In this episode of the Sunlight Tax podcast, I dig into the real impact of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services on spending habits and financial health. These “pay-later” plans may seem harmless, but they can quietly lead people, especially young consumers—into cycles of debt and financial stress.

I break down how BNPL changes the way we think about money, what the long-term risks are, and why financial education is one of the most effective tools for protecting yourself. Research shows that learning even the basics of personal finance can save you tens of thousands of dollars over your lifetime.

Also mentioned in this episode:

02:00 Introduction to Personal Finance and Consumer Culture

04:15 The Dangers of Buy Now, Pay Later Services

06:37 The Importance of Personal Finance Education

09:49 The Value of Financial Literacy

12:28 Building Wealth Through Smart Financial Habits

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Links:

New York Times Article: They Got To Live A Life Of Luxury. Then Came The Fine Print

'Buy Now, Pay Later' has built a delirious new culture of consumption — and trapped users in a vortex of debt.

CNBC Article: You can put a price tag on the value of a personal finance education: $100,000

Join my free class: Make Taxes Easier and Stash an Extra $152k in Your Savings

Check out my program, Money Bootcamp

Link to pre-order my book, Taxes for Humans: Simplify Your Taxes and Change the World When You’re Self-Employed.

Link to pre-order my workbook, Taxes for Humans: The Workbook

Get your free visual guide to tax deductions

In this episode of The Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m unpacking the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and what its sweeping health care changes mean for real people and families. We’ll dig into how this new legislation affects Medicaid coverage, Planned Parenthood funding, and low-income immigrants, plus what’s changing for marketplace insurance subsidies and health savings accounts (HSAs).

I’ll also share key insights from an excellent healthinsurance.org article by Louise Norris, titled “One Big Beautiful Bill Act Brings Sweeping Changes to Health Coverage.” With her permission, I’ll be reading excerpts from that piece and you can find the full article linked in the show notes. It’s a must-read if you want a deeper understanding of how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) could reshape American health care and insurance coverage in the years ahead.

Also mentioned in this episode:

03:29 Health Care Provisions Overview

07:02 Medicaid Changes and Impacts

09:17 Planned Parenthood Funding

11:37 Subsidy Eligibility for Low-Income Immigrants

12:32 Impact of Subsidy Changes on Self-Employed

17:09 Health Savings Accounts and Marketplace Plans

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Credit:

Key insights in this episode come from an excellent article by Louise Norris for healthinsurance.org, titled “One Big Beautiful Bill Act Brings Sweeping Changes to Health Coverage.” Shared with permission.

Links:

Article by Louise Norris published in healthinsurance.org: One Big Beautiful Bill Act brings sweeping changes to health coverage by Louise Norris

Join my free class: Make Taxes Easier and Stash an Extra $152k in Your Savings

Check out my program, Money Bootcamp

Link to pre-order my book, Taxes for Humans: Simplify Your Taxes and Change the World When You’re Self-Employed.

Link to pre-order my workbook, Taxes for Humans: The Workbook

Get your free visual guide to tax deductions

In this episode of the Sunlight Tax Podcast, I’m diving into the One Big Beautiful Act, a major tax law that passed this summer. I found a great, nonpartisan article from the Tax Policy Center Urban Institute & Brookings Institution, and with the authors’ permission. It’s called “When Tax Laws Defy Public Opinion: What OBBBA Reveals.”

The piece lays out the short-term wins of this law, but also the long-term effects on things like healthcare and our social safety net. What really struck me is the gap between what people want and what lawmakers actually do, and how much wealth drives those decisions.

For me, the big lesson is that we need to frame fiscal issues in ways that connect with the public, and ultimately, push for campaign finance reform to get legislation that reflects real public priorities.

Also mentioned in this episode:

01:05 Introduction to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

02:34 The Societal Impact of the Tax Bill

04:44 Public Opinion vs. Legislative Action

07:29 Disparities in Wealth and Policy Preferences

10:31 The Importance of Campaign Finance Reform

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share it!
Every review makes a difference by telling Apple or Spotify to show the Sunlight Tax podcast to new audiences.

Links:

Tax Policy Center Urban Institute & Brookings Institution Article: When Tax Laws Defy Public Opinion: What OBBBA Reveals

Join my free class: Make Taxes Easier and Stash an Extra $152k in Your Savings

Check out my program, Money Bootcamp

Link to pre-order my book, Taxes for Humans: Simplify Your Taxes and Change the World When You’re Self-Employed.

Link to pre-order my workbook, Taxes for Humans: The Workbook

Get your free visual guide to tax deductions