Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller

How to manage your personal finances during a pandemic

A wallet with money in it.
In a coronavirus-induced economic crash, more Minnesotans are turning to unemployment insurance to pay their bills.
Lukas on Pexels

Roughly 20 million Americans are still waiting for the stimulus check from the CARES Act to hit their wallets.

The money was targeted at individuals who made less than $75,000 or couples making less than $150,000 on their 2019 tax filings.

Since that bill passed in late March, the unemployment rate has climbed to 14.7 percent.

Half of respondents in a recent NPR, PBS Newshour and Marist poll said at least one person in their household has either lost a job or had work hours cut.

In April alone, the American economy lost 20.5 million jobs, according to a jobs report the federal government released last week.

Wednesday on MPR News with Kerri Miller, two finance experts took listener calls and questions on how to manage your money during a period of economic uncertainty.

Guests:


Jill Schlesinger is a business analyst for CBS News, a certified financial planner and the author of the book, “The Dumb Things Smart People Do With Their Money: Thirteen Ways to Right Your Financial Wrongs.”

Sandra Block is a senior editor for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above. 

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