NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

Learn how to weigh dental, vision, life and disability coverage, and what a cheaper home far from loved ones could cost.

Is supplemental insurance worth paying for? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola, in the second of our episodes about Open Enrollment season, talk with Victoria Collar, director of knowledge, community and operations at SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management), about the benefits that often get overlooked: dental, vision, life and disability coverage. They discuss how dental PPOs, DHMOs, indemnity plans and discount plans differ, when bundling dental and vision could save you money, and why waiting periods and annual maximums matter. You’ll also hear why employer-provided life insurance may fall short, how short-term and long-term disability coverage work together, and what hospital indemnity, critical illness and cancer insurance actually pay for.

Then we ask: what does it really cost to live far from your people? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski and NerdWallet mortgage writer Abby Doyle unpack a Federal Reserve study finding that 44% of American families gave or received help with money or caregiving from friends or relatives in the past year. They discuss the hidden costs of buying a cheaper home far from your support network, why many buyers would trade a bigger yard for a walkable neighborhood, how cottage court housing could help people stay close to their communities, and how to weigh connection against affordability in your home search.

Figure out how much coverage your family might need with NerdWallet’s life insurance calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/insurance/life/learn/how-much-life-insurance-do-i-need

Has social connection shaped your house hunt? Email Abby at abadachdoyle@nerdwallet.com with the subject line “House Hunt.”

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 podcast@nerdwallet.com. 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 compare health insurance plans, HSAs and FSAs before open enrollment deadlines arrive.

How do you pick the right health plan when costs keep climbing? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola kick off a two-part open enrollment series with NerdWallet lead writer Kate Ashford, starting with the key enrollment dates for marketplace, Medicare, federal and employer-sponsored coverage. They discuss why employer health benefit costs are expected to jump next year, how premiums and deductibles work like a seesaw, the tradeoffs between HMOs, PPOs and high-deductible health plans, and why being a middle-of-the-road health care user could make the choice especially tricky. You’ll also hear how to weigh your out-of-pocket maximum, whether you have enough cash on hand to cover a high deductible, and how last year’s medical bills could help you estimate next year’s.

How can you get the most out of a health savings account or flexible spending account? Sean, Elizabeth and Kate explain the triple tax advantage of HSAs and why some planners treat them like another retirement account, how use-it-or-lose-it rules and rollover limits work for FSAs, and what a dependent care FSA could cover. They also dig into what’s changing for Affordable Care Act plans in 2027, including higher proposed premiums, insurers entering and leaving markets, new subsidy eligibility rules for some immigrants and state-level changes, plus why it could be worth trying to negotiate a medical bill.

Compare plans, premiums and out-of-pocket costs with NerdWallet’s guide:

How to Choose Health Insurance: Your Step-by-Step Guide: https://www.nerdwallet.com/insurance/health/learn/choose-health-insurance

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 podcast@nerdwallet.com.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn whether managing your own mortgage escrow pays off and what popular election slogans could mean for your money.

Can you manage your own escrow account instead of letting your mortgage servicer pay your property taxes and homeowners insurance? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola welcome housing Nerd Kate Wood to weigh the pros and cons of do-it-yourself escrow. They discuss how escrow fits into your monthly mortgage payment, when a lender might grant an escrow waiver, and why FHA loans and private mortgage insurance can take the choice off the table. They also run the numbers on how much interest you could earn by holding the money yourself, what happens when an escrow account comes up short, and why some mortgage hacks on social media don’t tell the full story.

What do candidates actually mean when they say “tax the rich,” “affordability” or “Medicare for All”? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski joins Sean and Elizabeth to decode the campaign slogans on mailers, ads and bumper stickers ahead of Election Day. They discuss how one slogan can cover very different taxes, how candidates are framing the cost of groceries, utilities and healthcare, and why “affordable housing” means something different from race to race.

Watch the Portlandia escrow scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZmO_7JBeao

Run your own numbers with NerdWallet’s Compound Interest Calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/calculators/compound-interest-calculator

See the escrow shortage findings in the 2026 NerdWallet Home Buyer Report: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/studies/home-buyer-report

Find ways to save with 8 Ways to Lower Homeowners Insurance Rates: https://www.nerdwallet.com/insurance/homeowners/learn/save-on-homeowners-insurance

Read Anna’s breakdowns of this year’s campaign slogans:

What Does ‘Tax the Rich’ Actually Mean?: https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/news/tax-the-rich

On Affordability: Can a Politician Make Your Groceries Cheaper?: https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/news/affordability

‘Medicare for All’ to ‘Take on Big Pharma’: What’s Behind Healthcare Slogans: https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/news/medicare-for-all

What Does ‘Affordable Housing’ Mean?: https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/news/affordable-housing

Find out what’s on your ballot with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (https://www.eac.gov/), Can I Vote (https://www.nass.org/can-I-vote) and VOTE411 from the League of Women Voters (https://www.vote411.org/).

Please help us improve the show by taking our listener survey! Your responses directly impact what you hear on the show: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSettbeI0yDf8tLt_Q772StVJoWs_Gm-pWa-gSn2fdWEc0XcOw/viewform

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

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 podcast@nerdwallet.com. 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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how to pursue early retirement, grow savings, and weigh home buying after a major life change.

How do you rebuild your budget after going from two incomes to one? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola review the budget of a 32-year-old Los Angeles nonprofit supervisor who is two years past a divorce, newly free of credit card debt and car payments, and unsure where her extra cash could go next. They discuss how a rent increase pushed her to downsize, why budgeting on vibes can swing between YOLO mode and stress, what her 50/30/20 breakdown reveals, and how to size an emergency fund when you’re a single-income household and your job depends on federal funding.

She also wonders about maybe retiring at 55. Sean and Elizabeth plug her numbers into NerdWallet’s retirement calculator live to see how big the gap could be and how much a higher contribution rate might close it. They also cover common retirement savings benchmarks, including the 80% rule, why most retirement accounts limit penalty-free withdrawals until age 59, how a 457(b) plan and a taxable brokerage account could offer more flexibility, where a pension fits into the picture, and how trimming spending on wants like workday lunches could free up money for future goals.

Run your own numbers with the NerdWallet tools used in this episode:

Retirement Calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/calculators/retirement-calculator

50/30/20 Budget Calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/learn/nerdwallet-budget-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

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

Learn how to pick a budget that fits your life, where to save for a big goal and how identity theft has changed.

Does a budget work without sorting your spending into needs and wants? And where could you keep money you’re saving for a big expense that’s five years away? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola answer two listener questions. The first comes from a listener who splits her budget into monthly and one-time expenses instead of using the 50/30/20 rule. The second comes from a parent saving $13,000 for her daughter’s quinceañera whose CD is about to mature.

Then, how has the identity theft playbook changed over 40 years, and what new risks could AI agents bring to your finances? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski talks with Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. They discuss why there’s almost no barrier left to committing fraud, and why victims often feel ashamed even when they did nothing wrong. They also cover who pays when an AI agent makes a costly mistake for you, how freezing your credit has gotten easier, and why help for victims after the fact still falls short.

Run the numbers on your own savings goal with NerdWallet’s savings calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/calculators/savings-calculator

Compare rates on accounts for short-term goals:Best High-Yield Savings Accounts of October 2026: Up to 5%: https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/best/high-yield-online-savings-accountsBest CD Rates of October 2026: Up to 5.00%: https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/best/cd-rates5 Best Money Market Accounts for October 2026: Up to 4.05%: https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/best/money-market-accounts

Please help us improve the show by taking our listener survey! Your responses directly impact what you hear on the show: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSettbeI0yDf8tLt_Q772StVJoWs_Gm-pWa-gSn2fdWEc0XcOw/viewform

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

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 podcast@nerdwallet.com. 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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices