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, actionabl
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 Amanda Barroso and content strategist Jackie Tucker. You’ll hear why surprise payment app requests can sting, how rarely money values come up between friends, whether splitting every cost makes a…
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 discuss which habits have the biggest effect on your score and how to spot errors on your credit report. They also cover when a secured credit card could make sense, how rent reporting and credit…
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 who relocated out of a small Ohio town, wants to understand how to build “real wealth” for himself and his family; India walks through her four pillars (earn, manage, protect, and grow) and explains…
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 Spend More, Worry Less, and Never Run Out of Money,” about why spending down your savings in retirement can be so hard, both in the math and in your head. They discuss where the 4% rule could fall…
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 why the idea that renting is “throwing money away” overlooks the costs homeowners might not get back, how long it could take for buying to break even at different mortgage rates, and why the payoff of…
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 tend to run, and why there's often no cap on how fast they climb. Then, can you really get free money to buy a house? Sean Pyles, CFP®, Elizabeth Ayoola and senior news writer Anna Helhoski are…
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 crowdfunding platforms to launching your own deal — and the questions worth asking a sponsor before committing any money. They cover how much capital it typically takes, how long that money could be…
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 credit card debt paying someone he met on OnlyFans. Sean shares what happened when his own father lost $150,000 to a crypto scheme while isolated during the pandemic, and Elizabeth talks about being…
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 the "better than a 401(k)" and "tax-free retirement" claims circulating online, and the narrow circumstances where an IUL might actually make sense. Read Lizzie's NerdWallet article on why…
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 their savings could be prioritized. You'll hear how the couple built their monthly numbers, how their retirement contributions stack up years down the road, and where spending on subscriptions,…
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 emergency fund to maxing out an HSA, 401(k), mega backdoor Roth, and more. Download the Your Next Dollar Blueprint at nerdwalletwealthpartners.com/blueprint Interested in working with a financial advisor?…
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 shifts that got him out of debt, why growing his income mattered as much as cutting his spending, how he built one of the internet's first personal finance blogs, and how he's now helping his…
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 defined benefit pension — yet she isn't sure whether that's enough to retire at 60. They explore how to account for a pension when gauging your retirement progress, why pension projections can be tricky…
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 a 7.2% mortgage actually makes sense, why Max shouldn't wait to pay off his home before investing, whether to grow his emergency fund from six months to nine given the volatility in tech hiring, and…
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 explore why queer buyers often face a harder road to homeownership. They also discuss strategies that could give first-time buyers a real shot, including how to use down payment assistance programs,…
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 break down what each credential means, how to vet and select the right advisor, and the real cost of choosing the wrong one. Then Belle asks for help with a second money question: whether to…
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 $4,000 a month who still worries she's falling short. They dig into how much she actually needs for a down payment and closing costs, what makes a home a money pit rather than a sound investment,…
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 Partners CEO Ryan Sterling joins the conversation to help her think through how much investment risk to take at this stage, what required minimum distributions will mean for her taxes, and whether…
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 serious health crisis at the same time. Did a bare-bones budget, a marketplace health plan, and relentless determination hold everything together over 15 months of uncertainty? And what happened when…
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 paycheck to launch their own company. Together, they examine how much cash you really need before going months without income, what to do about existing high-interest debt before you launch, how to…
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 financial reality of a split. Kim walks through what to prioritize when a marriage ends, the real cost of divorce, and how to find room in your budget when housing, child support, and legal fees are…
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 — from unexpected spikes in electricity bills to strained water supplies and persistent noise pollution — and why the economic benefits towns were promised may not measure up to what residents end up…
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 credit card expert and co-host of the Smart Travel podcast, joins to walk through the cards Lacey already carries and explains what to consider before committing to any annual-fee card. She also…
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. Officer, president and CEO of CWI Works, to dig into the real challenges facing older workers today. They cover why age discrimination costs the U.S. economy an estimated $850 billion a year, how AI…
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 financial mechanics of the situation — from which budgeting frameworks could bring more stability to an irregular income household, to whether separate accounts might protect your finances, and what to…
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 cash management accounts like Wealthfront Cash against traditional online banks like Ally and SoFi, walk through FDIC insurance limits for individual and joint accounts, and share best practices for…
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 explore the tension people in service-oriented careers often feel when it comes to building personal wealth, including which strategies could help you earn more without abandoning your mission. They…
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 up-and-coming Rove Miles program could help you stack rewards on top of your credit card earnings. They also cover airline dining programs, brand partnerships with Uber, Lyft, and Starbucks, and the…
About NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast
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, actionabl
NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast is a English business podcast from NerdWallet Personal Finance. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
