This Is Uncomfortable

Does higher education still guarantee financial stability? How can parents set their kids up for success, without subjecting them to overbearing pressure? Reema talks to writer Min Jin Lee to talk about her new novel, “American Hagwon.” They discuss the precariousness of the middle class, and how love, fear, and money get tangled up in what parents want for their children … and what those kids can feel like they owe in return. This Is Uncomfortable is nominated for a Signal Award! We’re up for Best Show in the Money & Finance category, and now we need your help to win. Vote by October 15: vote.signalaward.com Support public media with a donation today: https://mktplc.org/support-thisisuncomfortable If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing [email protected] If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok! Heads up: If you buy a book using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!

Before Ali Hazelwood’s “The Love Hypothesis” was a bestselling novel or movie, it was “Star Wars” fan fiction. And Hazelwood isn’t the only one making the leap from fan fiction to traditional publishing. Fan fiction has historically been a labor of love, and not all fans are happy about the shift to monetization, and what that means for the fandom community. Reema is joined by journalist Elizabeth Minkel and cultural commentator Josh Lora to unpack how money is changing fan fiction. Support public media with a donation today: https://mktplc.org/support-thisisuncomfortable ALSO!! This Is Uncomfortable is nominated for a Signal Award! We’re up for Best Show in the Money & Finance category, and now we need your help to win. Vote by October 15: vote.signalaward.com If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing [email protected] If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions,” see more info here. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok! Heads up: If you buy a book using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!

Millions of Americans leave the U.S. each year for medical care. But how do you reap the rewards of medical tourism while managing the risks? And why do some have to travel out of the country to get affordable healthcare in the first place? This week on the show, Reema is joined by Dr. Alok Patel and podcast host TK Dutes to discuss what it’s like to travel for medical care, and how to do so safely. Plus: another edition of “Alice Gets Her Life Together,” in which producer Alice Wilder tries to get into the habit of expense tracking. If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing [email protected] If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok! Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

As a special bonus this weekend, we’re revisiting one of our favorite stories from 2024, which Reema and Alice mentioned in the latest episode. While sorting through her father’s belongings after his death, Amanda Petteruti came across a collection of locked toolboxes. What she discovered inside made her rethink what she knew about her family’s finances and left her with unsettling questions about her dad: Why had he spent so much money on this secret hobby? Why was it now Amanda’s burden to handle? And how do you find closure with someone once they’re gone?

Who doesn’t love getting mail? This week on the show, Reema and Alice open up the mailbag and respond to your messages about questionable investments, doomspending, and caring for aging loved ones. Plus, we hear your advice on keeping weddings affordable for your guests and wedding party. Past stories referenced in this episode: ”The things we leave behind” “Nicole Chung and the toll of caregiving” “Everything's on fire, might as well get my nails done?” “Would you go broke for a bachelorette?” “Wait...where did my retirement money go?” “Can I monetize my hobby without killing the joy?” If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing [email protected] If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok! Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod