The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is a weekly personal finance show, hosted by both Tom Dziubek, a former podcaster with the Wall Street Journal, and Bryan J Busch, who started his first podcast in 2005 for fans of novelty rock music. Each week, the show offers commentary about money management, getting out of debt, budgeting, consumer issues, investing, and the economic issues that touch individuals in the United States and all over the world.
Tom and Bryan are occasionally joined by Flexo, the founder of Consumerism Commentary.
You can subscribe to the Consumerism Commentary Podcast by adding the podcast RSS feed to your audio device or RSS reader. You can also subscribe and download the episodes from iTunes.
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Here are the latest episodes of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, with a list of guests and an overview of the topics covered, starting with the most recent:
Episode 146: February 5, 2012. Guest: MD, founder of the personal finance website Studenomics, talks about buying a house in your early 20s.
More about episode 146.
Episode 145: January 29, 2012. Guest: Jenny Kerr from The Jenny Pincher talks about how married women can better prepare themselves financially for a divorce.
More about episode 145.
Episode 144: January 22, 2012. Guest: Andrea Woroch talks about the smartest things to shop for in Winter.
More about episode 144.
Episode 143: January 15, 2012. Guest: Kathy Pickering of H&R Block’s Tax Institute dicusses tax law changes for last year and this year.
More about episode 143.
Episode 142: January 8, 2012. Guest: Flexo, founder of Consumerism Commentary, talks about New Year’s resolutions.
More about episode 142.
Episode 141: January 1, 2012. Guest: Carl Richards, author of The Behavior Gap.
More about episode 141.
Episode 140: December 25, 2011. Guest: Rudy DeFelice, founder of Kidworth.
More about episode 140.
Episode 139: December 18, 2011. Guest: Jonathan Zschau, author of Buying and Owning a Mac: Secrets Apple Doesn’t Want You to Know.
More about episode 139.
Episode 138: December 11, 2011. Guest: Scott Gerber, co-founder of Gen Y Capital Partners.
More about episode 138.
Episode 137: December 4, 2011. Guest: Dr. James Roberts, author of Shiny Objects.
More about episode 137.
Episode 136: November 27, 2011. Guest: Paula Pant, founder of the website Afford Anything, talks about being a landlord.
More about episode 136.
Episode 135: November 20, 2011. Guest: Dinah Sanders, creator of Discardia.
More about episode 135.
Episode 134: November 13, 2011. Guest: Ryan Bales, Founder and CEO of Budgetable.
More about episode 134.
Episode 133: November 6, 2011. Guests: Chris Camillo, author of Laughing at Wall Street: How I Beat the Pros at Investing (by Reading Tabloids, Shopping at the Mall, and Connecting on Facebook) and How You Can, Too.
More about episode 133.
Episode 132: October 30, 2011. Guests: Kristen Christian, founder of Bank Transfer Day.
More about episode 132.
Episode 131: October 23, 2011. Guests: Sarah of, The $60K Project.
More about episode 131.
Episode 130: October 16, 2011. Guests: Richard and Linda Eyre talk about their book, The Entitlement Trap.
More about episode 130.
Episode 129: October 9, 2011. Guests: Phillip Taylor (PT Money) and Flexo talk about the Financial Blogger Conference; Jon Stein from Betterment talks about their new goal-based financial planning tool.
More about episode 129.
Episode 128: October 2, 2011. Guest: Robert Steven Kaplan and Bryan discuss the three questions any organization needs to ask itself before it can succeed, and the best ways to coach the people on your team.
More about episode 128.
Episode 127: September 25, 2011. Guest: Mike Egan details several popular myths about social security, saving, and investments, and then explains the truth about each one, giving the reader solid knowledge and formulas about how much to save for retirement.
More about episode 127.
Episode 126: September 18, 2011. Guest: Truett Cathy, the founder of Chik-fil-A, discusses amassing wealth and giving it away.
More about episode 126.
Episode 125: September 11, 2011. Guest: Credit.com’s Gerri Detweiler talks about options for people with underwater mortgages.
More about episode 125.
Episode 124: September 4, 2011. Guest: Deloitte Consulting’s Deron Weston talks about their survey on first-time credit defaulters.
More about episode 124.
Episode 123: August 28, 2011. Guest: Mint.com’s Aaron Forth discusses Mint’s new bill reminder feature.
More about episode 123.
Episode 122: August 21, 2011. Guest: Clark Howard discusses some of the 250+ ways to save from his new book Living Large in Lean Times.
More about episode 122.
Episode 121: August 14, 2011. Guest: Credit.com’s Adam Levin discusses the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
More about episode 121.
Episode 120: August 7, 2011. Guest: Bryan J Busch discusses the impact of canceling cable.
More about episode 120.
Episode 119: July 31, 2011. Guest: CPA Leslie Dawson explains the IRS’s “innocent spouse” relief.
More about episode 119.
Episode 118: July 24, 2011. Guest: Andrea Woroch explains the consequences of extreme couponing.
More about episode 118.
Episode 117: July 17, 2011. Guest: Yaron Samid, founder and CEO of BillGuard, discusses the BillGuard service.
More about episode 117.
Episode 116: July 10th, 2011. Guest: Kevin McKee tells us what it takes to become a thousandaire.
More about episode 116.
Episode 115: July 3rd, 2011. Guest: LaFoy Thomas discusses his book Generational Wealth.
More about episode 115.
Episode 114: June 26, 2011. Guest: Steve Rosenstock, EEI, discusses summer cooling tips.
More about episode 114.
Episode 113: June 19, 2011. Guests: Scott and Bethany Palmer, also known as The Money Couple.
More about episode 113.
Episode 112: June 12, 2011. Guest: Megan Wurm, Money Matters ambassador.
More about episode 112.
Episode 111: June 5, 2011. Guest: Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, also known as The Money Coach.
More about episode 111.
Episode 110: May 29, 2011. Guest: George Hobica, president and founder of Airfarewatchdog. More about episode 110.
Episode 109: May 22, 2011. Guest: Dr. Maggie Baker, author of Crazy About Money: How Emotions Confuse Our Money Choices and What To Do About It.
More about episode 109.
Episode 108: May 15, 2011. Guest: Donna Freedman, columnist for MSN Money and staff writer for Get Rich Slowly. Donna also writes for her own blog, Surviving and Thriving.
Bryan, Donna, and Flexo discuss extreme couponing. More about episode 108.
Episode 107: May 8, 2011. Guest: J.D. Roth, author of How to Build a Better Budget. More about episode 107.
Episode 106: May 1, 2011. Guest: Kate Levinson, author of Emotional Currency: A Woman’s Guide to Building a Healthy Relationship with Money. More about episode 106.
Episode 105: April 24, 2011. Guest: Paul Puckett, author of Investiphobia. More about episode 105.
Episode 104: April 17, 2011. Guest: Kim McGrigg, Manager of Community and Media Relations for Money Management International (MMI), which is sponsoring Financial Literacy Month. More about episode 104.
Episode 103: April 10, 2011. Guest: Geneen Roth, author of Lost and Found: Unexpected Revelations About Food and Money. More about episode 103.
Episode 102: April 3, 2011. Guest: Tom Dziubek. More about episode 102.
Episode 101: March 27, 2011. Guest: Dr. Guy Winch, author of The Squeaky Wheel. More about episode 101.
Episode 100: March 20, 2011. Guest: Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, President of The Charles Schwab Foundation, which is sponsoring the National Financial Capability Challenge. More about episode 100.
Episode 99: March 13, 2011. Guest: Preeti Vissa, Community Reinvestment Director of the Greenlining Institute. More about episode 99.
Episode 98: March 6, 2011. Guest: Mark Brundage, co-founder of Adaptu. More about episode 9.
Episode 97: February 27, 2011. Guests: Dr. Doug Hirschhorn, author of 8 Ways to Great: Peak Performance on the Job and In Your Life. More about episode 97.
Episode 96: February 20, 2011. Guests: Tod Marks, senior project editor at Consumer Reports, and Nico Willis, author of Death of the American Investor (The Emergence of a New Global eShareholder). More about episode 96.
Episode 95: February 13, 2011. Guest: Tom Dziubek, frequent host of this podcast and a recent customer service representative at one of the U.S.’s ten largest savings banks. More about episode 95.
Episode 94: February 6, 2011. Guest: Liz Weston, author of The 10 Commandments of Money. More about episode 94.
Episode 93: January 30, 2011. Guest: David Bach, author of Debt Free for Life. More about episode 93.
Episode 92: January 23, 2011. Guest: Carmen Wong Ulrich, author of The Real Cost of Living. More about episode 92.
Episode 91: January 16, 2011. Guest: Aaron Patzer, creator of Mint.com and Vice President of Intuit discusses Mint’s partnership with Scholastic. More about episode 91.
Episode 90: January 9, 2011. Guest: Stuart Diamond, author of the book Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World. More about episode 90.
Episode 89: January 2, 2011. Guest: Flexo discusses the concerns and challenges invovled with self-employment. More about episode 89.
Episode 88: December 26, 2010. Guest: Leigh Mutert, CPA and Community Manager at H&R Block, discusses the new tax laws. More about episode 88.
Episode 87: December 19, 2010. Guest: Jane Honeck discusses topics from her book The Problem With Money? It’s Not About the Money! More about episode 87.
Episode 86: December 12, 2010. Guests: Andrew Buckley and Jay Sheehan, members of the Hit and Run History documentary team discuss the costs involved with making a documentary. More about episode 86.
Episode 85: December 5, 2010. Guests: Nate St. Pierre, founder of the community building website ItStartsWith.Us, and Budgets Are Sexy founder J. Money talk about their new micro-giving endeavor, Love Drop. More about episode 85.
Episode 84: November 28, 2010. Guest: Stew Langille, Director of Marketing for Intuit Personal Finance Group talks about Mint’s new real time consumer spending tracking website Mint Data. More about episode 84.
Episode 83: November 21, 2010. Guest: Laura Rowley, columnist at Yahoo Finance and author of the book Money and Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life. More about episode 83.
Episode 82: November 14, 2010. Guests: Adrian Nazari, founder and CEO of the online credit & loan analysis tool Credit Sesame and Jon Stein, founder and CEO of the online investing service, Betterment. More about episode 82.
Episode 81: November 7, 2010. Guest: Adam Baker, author of the Sell Your Crap series of guides. More about episode 81.
Episode 80: October 31, 2010. Guest: Farnoosh Torabi, author of the book Psych Yourself Rich: Get the Mindset and Discipline You Need to Build Your Financial Life. More about episode 80.
Episode 79: October 24, 2010. Guest: Bob Meighan, VP of Consumer Advocacy at TurboTax talks about potential income tax changes. More about episode 79.
Episode 78: October 17, 2010. Guest: Kimberly Palmer, author of the book, Generation Earn: The Young Professional’s Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back. More about episode 78.
Episode 77: October 10, 2010. Guest: Pam Lassiter, author of the book The New Job Security: The 5 Best Strategies for Taking Control of Your Career. More about episode 77.
Episode 76: October 3, 2010. Guest: Tara-Nicholle Nelson, from the real estate website Trulia, discusses Trulia and price reduction trends for houses that are listed in the U.S. More about episode 76.
Episode 75: September 26, 2010. Guest: Fred Williams, author of the book Fight Back Against Unfair Debt Collection Practices: Know Your Rights and Protect Yourself from Threats, Lies, and Intimidation talks about how consumers can protect themselves against debt collectors. More about episode 75.
Episode 74: September 19, 2010. Guest: NBC “Today Show” editor Jean Chatzky talks about her National Money Talk Night event and her new book, Not Your Parents’ Money Book: Making, Saving, and Spending Your Own Money. More about episode 74.
Episode 73: September 12, 2010. Guest: Consumerism Commentary founder Flexo talks about his tips on saving money while at college. More about episode 73.
Episode 72: September 5, 2010. Guest: Steve Siebold, author of the book How Rich People Think, talks about how “world class” people think differently than “middle class” when it comes to finances. More about episode 72.
Episode 71: August 29, 2010. Guest: Zac Bissonnette, author of the book Debt-Free U, talks about going to college without going into debt. More about episode 71.
