People Are Using Buy Now, Pay Later Just To Make Ends Meet

People Are Using Buy Now, Pay Later Just To M...

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Inside the Enigmatic Firm That Rules Wall Street

Jane Street just eclipsed Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan as the biggest trading house on Wall Street. It pulled in nearly $40 billion in trading revenue in 2025. And it’s so enigmatic that to the outside world, it’s unclear who’s even in charge. On today’s Big Take podcast, David Gur ...  Show more

What Happens When the Billionaires Brexit

Ultra-wealthy individuals in the UK have been fleeing the country, after sweeping Labour Party tax reforms led to a crackdown on overseas wealth. For the first time, new data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index reveals just how much money is at stake with the exodus. On today’s ...  Show more

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Burrito now, pay later
Today, Explained

Americans are turning to "buy now, pay later" apps for purchases as small as a burrito—it’s a symptom of a larger national addiction to debt. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andre ...  Show more

Buy now, pay dearly? (update)
Planet Money

(Note: A version of this episode originally ran in 2022.)Every time you shop online and make it to the checkout screen, you see those colorful pastel buttons at the bottom. Affirm. Klarna. Afterpay. Asking: Do you want to split your payment into interest-free installments? No cre ...  Show more

What's Behind the Boom in Buy Now Pay Later
Odd Lots

Buy Now Pay Later is everywhere nowadays. Companies like Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna have brought installment payments into everyday life, while big banks and tech firms also now racing into the space. With the market growing so rapidly, there are obvious concerns over whether B ...  Show more

Buy Now, Pay Later
The Bottom Line

What's behind the explosion in popularity of Klarna and its competitors? Most of us have found ourselves wanting something that we can’t quite afford. If you’re low on funds and waiting for money to come in, there are a multitude of borrowing options, from overdrafts and loans to ...  Show more