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 Ayoola speak with NerdWallet insurance writer Elizabeth Aldrich about what IUL actually is. Aldrich breaks down the zero-percent floor that sounds like guaranteed protection (but doesn't mean you can't lose money), the truth behind the "better than a 401(k)" and "tax-free retirement" claims circulating online, and the narrow circumstances where an IUL might actually make sense. 

Read Lizzie's NerdWallet article on why “recession-proof” insurance is trending: https://www.nerdwallet.com/insurance/life/news/indexed-universal-life-insurance-trending 

Enter for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card — and help us improve our show — by taking our listener survey! Find the survey and official sweepstakes rules here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSettbeI0yDf8tLt_Q772StVJoWs_Gm-pWa-gSn2fdWEc0XcOw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102666646608198254961 

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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 toward a wedding, a first home and a future baby, all within the same few years? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola sit down with a debt-free military couple, Jack and Lauren, to dig into their budget and figure out where their savings could be prioritized. You'll hear how the couple built their monthly numbers, how their retirement contributions stack up years down the road, and where spending on subscriptions, transportation and eating out is quietly adding up.

Would you bet money on whether a hurricane makes landfall, or an earthquake strikes? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski explains how prediction markets on platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have turned natural disasters into tradable contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and why some researchers argue the practice is pricing catastrophe like just another guessing game.

Enter for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card — and help us improve our show — by taking our listener survey! Find the survey and official sweepstakes rules here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSettbeI0yDf8tLt_Q772StVJoWs_Gm-pWa-gSn2fdWEc0XcOw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102666646608198254961 

Are you on track to save enough for retirement? Use NerdWallet’s free retirement calculator to check your progress, see how much retirement income you'll have and estimate how much more you should save: https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/calculators/retirement-calculator 

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

The Business of Betting on Natural Disasters: https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/news/natural-disaster-prediction-markets 

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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 NerdWallet Wealth Partners CEO Ryan Sterling walk through the seven-step Your Next Dollar Blueprint — an order of operations high earners could follow to prioritize their savings across accounts, from growing income and building an emergency fund to maxing out an HSA, 401(k), mega backdoor Roth, and more. 

Download the Your Next Dollar Blueprint at nerdwalletwealthpartners.com/blueprint 

Interested in working with a financial advisor? Visit nerdwalletwealthpartners.com

NerdWallet Wealth Partners, LLC (“NWWP”) is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply skill or training nor does it constitute an endorsement by any securities regulator.  The content presented by NWWP is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as personalized investment, tax, or legal advice to any person. The views, strategies and examples discussed are intended to be general in nature, may not reflect the experience of any particular client, are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and may not be suitable for every individual. All investments involve risk, including potential loss of principal invested. Investment past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Before making any investment decision seek advice from a qualified investment, legal or tax professional.

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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 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

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

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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 

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 

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 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.

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 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 

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

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 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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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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