going to see more of an impact on our economy.

[Joel]

And so, yeah, prices beyond just filling up your tank.

[Matt]

Exactly. Yeah. So the Strait of Hormuz, if that thing does not open soon, and here's the thing between us, you don't see it overnight.

[Joel]

It takes not just even a few weeks. Right. But it takes probably month plus to see even the first impacts.

[Matt]

It just seems more and more likely that we're going to see high prices, potential supply line disruptions and other ways that we're going to be impacted that we'll certainly keep an eye on in the coming weeks for sure. And all that to say maybe the war is over by the time, like 10 minutes from now. Because I feel like that's how quickly things.

[Joel]

Well, I heard we won the war just a couple days ago.

[Matt]

We won it.

[Joel]

Yeah.

[Matt]

So why isn't it over? There's a difference between, I guess I don't understand completing and winning it.

[Joel]

Perhaps.

[Matt]

Yeah. But that's going to be it for our Friday flight. We hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. You can find some of the resources we mentioned during this episode up on the [e-mail] including the Plasma pay calculator. Even if it's that Joel and I are going to check out.

[Joel]

Yeah, we'll have to do some personal testing to see if it's rigged or if it, if it really works.

[Matt]

I think it's because I did select. I was a first timer. So I think it boosted. Boosted the pay even for that singular visit.

[Joel]

Go get your money, buddy.

[Matt]

We'll see. All right. That's gonna be it. So until next time.

[Joel]

Best friends out.

[Matt]

Best friends out. It's like 950. That's 150 bucks. Coffee.

[Joel]

Genius here.

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

Most people see a busy cafe, but I see precision at every step thanks to genius. From global payments transactions, instant inventory, precise operations in sync. Absolutely genius. From sold out crowds worldwide to managing the morning rush, genius keeps operations running smoothly.

[Joel]

One Tortado.

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

Flawless pour, perfectly timed. Just beautiful. Big league reliability for any business. That's genius.

[Matt]

Struggling to see up close. Make it visible with viz. VIZ is a once daily prescription eye drop to treat blurry near vision for up to 10 hours. The most common side effects that may be experienced while using VIZ include eye irritation, temporary dim or dark vision, headaches and eye redness. Talk to an eye doctor to learn if VIZ is right for you. Learn [e-mail] is it just me or is it getting really hard to figure out the Best Way to Save for Retirement? Well, Fidelity can help you to find clarity so you can save the best way for you. With a free personalized plan, goal tracking and timely insights, you'll be set to take on retirement your way.

[Joel]

Get [e-mail] future expenses charged by your investments and other costs and fees associated with trading or transacting in your account. Apply Fidelity Brokerage Services member NYSE SIPC Travel is such a life changing pursuit and my trip to Australia was one of the best investments I've ever made. I got to enjoy the bustling metropolis of Melbourne and some of the best coffee of my life while also driving the great ocean road and taking in spectacular views. I even hopped on a plane to the island of Tasmania. That was my favorite stop. I loved it all. A trip to Australia doesn't just offer a getaway, it's an investment in experiences that stay with you. Explore more destinations in Australia and start planning your memorable [e-mail] this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.