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Planet Money · March 10, 2026 · 25m

The Invisible Tax of Being Poor

Why everything costs more when you're poor: check cashing fees, payday loans, laundromat costs vs owning a washer, buying in small quantities, and the 'poverty premium' across every category.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Canon

Planet Money: there are more payday lenders than McDonald's in America. They cluster in poor neighborhoods because the regulatory environment permits predatory products where banks have withdrawn.

Highlights

The poverty premium — being poor costs more per unit than being middle class
Planet Money: the poor pay more per load of laundry, per roll of toilet paper, per dollar borrowed, and per minute of internet. The total poverty premium is estimated at $2,500-3,000 per year in extra costs.
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