Financial literacy training helps people with low and unstable incomes chart their own destiny.
Minnesota Public Radio launched a new podcast series called
Small Change in late September. The series is the creation of Chris Farrell, senior economics contributor, and Twila Dang, entrepreneur and podcaster. In each segment, Farrell and Dang talk to people with low and unstable incomes to learn how they make their way in the world and to help others do the same. The first season of
Small Change has eight episodes; a second season is planned with eight more.
The podcast’s stories are compelling portraits—all Minnesotans—that speak to the tenacity and creativity of low-income people as they navigate elements of personal finance such as establishing credit, qualifying for a mortgage, and starting a business. Most of the stories have two things in common: They show how financial support comes from community and family members who form a network of interdependence and mutual aid in low-income communities. They also amplify the impact of many nonprofits involved in the financial empowerment of people with low and volatile incomes.