NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast
NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast provides clear, actionable advice on personal finance topics such as budgeting, saving, investing, home buying, and credit cards. Hosted by trusted finance journalists, each episode answers real-world money questions to help listeners make smarter financial decisions. The show aims to cut through misinformation and offer research-backed insights for building wealth and planning life milestones.
Episodes
Splitting the Bill With Friends? Navigate Venmo Requests, Unpaid Loans and Money Regrets
Learn how to handle money tension with friends and partners, from splitting costs to getting a loan paid back.
Is it fair for a friend to split every grocery bill with you when they earn far more than you do? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola dig into some of Reddit’s messiest money conversations, with posts read by NerdWallet senior banking writer Spencer Tierney, credit expert Aman
Rebuild Your Credit And Your Savings, Plus Why 7 in 10 Americans Feel Squeezed
Learn how to rebuild credit while saving in sinking funds, and why 7 in 10 Americans struggle to afford the basics.
How can you rebuild your credit and save for big goals at the same time? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by NerdWallet senior credit expert Amanda Barroso to answer a listener's question about moving from repairing bad credit to building excellent credit. They
Build Generational Wealth From Scratch: Four Pillars and the Family Pressure That Comes With It
Learn how to build generational wealth and navigate the complex financial issues of being the first in your family to get ahead financially.
Generational wealth expert India Elliott, a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors, joins hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola to answer listener questions about building — and protecting — wealth that lasts. One listener, a first-gen college grad
Build a Forever Paycheck with Jean Chatzky of HerMoney
Learn how to turn your retirement savings into a steady retirement paycheck and how grocery stores may use your data to set prices.
How do you turn decades of retirement savings into income you can count on for the rest of your life? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola talk with Jean Chatzky, host of the HerMoney podcast and author of “The Forever Paycheck: The New Retirement Strategy to
Renting vs. Buying a Home: Can HOA Fees Be Worth the Money?
Learn how condo and HOA fees change the math on renting vs. home ownership, and how to resist a pricey tech upgrade.
Is buying a home with a hefty condo or HOA fee worth the money compared with renting? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola talk with Ryan Sterling, CEO of NerdWallet Wealth Partners, about a listener trying to factor condo fees into the rent vs. buy decision. You’ll hear wh
Get Out of a Timeshare and Find Down Payment Help to Buy a Home
Learn how to escape a timeshare contract, plus what kind of help exists if you want to buy a home.
How do you get out of a timeshare you no longer want? Elizabeth Ayoola talks with travel Nerd Craig Joseph about a listener whose parents are paying yearly fees on an Orlando property they can barely use anymore. You'll hear why these timeshare contracts are so hard to unwind, what maintenance fees
Real Estate Syndication 101: What to Know Before You Invest
Learn what to weigh before investing in real estate syndications, including costs, risks and REIT alternatives.
Should you diversify into real estate, and is real estate syndication the right way to do it? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola talk with NerdWallet investing writer Sam Taube about what real estate syndication actually involves, the different ways to get in — from online cro
Drained Retirement, Maxed Credit Cards. How Scam Victims Start Rebuilding
When a parent sends their retirement savings to someone they met online, learn how to help them recover – without letting it happen again.
What do you do when a parent has spent most of their retirement savings on a romantic partner they’ve never met? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola help from a listener whose father, in his 70s, drained his retirement accounts and ran up massive cred
IUL Insurance: Recession-Proof or a Risky Bet for Your Retirement?
Is indexed universal life insurance “recession-proof?” Learn how it really works and whether it belongs in your retirement plan.
Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola speak with NerdWallet insurance writer Elizabeth Aldrich about what IUL actually is. Aldrich breaks down the zero-percent floor that sounds like guaranteed protection (but doesn't mean you can't lose money), the truth behind
Budget Rehab: A Debt-Free Couple Plans for a Wedding, House and Baby (Plus: Inside Disaster Betting Markets)
Learn how a debt-free couple budgets for a wedding, a house and a baby, plus why disaster betting markets are booming.
