Episodios

  • Is it okay to keep money secrets in a relationship?
    Feb 5 2026

    How much do you share with your partner about your finances? Sometimes, a little privacy starts to look a lot like a secret. And secrets (especially the money kind) have a way of becoming problems.


    On this week’s episode, Reema talks to people on the streets of Portland about their real-life money secrets, and chats with divorce lawyer Randy Kessler and couples counselor Jeff Guenther, who’ve seen how financial secrecy can fracture relationships — and sometimes bring people closer.


    If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU. Have you ever kept a big money secret from your partner? We want to know! And follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!

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    27 m
  • What it costs to pass down a language
    Jan 29 2026

    Author and journalist Aymann Ismail wants his kids to grow up with a real connection to their Egyptian roots, including speaking Arabic. For his family, that means committing to a private Islamic school -- and figuring out how to afford tuition.


    Reema sits down with Aymann as he walks through his family budget and the financial trade-offs that decision requires. They talk about what’s at stake for him, financially and culturally, and why holding onto Arabic feels especially urgent right now.


    If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And if you want to tell us what you thought about the episode or about a tricky financial decision you’ve made, email us at uncomfortable@marketplace.org or call 347-RING-TIU. And follow our new social accounts on Instagram and Tiktok @ThisIsUncomfortablePod

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    31 m
  • Help! My coworker wants a copy of my house key!
    Jan 22 2026

    Ever wrestled with an unusual work problem and didn’t know where to turn? In our recurring advice column, “Work Drama,” we try to find answers to your sticky work situations. This week, Reema is joined by culture writer and podcaster, Sarah Hagi (host of “Scamfluencers”) to unpack some uncomfortable workplace problems – from scammy bosses and boundary-pushing coworkers to negotiating for a raise and navigating workplace friendships.



    If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.

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    24 m
  • Surviving job hunting hell
    Jan 15 2026

    Job hunting has a way of testing your limits. It can be hard not to question yourself (or spiral) when the process stretches on far longer than you imagined.


    Reema is joined by career coach Phoebe Gavin and writer Rachel Meade Smith to talk about the emotional side of the job hunt -- practical ways to navigate it, and how to get through it without losing yourself.


    Do you have a job hunting horror story you want to share with us? Or general work drama that you’d want advice on? Give us a call at 347-RING-TIU or send us an email at uncomfortable@marketplace.org.

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    36 m
  • We're back: How much money is "enough"?
    Jan 15 2026

    What does it mean to have “enough” money? Reema Khrais explores the feeling behind this question — the fear, comparison and the way “not enough” can follow us around even when things technically look okay on paper.


    She talks with experts and people who’ve landed on very different answers, including someone whose definition of “enough” meant closing her bank account and giving up money altogether.


    If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.

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    37 m
  • More "This Is Uncomfortable" is on the way
    Dec 15 2025

    “This Is Uncomfortable” returns Jan. 15. Listen to this note from Reema for more, including an exciting change — we're going to start coming to you weekly! Bringing you more uncomfortable conversations with everyday people, experts, and authors about how money shapes our choices, relationships, and identity.


    If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.

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    5 m
  • The Emotionally Awkward Cost of Money, from “Alive with Steve Burns”
    Dec 2 2025

    Reema and the team are working on some updates to the podcast that will arrive in your feeds in the new year. You’ve been telling us you want more TIU and we heard you. Stay tuned to this feed for more soon…


    In the meantime, if you’re looking for something that gets you thinking about the emotional side of money, you’ll enjoy Reema’s recent guest appearance on “Alive with Steve Burns.” Reema and Steve dig into what she’s learned about money over the years and why talking about finances can feel so strangely vulnerable and awkward.


    To hear more episodes, follow “Alive with Steve Burns” wherever you get your podcasts or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/AlivewithSteveBurnsfd

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    56 m
  • The things we leave behind (updated rerun)
    Aug 4 2025

    This week, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes, plus a new update and your surprising reactions.


    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?


    We want to know what you think about This Is Uncomfortable. Please complete a short, anonymous survey by going to marketplace.org/survey. It should only take about 10 minutes, and you do all of us at Marketplace a huge favor by filling it out.

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    35 m