Affirm's Nightmare on Wall Street! Is Buy Now Pay Later Dead?!

From Shoes to Stocks: A Girl's Gotta Ask What's Crashing Faster?

Okay so picture this: I'm scrolling through Net a Porter debating between the Manolo Blahnik Hangisi pumps (a girl can dream right?) and a slightly more 'realistic' pair of Blahniks when I see the headlines. Affirm darling Affirm the company that makes those shoe splurges a little less guilt inducing is in a freefall. Suddenly those shoes feel a lot less sparkly and a lot more… financially irresponsible? Could this be the end of the *buy now pay later* dream? I couldn't help but wonder...

Trump's Tariffs: The Ultimate Fashion Faux Pas?

Apparently President Trump's sweeping tariff announcement is to blame. Who knew politics could be so… expensive? Economists are predicting price hikes on well *everything*. And if shoes are going up and bags are going up and cosmopolitans are DEFINITELY going up (inflation darling it's a killer!) where does that leave a girl and her shall we say *aspirational* lifestyle? It's like that time Big moved to Paris without me all over again. Only this time it's the entire economy that's leaving me behind!

Klarna's Komplicated Kancelation: A Swedish Tragedy?

But wait there's more! Affirm's rival Klarna – you know the Swedish company that sounds like a sneeze but promises financial freedom – has delayed its IPO. They were supposed to be the belle of the Wall Street ball all set to debut on the New York Stock Exchange with a valuation that would make even my rent controlled apartment look cheap. Now? Crickets. It's like showing up to a party in last season's Prada. Mortifying! And with StubHub and Chime also hitting the brakes on their IPO plans is the market having second thoughts about *buy now pay later*? Are we going back to the dark ages of… gasp… *saving*?

Nasdaq's Nosedive: Is It Time to Sell My Louboutins?

The Nasdaq is having a meltdown! We're talking the biggest drop since the early days of the pandemic. Remember when we were all panic buying toilet paper and sourdough starters? Now we're apparently panic selling stocks. Even Jack Dorsey's Block which owns Afterpay is feeling the heat. It’s giving me flashbacks to when Stanford Blatch told me to buy Apple stock. Who knew financial advice could be so stressful?

Affirm's Defense: A Secular Trend or a Fleeting Fad?

Affirm bless their cotton socks is trying to stay positive. They say their flexible payment options are a “secular and enduring trend” and not a market trend. They’re not wrong. Credit cards are out the *buy now pay later* is in. But when analysts start talking about “cyclical risk” and exposure to fashion beauty and travel – you know my *entire* life – it's hard not to feel a little… exposed. It’s like when Miranda Hobbes realized she was out of birth control when she met Steve for a second time. “The horror!”

So What's a Girl to Do? Shop On?

So here I am staring at my closet full of shoes (and a growing mountain of credit card bills) wondering if *buy now pay later* is about to become *bye now pay later*. Is this the end of the retail therapy era? Will I have to start you know *budgeting*? The thought alone is enough to send me running to Bergdorf Goodman for a little retail therapy. But then again maybe I should wait and see what happens with Affirm. After all a girl's gotta eat. And those Manolos aren't exactly edible… although with a little balsamic glaze… just kidding! Or am I?