Episode 70: August 22, 2010. Guest: Michael Gikas, Senior Electronics Editor at Consumer Reports, talks about tips to avoid cell phone bill shock. More about episode 70.
Episode 69: August 15, 2010. Guest: Keri Buster, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications, World Service at American Express, talks about her company’s recent survey about customer service. More about episode 69.
Episode 68: August 8, 2010. Guest: Carol Fabbri, co-author of the book Personal Investing: The Missing Manual, discusses multiple topics related to investing. More about episode 68.
Episode 67: August 1, 2010. Guest: Ramit Sethi, author of the bestselling book I Will Teach You To Be Rich, discusses the importance of earning more money. More about episode 67.
Episode 66: July 25, 2010. Guest: Richard Rosso, CFP and financial consultant at Charles Schwab, discusses his tips on how to prevent a natural disaster from becoming a financial disaster. More about episode 66.
Episode 65: July 18, 2010. Guests: Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint and Rob Garcia, Director of Product Strategy at Lending Club talk about Mint’s new “Goals” feature, then Tom Dziubek and Flexo discuss ways to save money at a ball game. More about episode 65.
Episode 64: July 11, 2010. Guest: Flexo talks about his recommended steps for people to take control of their personal finances. More about episode 64.
Episode 63: July 4, 2010. Guests: Landy Ung, co-founder of coupon and deal-finding website 8Coupons talks about her site’s services and Flexo discusses factors homeowners with extra money should consider when deciding to invest in the stock market or to pay down their mortgage. More about episode 63.
Episode 62: June 27, 2010. Guests: Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, talks about Charles Schwab’s 2010 Families & Money Survey and Jim Kelly, COO of ING Direct, talks about bank overdraft fees. More about episode 62.
Episode 61: June 20, 2010. Guest: Flexo, founder of Consumerism Commentary, talks about money saving tips for the summer. More about episode 61.
Episode 60: June 13, 2010. Guests: Mary Hines, Vice President of ZYNC Product Management at American Express, talks about the company’s new ZYNC charge card. Also, SmartyPig executives Bob Weinschenk and Mike Ferrari talk about their company’s recent affiliation with BBVA Compass Bank. More about episode 60.
Episode 59: June 6, 2010. Guest: Donna Freedman, personal finance columnist at MSN Money, discusses topics such as microsaving and emergency funds. More about episode 59.
Episode 58: May 30, 2010. Guest: Richard Lewins, founder of the LewinsLaw legal practice and author of the book, How to Keep From Going Broke with a Broker. More about episode 58.
Episode 57: May 23, 2010. Guests: Gerry Cuddy, President and CEO of Beneficial Bank talks about Beneficial’s two new education-themed banks in NJ. More about episode 57.
Episode 56: May 16, 2010. Guests: Preeti Vissa of the Greenlining Institute talks about bank overdraft fees and Atakan Cetinsoy, Vice President of Corporate Development and Personal Finance Products at the personal financial management website, moneyStrands discusses his company’s website. More about episode 56.
Episode 55: May 9, 2010. Guest: Kimberly Palmer, senior editor at U.S. News & World Report and author of the upcoming book, Generation Earn: The Young Professional’s Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back, talks about tendencies of the typical Generation Y consumer. More about episode 55.
Episode 54: May 2, 2010. Guest: Schwark Satyavolu, co-founder and president of the service comparison website BillShrink, talks about how to save gas and money during the summer months. More about episode 54.
Episode 53: April 25, 2010. Guest: Flexo discusses his tips on how to explore the art of photography without taking a hit to your wallet. More about episode 53.
Episode 52: April 18, 2010. Guest: Adam Baker, creator of the Man vs. Debt website, discusses his new e-book, Unautomate Your Finances. More about episode 52.
Episode 51: April 11, 2010. Guest: Kara McGuire, personal finance columnist at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, discusses several topics relating to money and parenting. More about episode 51.
Episode 50: April 4, 2010. Guest: Cate Williams, Vice President of Financial Literacy at Money Management International, discusses several topics about financial literacy in honor of Financial Literacy month. More about episode 50.
