Episodes
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South Carolina’s debt situation is bad. But all is not lost. In this episode of InDebted, we wrap up the series with a look at what some of South Carolina’s greatest thinkers, lawmakers, and lenders are doing to address the Palmetto State’s ecosystem of debt. -
SC Public RadioYou do not need to be poor to get caught in the cycle of debt. On this episode of InDebted, a look at how even those with good credit and successful businesses can fall victim to predators and end up in financial trouble.
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SC Public RadioFor many South Carolinians, large medical expenses can change their lives completely. In fact, the Palmetto State currently has one of the highest levels of uninsured of any state. On this episode of InDebted, we look at medical debt in South Carolina and the very high cost of falling ill.
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SC Public RadioIn parts of South Carolina, residents without access to traditional financial institutions have to rely on alternative services such as payday loans, rent-to-own services, and auto title loans. On this episode of InDebted, we hear from the unbanked and underbanked, and learn why some economic experts view debt as a public health crisis.
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SC Public RadioDriven by the fear of insufficient funds or unexpected life events, payday borrowers are forced to pay the loan fees before they pay basic living expenses. In this episode of InDebted, Scott Morgan takes in inside look at the short-term lender business.
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Linda Nunez/SC Public RadioBarnwell County, SC is a place of timeless beauty, but for many residents it’s also a place with no future for growth or work. On the third episode of InDebted, we explore how a lack of opportunities passed down through generations is the backdrop for one of the worst places for debt in the United States and how for many the only way to get ahead is to go somewhere else.
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For decades, a college education was the “golden ticket” to the American Dream. On this episode of InDebted, host Scott Morgan looks at student loan debt in SC, especially how it disproportionately affects African American students.
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South Carolina has some of the worst personal debt numbers per capita in the country. On the series premiere of InDebted, we begin our dive into the factors that have led to this with the way many people first experience debt: credit cards.
Articles
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On Tuesday, the White House released state-by-state numbers of enrollees to the newly launched SAVE program for student loan borrowers. North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia borrowers have enrolled in a big way. -
Several nonprofits and agencies exist to help you navigate your way through debt and financing in South Carolina. And for free.
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RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit based in New York, buys medical debt through donations, then wipes those debts clean. It's a solution rooted in its CEO's impatience with waiting for the system to fix itself.
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Debt is not just a poor person's plight. People with good credit and equity are like a buffet to lenders who want a piece of your wealth. And they have fantastically complicated contract language to distract you with.
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South Carolina has a high percentage of uninsured residents. That's not helping the state's place among the most debt-burdened.
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South Carolina is second only to West Virginia in the share of residents with medical debt in collections. The why is a tangle of healthcare costs, disproportionate incomes, and low insurance rates. For starters.
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'Michelle Strickland' has been hit about as hard as anyone could get hit financially. Her full story isn't exactly commonplace, but her plight navigating South Carolina's medical debt environment is.
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A USC finance professor discusses one solution he'd like to try for short-term loans.
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You probably call all kinds of short-term loan product 'payday loans.' But short-term, small-dollar loans are a rich tapestry.
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South Carolina has a bad rep when it comes to short-term, small-dollar lending. It's leading to a push to cap interest rates to federal military lending limits.
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Barnwell County is a microcosm of South Carolina's rural debt and poverty troubles. It's also the story of rural America in the 21st century.
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Student loans aren't too different from mortgages. But they're not insurmountable.
Resources
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How much does debt affect your life? InDebted Profiles, a companion blog series to the InDebted podcast, collects the stories of South Carolinians' relationship with debt in an effort to destigmatize this topic. You can share your story anonymously through the form below.
Interviews
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One of every three people in South Carolina have debt in collection. For people of color, it's one in two.
Meet The Host
SC Public Radio
Scott Morgan is the Upstate multimedia reporter for South Carolina Public Radio, based in Rock Hill. He cut his teeth as a newspaper reporter and editor in New Jersey before finding a home in public radio in Texas. Scott joined South Carolina Public Radio in March of 2019. His work has appeared in numerous national and regional publications as well as on NPR and MSNBC. He's won numerous state, regional, and national awards for his work including a national Edward R. Murrow.
