NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

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 f...

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 le...

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 Ay...

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...

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 the...

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 leasing...

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...

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 Ta...

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....

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...

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 and...

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 Ki...

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 VanderK...

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...

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 prioriti...

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 answe...

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, inc...

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 wh...

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...

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 conversa...

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 ri...

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” st...

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 jo...

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 Awa...

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 tr...