
Sinking Funds 101: How to Save Smarter with Nerdwallet's Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola
HerMoney with Jean ChatzkyShow Notes
Ever moved money out of your vacation fund to cover a car repair, or dipped into your emergency fund for something that wasn't quite an emergency? That's exactly where sinking funds come in.
This week, Jean sits down with Sean Pyles, CFP® and host of NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast, and his co-host Elizabeth Ayoola to break down the sinking fund strategy: separate, named savings buckets each tied to a specific goal.
Plus, Lacy Garcia of Willow is back. She's sharing the five things worth splurging on before the end of 2026, and the trade-offs she makes to afford them. She and Jean also get into when a financial advisor is actually worth the money, and what Willow's version of an advisor looks like for someone who's just trying to get organized.
Find NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Get guidance and connect with a vetted fiduciary https://hermoney.com/findanadvisor/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from HerMoney with Jean Chatzky
How much do you need to retire, not just comfortably, but happily, in 2026?
The ten years before retirement are your last, best chance to get it right. In this episode, Jean and Anne Lester, author of Your Best Financial Life, former head of Retirement Solutions for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and a fellow with LIMRA’s Retirement Income Institute, break down what the ten years before retirement should really look like and everything you need to tackle to enter retirement with confidence.
Financial literacy isn’t just a problem for young people — it spans every generation and income bracket, and the numbers have only gotten worse over the last decade. So what actually works?
Sixty percent of Americans say they feel scared when they think about the future, and women are more likely than men to feel that way. If your instinct is to push that fear down, breathe through it, or just try to be more fearless, Farnoosh Torabi wants to stop you right there. Because fear, she argues, isn’t the enemy. It’s actually one of the most powerful tools you have, if you know how to listen to it.
Have you ever stopped to think about how nearly every product in your life — the car you drive, the shoes on your feet, the chair you're sitting in right now — was actually designed for men? Because cars were designed for men, women are 73% more likely to be seriously injured in a crash, and 17% more likely to die in one. And it doesn't stop at cars; even your sneakers were likely modeled on a man's foot first.