NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

NerdWallet Personal Finance
  • 4.3 (872)
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  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

NerdWallet’s trusted finance journalists answer real-world money questions to help you make smarter financial decisions with confidence. Each episode dives deep into topics like budgeting, saving, investing, home buying, and credit cards, cutting through misinformation to bring you clear, actionable advice backed by thorough research. By the end of every episode, you’ll have the latest financial insights and the tools you’ll need to manage your money wisely, build wealth, and plan for life’s milestones. And if you have questions for the Nerds, you can leave them a voicemail at 901-730-6373. Join hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, Elizabeth Ayoola, and other expert Nerds as they answer your biggest money questions and share strategies to help you build wealth and reach your financial goals, including: – Investing: Advanced investment strategies, integrating ETFs and mutual funds into a diversified portfolio, tax-efficient retirement planning, understanding Roth IRA conversions, and navigating robo-advisors. – Credit Cards: Top credit cards for travel rewards and luxury perks, balance transfer strategies, maximizing credit card points, and optimizing credit card usage to boost your credit score. – Personal Finance: Advanced budgeting tips, building generational wealth, creating effective savings plans, managing high-income expenses, and developing a strong money growth mindset. – Home: Smart strategies for homebuying in competitive markets, leveraging home equity loans and HELOCs, refinancing for long-term savings, first-time homebuying tips, and budgeting for major home improvements. If you’re searching for the best personal finance podcasts or want practical knowledge to make smarter money decisions, then follow NerdWallet’s Smart Money Podcast. You’ll love NerdWallet’s Smart Money Podcast if you like podcasts like: Planet Money, The Personal Finance Podcast, DIY Money, Afford Anything, How to Money, The Ramsey Show, Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin, NPR’s Life Kit: Money, Popcorn Finance, Money Girl,Money Guy Show, Everyone’s Talkin’ Money, So Money with Farnoosh Tarabi, The Money with Katie Show, All the Hacks with Chris Hutchins, The Stacking Benjamins Show, MoneyWatch with Jill Schlesinger, or Your Money, Your Wealth. NerdWallet Compare, Inc. NMLS ID# 1617539 NMLS Consumer Access: http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/

  1. 1D AGO

    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 explore why most Americans say the federal student loan system feels broken even as they still see college as worthwhile, the rising appeal of the trades, how AI is shifting the way teens think about majors and careers, and what new borrowers could expect from the federal repayment options rolling out July 1. Then, Ryan Sterling, wealth advisor at NerdWallet Wealth Partners, joins Sean and Elizabeth to help answer a listener's question about how to split solo 401(k) contributions between the employer and employee sides of the account to maximize retirement savings. They discuss how solo 401(k)s differ from standard workplace plans, how to think about the contribution split if you also have a W-2 job, when traditional versus Roth contributions could make more sense, how solo 401(k)s stack up against SEP IRAs, the investment flexibility you could gain through a brokerage-based plan, and the common mistakes business owners make when trying to maximize retirement savings. NerdWallet Wealth Partners, LLC is an affiliate of NerdWallet Inc. NerdWallet Wealth Partners is a fiduciary online financial advisor, offering low-cost, comprehensive financial advice and investment management. Learn more at nerdwalletwealthpartners.com/smart  Read NerdWallet's 2026 high school grad analysis here: https://www.nerdwallet.com/student-loans/studies/high-school-grad-analysis  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    39 min

