Can the U.S. Go ‘Cashless?’
From Optimist Economy by Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi
May 12, 2026 · 44 min · Season 2 · Episode 16
About this episode
The episode discusses the potential shift towards a cashless economy in the U.S. and the implications for unbanked and underbanked households.
Cash is dirty, inconvenient, and so last century. Some 70% of Americans under age 50 think its days are numbered. But we still need those greenbacks, if as an alternative to banks. More than 4% of households are “unbanked,” and three times as many are “underbanked,” meaning bank services mostly don’t work for them, so rely on services like check cashers or payday lenders. And that's before you get to the racial disparities in who banks approve for credit. Reviving banking services at the post office might be one way to help the unbanked and keep from handing yet more power to the finance sector. Chapters : 00:00:48 Announcements 00:02:30 Retcon: Semiquincentennia 00:03:35 Terms & Conditions: ChexSystems, Unbanked 00:05:46 Big Pilcrow: What’s keeping the U.S. from going cashless? 00:38:28 Executive Orders: Regulate youth sports schedules; Airline baggage fees by weight. 00:40:56 Spiritual Sponsors: Artemis splashdown; Friends with season tickets. Donate to Optimist Economy: https://optimisteconomy.com Video clips available at the Optimist Economy YouTube channel . We’re also on Instagram at @optimist_economy or TikTok at @optimist_economy . You can also search for us…
People in this episode
Hosts: Kathryn Anne Edwards, Robin Rauzi
Topics covered
- cashless economy
- banking services
- unbanked households
- racial disparities
- financial services
Keywords
- cashless
- unbanked
- underbanked
- banking services
- financial inclusion
- racial disparities
- check cashers
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Optimist Economy
Places: U.S., America
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