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PODCAST

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast

NerdWallet Personal Finance

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

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All Episodes

41:53

Pet Insurance vs Savings Account and the APR vs APY...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/04/27

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,

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36:46

USPS’ Cash Crisis Hits More Than Your Mailbox, Plus...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/04/23

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

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45:47

AI in the Home Buying Process: What Works, What...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/04/20

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

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48:24

Is Your Portfolio Ready for Energy Price Swings?...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/04/16

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

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55:15

What Does "Rich" Really Mean? Reddit's Personal...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/04/13

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 lead each other astray. But first, they kick things off by sharing their own financial confessions, with

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39:26

What Warflation Costs You and Whether a Short-Term...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/04/09

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 Ayoola dig into the pros and cons of vacation rental investments. But first, senior news writer Anna

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33:22

Budget Rehab: How to Optimize Your Savings Goals When...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/04/06

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 to see how a high saver with no debt is managing his money. Then, with him, they talk through where an

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41:21

What AI Gets Wrong About Your Money and What a New...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/04/02

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 them to unpack the findings of a new NerdWallet study that challenges common myths about credit card debt

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34:14

Car Leasing vs. Buying: Hidden Fees, Dealer Agendas,...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/03/30

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-then-buying a car typically costs more than financing from the start, when it makes sense to lease an

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34:50

Are Corporate Investors Wrecking Housing? Plus How to...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/03/26

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 Wood, who look at why institutional investors have become a political flashpoint, what the proposed

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33:29

Talking Taxes With a CPA: What's New in 2026 and How...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/03/23

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 Tax Professionals, to explore what changed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. They discuss new rules

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36:59

Why Credit Report Errors Are Harder to Fix and How to...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/03/19

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. But first, news writer Anna Helhoski joins Sean Pyles to discuss ProPublica’s reporting on weaker

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31:36

Points and Miles vs Cash Back: Pick a Credit Card...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/03/16

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 spending habits. Joined by credit card Nerd Sara Rathner, they discuss how co-branded airline cards

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31:33

Does Your Retirement Portfolio Match Your Values?...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/03/12

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 what options you have when your workplace plan feels limiting. But first, news editor Rick VanderKnyff

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22:25

Frugal Fatigue Is Real: How to Stop Saving Burnout...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/03/09

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 Kim Palmer, they unpack frugal fatigue and money shame, explore how “money stories” and scarcity mindset

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49:08

Will Your Streaming Bill Jump? Plus, How to Pick a...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/03/05

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 VanderKnyff joins the show to discuss Paramount’s bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery with Anthony Palomba, a

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24:52

The “Commingled Purchase” Problem That Budget Apps...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/03/02

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 Nerd Amanda Barroso about how to handle mixed transactions so your budget feels usable instead of

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38:34

Tariff Uncertainty After Supreme Court Decision and...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/02/26

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 priorities to help you balance long-term goals with near-term costs. But first, senior news writer Anna

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36:13

Home Insurance Rate Increases and Psychological Traps...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/02/23

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 answer a listener's question about whether buying a home still makes sense as homeowners insurance premiums

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30:33

Are Index Funds Still Diversified? Concentration Risk...

NerdWallet"s Smart Money Podcast ·

2026/02/19

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, including FICA wages, Roth 401(k) rules for some high earners, and other ways to boost retirement

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633 results

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