NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Build a Forever Paycheck with Jean Chatzky of HerMoney

#45 trending · Investing

Learn how to turn your retirement savings into a steady retirement paycheck and how grocery stores may use your data to set prices. How do you turn decades of retirement

Oct 1
50 min

Renting vs. Buying a Home: Can HOA Fees Be Worth the Money?

Learn how condo and HOA fees change the math on renting vs. home ownership, and how to resist a pricey tech upgrade. Is buying a home with a hefty condo or HOA fee worth

Sep 28
38 min

Get Out of a Timeshare and Find Down Payment Help to Buy a Home

Learn how to escape a timeshare contract, plus what kind of help exists if you want to buy a home. How do you get out of a timeshare you no longer want? Elizabeth Ayoola

Sep 24
37 min

Real Estate Syndication 101: What to Know Before You Invest

Learn what to weigh before investing in real estate syndications, including costs, risks and REIT alternatives. Should you diversify into real estate, and is real estate

Sep 21
30 min

Drained Retirement, Maxed Credit Cards. How Scam Victims Start Rebuilding

When a parent sends their retirement savings to someone they met online, learn how to help them recover – without letting it happen again. What do you do when a parent h

Sep 17
39 min

IUL Insurance: Recession-Proof or a Risky Bet for Your Retirement?

Is indexed universal life insurance “recession-proof?” Learn how it really works and whether it belongs in your retirement plan. Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ay

Sep 14
31 min

Budget Rehab: A Debt-Free Couple Plans for a Wedding, House and Baby (Plus: Inside Disaster Betting Markets)

Learn how a debt-free couple budgets for a wedding, a house and a baby, plus why disaster betting markets are booming. How much of a $20,500 monthly income could go towa

Sep 10
37 min

Seven Steps for Prioritizing Money as a High Earner (from Your Next Dollar)

Learn how high earners could prioritize their money across seven steps, from income growth to backdoor Roth strategies. Your Next Dollar host Andrew Giancola and NerdWal

Sep 7
44 min

How Get Rich Slowly's Founder Retired at 40. Plus, What Higher Bond Yields Mean for Savers

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

Sep 3
40 min

Does a Pension Mean You're Set for Retirement? How to Know If You're Really on Track

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

Aug 31
36 min

Putting the "7% Rule" to the Test on a Real Mortgage. Plus, an Economist on Stubborn Food Prices

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

Aug 27
37 min

How Homebuying Differs for LGBTQ+ People — and Tips for Any Buyer in a Tough Market

Learn how LGBTQ+ homebuyers navigate unique challenges and how anyone can compete in today's expensive housing market. What makes homebuying uniquely challenging for LGB

Aug 24
44 min

CFP vs. CPA vs. CFA: The Only One Most People Need

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 Elizab

Aug 20
48 min

How to Balance Competing Financial Priorities When Everything Feels Urgent

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, bui

Aug 17
39 min

Going Back to Work Later in Life and Why the Housing Market Feels So Stuck

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 enou

Aug 13
41 min

Where Are They Now? Five Smart Money Listeners on Job Loss, Debt, FIRE, and Life Moves

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

Aug 10
28 min

What You Need to Know About Starting a Business Before You Quit Your Job

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 bef

Aug 6
45 min

When Marriage Ends: How to Protect Your Assets, Update Your Estate Plan, and Survive the Costs

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?

Aug 3
22 min

Sinking Fund Methods That Actually Work, Plus The Hidden Cost of AI Data Centers

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

Jul 30
31 min

Is an Annual Fee Travel Card Worth It? A Guide for Occasional Flyers

Learn how to decide if a travel card's annual fee is worth it and which card suits occasional flyers. What does it take for a travel credit card's annual fee to actually

Jul 27
38 min

Chart trend

Position in the Investing chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#28#54JulAugSepOct

all-time peak

146

days in the top 3 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 3, 2026).

#83 ▼ 17 Business US

#16 ▼ 4 Investing US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

What I love about this podcast is that it offers solid fundamental financial advice presented by two hosts who seem authentic, empathetic, and humble!

Thisis43 · Aug 2026

I love this podcast and they have great tips. I really like it when they go over people‘s budgets. The only thing that bothers me all the time is how both hosts consistently only use “they/them” for every person that they are reviewing. I wish that they would ask people what their pronouns are and just use that because it actually gets really confusing.

Abbysmom2 · Jul 2026

I’ve become a recent listener, and really enjoy this podcast! I would categorize myself as someone who makes a very modest income, and has generally been pretty careful in what I choose to spend it on. I don’t necessarily feel like I was educated in how to optimize my earnings, plan, and really have my money work for me. In what I’ve listened to, this podcast does a great job of giving me small doses of financial knowledge to set myself up a little more clearly on my financial path. I’m surprised at how funny and interesting it is. I really appreciate how open and non-judgmental the hosts are. It’s a fun, judgement-free, and safe space to learn a little bit more about finances, and I really appreciate the easy opportunity to learn.

H00sier10 · May 2026

NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast is informative, engaging, and genuinely fun to listen to. Elizabeth and Sean are funny, relatable, and clearly know their stuff, making complex finance topics easy to understand. I love how they break down current events in money and explain what actually matters for everyday people. The way they thoughtfully connect finance to social issues and values-based spending really sets this podcast apart. A smart, approachable listen for anyone looking to make better money decisions.

Robyn JD25 · Jan 2026

I think the content of the Smart Money podcast is fun and informative, but lately they have been sending out “bonus episodes” of other podcasts not even related to personal finance. I understand doing this once or twice to support other podcasts in the network, but this is too much

QuiescentAJ · Oct 2025

Very disappointed. Listen to quite a few episodes to see if it was just an anomaly. But the show overall is weak with financial advice. Some of the individuals that they have on try to act as if they are presenting something new that is just a rehash of other people. To the point that they copy the same phrases and terminology that other financial experts utilize on good shows. With so many other more powerful and useful shows and with limited time don’t waste your time listening to this podcast. When I listen to a financial podcast, I want good solid information and not politically correct platitudes.

Bulldwgs · Jan 2025

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.