Episode 49: March 28, 2010. Guests: Stacy Johnson, author of the book Life or Debt 2010, discusses ways to overcome debt and Murali Subbarao, founder and CEO of Billeo talks about charitable giving trends that his company has observed. More about episode 49.
Episode 48: March 21, 2010. Guest: Robert Pagliarini, the author of The Other 8 Hours, discusses how to eliminate wasteful activities from your life and better utilize your spare time. More about episode 48.
Episode 47: March 14, 2010. Guest: Lou Scatigna, The Financial Physician, discusses his book and his financial advice. More about episode 47.
Episode 46: March 7, 2010. Guest: J.D. Roth, author of Your Money: The Missing Manual, discusses his new book and how he went from blogger to published author. More about episode 46.
Episode 45: February 28, 2010. Guest: Gary Belsky, author of Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes And How To Correct Them, discusses the aspects of behavioral economics. More about episode 45.
Episode 44: February 21, 2010. Guest: Bob Meighan, VP of Consumer Advocacy at TurboTax, discusses income tax tips related to major life changes such as getting married and buying a home. More about episode 44.
Episode 43: February 14, 2010. Guest: Sam, founder of personal finance website Financial Samurai, discusses the Samurai Fund, retiring after 20 years, and the Samurai Codes of Honor. More about episode 43.
Episode 42: February 7, 2010. Guests: Jeff Bartlett, Autos Deputy Editor at Consumer Reports, discusses recent Toyota recalls and Flexo later discusses money saving tips for Valentine’s Day. More about episode 42.
Episode 41: January 31, 2010. Guest: Samir Kothari, co-Founder of BillShrink, discusses credit card issuers’ compliance with the Credit CARD Act of 2009. More about episode 41.
Earlier episodes of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast
| Episode |
Original Airdate |
Topics and Guests |
| S02E16 #42 |
Feb 7, 2010 |
Toyota Recalls (Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports)
Saving money on Valentine’s Day (Flexo) |
| S02E15 #41 |
Jan 31, 2010 |
Credit CARD Act (Samir Kothari, BillShrink) |
| S02E14 #40 |
Jan 24, 2010 |
Start Over, Finish Rich (David Bach) |
| S02E13 #39 |
Jan 17, 2010 |
Get Financially Naked (Manisha Thakor) |
| S02E12 #38 |
Jan 10, 2010 |
Eliminating Holiday Debt, (Peter Pham, BillShrink) |
| S02E11 #37 |
Jan 3, 2010 |
Financial Foul-Ups (Brian Scheur, My Next Buck) |
| S02E10 #36 |
Dec 27, 2009 |
Making the Most of Your Money Now (Jane Bryant Quinn) |
| S02E09 #35 |
Dec 20, 2009 |
Pay It Down!: Debt-Free on $10 a Day (Jean Chatzky) |
| S02E08 #34 |
Dec 13, 2009 |
Giving Stocks as Gifts (Dan Greenshields) and Kelly Whalen |
| S02E07 #33 |
Dec 6, 2009 |
The Complete Identity Theft Guidebook (Terri Cullen) |
| S02E06 #32 |
Nov 29, 2009 |
Gift Cards (Jim Sharvin, CPA) and Financial Reform (Heather Booth) |
| S02E05 #31 |
Nov 22, 2009 |
Peer to Peer Lending (Renaud LaPlanche and Rob Garcia) and Target Date Funds (Flexo) |
| S02E04 #30 |
Nov 15, 2009 |
Ask the Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job (Nick Corcodilos) |
| S02E03 #29 |
Nov 8, 2009 |
How to Live Well and Save Money (Sharon Harvey Rosenberg, The Frugal Duchess) |
| S02E02 #28 |
Nov 1, 2009 |
The Smartest Retirement Book You’ll Ever Read (Dan Solin) |
| S02E01 #27 |
Oct 25, 2009 |
War against debt, frugal traveling (Adam Baker, Man Vs. Debt) |
| S01E26 |
Oct 18, 2009 |
