In our previous episode, Bridget promised Ryan she’d take him to Happy Land Theme Park and Resort. And Bridget keeps her promises! It’s the perfect place to answer Henry’s question. He wants to know why some jobs get tips and others don’t. This proves to be a tricky one to answer, as Ryan and Bridget soon find out. They enlist the help of Happy Land Founder, Mort Bisby. Inside Mort’s hidden lair, they’ll learn some tips on well… tipping. If your family is interested in learning more about...

When listener Lulu asks a question about economic recessions and depressions, Ryan and Bridget know they have to go to where some of the best scholars of recessions and depressions are working: the Federal Reserve! While learning about how the Federal Reserve keeps an eye on the health of our economy, the pair accidentally unleash an economic disaster. They’ll need the help of the Fed’s Recession Crushers to get things back in line. Who ya gonna call? The Recession Crushers! If your family...

It’s a new season of Million Bazillion and in this episode, Ryan and Bridget are answering Hezekiah’s questions about auctions. He wants to know everything about them — what are they, how do they work, and what’s up with those paddles and the fast talkin’? Ryan and Bridget head to their very first auction to find out. But the pair get caught up in the excitement and end up accidentally buying the very first Million Bazillion mascot. They’ll use the help and experience of their new friend, a...

Hey Million Bazillionaires, are you ready? We’ve got another season of “Million Bazillion” coming out Sept. 5! This season, Bridget and Ryan will be answering your questions about recessions, auctions and something called a Ponzi scheme. It’s gonna be an adventurous season, so buckle in! Don’t forget to sign up for the “Million Bazillion” newsletter, so you never miss an episode and get access to episode extras, including conversation starters for grownups and kids. We’ll be...

While Bridget and Ryan are busy working on Season 5 of Million Bazillion, today we’re bringing you a special episode with lots of smart money advice from Marketplace’s newest podcast, “Financially Inclined.” Host Yanely Espinal gets into the basics of budgeting and why it’s important to make a plan for how to save and spend your money. Plus, meet a professional financial hype woman! We’ll be back in your feeds this fall. Until then, if you’ve got a money joke or a money tip you want to...

In our final episode of the season, Bridget and Ryan get a question from Will in Ohio and are taking a cross-country road trip to answer it. Will wants to know why there are so many of the same stores. From Starbucks to Home Depot and all the McDonald’s in between, we’ll break down the reason why. For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents, check out our website! This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. (For a limited time, get $10 when you sign up for a Greenlight...

For this week’s question, both Henry and Nathanial wanted to know why workers don’t get paid the same. Ryan and Bridget help break down what’s known as the “wage gap” with the help of the Vindicators superhero squad who are on a mission to make pay more fair. Plus, we brainstorm ways to fix the problem. Check out our website for a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents. This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. (For a limited time, get $10 when you sign up for a...

It’s the inaugural (maybe the only one ever?) “Money Mania,” a game show from “Million Bazillion” in which five lucky listeners compete in an elaborate obstacle course to get their questions answered. This week, we’ll tackle questions like: What is profit? Why do receipts have so many words? And, what do stores do with all their leftover holiday stuff? This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. (For a limited time, get $10 when you sign up for a Greenlight account at greenlight.com/MILLION).

On a trip to Washington, D.C., Bridget and Ryan take this question from Oliver in Illinois: Why do different countries use different currencies? There’s the U.S. dollar, the Mexican peso and Japanese yen, just to name a few. This week, we’ll explain why so many countries decided to make their own type of money. And we meet the ghost of Alexander Hamilton, who has an important money lesson to share … through song. For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents, check out our...

Bridget and Ryan are stuck inside during a major rainstorm, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to answer a question they got from Archer in Los Angeles: What is insurance? Archer’s dad is an insurance agent, and he wants to get to the bottom of how his parent makes a living. We’ll learn the ins and outs of insurance and how it became a thing. Plus, we have a catchy song to help you remember the difference between some confusing insurance terms: “premium” versus “deductible.” For a...

Bridget and Ryan go back to school to talk with students for career day about their jobs as podcasters. But when hunger strikes, they get caught up in an underground black market snack operation that gets them into a bit of trouble. Today, we’ll learn all about the black market, what it is, why it exists and why it’s even necessary sometimes. For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents, check out our website! This episode is sponsored by Greenlight.  (For a limited...

Bazillionaires, get ready! A new season of “Million Bazillion” is dropping earlier than usual this year. Bridget and Ryan are back February 7 answering more of the big questions kids send us about money. In Season 4, we’re digging into everything from the black market to the wage gap and why different countries use different currencies. Plus, our first ever “Million Bazillion” money mania game show. Don’t forget to sign up for our “Million Bazillion” newsletter, where you’ll find...

