

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 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/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 4, 2023 • 33min
Avoiding Financial Scams and Changing Your Money Mindset
Protect yourself from sophisticated holiday shopping scams and explore the psychology behind changing your money mindset.01:07 This Week in Your Money: Hosts Sean Pyles and Sara Rathner discuss tactics for avoiding three common money scams, including social media ad scams, charity scams, and gift card scams.10:08 Today’s Money Question: Sean and Sara answer a listener’s question about how to change your money mindset. They discuss methods you can use to understand your current attitudes and behaviors towards money, the emotional connection to money and the stories we tell ourselves about our finances. They explain how past experiences and family dynamics can shape your money mindset, and offer tips for identifying and potentially changing harmful money habits. They also provide three clear steps for shifting your money mindset.In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: holiday shopping scams, social media ad scams, charity scams, gift card scams, safe payment methods, financial attitudes, wealth, personal finances, money habits, financial self-awareness, money management, mindset shifting, impulse buys, financial goals, online shopping, fraud protection, financial challenges, financial empowerment, money mindset, financial management, saving habits, spending habits, financial growth, budgeting, impulse purchases, reverse budgeting, money mindset transformation, holiday fraud, and personal finance psychology.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

Nov 30, 2023 • 22min
Using Your Financial Anxiety to Make Better Decisions
Personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi discusses using fear as a superpower in making financial decisions. She shares her upbringing as the daughter of immigrants and how embracing fear helps her make better choices. Torabi advises thinking through every worst outcome to realize their unlikelihood and how fear can prevent bad decisions. With her trademark humor, she brings levity to heavy topics like fear and discusses her experience of buying a house during the pandemic.

Nov 27, 2023 • 34min
Is Your Personal Finance Indecision Costing You? Plus, How to Shop for a New Bank
Discover the true cost of financial indecision and the benefits of shopping for a new bank. Learn about the risks of sticking with the status quo, the allure of bank bonuses, and the importance of periodically reassessing your financial decisions. Get tips on comparing banks, managing savings through high-yield accounts, and using structured savings for different goals. Explore the impact of marketing materials on personal finance decisions and the value of seeking outside perspectives on financial strategies.

Nov 22, 2023 • 14min
Money News: Where to Save Money on Falling Prices from Deflation
Learn about price deflation and its impact on various goods and services, including Thanksgiving meal essentials. Other topics include rising incomes among first-time homebuyers, UAW contracts, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales trends, a heartwarming story of philanthropy, and the effects of inflation on prices. Discover which items have seen price drops, such as eggs, smartphones, health insurance, gas, and Thanksgiving food items like turkey, potatoes, and fresh fish.

4 snips
Nov 20, 2023 • 42min
Money and Happiness: What's Happiness Really Worth?
Experts explore the relationship between money and happiness, discussing varying definitions of happiness and how personality profiles and personal money history impact financial happiness. They also delve into generational perspectives on money and happiness, and the role of wealth in achieving happiness and reducing anxiety.

Nov 16, 2023 • 42min
Your Guide to Budgeting, Credit and Debt Management Strategies
Learn budgeting basics and tips for adjusting your budget to fit your needs. Understand credit scores, how to remove negative information from your credit report, and the differences between good and bad debt. Discover strategies for managing debt, including the snowball and avalanche methods, debt consolidation, and bankruptcy.

Nov 15, 2023 • 18min
Money News: Latest Stock Market News, New IRS Tax Brackets, Tipping Trends
The hosts discuss recent stock market trends, credit card delinquencies, and IRS tax bracket adjustments. Investing Nerd Sam Taube joins to explain the relationship between Treasury yields and stock prices. They also explore tipping trends and offer investing strategies for diversification and portfolio rebalancing.

Nov 13, 2023 • 45min
Plan Your Black Friday Shopping Strategy and Should You Wait to Buy a Home?
Discover Black Friday shopping tips and strategies for finding the best deals. Explore the current state of the housing market and considerations for buying a home. Learn about interest rate buy downs and the benefits of getting a 30-year mortgage.

5 snips
Nov 9, 2023 • 31min
Maximizing Your Benefits: A Guide to Employer-Provided Perks
Learn about various employer-provided benefits beyond health insurance in this podcast. Amber Clayton discusses dental and vision coverage, long-term care insurance, pet insurance, legal assistance, adoption assistance, gym memberships, and mental health benefits. Get tips for open enrollment and important reminders for upcoming deadlines.

Nov 8, 2023 • 13min
Money News: Lawsuit Could Change How Houses are Sold; Also, a $23.5K Payout … in Coins
Learn about the impact of recent job reports on the economy, a federal ruling that could change real estate commissions, the conviction of a former cryptocurrency billionaire, tips for budgeting and open enrollment for health insurance, and an unusual lawsuit involving a large stash of coins as payment.