How much of a $20,500 monthly income could go toward a wedding, a first home and a future baby, all within the same few years? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down with a debt-free military couple, Jack and Lauren, to dig into their budget and figure out where th
Seven Steps for Prioritizing Money as a High Earner (from Your Next Dollar)
Learn how high earners could prioritize their money across seven steps, from income growth to backdoor Roth strategies.
Your Next Dollar host Andrew Giancola and NerdWallet Wealth Partners CEO Ryan Sterling walk through the seven-step Your Next Dollar Blueprint — an order of operations high earners could follow to prioritize their savings across accounts, from growing income and building an emerg
How Get Rich Slowly's Founder Retired at 40. Plus, What Higher Bond Yields Mean for Savers
Learn how Get Rich Slowly creator JD Roth paid off $35,000 in debt and retired at 40. Then, learn what rising bond yields mean for savers and investors.
Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola talk with JD Roth, founder of the personal finance blog Get Rich Slowly, about paying off $35,000 in consumer debt and eventually selling his blog to retire at age 40. JD explains the psychological shi
Does a Pension Mean You're Set for Retirement? How to Know If You're Really on Track
Learn how to measure your retirement progress when you have a pension and figure out how much more you really need to save.
How do you know if your pension actually has you covered for retirement — or if you still need to keep saving aggressively alongside it? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down with Anna, a journeyman electrician in Portland whose union job comes with a defin
Putting the "7% Rule" to the Test on a Real Mortgage. Plus, an Economist on Stubborn Food Prices
Learn whether the "7% rule" for prioritizing debt payoff over investing applies to your mortgage. Plus: why your grocery bill keeps climbing.
Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola talk with Max, a product designer in Portland who was laid off from his tech job earlier this year, about whether the so-called "7% rule" applies to something as big as a mortgage. They dig into when refinancing
How Homebuying Differs for LGBTQ+ People — and Tips for Any Buyer in a Tough Market
Learn how LGBTQ+ homebuyers navigate unique challenges and how anyone can compete in today's expensive housing market.
What makes homebuying uniquely challenging for LGBTQ+ people — and could being queer also create unexpected advantages in the process? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down with Steph Noble, a Portland-based mortgage loan officer with Crosscountry Mortgage, to exp
CFP vs. CPA vs. CFA: The Only One Most People Need
Which financial pro do you need: a CFP, CPA or CFA? Plus, an economist explains why "good" economic data doesn't always feel that way.
Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down live, in-studio, with a listener named Belle, who's in the process of launching her own veterinary practice. They help figure out which financial professional she actually needs — a CFP, a CPA or a CFA. They br
How to Balance Competing Financial Priorities When Everything Feels Urgent
Learn how to save for a home, pursue FIRE, and quiet money anxiety when every goal feels urgent at once.
What does it really take to balance saving for a first home, building toward early retirement, and spending without guilt — when every goal feels like it needs to come first? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down with listener Hana from Portland, a super-saver putting away over
Going Back to Work Later in Life and Why the Housing Market Feels So Stuck
Learn why a 69-year-old retiree is returning to work and why homeowners are staying put in a stuck housing market.
What happens when your nest egg doesn't grow fast enough to support your retirement? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola talk with a 69-year-old listener who's returning to work after years of overly conservative investing left her savings falling behind. NerdWallet Wealth P
Where Are They Now? Five Smart Money Listeners on Job Loss, Debt, FIRE, and Life Moves
Learn how five Smart Money listeners changed their money situations after talking with us about tackling job loss, debt, FIRE, and life moves.
What really happens after the episode ends? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola check back in with five listeners who came on the show to find out whether the financial moves they made actually paid off. Bri navigated an unexpected job loss and a
What You Need to Know About Starting a Business Before You Quit Your Job
Learn how to manage your finances before starting a business. Plus: what's next for the rapidly growing prediction markets.
