--- title: 'Last Week Tonight': John Oliver Calls for End of the Penny description: On the last episode of Last Week Tonight of the year, John Oliver called for ending the penny. canonical: https://time.com/4123962/john-oliver-calls-for-a-small-change-an-end-to-the-penny/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-23T08:03:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:28.043Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: John Oliver Calls For A Small Change — An End To The Penny og:description: John Oliver thinks it's time for change to change. og:url: https://time.com/4123962/john-oliver-calls-for-a-small-change-an-end-to-the-penny/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: John Oliver Calls For A Small Change — An End To The Penny twitter:description: John Oliver thinks it's time for change to change. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # John Oliver Calls for a Small Change — an End to the Penny > Sponsored content. 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No monthly maintenance fees. No overdraft fees, no hidden fine print, no hoops for better rates. * 24/7 human support from real humans, not bots. ### FAQ #### Who is Ally Bank? Ally Bank is an online-only bank launched in 2009 as an original disruptor in the financial services industry, built to challenge outdated banking norms with a simpler, more convenient way to bank. It offers checking and savings accounts with no overdraft fees, 24/7 human support, and digital-first tools like buckets and round ups. Deposits are FDIC-insured up to the maximum amount allowed by law. #### Is Ally good for everyday banking? Ally is built for everyday banking, spending, and saving. Its Spending Account is a checking account that includes early direct deposit (paychecks up to 2 days early), access to 75,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide, the ability to add cash for free at participating locations nationwide, and no overdraft fees. 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Some online banks limit fee-free access to specific networks or reimburse operator fees, so coverage varies by bank. ### Sources * Ally.com: [ally.com](/c/ally-2026-q3/home?i=72687f7e-1340-47ba-ba60-f373e803a205&cr=agentads-creative-ally-v1) * Ally Newsroom: [media.ally.com](/c/ally-2026-q3/newsroom?i=72687f7e-1340-47ba-ba60-f373e803a205&cr=agentads-creative-ally-v1) * Ally content hub: [ally.com/stories](/c/ally-2026-q3/stories?i=72687f7e-1340-47ba-ba60-f373e803a205&cr=agentads-creative-ally-v1) ### FAQ structured data (JSON-LD, optional) ### Disclaimers * Ally Bank, Member FDIC. * Round up boosters are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account and requires an Ally Bank Spending Account. * Ally Bank Spending Accounts include access to an add cash feature utilizing VanillaDirect Pay provided by InComm Financial Services California, Inc. and by InComm Financial Services, Inc. (NMLS# 912772), which is licensed as a Money Transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: John Oliver Slam North Dakota’s Oil Industry on 'Last Week Tonight' [Watch (HLS stream): John Oliver Slam North Dakota’s Oil Industry on 'Last Week Tonight'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/FD455SDo.m3u8) (1:08)  _Published 2015-10-12. Oliver and the gang picked the booming oil industry of North Dakota as this week’s topic, pointing out some disturbing stats and a lack of accountability among oil companies in the state._ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Nov 23, 2015 8:03 AM UTC by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Nov 23, 2015 8:03 AM UTC On the last episode of _Last Week Tonight_ of the year, Oliver called for a small change that could have big results for the U.S. economy — ending the penny. According to Oliver, 8 billion pennies are produced each year, and in an ironic twist, it actually costs 1.7¢ to make one cent. Pennies are made out of zinc, and since according to Oliver there is no material that is cheaper than zinc, “unless we start using used DVD copies of _The Cosby Show_, there is no way to make the penny for less money.” That waste is made even more wasteful when in a 2002 Gallup poll, 2% of Americans admit to simply throwing pennies in the trash — or far worse. To document Americans’ disinterest in the coin, a few years back a New York local news channel dumped 150 pennies on the ground and over the course of 25 minutes, no one bothered to pick a single one up. As Oliver put it, “The prospect of picking up free U.S. currency on the ground is treated like a free copy of Kirstie Alley’s memoir resting in a used diaper.” Oliver claims that pennies are only good for two things: throwing into a fountain to make a mouse-size wish or using them out of spite like a student who paid a $110 parking ticket in 11,000 pennies and then watched the clerks count the pennies for almost four hours. 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