Education
Money Unlocked
Most personal finance advice sounds like it was written for someone who already has money.
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Episodes
The archive
26 episodes, newest first.
- The Fed's September Decision, TranslatedThe Fed meets September 15-16, and this time it's not just a rate call — a full dot plot means the committee is signaling where rates go for the next year, not just this month. President Trump has spent weeks publicly demanding cuts, while new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh keeps warning inflation is still too high. Becca and Maya walk through why the July vote was closer than people realize, what a hike would actually do to your credit card APR versus your mortgage, and why the dot plot changes the math on locking in a savings rate now versus waiting. They also cover the one mistake people make assuming all their debt moves together when only the variable-rate pieces do. This episode is especially useful for anyone holding a variable-rate credit card, HELOC, or high-yield savings account and wondering if they should move before or after September 16.
- What Happens If You Ignore Your Loan NoticeYour SAVE plan notice is still sitting there, and you're wondering if ignoring it actually costs you anything. Since our July and August episodes already broke down the two-deadline confusion and the autopay discount, this episode moves past the recap and into what's actually new: the real financial hit of doing nothing, laid out against the interest that's already been accruing since August. Becca and Maya cover the specific consequence of missing your personal 90-day window, the servicer errors and credit-score glitches other borrowers are running into right now, and the exact things to file this week to avoid both problems. This is especially useful for anyone who caught our earlier SAVE episodes but still hasn't acted, or who's hearing about the deadline for the first time and wants the short version plus a real action plan.
- How to Choose Between an HDHP and a PPOBecca and Maya translate the open enrollment packet into three real paycheck scenarios, explain what an HSA does that an FSA can't, and show why the box you check this fall follows you into every doctor's visit next year.
- How to Cut 1% Off Your Student Loan RateBecca and Maya break down the September 30 autopay deadline that knocks a full percentage point off federal student loan interest rates, and what SAVE borrowers have to do first to qualify.
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- Missed Your SAVE 90-Day Deadline?Becca and Maya break down the two September 30 deadlines hitting SAVE borrowers at once: the auto-enrollment default that can turn a $0 payment into $900, and the 1% Auto Pay discount window nobody is talking about.
- What a Fed Rate Hike Costs YouThe Fed's July decision lands at 2 p.m. Wednesday, and Becca and Maya translate both possible outcomes into your credit card APR, your savings yield, and your car payment. Real dollar amounts, no jargon.
- The Real SAVE Plan Deadline Isn't One DateBecca and Maya untangle the SAVE-to-RAP transition mess, explaining why September 29 isn't actually your deadline and what to do instead of waiting for a letter that might not arrive until 2027.
- Why the Fed Might Raise Rates This MonthBecca and Maya break down the July 29 Fed meeting, the surprising shift toward a rate hike, and the Supreme Court ruling on Lisa Cook that could decide whether politics ever gets to touch your credit card APR.
- RAP Is Here: Which Student Loan Plan Actually Saves You Money?As of today, the new Repayment Assistance Plan is live and 7.5 million SAVE borrowers have 90 days to choose a new repayment plan or get auto-enrolled into something worse. Becca and Maya break down exactly how RAP calculates your payment, how it stacks up against IBR, and the one rule that could accidentally lock all your loans into a new plan forever.
- The Fed Just Hinted at a Rate Hike. Here's What It Costs You.The Federal Reserve held rates steady on June 17, but the real story is buried in the projections: half the committee now expects a rate hike before year-end. Becca and Maya break down exactly what that means for your credit card bill, your savings account, and your car loan.
Talent
Talents in this show
Each one has a profile of their own.
About
What the show is
Money Unlocked is for the 64% of people navigating their financial lives without a clear plan. Each week, two hosts break down one money topic you probably never learned in school: how credit scores actually get calculated, what your 401(k) is doing with your contributions, why budgeting apps keep failing you, and what "invest early" means when you're still paying off student loans. No jargon walls, no aspirational nonsense about "building generational wealth" when you're wondering if you can afford the dentist. Just clear, specific answers to the money questions most people are too embarrassed to ask. Built for renters, new grads, mid-career workers staring at confusing benefit enrollment forms, and anyone who suspects they should know more about money than they do.
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