What should you have in place financially before leaving your job to start a business? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola bring on small business Nerd Rosalie Murphy to answer a question from listener Blake, who is 27 and on the verge of walking away from a steady
When Marriage Ends: How to Protect Your Assets, Update Your Estate Plan, and Survive the Costs
Learn how divorce can reshape your finances and what steps to take when legal fees and child support strain your budget.
What does divorce mean for your financial life? How do you rebuild when child support and rent are already eating up half your income? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by personal finance Nerd Kim Palmer to tackle a listener's question about surviving the
Sinking Fund Methods That Actually Work, Plus The Hidden Cost of AI Data Centers
Learn how data centers could be raising your utility bills. Plus: how to use a sinking fund strategy to pay your bills.
What does it actually cost your community when a hyperscale AI data center moves in nearby? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski joins host Sean Pyles, CFP®, to break down the growing national backlash against data centers. They discuss what costs communities are left to shoulder —
Is an Annual Fee Travel Card Worth It? A Guide for Occasional Flyers
Learn how to decide if a travel card's annual fee is worth it and which card suits occasional flyers.
What does it take for a travel credit card's annual fee to actually pay off? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola help listener Lacey understand whether annual fees would be worth her paying for premium travel credit cards, despite only flying home a few times a year. Sally French, travel
What Couples Miss When Going Down to One Income
Learn how to budget for dropping to one income with a baby on the way. Plus: what's really happening to the 50+ workforce?
What's driving the labor force participation rate to a 50-year low — and what does it mean for the more than one million Americans aged 54 and up who are still looking for work? Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by news colleague Rick VanderKnyff and Gary A. O
Don't Let Inconsistent Income Derail Your Finances — or Your Relationship
Learn how couples can budget around inconsistent income and navigate the financial and emotional strain it can create.
What can you do when your partner's income is too unpredictable to plan around? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola answer a question from a listener who is struggling to cover household bills because her spouse's income fluctuates week to week. They examine the financia
It's Not Too Late: How to Reset Your Money Habits at 50
Can you really overhaul 50 years of money habits — and are the drivers paying the highest prices per gallon actually the ones hurting most from rising gas prices?
Host Sean Pyles, CFP© and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by senior news writer Anna Helhoski and joined by data studies Nerd, Kurt Woock, to unpack why the price on the sign at the gas station doesn't tell the whole story about how gas pri
Stop Guessing and Start Comparing: Is One Bank Enough for Everything?
Is it time to ditch multiple bank accounts for an all-in-one hybrid account — and how do you transition to joint accounts with a partner without making a mess of your finances?
Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by banking Nerd Chanelle Bessette to answer a question about consolidating banking at one institution while also opening a joint account with a partner. They compare hybrid
Stop Assuming Payment Plans Are a Debt Trap and Start Doing the Math
Learn what's in a rare bipartisan housing bill in Congress, then find out whether a credit card payment plan beats buy now, pay later.
Why did a housing bill with overwhelming bipartisan support suddenly stall on the president's desk? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP©, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by senior news writer Anna Helhoski, and mortgage writers Abby Badach Doyle and Kate Wood to unpack the 21st
Building Wealth Without Betraying Your Values: Tips for Mission-Driven Careers
Learn how to build wealth while staying true to your social values and choosing meaningful work over maximum pay.
Can you be both wealthy and ethical? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola tackle a question from a nurse who earns less than her peers by choosing to work at a public safety-net hospital and deliberately charges minimal fees to teach wilderness medicine to nonprofits. They exp
Free Tools to Earn More Rewards Points on Online Shopping, Dining, and Rideshares
Learn how to earn more points and miles on everyday shopping using portals, dining programs, and partner apps.
In a special holiday episode of Smart Money, we're bringing you our friends from the Smart Travel podcast, Sally French and Meghan Coyle, as they dig into online shopping portals, explaining how tools like Rakuten, airline-specific portals, hotel booking platforms like Gondola, and the u
Beyond Willpower: Building Financial Systems That Work for Your Brain
Learn how to approach finances if you or someone you know has been diagnosed with neurodivergency or had a brain injury.