After hearing Ryan and Bridget talk about money all season, one of our young listeners wants to know when she can start earning some money. This week we’ll look back to the time when lots of kids had jobs and learn about what’s changed and why. Along the way, we’ll learn that kids actually do have jobs, just not in the way you might think. For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents, check out our website! Take a second to let us know what you think of the show at...

One of our GOAT listeners called in with a question about cryptocurrency, and Ryan is psyched. Crypto is everywhere right now, but it can be kinda hard for kids (and grown-ups!) to know how it all works. We’ll head to the far reaches of the internet to learn about the promise and peril of crypto, and why any form of money only works if you believe it will … whoa. For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents, check out our website! Take a second to let us know what you...

If you add up all the money a grown-up makes in their lifetime, it might sound like a lot! Surely they must have more to show for it. Where are the castles, the ponies, the fancy cars? In this episode, with the help of a magic necklace, we’ll do the numbers on the stuff grown-ups have to pay for every day. It’s not all pizza parties and ice cream sundaes! For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents, check out our website! Take a second to let us know what you think of...

A listener wants to know how the creators behind his favorite online videos get paid. It’s a surprisingly complicated question, and Ryan and Bridget have to go viral themselves to find out the answer. Accompanied by their new dog and a bunch of influencers, we’ll learn all about the wild economics of online videos. Put on your tap-dancing shoes, we’re making content! For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents, check out our website! Take a second to let us know what...

It’s a rainy day, the perfect time to answer a question from one listener who started looking at the bottom of his toys. A lot of them say “Made in China,” but why? Ryan Perez and Bridget Bodnar get some help from some familiar (but legally distinct!) toy friends to find the answer. Turns out there are some pretty interesting reasons why the stuff we buy — not just toys, but clothes and food too — sometimes come from far away places. For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for...

This week, Ryan and Bridget hear from a kid who can see the future! Or, at least, a kid who knows our dollars will be able to buy less stuff as time goes on. It’s all because of inflation, something that seems to have the grown-ups concerned. After traveling back in time to stock up on snacks, the pair get a chance to try to control runaway inflation … but their ideas don’t quite go as planned. For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents, check out our website! Take a...

Ryan and Bridget tackle one of their most challenging questions to date: Why is it so awkward to talk about money? Using a board game that comes to life and a catchy song, they’ll find an answer that’s better than “Because I said so” and give kids (and their parents) the tools they need to have helpful and positive conversations about money. For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents, check out our website! Take a second to let us know what you think of the show at...

Bridget gets to know her new co-host, Ryan, who has a lot of fun ideas but doesn’t know much about money. They’ll work together on a question that quite a few listeners were wondering about: What are credit cards, besides little pieces of plastic with chips in them? Together, we’ll learn how grown-ups use credit cards and some potential pitfalls of swiping. Then things really get out of hand when the ghost pirates show up. For a special cartoon, discussion questions and tips for parents,...

Calling all Bazillionaires! “Million Bazillion” is back with a brand-new season starting June 21! Bridget has a new co-host named Ryan, and together they’re taking on the toughest money questions your kids can think of. Questions like: How do credit cards work? What do grown-ups do with all of their money? How do social media influencers make money? And what the heck is a cryptocurrency anyway? We’re back helping dollars make more sense every Tuesday starting June 21. Here’s a sneak peek!

Hey Million Bazillionaires! We’re coming back soon for an all-new season of “Million Bazillion,” answering the questions you have about money! This season, Bridget’s joined by a new co-host, Ryan, and they need your help! With the permission of your grown-ups, we’d love to hear your money jokes, money poems and best money tips so we can feature them on the podcast! Send them to us using this online form. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Hey Million Bazillionaires! We wanted to let you know about a new podcast from our friends at “Brains On.” It’s called “Moment of Um.” It’s your daily answer to those questions that pop up out of nowhere and make you go … “ummmmmmm.” With new episodes every weekday, “Moment of Um” is designed to give you that little boost of knowledge you didn’t even know you needed. Here’s a list of just some of the questions you might hear answered: Are bananas radioactive? Do fish have...

Hi Million Bazillionaires! We’re all done with this season of “Million Bazillion,” but today, we want to share another show our host Jed is a part of: “Smash Boom Best!” In this episode, two iconic foods go jar-to-jar in a fearsome flavor feud. It’s honey vs. pickles! “Million Bazillion” host Jed Kim goes up against journalist Anna Weggel in this sweet and salty showdown. Which team dill prevail? Vote to tell us who you think won at smashboom.org! “Smash Boom Best” is a debate show...

Ever notice how lots of prices at the store end in $0.99? So did Eli from Philadelphia, and he asked us to find out why. Turns out, it’s a method retailers use to get us to buy something — and it’s not their only one. This week, we’ll learn about how our brains work when we’re shopping, why it’s hard to resist a sale and some of the ways physical stores encourage us to spend a little more money. Let us know what you thought about this season and what you want Jed and Bridget to do next! You...