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Conversations about the financial infrastructure, institutions, and policies that shape economic life.

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Who Owns the Payment Rails?
paymentsfinancial infrastructure

Who Owns the Payment Rails?

Dr. Sarah Chen — Senior Fellow, Payments Policy Institute

Every digital transaction travels across infrastructure owned by a handful of companies. We trace the history of payment networks, the concentration of power, and what a public alternative might look like.

May 28, 2026 · 58 minListen →
The Unbanked and the Underbanked
bankingfinancial inclusion

The Unbanked and the Underbanked

Marcus Williams — Director of Financial Equity, National Consumer Law Center

An estimated 5.9 million U.S. households have no bank account. We examine why, who bears the cost, and what policy can do.

April 14, 2026 · 52 minListen →
Your Credit Score: A Short History
bankingfinancial infrastructure

Your Credit Score: A Short History

Prof. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor — Professor of African American Studies, Northwestern University

Credit scoring was designed to remove human bias from lending decisions. Instead, it encoded structural inequality into an algorithm.

March 3, 2026 · 61 minListen →
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