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 girlfriend, Kim, navigate her own path toward financial independence.

Then, NerdWallet investing writer Sam Taube joins senior writer Anna Helhoski to break down why long-term Treasury yields have jumped to their highest levels in years — the 10-year Treasury is hovering around 4.8% and the 30-year yield has topped 5% — and what that means for anyone with a mortgage, a savings account or a bond portfolio. Sam explains why rising yields are good news for savers and bond buyers but bad news for people who already hold bonds, and why T-bills might be worth a look right now.

Read NerdWallet's picks for the best brokers for investing in Treasury bills, bonds and notes at https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-treasury-bills-bonds-notes

Curious about automated Treasury investing? Check out the Treasury account powered by Atomic at https://www.nerdwallet.com/lp/treasury-account-powered-by-atomic

Read NerdWallet's review of Public.com: https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/reviews/public

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*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.

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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 when work hours vary, how to use the three-bucket framework (guaranteed income, invested accounts, and cash reserves) to see where your plan stands, and how Social Security projections could help you figure out exactly how much more you need to save.

Pension Plan vs. 401(k): Types, Pros & Cons: https://www.nerdwallet.com/retirement/learn/pension-plan 

How Long Will My Money Last in Retirement? Calculator, How to Stretch It: https://www.nerdwallet.com/retirement/learn/how-long-will-your-retirement-savings-last 

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To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected].

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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 how much cash is too much to hold outside the market.

Then, NerdWallet's Anna Helhoski talks with David Ortega, a professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University, about why grocery prices haven't come down even as inflation cools. Ortega explains that food prices are still more than 30% higher than before the pandemic, why eggs, beef and tomatoes have moved so differently in price, and how grocery chains' growing use of dynamic, airline-style pricing could shape what shoppers pay next.

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Smart Money’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.

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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, what helps buyers stand out in a competitive market, and what lenders look for when deciding whether to approve a mortgage application. To close out the episode, Sean and Elizabeth each share what they spent money on this month.

Learn how LGBTQ+ home buyers can navigate the market: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/learn/lgbtq-home-buying 

Find first-time home buyer programs in your state: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/learn/first-time-home-buyer-programs-by-state 

Car insurance comparison tool:

https://www.nerdwallet.com/insurance/auto/car-insurance

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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 consolidate ten scattered retirement and brokerage accounts, and the Nerds walk through how account fees, old 401(k)s and employer rules factor into that decision.

Then, Sean and Elizabeth are joined by NerdWallet senior economist Elizabeth Renter and senior news writer Anna Helhoski for a special send-off conversation. After 12 years at NerdWallet, Renter is moving on, and she looks back on what she's learned about how Americans really handle their money. They dig into the gap between headline economic data and lived financial experience, the K-shaped economy, and what NerdWallet's latest Consumer Financial Resilience Index says about household finances heading into fall.

Here is the investing fee calculator Sean referenced: https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/calculators/mutual-fund-calculator 

Check out the full findings from NerdWallet's Consumer Financial Resilience Index: https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/studies/financial-resilience-index

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Smart Money’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.

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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, how to prioritize competing goals like the HSA, 401(k), Roth IRA, and house fund, and what it really takes to hit FIRE in 15–20 years — plus the money anxiety that makes even high savers second-guess every dollar they spend on fun.

See how far your homebuying budget could take you with NerdWallet’s free home affordability calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/calculators/how-much-house-can-i-afford 

Buying a home? Estimate the closing costs for a house of any value with this calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/calculators/closing-costs 

Mortgage Closing Costs: How Much You’ll Pay https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/learn/closing-costs-mortgage-fees-explained 

First-Time Home Buyer Loans and Programs: A Beginner’s Guide https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/learn/programs-help-first-time-homebuyers 

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Smart Money’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.

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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 working even a little longer could change her outlook.

Then: why does it feel so hard to find a home to buy right now? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski talks with NerdWallet mortgage writers Abby Badach Doyle and Kate Wood about why so many homeowners are choosing to stay put — and how that's limiting the number of homes on the market for everyone else.

NerdWallet Wealth Partners, LLC is an affiliate of NerdWallet Inc. NerdWallet Wealth Partners is a fiduciary online financial advisor, offering low-cost, comprehensive financial advice and investment management. Learn more at nerdwalletwealthpartners.com/smart 

The NerdWallet Homebuying Climate Index tracks how favorable conditions are for home buyers each month: NerdWallet Homebuying Climate Index

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To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

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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 Ellie and her husband actually followed through on their FIRE plan, retired at 44, and moved the whole family to Spain — only to find their passive income took an unplanned hit?

Then: Paolo had $3 million saved at 48 and still couldn't bring himself to slow down — could a financial advisor, modeling multiple retirement scenarios, give him the confidence to finally let his money coast? David's cross-country move didn't go quite as planned, leaving him to navigate buying a home in one of the country's priciest markets while managing a long-distance rental. And Delius, who came to the show carrying $100,000 in credit card debt and a Vegas rental property, faced the question of whether selling would feel like freedom — or like giving up a lifeline.

Subscribe to our podcast’s free email newsletter for bonus content and more from our hosts at https://smartmoney-nerdwallet.beehiiv.com/ 

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Smart Money’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.

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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 handle taxes when your employer is no longer withholding them for you, which retirement accounts could make sense when you're self-employed, and how separating your business and personal finances from day one could protect your personal assets if things go wrong.

Then, what are prediction markets, and what happens when billions of dollars start trading on election outcomes? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski interviews Aaron Klein, a senior fellow at the Center on Regulation and Markets at the Brookings Institution, about the booming prediction market industry. They discuss how platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket differ from both stock trading and gambling, whether the legal distinction between a "swap" and a "wager" actually matters for everyday users, how these platforms are navigating state gambling laws, and what it could mean when millions of dollars are wagered on whether a political party wins control of Congress.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Best Business Checking Accounts of August 2026

• Best Business Credit Cards of August 2026

• How to Open a Business Bank Account

• How to Incorporate a Business

• How to Get Business Insurance: What You Need, Where to Buy It

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Smart Money’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

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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 all competing for the same paycheck. Elizabeth shares her own experience navigating divorce as a first-time parent, and Sean reflects on the major financial turning points in his life, discussing how big changes can become unexpected opportunities to reset your goals and rebuild on your own terms.

Best Debt Settlement Companies of 2026: Compare Fees and Savings https://www.nerdwallet.com/personal-loans/learn/best-debt-settlement-companies 

National Debt Relief https://www.nationaldebtrelief.com/ 

Subscribe to our podcast’s free email newsletter for bonus content and more from our hosts at https://smartmoney-nerdwallet.beehiiv.com/ 

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Smart Money’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.

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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 paying.

Once your savings buckets are set up, how do you actually pay your bills without the whole system falling apart? Sean and his fellow host Elizabeth Ayoola tackle listener questions about the most overlooked piece of the sinking fund strategy: managing payments across multiple accounts. They dig into why putting everything on one credit card can become a bookkeeping headache, what it means if you keep pulling from one bucket to cover another, and how your rewards card strategy could actually be working against your savings goals.

Read senior news writer Anna Helhoski's full investigation into the hidden costs of data centers: https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/news/data-center-costs 

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Smart Money’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend.

*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.

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