How to Budget Better With Your Partner and Why Scam Calls Are Surging

Oct 30, 2025

Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, discusses the alarming rise in government-imposter scams tied to the federal shutdown, sharing key tips to avoid identity theft. She highlights the dangers of AI-driven deepfakes and emphasizes the importance of verifying sources. Later, community member Jay Leong seeks advice on aligning budgeting strategies with his spouse. The hosts suggest using the 50/30/20 framework, setting shared financial goals during 'money dates,' and creating sinking funds to manage expenses more effectively.

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ANECDOTE

Hosts Describe Personal Spam Surge

Anna Helhoski and Sean Pyles describe a personal spike in spam calls and texts they experienced recently.
Anna's boyfriend received calls every half hour, illustrating how intense the surge became.

INSIGHT

Scammers Exploit Shutdown Confusion

Shutdowns create confusion that scammers exploit by impersonating government agencies and offering fake grants or aid.
Eva Velasquez warns that if an agency is closed, any outreach claiming otherwise is likely fraudulent.

ADVICE

Always Go To The Official Source

Verify suspicious calls, texts, or emails by going directly to the official source instead of replying.
If the government office is closed, assume any contact claiming help or grants is a scam and ignore it.

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Learn how to spot shutdown-era scams and build a budget that works even when you and your partner disagree.

How can you protect yourself from shutdown-era scams? How do you build a household budget when you and your partner see money differently? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola share strategies to figure out a household budget when you and your partner are not on the same page about how to manage your finances. But first, senior news writer Anna Helhoski joins them to discuss a surge in spam calls, texts, and emails tied to the federal government shutdown. She talks with Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, about the spike in government-imposter schemes, AI-driven deepfakes, and spoofed sites — and how to avoid and respond.

Then, fellow Nerd Jay Leong joins Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola to discuss getting on the same budgeting page with a spouse who prefers a different system. They discuss using the 50/30/20 framework without obsessing over every transaction, setting shared goals and “money dates” to surface financial values, and practical tools like sinking funds and lightweight expense tracking. They also cover trimming inflated “needs,” capping discretionary categories such as dining out or kids’ activities, and giving each partner clear fun-money boundaries via separate checking accounts or allowances.

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

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In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: government shutdown scams, spam calls surge, do not call registry, FTC scam reporting, Identity Theft Resource Center, government imposter scam, deepfake scams, voice cloning scam, AI phishing, spoofed websites, how to report a scam, how to stop spam calls, credit card charge dispute, safer payment methods, couples budgeting, money dates, values-based budgeting,sinking funds, manual expense tracking, budgeting apps for couples, NerdWallet app budgeting, overspending fixes, wants vs needs, separate checking accounts, joint vs separate finances, kids activities budget, dining out budget, Costco credit card, travel credit card, insurance shopping, car insurance quotes, home insurance quotes, emergency fund buckets, vacation fund, budget categories, and shutdown impact on finances.

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com.

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