Credit problems? Stolen identity? How to solve your money mysteries and protect your finances.

Mic’s Payoff podcast is back — with an extra-special episode and it’s a doozy! Comedian and actor Gary Richardson reached out with a money SOS, and Chris and Antonia answered the call. Richardson’s financial life had gotten pretty scary, particularly after some clues suggested he might be the victim of identity theft.

His tale can best be described as a rollercoaster ride — or maybe a boat ride on choppy seas. Richardson originally feared his identity had been stolen after he tried to sign for a new apartment, and was told a fraudster had opened lines of credit in his name, possibly to buy several boats.

By the end of the episode, he gains a better sense of what a credit report is, how to read and understand it, and what steps to take to repair his credit and raise his credit score, all thanks to Gordon Oliver from Cambridge Credit Counseling and Libby Kimzey from the Capital Good Fund, plus the Payoff staff at Mic, who provided additional input.

In upcoming episodes the podcast will take on more money mysteries — in the areas of housing, freelancing and credit cards. If you have questions or confusion about any of those topics, email us at PayoffPod@mic.com and we’ll tackle your issue or answer your question!

You can subscribe to the Payoff podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, RadioPublic or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please rate and review, and stay tuned for new episodes every other Wednesday!