Not everyone thinks in the same way, so what are some strategies for folks with neurodivergence or brain injuries to help them manage their finances? Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by Dr. Christine Hargrove, clinical assistant professor and assistant director
Stop Worrying About Your Financial Advisor and Start Finding the Right One
Learn what financial advisor fee structures could mean for your wealth and how to find someone who won't sell you out.
What new threats are emerging for identity crime victims? Host Sean Pyles, CFP®, and news colleague Rick VanderKnyff are joined by Mona Terry, chief operating and programs officer of the Identity Theft Resource Center, to walk through the ITRC's 2026 Trends in Identity Report. Th
$10,000 Lands in a Teen's Account — Here's What to Do First
Learn what to do when your teen receives a windfall and how to balance saving, investing, and giving.
What's the smartest way to help your teenager manage $10,000 to $15,000 in unexpected cash — without turning the conversation into a lecture? Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down with personal finance Nerd Kate Ashford to answer listener Deb's question about her teen recently receiving
Prime Day Tips and Reddit's Brutally Honest Money Confessions
Learn what to buy and skip on Prime Day 2026 and Reddit’s lessons that reveal how a $250K earner can end up broke.
Is Prime Day actually a good deal this summer, and how financially resilient are American consumers right now? Host Elizabeth Ayoola is joined by news colleague Rick VanderKnyff, NerdWallet personal finance writer Tommy Tindall, and NerdWallet Senior Economist Elizabeth Renter to dig
Umbrella Insurance, Coverage Gaps, and What a $483 Bar Tab Taught Us About Money
Learn when umbrella insurance is worth buying and what a $483 bar tab can teach you about being an informed consumer.
When does umbrella insurance actually make sense for your finances? What happens if a lawsuit leaves you on the hook for more than your home or auto policy could cover? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by insurance nerd Caitlin Constantine to tackle a listen
SpaceX’s Biggest IPO in History and Funding a $117K Life Change
Learn what the AI IPO boom could do to reshape your index funds and how to fund years of grad school with no income.
With SpaceX set to debut as the biggest IPO in history — and OpenAI and Anthropic filing to follow — what does this landmark moment in the markets actually mean for your portfolio? Senior news editor Rick VanderKnyff and investing writer Sam Taub join hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and El
Feel Organized and Less Anxious About Money: The Sinking Fund System Explained
Learn how to set up a sinking fund system that puts your savings on autopilot and helps you reach your goals.
What if the key to hitting your financial goals isn't just saving more, but saving smarter? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola dig into the sinking fund system, a strategy of separate, named savings accounts each tied to a specific purpose. They explore the psychology behind why
The Affordable Home You Overlooked and the Investment Tax Trap You Need to Prepare For
Learn whether manufactured homes could be your path to homeownership and how to get ahead of a tax bill from your investments.
Could a decades-old federal rule be standing between you and an affordable home? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by senior news editor Rick VanderKnyff, along with mortgage writers Abby Badach Doyle and Kate Wood, to explore whether manufactured ho
Robinhood Gold Card: Is 3% Cash Back Worth the Waitlist and Membership Fee?
Learn whether Robinhood Gold Card's 3% cash back and investing perks are worth the waitlist and membership cost.
Is the Robinhood Gold Card the rare credit card that could put your rewards directly to work in a brokerage account? Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by NerdWallet credit card writer Melissa Lambarena to examine what makes this card stand apart: an uncapped 3% flat-rat
How to Put $200K to Work and The Truth About Generational Spending
Learn what generational spending data reveals and what to do when fear is keeping $200K in savings from growing.
