Pop Finance

Nomadland — directed by Chloé Zhao

The winner of best picture, best director and best actress at the 2021 Oscars, Nomadland stars Frances McDormand as a widow that sells everything and joins the van life (but not the annoying hipster kind) in this moving and beautifully shot exposé of the working poor in America.

In this episode we’re watching the scene where Fern (played by Frances McDormand) gets an estimate for repairs at the mechanic’s garage and has to decide whether to fix or to sell her beloved van. What seems like a simple financial calculation is anything but that as decisions about money are often dominated by psychology.
This scene serves as a platform to explore topics like:

• The widening income gap
• Economic vulnerability and fragility
• The endowment effect - how owning something makes us value it higher
• The Ikea effect - how putting effort into creating something increases value
• Why Frances McDormand is one of our greatest living actors

Hosted by: Preet Banerjee (@preetbanerjee), a former stock broker, and wealth management consultant in London and Jason Bryden (@jasonbrydenofcanada) a teacher and filmmaker in Toronto.

Follow us! @preetbanerjee and @jasonbrydenofcanada

In this episode we discuss:

• Loansharking and extortion
• The movie business
• The criminal world v. The financial world
• What makes a great performance? It’s in the eyes.

Get Shorty - Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

This 1995 comedy is about a mobster who travels to Hollywood to collect a debt, and discovers that the movie business is much the same as his current job. It stars John Travolta, Rene Russo, Gene Hackman, Delroy Lindo, Dennis Farina, and John Travolta.

We focus on the scene where "Chili" Palmer (Travolta) and Karen Flores (Russo) audition movie star Martin Weir (Danny DeVito) for a part in their film.

Hosted by: Preet Banerjee, a former stock broker, and wealth management consultant in London and Jason Bryden (@jasonbrydenofcanada) a teacher and filmmaker in Toronto.

Follow us! @preetbanerjee and @jasonbrydenofcanada

In this episode Bruce Wayne saves Martha Kent from being kicked out of her house by buying the bank that owns her mortgage.
“I bought the bank.” — Ben Affleck.
The infamous line at the end of this instant classic of a tentpole is expertly delivered by “Jack in the Box” evangelist Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne when he explains to Mesa member in good standing Henry Cavill how he saved his mum’s house from foreclosure. We’ll dive into if this makes any sense. What normally happens if you can’t pay your mortgage and why didn’t Bruce just buy the house for her?
In this episode we’ll explore topics like:
Jason’s variable mortgage crisis
Foreclosures
Acute Recession v. Chronic recession
Terrible acting perpetrated by big-time celebrities
Justice League — directed by Zack Snyder
Hosted by: Preet Banerjee, a former stock broker, and wealth management consultant in London and Jason Bryden (@jasonbrydenofcanada) a teacher and filmmaker in Toronto.

Follow us! @preetbanerjee and @jasonbrydenofcanada

What can Justice League teach you about mortgages? Or Nomadland about sunk cost fallacies? Join finance expert Preet Banerjee and filmmaker Jason Bryden as they bring together two worlds—personal finance and pop culture. From Bruce Wayne buying the bank to save Martha Kent's house, to Get Shorty's exploration of the movie business and loansharking, and even Ozark's take on money laundering, we’re here to break down the financial lessons hiding in your favorite films and TV shows. Whether you're a movie lover or just curious about managing your money, Pop Finance will entertain and educate with a lighthearted look at the dollars and sense behind the big screen.

Follow us! @preetbanerjee and @jasonbrydenofcanada