  2. 1D AGO ·  BONUS

    You Might Also Like: The Oprah Podcast

    Introducing Douglas Stuart: “John of John” | Oprah’s Book Club from The Oprah Podcast. Follow the show: The Oprah Podcast As part of the 30th anniversary of Oprah’s Book Club, Oprah picks her 123rd selection: John of John by celebrated Scottish author Douglas Stuart. His other novels include Young Mungo and Shuggie Bain which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2020. John of John is set in a small, fictional farming and textile town, Falabay, on an isle off northern Scotland where everybody knows everyone’s business. The story centers around three generations living under the same roof: a father, his son and the son's grandmother. The central theme to this enthralling book is the secrets these three so desperately hold on to: secrets from each other, from their neighbors and from the church. A love story at its heart, Douglas Stuart tells Oprah how he spent six years writing this book, spending 16 weeks researching the Outer Hebrides Isles on the northwest coast of Scotland talking to local people who inspired his 26 supporting characters. Oprah and Douglas Stuart are joined by an audience in New York City who enthusiastically read the book and have questions for the author. BUY THE BOOK! https://groveatlantic.com/book/john-of-john/ 00:00:00 - Welcome Douglas Stuart, author of “John of John” 00:03:01 - The setting of the book 00:04:05 - Where he found this story 00:07:30 - What Douglas needed to learn to write “John of John” 00:09:20 - Douglas describes “John of John” 00:11:43 - Oprah compares the book to Heated Rivalry 00:13:30 - An unexpected love story 00:17:40 - The conflict between father and son 00:20:40 - His writing process 00:25:55 - Father and gay son on “John of John” 00:30:30 - How man found acceptance of his son 00:34:20 - Feeling seen in a novel 00:38:27 - What Douglas wants the reader to feel 00:44:50 - Masculinity and the patriarchy 00:46:10 - The experience of growing up gay 00:47:20 - The end of the novel Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: Instagram Facebook TikTok Listen to the full podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts #oprahsbookclub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

  3. 4D AGO

    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 discuss the new rules for building wealth. They dig into the mindset shifts required before you can truly reach your financial goals, why quiet quitting won’t get you to the wealth you want, how to break free from the sunk cost fallacy when a job is underpaying you, and what it really means to spend less but better. Then, Sean and Elizabeth answer a listener’s question from a Spotify comment about combining finances with a partner before getting married. They dive into how to vet financial advisors and what practical financial steps every couple should take before and after saying “I do.” Inspired to navigate your finances with an advisor? Use NerdWallet Advisors Match to find vetted professionals today at https://www.nerdwalletadvisors.com/match  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min

  4. APR 30

    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. They explain what declining home sales data and 30-year mortgage rates hovering above 6% reveal about buyer and seller hesitation, how economic uncertainty is driving different outcomes across local markets around the country, and whether the timing is right to make a move. Then, Sean, Elizabeth, and Kate unpack the question of whether carrying a mortgage into retirement could actually be a smarter wealth-building strategy than paying it off early. They break down what the life cycle hypothesis says about holding debt in retirement, what happens to the math when you weigh opportunity cost and market returns against mortgage payoff, and what personal and financial blind spots could make or break the strategy for you. Check out our Mortgage Amortization Calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/calculators/amortization  Check out our Mortgage Calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/calculators/how-much-can-i-borrow  Inspired to navigate your finances with an advisor? Use NerdWallet Advisors Match to find vetted professionals today at https://www.nerdwalletadvisors.com/match Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min

  5. APR 27

    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 media content creator Taylor Mitchell weigh in on reimbursement models, breed-specific exclusions, pre-existing conditions, and how to think through a vet bill that could outpace your emergency fund. Then, Sean and Elizabeth break down annual percentage rate and annual percentage yield, covering fixed versus variable rates, how compound interest builds over time, why the Schumer box matters when you shop for a credit card, and what a 1% swing on a mortgage APR can mean over 30 years. Free resources from NerdWallet: Credit Card Interest Calculator https://www.nerdwallet.com/credit-cards/learn/credit-card-interest-calculator  Compound Interest Calculator https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/calculators/compound-interest-calculator  Mortgage Calculator with PMI and Taxes https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/calculators/mortgage-calculator  What Is APY? Annual Percentage Yield Definition and How It's Calculated https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/learn/what-is-apy  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    42 min

  6. APR 23

    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 hikes, and ripple effects across the broader economy could mean for your wallet. Is a debt settlement program actually worth the risk? Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola, joining each other live in-studio, tackle listener Edith’s question about National Debt Relief. They examine the real success rates of debt settlement programs, why stopping credit card payments can expose you to lawsuits and credit score damage, and what other debt payoff options exist for people carrying significant credit card balances. 2025 Household Credit Card Debt Study: 49% Say Card Debt is Normal https://www.nerdwallet.com/credit-cards/studies/household-debt-study  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min

  7. APR 20

    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 journey using AI to buy a home. But first, they take turns putting each other through a series of hypothetical — and sometimes grim — financial scenarios, revealing how they'd really handle everything from lending money to a struggling family member to deciding between a millionaire's Camry and a thousandaire's Mercedes. Then, NerdWallet’s podcast strategist Cody Gough joins Sean and Elizabeth in-studio to share his experience using Claude AI to help him make homebuying decisions. He shares how he used AI to figure out his financing options, find and evaluate agents, work through mortgage applications, and even assess whether specific neighborhoods were the right fit for his family. NerdWallet mortgage writer Kate Wood joins virtually to offer an expert reality check on Cody's experience — weighing in on his financing choices, what the AI got right and wrong about contingent offers in a competitive market, and where tools like NerdWallet's calculators and articles would have served him better than an AI chatbot.  2026 Home Buyer Report – 48% of Prospective Buyers Will Use AI: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/studies/home-buyer-report  Compare Today’s Mortgage Rates: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/mortgage-rates  See how far your homebuying budget could take you with NerdWallet’s free home affordability calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/calculators/how-much-house-can-i-afford  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min

  8. APR 16

    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 for your investments, which portfolio sectors are holding steady, and whether the current calm around a fragile ceasefire is masking deeper volatility ahead. Then, what do you do when a hard-earned PhD and a $168,000 salary still leave you feeling behind? A listener named Melise shares how decades of living paycheck to paycheck, with $127,000 in debt across eight payment plans, and a late-in-life neurodivergent diagnosis are making financial progress feel impossible — even with her highest income ever. Sean and Elizabeth break down how to navigate scarcity trauma, impulse spending, quarterly tax obligations, and building an emergency fund when you're stretched thin. Learn how underpayment penalties work: https://www.nerdwallet.com/taxes/learn/underpayment-penalty-what-it-is-how-to-avoid-it Learn how to set up an IRS payment plan: https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-payment-agreement-application Learn about the IRS failure-to-file penalty: https://www.irs.gov/payments/failure-to-file-penalty Learn how estimated taxes work: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min
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4.3
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About

NerdWallet’s trusted finance journalists answer real-world money questions to help you make smarter financial decisions with confidence. Each episode dives deep into topics like budgeting, saving, investing, home buying, and credit cards, cutting through misinformation to bring you clear, actionable advice backed by thorough research. By the end of every episode, you’ll have the latest financial insights and the tools you’ll need to manage your money wisely, build wealth, and plan for life’s milestones. And if you have questions for the Nerds, you can leave them a voicemail at 901-730-6373. Join hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, Elizabeth Ayoola, and other expert Nerds as they answer your biggest money questions and share strategies to help you build wealth and reach your financial goals, including: – Investing: Advanced investment strategies, integrating ETFs and mutual funds into a diversified portfolio, tax-efficient retirement planning, understanding Roth IRA conversions, and navigating robo-advisors. – Credit Cards: Top credit cards for travel rewards and luxury perks, balance transfer strategies, maximizing credit card points, and optimizing credit card usage to boost your credit score. – Personal Finance: Advanced budgeting tips, building generational wealth, creating effective savings plans, managing high-income expenses, and developing a strong money growth mindset. – Home: Smart strategies for homebuying in competitive markets, leveraging home equity loans and HELOCs, refinancing for long-term savings, first-time homebuying tips, and budgeting for major home improvements. If you’re searching for the best personal finance podcasts or want practical knowledge to make smarter money decisions, then follow NerdWallet’s Smart Money Podcast. You’ll love NerdWallet’s Smart Money Podcast if you like podcasts like: Planet Money, The Personal Finance Podcast, DIY Money, Afford Anything, How to Money, The Ramsey Show, Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin, NPR’s Life Kit: Money, Popcorn Finance, Money Girl,Money Guy Show, Everyone’s Talkin’ Money, So Money with Farnoosh Tarabi, The Money with Katie Show, All the Hacks with Chris Hutchins, The Stacking Benjamins Show, MoneyWatch with Jill Schlesinger, or Your Money, Your Wealth. NerdWallet Compare, Inc. NMLS ID# 1617539 NMLS Consumer Access: http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/

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