# ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’: A New Wave of Consumer Debt

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/deborah-lebree-s-podcast-7041113/buy-now-pay-later-a-new-wave-of-consumer-debt
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/deborah-lebree-s-podcast-7041113/buy-now-pay-later-a-new-wave-of-consumer-debt.md
Podcast: [Deborah Lebree's podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/deborah-lebree-s-podcast-7041113)
Published: 2026-09-08T09:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/buy-now-pay-later-a-new-wave-of-consumer-debt--74998339
Audio file: https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74998339/default.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/deborah-lebree-s-podcast-7041113/episodes/buy-now-pay-later-a-new-wave-of-consumer-debt
Duration seconds: 1564

## Resource

As people in the United States struggle with rising costs, they are increasingly turning to “buy now, pay later” loans for essentials such as rent and groceries.Stacey Cowley, a business reporter for The New York Times, explains the draw and the hidden risks of the loan model.Guest: Stacy Cowley, a business reporter at The New York Times, with a focus on consumer finance.Background reading: “Buy now, pay later” lenders have pitched loans for needs like electricity and rent. They got to live a life of luxury. Then came the fine print . Photo: Amir Hamja for The New York Times For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily . Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher . For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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## Transcript

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