MAKE Magazine, Do-it-Yourself, Credit.com (Mark Frauenfelder, Boing Boing) |
| S01E25 |
Oct 11, 2009 |
Sandra Hannah (Smart Cookies) and Neal Frankle (Wealth Pilgrim) |
| S01E24 |
Oct 4, 2009 |
Path to becoming a millionaire (Jen Smith, Millionaire Mommy Next Door) |
| S01E23 |
Sep 27, 2009 |
Negotiating and bargaining (Herb Cohen, presidential adviser, and Teri Gault, author) |
| S01E22 |
Sep 20, 2009 |
Intuit’s Acquisition of Mint (Aaron Patzer, Mint) and Roth IRA conversions (Bryan Olson, Charles Schwab) |
| S01E21 |
Sep 13, 2009 |
How to survive on a teacher’s salary (Danny Kofke) |
| S01E20 |
Sep 6, 2009 |
You Need a Budget (Jesse Mecham) and PocketSmith (Francois Bondiguel and Jason Leong) |
| S01E19 |
Aug 30, 2009 |
Giving yourself a raise (Matt Jabs, Debt Free Adventure) |
| S01E18 |
Aug 23, 2009 |
Snap financial decisions (David Adler, Snap Judgment) and the PowerCost Monitor (Peter Porteous) |
| S01E17 |
Aug 16, 2009 |
Buying and owning a home in today’s market (David Crook, WSJ Complete Home Owner’s Guidebook) |
| S01E16 |
Aug 9, 2009 |
Financial planning (Jeff Rose, CFP) and Cash for Clunkers (Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports) |
| S01E15 |
Aug 2, 2009 |
Credit CARD Act (Dr. Robert Manning) and tips for dealing with layoffs (Flexo) |
| S01E14 |
Jul 26, 2009 |
We, the Savers (Jim Kelly, ING Direct) and Feed the Pig (Mackey McNeil) |
| S01E13 |
Jul 19, 2009 |
Tips for graduating seniors (Flexo) and Cash for Clunkers (Bob Meighan, Intuit) |
| S01E12 |
Jul 12, 2009 |
Myths of personal finance (Ramit Sethi, I Will Teach You To Be Rich) |
| S01E11 |
Jul 5, 2009 |
SmartyPig (Jon Gaskell) and new Consumerism Commentary contributor (Jeff) |
| S01E10 |
Jun 28, 2009 |
Frugal grilling (Jim Wang, Grillmaestro) and successful entrepreneurs (Erica Douglass) |
| S01E09 |
Jun 21, 2009 |
Maintaining careers in a recession (Penelope Trunk, Brazen Careerist) and minimalism in personal finance (Leo Babauta, Zen Habits) |
| S01E08 |
Jun 14, 2009 |
Yowza! and TalkAboutIt.org (Greg Grunberg) |
| S01E07 |
Jun 7, 2009 |
Quicken Online (Barron Ernst) and 10,001 Ways to Live Live Large on a Small Budget (Linsey Knerl) |
| S01E06 |
May 31, 2009 |
397 Ways to Save Money (Kerry K. Taylor) |
| S01E05 |
May 24, 2009 |
Following your passion to earn income (J.D. Roth, Get Rich Slowly) and a family budgeting system (Bryan J Busch) |
| S01E04 |
May 17, 2009 |
Financial advisory website Thrive (Matt Wallaert) |
| S01E03 |
May 10, 2009 |
Credit scores (Ken Lin, Credit Karma) and the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights (Liz Weston) |
| S01E02 |
May 3, 2009 |
Recession-proof your relationship (Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil) and Mint’s new features (Aaron Patzer) |
| S01E01 |
Apr 26, 2009 |
Recession tips (Flexo) and shrinking your bills (Peter Pham, BillShrink) |
Best of Consumerism Commentary, September 2009
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Best of Consumerism Commentary, September 2009
We also had a number of excellent guests on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast in September. We discussed budgeting with the creators of You Need a Budget and PocketSmith, learned how to survive on a teacher’s salary, discovered the details about Mint.com’s acquisition by Intuit including one surprise that was not mentioned in the media earlier, and discussed negotiating and bargaining with presidential adviser Herb Cohen.
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