Dollars & Sense
HAPO Community Credit Union helps empower our listeners to achieve financial success while living for today and planning for tomorrow. This podcast focuses on financial education, community support, fraud prevention, real life stories of financial transformation, and much more.
Episodes
42 episodes
You Work Hard for That Refund — Here’s How to Use It Smarter
You earned that refund — now it’s time to make it count. In this episode of Dollars and Sense, we dive into the surprising psychology behind why tax refunds feel like a bonus, even though it’s your own money coming back to you.W...
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Season 3
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Episode 40
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31:40
We Asked a Mom + a Money Pro How to Raise Financially Smart Kids—Here’s What They Said
Raising financially smart kids doesn’t happen by accident—it takes intention, everyday conversations, and a few creative approaches.In this episode of Dollars and Sense, host Scott is joined by two moms, Kandy and Annie, to talk about h...
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Season 3
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Episode 39
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38:06
Our Podcast Guest Was ChatGPT… Did It Fix Our Finances?
In this episode, we did something completely different—we invited ChatGPT as our podcast guest! Scott and ChatGPT teamed up to tackle one of the biggest challenges many of us face: managing our finances. We put AI to the test with a fina...
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Season 3
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Episode 38
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31:33
Building Your Dream Home? WATCH THIS FIRST!
The Truth About Building a Custom Home | Dollars & Sense Podcast🏡 Ever wondered what it really takes to build a custom home? In this episode of Dollars & Sense, we sit down with Jordan Mattila, owner...
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Season 3
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Episode 37
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41:13
Is Money Secretly Sabotaging Your Relationship?
💰 Love & Money: Mastering Couples’ Finances Without Breaking the Bank (or Each Other!) 💑Money and relationships—two things that can make or break a partnership. Studies show that nearly half of couples argue about money...
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Season 3
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Episode 36
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30:12
The Super Bowl Economy: How Game Day Becomes a $17 Billion Dollar Event
🏈 The Super Bowl Isn’t Just a Game—It’s an Economic Powerhouse! 💰From $7 million commercials to 1.4 billion chicken wings, the Super Bowl is one of the biggest financial events of the year. In this episode, Scott is joined by Jeff and J...
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Season 3
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Episode 35
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54:16
Where Did All Your Money Go? How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck
💸 Ever wonder where all your money goes? You’re not alone! In this episode, our host Scott sits down with certified financial coach Marcelo from HAPO to tackle the topic of budgeting. Together, they break down why budgeting matters and...
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Season 3
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Episode 34
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31:25
The Hidden Power of Credit Unions: Shaping Policy, Saving Communities
In this episode of Dollars and Sense, we dive into the powerful yet often overlooked role credit unions play in shaping policy and building stronger communities. With a new legislative session underway in Washington State, we explore h...
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Season 3
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Episode 34
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42:32
Is Your Free Time Your Next Payday?: The Power of the Side Hustle
Side Hustles: Passion vs. Pragmatism – Which Approach Wins?In this episode, we brought in three dynamic entrepreneurs to talk about all things side hustle—from starting small to turning your hustle into a full-time business. With their ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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43:09
From Temu to TikTok: How Modern Shopping Trends Are Changing Your Spending Habits
In this episode, we dive into the world of online shopping trends and how they’re reshaping our spending habits—often in ways we don’t realize. From ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ services like Klarna and Affirm to one-click buys on Amazon, we examine th...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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1:07:32
The Market Shift: What's next for Real Estate Buyers and Sellers
Scott is joined by a couple of top real estate agents from the Tri-Cities Area, Vicki Monteagudo and Laura Harris-Hodges. The two give us some unique insights into trends in the housing market and talk about how important it can be to have a pr...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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41:30
How Solid is Your Foundation?
On this episode, Scott is joined by Nolan and Carter from HAPO's Finance department. They talk about the basic steps that everyone should make to secure their financial foundation. These steps can help ensure that you are all setup to han...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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48:09
SMS Fraud
Scott is joined by HAPO's Fraud Manager Jen and Detective Sam Grant from the Richland Police Department. We take the time to look into the current fraud trends happening via SMS messaging, as well as other fraud basics and how to go about prote...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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28:57
Consumer Lending
On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Levi and Todd with HAPO Community Credit Union's Consumer Lending department join Scott to talk about a major part of Credit Union philosophy and business. We get a chance to dispel some myths about...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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42:43
Mortgage Talk
Scott is joined by Britany and Carol, two of HAPO's Mortgage Loan Officers. They talk about the current landscape of the mortgage and real estate world. Some advice on navigating the current rates, as well as reasons you might have to make a mo...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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51:22
Starting up a Business
Scott talks with Karyn from HAPO Commercial Services, Maria from Washington Small Business Development Center, and Ana from Craft3 about what it takes to start up your own small business. We all know it takes more than just an idea for a ...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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54:14
Clawing your way out of debt
On this episode, Scott is joined by Tony, Teresa, and Domingo. All 3 are Certified Credit Union Financial Coaches who have a number of personal and member stories about real life debt scenarios. We discuss how to avoid these scenari...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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58:18
Facebook Marketplace
Our favorite Fraud Prevention specialist, Jen, joins the podcast again to discuss another hot topic: Online Marketplaces. These marketplaces, like Facebook, eBay, or Craigslist, provide ample opportunities for fraudsters. We go over some method...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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19:49
Mirror Ministries - Human Trafficking
In honor of January being Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we got Tricia MacFarlan into the studio to discuss Human Trafficking and the impact that has on individuals, psychologically, financially, and otherwise.Resource Blog:
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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51:05
Paying For College - Part 2
We continue our conversation with Jana Kay and Ricky from Washington State University Tri-Cities Financial Aid department. We continue the discussion with topics like 529 Savings accounts, Non-Resident Programs, FAFSA, Loans vs Grants, and Moti...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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29:33
Paying For College - Part 1
Jana Kay and Ricky from Washington State University Tri-Cities Financial Aid Department join us to talk in depth about the value of a degree, and more importantly how to pay for it. We talk about Federal, State, and Private assistance pro...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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27:56
Getting Help with Debt Collections
Tawney and Susie from HAPO's Asset Recovery team join Scott in the studio to demystify the topic of Collections. We discuss some real-life stories of how people can end up in collections, the best practices for anyone who finds themselves in th...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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26:57
Budgeting & Accounts Pt 2
Part 2 of our episode about Budgeting and Account Types and Structures. We talk more about how you can utilize accounts and other tools, like direct deposit, to help support your budgeting plans.
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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16:03