What do the stereotypes about each generation's finances actually get wrong? Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola kick off the episode with senior news writer Anna Helhoski and NerdWallet data writer Kurt Woock, who breaks down a new study analyzing federal Consumer Expenditure Surve
Renting vs Buying A Home (When You're A High Earner)
Learn what really goes into the rent versus buy decision beyond comparing your mortgage to a rent check.
In this special episode, Your Next Dollar host Andrew Giancola walks through a step-by-step total cost of ownership framework to help you weigh the real numbers behind renting versus buying a home. Then, he reacts to two videos that take very different sides of the rent versus buy debate.
Fol
Financial Resilience in a Shaky Economy and What a Perfect Credit Score Gets You
Learn what new Fed data says about Americans' finances and whether a perfect 850 credit score is worth chasing.
What does the latest Federal Reserve data actually reveal about how Americans are holding up financially — and why do feelings and facts so often diverge? Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by senior news writer Anna Helhoski and NerdWallet economist Elizabeth Renter to d
Introducing Your Next Dollar: Money Management for High Earners
Meet Your Next Dollar, a new podcast from NerdWallet Wealth Partners. This is the podcast for you if you are a high earner learning how to build wealth, navigate money trade-offs, and spend on what you actually value.
Follow Your Next Dollar on your favorite podcast app: https://play.megaphone.fm/jl7ehvemqcmp-1_fkrov6a
Interested in working with a financial advisor? Visit nerdwalletwealthpartne
Budget Rehab: How to Stop Paying Only Interest and Make Real Progress on Credit Card Debt
Learn how to tackle $25,000 in credit card debt and which payoff strategy could work best for your situation.
How do you get out of $25,000 in credit card debt when minimum payments aren't making a dent? In this episode, hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down with listener Jessica, a Bay Area mom carrying three maxed-out credit cards with interest rates ranging from 11% to 24%. The
Why Middle Class Budgets Are Cracking and How to Use Travel Points Before They Devalue
Learn how the E-shaped economy is reshaping middle-class budgets and how to stretch travel points on real trips.
What does it really mean when economists say the U.S. economy has shifted from a K-shape to an E-shape, and where do middle-class households fit in this new picture? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola talk with senior news writer Anna Helhoski about why middle-class earners are incr
Money Lessons From Our Moms and How to Budget With an HSA on a High-Deductible Plan
Hear money lessons from NerdWallet moms and learn how to budget for healthcare on a high-deductible plan.
What does motherhood teach you about money? In honor of Mother's Day, hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola gather money lessons from NerdWallet moms — including Erin El Issa, Amanda Barroso, Kate Ashford, and Pamela de la Fuente — as well as from Sean's mom, Jeanne. They explore the
Is College Worth It in 2026? Plus, How to Split Solo 401(k) Contributions to Save More
Learn what 2026 grads could borrow for college and how solo 401(k) contributions can build retirement wealth.
How much could it cost to go to college in 2026, and is a four-year degree still a smart financial move? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola dig into a new NerdWallet analysis of federal data with senior news writer Anna Helhoski and NerdWallet data writer Erin El Issa. They ex
Mrs. Dow Jones's New Rules for Getting Rich, Plus How to Combine Finances After Marriage
Personal finance influencer Mrs. Dow Jones breaks down what it really takes to build wealth. Then, learn how to combine finances with your partner.
What would you do differently today to make yourself wealthy in the future? Haley Sacks, the personal finance influencer known as Mrs. Dow Jones and author of the new book, Future Rich Person, joins hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola to di
Spring Homebuying in 2026 and the Case for Never Paying Off Your Mortgage
Is spring still the right time to buy a home, and does carrying a mortgage forever actually make more financial sense?
Before entering into the “forever mortgage” debate, hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by senior news writer Anna Helhoski and mortgage writers Abby Badach Doyle and Kate Wood to examine why 2026's spring housing market is falling short of expectations. The
Pet Insurance vs Savings Account and the APR vs APY Rules That Could Save You Cash
Learn when pet insurance is worth the cost and how APR and APY affect your loans and savings accounts.
