Planet Money: Zombie 2nd Mortgages

On August 20th, 1857 a ship set sail from the Port of San Francisco with 600 people and thousands of pounds of gold. That gold was destined for the vaults of New York City banks, but it never made it. Instead, the ship sank to the bottom of the ocean, taking all that gold with it ... Show More

Across the West, there's a contentious debate playing out over how to adapt homes and neighborhoods to this era of increasingly extreme wildfire risk. In Berkeley, California, it's become a particularly emotional fight because of a very specific architectural history that began a ... Show More

In 1998, the recording industry was thriving. But the company pressing more compact discs than anyone else in America wasn't a record label…it was an internet company: America Online. The AOL Disc was a marketing coup—hugely successful. It’s not an overstatement to say that it’s ... Show More

Karen McDonough of Quincy, Mass., was enjoying her tea one morning in the dining room when she saw something odd outside her window: a group of people gathering on her lawn. A man with a clipboard told her that her home no longer belonged to her. It didn't matter that she'd been ... Show More

You don't have to be a die-hard The Walking Dead fan to appreciate the allusion for this week's podcast. As financial advisors, we can draw parallels between a fictitious zombie apocalypse and the type of real apocalypse that debt can cause in people's lives. Tune in to this wee ... Show More

<p>The average interest rate charged by mortgage lenders is now much higher than many homeowners have been used to.</p><p>So what can those struggling to make repayments do - and what if any help should lenders provide?</p><p>The experts in this podcast are Charles Roe, Director ... Show More

Mortgage customers face rising rates, vanishing deals and latest figures have shown more people are struggling to keep up with their repayments. Mortgage arrears, hit a seven-year high in the final quarter of 2023. So what can you do if that's you? Felicity Hannah is joined by Ch ... Show More

Remember toxic assets? Those complicated mortgage bonds that almost brought down the financial system? We bought one to figure out how the 2008 housing crisis played out. We called her Toxie. These episodes take you through Toxie's complicated and surprising life. Subscribe to Pl ... Show More

<p>The Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates again this week, for the fourteenth consecutive time. The increase will hike the monthly repayments for anyone on a variable rate mortgage, for those trying to re-mortgage after coming off a fixed-rate and for first time ... Show More

<div>There is a Monster taking over our cities. No one knows its name, and few have seen it, but it&apos;s at the heart of the global housing crisis. In this first episode, Fredrik -the Filmmaker - and Leilani - the Advocate - provide a swift overview of the global financial acto ... Show More

Housing costs in America are at an all-time high and a lot of people are wondering if the American Dream of home ownership is right for them. This week, Delyanne Barros digs into the pressure to become a homeowner; the costs and benefits of buying; and how one couple has nearly e ... Show More

Discover what zombie debt is, tips to stay safe from terrifying zombie collectors, the statute of limitations on debt, and four ways to handle an old debt.Money Girl is hosted by Laura Adams. A transcript is available at Simplecast.Have a money question? Send an email to money@qu ... Show More