Maria Bamford on her financial transparency, from debt to net worth: Planet Money : NPR

Robin von Swank / Maria Bamford

Robin von Swank / Maria Bamford

Warning: This episode contains profanity.

In 2017, the University of Minnesota invited comedian Maria Bamford to give its commencement speech. But the university probably had no idea why. In her speech, Bamford told the graduates how much the university was willing to pay her (zero), her counteroffer ($20,000), and the amount they ultimately agreed on ($10,000), which she gave to the students in attendance (after taxes and fees) to pay off their student loans.

Maria Bamford is a firm believer in full financial disclosure, a philosophy she adopted after decades of attending Debtors Anonymous support groups, where she learned important financial tips and tricks to go from thousands of dollars in debt to a current net worth of $3.5 million (a figure she’s willing to share with anyone, as her philosophy dictates).

She talked to us about her financial troubles, how she recovered, and why she believes in complete financial transparency, even if it makes her look bad.

Disclaimer: Planet Money is not qualified or accredited to provide financial advice. Maria is in no way a spokesperson for Debtors Anonymous.

The show is hosted by Kenny Malone and Mary Childs. It is produced by Emma Peaslee, edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and planned by Neisha Heinis. Alex Goldmark is the executive producer of Planet Money.

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Music: NPR Source Audio – “Labios Azul” and “Out of My Mind”