Is pet insurance worth the monthly premium, or is a high-yield savings account the smarter play? Host Elizabeth Ayoola moderates an in-studio debate on whether pet insurance is a sound financial product or mostly an emotional purchase. Smart Money host Sean Pyles, CFP®, and NerdWallet social m
USPS’ Cash Crisis Hits More Than Your Mailbox, Plus The Debt Settlement Trap to Avoid
Can the post office survive its cash crisis, and is a debt relief program actually making your debt situation worse?
What does the USPS financial crisis mean for your everyday life? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski talks to Elena Patel, co-Director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, to unpack how the post office ended up at a critical financial juncture — and what service cuts, price hik
AI in the Home Buying Process: What Works, What Doesn't, and When to Call an Expert
Find out how AI tools can help navigate the home buying process and where human expertise still matters most.
Can AI help you buy a house with reliable information? What would you do if you had only ten years to live, received a $100,000 windfall, or lost your job with just one month of emergency savings? Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down with a NerdWallet colleague to unpack his jo
Is Your Portfolio Ready for Energy Price Swings? Plus, Tackling Debt on a High Income
Learn what rising oil prices mean for your investments and how to make savings work on a high income with heavy debt.
How worried should you be about oil market swings? With global energy prices reacting to geopolitical conflict, senior news writer Anna Helhoski joins hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola to speak with NerdWallet investing writer Sam Taub about what rising crude oil means
What Does "Rich" Really Mean? Reddit's Personal Finance Questions, Answered by the Nerds
We discuss real Reddit posts that reveal how people actually think about wealth, financial breakups, frugal habits, idle cash, and 529 overfunding.
What does it mean to be “rich” in 2026? What can you learn about personal finance from scrolling Reddit? Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola delve into Reddit’s most relatable money posts to explain what Reddit gets right and where the commenters l
What Warflation Costs You and Whether a Short-Term Rental Beats Investing Your Home Sale Proceeds
War is pushing everyday prices higher, and a listener wonders if a Utah vacation rental beats investing home sale proceeds.
What does the Iran war mean for the price of your groceries, your next flight, and everyday household goods? Is buying a short-term rental property a smart way to diversify your investment portfolio, or is it more risk than it's worth? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth A
Budget Rehab: How to Optimize Your Savings Goals When You've Already Paid Off All Your Debt
Learn how to budget an extra $1,000 a month when you already have no debt, a high savings rate, and multiple financial goals.
What do you do with extra money when you've already paid off all your debt and you're saving more than half your income? Why would a 26-year-old with $50K in assets still not feel financially safe? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola review listener Manny’s budget
What AI Gets Wrong About Your Money and What a New Study Reveals About Credit Card Debt
New research upends assumptions about credit card debt, and we explore what AI gets wrong about money.
Could you be making credit card debt worse without realizing it? Should you trust AI with your finances? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss the pros and cons of using AI for financial guidance. But first, senior news writer Anna Helhoski and NerdWallet writer Kurt Woock join th
Car Leasing vs. Buying: Hidden Fees, Dealer Agendas, and When to Buy Your Leased Car
When your lease ends, should you lease again, buy the car, or return it and walk away?
What is a car lease, and how do its true costs compare to financing? Sean Pyles, CFP®, Elizabeth Ayoola, and lead writer Shannon Bradley break down how car leases work — including money factors, residual values, mileage limits, and the acquisition fees dealers rarely tell you about. They also explore why leasin
Are Corporate Investors Wrecking Housing? Plus How to Date Without Wrecking Your Budget
Big investors aren’t wrecking housing the way you think they are, and dating on a budget could be more romantic than you think.
What role do corporate investors actually play in making homes unaffordable, and would banning them fix the problem? We examine the data behind one of housing’s most contentious debates with senior news writer Anna Helhoski and mortgage writers Abby Badach Doyle and Kate
Talking Taxes With a Tax Professional: What's New in 2026 and How to Navigate Filing Season
A tax expert breaks down what's new for the 2026 tax filing season and how to decide between a CPA and DIY software.
What do you actually need to know about filing your 2025 taxes? When is it actually worth hiring a CPA instead of going it alone? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down with Tom O'Saben, and enrolled agent and director of tax content for the National Association of T
Why Credit Report Errors Are Harder to Fix and How to Prepare for Involuntary Early Retirement
Learn how to prepare for early retirement and deal with credit report errors that won’t go away.
Why are credit report errors getting harder to fix? How do you prepare for retirement if you may have to stop working earlier than expected? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss early retirement planning to help you understand how to build a backup plan before an income shock forces your hand
Points and Miles vs Cash Back: Pick a Credit Card That Matches Your Spending
Learn how to choose your next credit card by weighing airline perks, annual fees, and simple cash back rewards.
How do you choose a credit card when the options feel endless? Should a family of four choose an airline credit card or a more flexible rewards card? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss travel rewards and everyday rewards to help you understand how to match a card to your real
Does Your Retirement Portfolio Match Your Values? Plus: Apple’s New MacBook Neo
Learn what chip shortages could mean for tech prices and how to align your target-date fund with your values.
Will chip shortages make laptops and phones more expensive? How can you make a Roth 403(b) target-date fund reflect your politics and values? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss values-based retirement investing to help you understand how to check what’s inside your portfolio an
Frugal Fatigue Is Real: How to Stop Saving Burnout and Start Spending on Purpose
Learn how to build a budget with room for fun so you can save money without guilt.
How can you save toward big goals without letting frugality turn into burnout? How do you stop shaming yourself for spending on fun? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola respond to a listener named Michael who’s skipping trips, staying in, and feeling guilty whenever they spend. Joined by personal finance writer K
Will Your Streaming Bill Jump? Plus, How to Pick a Budgeting App You’ll Actually Use
Find out what Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery could mean for streaming, then learn how to pick a budgeting app you’ll actually use.
How do you pick a budgeting app that helps you see where your money goes? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss budgeting apps to help you understand how to track spending without making budgeting your second job. But first, news writer Rick Vander
The “Commingled Purchase” Problem That Budget Apps Don’t Warn You About
Discover simple rules that can cut budget tracking fatigue and still show you where your money goes.
How can you make a budgeting app reflect what you actually bought when one Costco or Target run covers five or 10 different categories? And how can you track those “commingled” purchases without spending your life itemizing receipts? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola talk with personal finance
Tariff Uncertainty After Supreme Court Decision and Budgeting With Sinking Funds
Find out how tariffs may change prices and how to build sinking funds while saving for retirement.
What could the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling mean for the prices you pay and the next move on trade policy? How much should you set aside for sinking funds while you build an emergency fund and contribute to your 401(k)? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss sinking funds and savings priorit
Home Insurance Rate Increases and Psychological Traps That Are Costing You
Understand common money traps and what to do as homeowners insurance premiums rise across the country.
Your brain can be expensive. That’s why hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola break down three behavioral finance biases (loss aversion, herd mentality, and overconfidence) and how they can lead to costly spending and investing decisions.
Then, NerdWallet editor Caitlin Constantine joins to ans
Are Index Funds Still Diversified? Concentration Risk and a Top-Heavy Market
Learn how concentration risk can affect index funds and how 2026 catch-up contributions work.
Senior news writer Anna Helhoski and Ryan Sterling, a wealth advisor with NerdWallet Wealth Partners, break down stock market concentration risk and what it means for index fund diversification. Then, hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola answer a listener’s question about 2026 catch-up contributions,
Bilt Card 2.0 and the Points Math: What’s a “Good” Return in 2026?
Find out if Bilt’s new credit cards are worth the hassle for earning points on rent or a mortgage.
In this special episode, NerdWallet travel writers and Smart Travel hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle dig into Bilt’s three new credit cards and a rewards system that now includes two currencies: Bilt Points and Bilt Cash. They walk through the big questions listeners have been asking, including w
Split-Expense Planning for Couples and the Winter Homebuying Advantage
Find out the best time to go home shopping and whether shared housing bills can affect your plans to retire together.
Should you buy a house in the winter or wait for spring? How can you split housing costs and plan for retirement when you and your partner are on different timelines? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss equitable money management for couples to help you understand how to
Long-Term Care Costs: Medicaid vs Private Pay, Plus Talking Money While Dating
Learn about money dealbreakers in dating, then how to plan ahead for assisted living and Medicaid costs.
First, hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola dig into a new dating dealbreakers study with NerdWallet spokesperson and credit card writer Sara Rathner. They unpack why “financial infidelity” can feel like a relationship ender, what people are most likely to hide, and how to start money conve
Prediction Market Betting Hype and Self-Employment Taxes You Don’t Want to Miss
Learn how to plan for self-employment taxes and understand how savings interest can affect your tax bill.
How can sports betting apps affect your finances? How do you set up taxes for 1099 contract work? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss self-employment taxes to help you prepare for tax season and avoid surprises. But first, senior news writer Anna Helhoski joins them to discuss the
Impulse Spending Fixes and PSLF Choices When You’re in Grad School
Get ideas for spending less in February and learn how deferment affects Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) payments.
How can a month-long spending challenge reset your money habits? Should you keep paying student loans while in grad school if you’re close to Public Service Loan Forgiveness and planning a move? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss no-spend experiments and “friction”
Are You Too Late for the Gold Rush? Plus: A Retirement Rule That Might Be Broken
See what gold and silver highs mean and how to plan retirement spending without the 80% rule.
Is gold’s record run a sign you should buy? Do you really need 80% of your income in retirement? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss retirement income rules of thumb to help you understand how to estimate what you might spend after you stop working. But first, senior news writer Anna Helhoski
Tax Season Scams and Identity Theft Red Flags, Plus a 401(k) and IRA Rollover Lightning Round
Protect your identity from tax-season scams and learn when 401(k) and IRA rollovers make sense.
How do you roll over old 401(k)s and IRAs? And is a mega backdoor Roth worth the hassle? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola answer listener questions about retirement account rollovers, including when consolidation can help and how to avoid common missteps. But first, they kick off Identity Theft Aw
How to Balance Career Opportunity and Cost of Living (Plus: ChatGPT Ads Could Change How You Spend)
Find out how AI shopping could tempt your budget and how to choose a city for a new career with confidence.
Is AI shopping about to turn your chatbot into a checkout line? How do you choose a medical residency program when an algorithm makes the final call? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss residency location trade-offs to help a listener understand what to prioritize during low-pay t
Banking in 2026: Best Banks to Consider and How to Avoid the Worst Fees
Find a bank that pays more, charges less, and keeps your money safe as rates adjust in 2026.
How do you choose the best bank when savings rates are falling and fees won’t quit? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss wealth inequality and retirement security to help you think bigger about what’s “normal” in personal finance. They begin with a rapid-fire hot takes segment, with their perspec
Insurance in 2026: Best Auto, Home, Life, and Pet Insurance Picks—Plus a Wake-Up Call on Credit Card Debt
Learn how to shop for cheaper insurance and escape rising credit card debt before it snowballs.
Is credit card debt becoming the new normal? How can you get the insurance coverage you need in 2026 without overpaying? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss insurance shopping to help you understand how to protect yourself at a price you can live with. But first, senior news writer Anna Helho
Credit Cards in 2026: Big Card Changes Are Rolling Out — Here’s What to Re-evaluate Now
Find out which credit cards shine in 2026 and how to avoid rising fees, APR surprises, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) traps.
How can you change your spending to better match your values? How do you choose the right credit card in 2026 as perks shift, fees rise, and “buy now, pay later” spreads? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss values-based spending and the credit card landscape to he
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