logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
15m 37s

Fed Up with High Rates? Here’s How a Cut...

NerdWallet Personal Finance
About this episode

Learn how the Fed’s interest rate cuts may affect your loans, savings, and investments, as well as what to do about refinancing.


How could interest rate cuts affect credit card debt? Will it be easier or cheaper to get a mortgage or auto loan with interest rates going down? Is now a good time to refinance? Hosts Sean Pyles and Anna Helhoski break down how the Federal Reserve’s expected interest rate cuts could impact your finances. They discuss the potential impact on credit cards, mortgages, and savings accounts, as well as how these changes might influence borrowing and investing decisions. Then, Sean and Anna cover some of the top money headlines from the past week, including the latest inflation figures, household income trends, and new developments in student loan servicing following the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s lawsuit against Navient, formerly known as Sallie Mae. 


Refinancing your student loans can save you thousands or lower your monthly payment. NerdWallet has a tool to help: https://www.nerdwallet.com/refinancing-student-loans 


In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: interest rate cuts, Federal Reserve, mortgage rates, credit card debt, loan refinancing, auto loans, savings accounts, inflation trends, household income, student loans, personal loans, CD rates, adjustable-rate mortgages, refinancing, high-yield savings, financial planning, debt consolidation, interest rate changes, fed rate cut, mortgage refinancing, investment strategies, federal student loans, FAFSA, CFPB, inflation report, personal finance tips, money headlines, inflation rate, mortgage interest rates, loan interest rates, private student loans, car loan refinancing, variable interest rates, economic data, financial markets, personal debt, interest rate savings, cost of borrowing, and loan interest.


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.

Up next
Yesterday
What Fewer Earnings Reports Could Mean for Investors and How to Teach Kids About Money (Video Episode)
In this special video episode, learn what proposed stock market rule changes could mean for your portfolio and how to grow your teen’s money skills. Will corporate earnings reports soon shift from quarterly to twice a year? And what could new rules about day trading mean for ever ... Show More
39m 55s
Oct 6
Watch the Nerds Sweat It Out: Hot Wings Meet Hot Money Takes (Video Episode)
In this special video episode, Sean and Elizabeth and special guests eat spicy wings and share hot takes on saving versus investing, inflation, crypto, and when to trade up for an electric vehicle. When should you prioritize investing over traditional savings? How do you know whe ... Show More
44m 26s
Oct 2
Budget Rehab: What Our Hosts’ Spending Reveals About Smarter Money Moves (Video Episode)
In this special video episode, Sean and Elizabeth give each other a “budget rehab,” revealing their own budgets to help you fix yours. How can you feel more in control of your spending? How can you plan for irregular expenses like credit card annual fees or surprise bills? In thi ... Show More
37m 33s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
How Do DSCR Lenders Calculate Your Interest Rate?
As interest rates finally start to fall after years of painful hikes, the DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loan has made rental property investment attractive once more. But how are DSCR loan interest rates calculated, and what influences the final rate you get quoted? In this ... Show More
23 m
Mar 2024
1952: Loan Repayment & Personal Finance Pt. 2
On today’s episode, we have the second installment of our deep dive into student loans and financial strategy with Jake Courtney, a financial planner specializing in student loan consulting from Student Loan Planner. We tackle the tangible scenario of "young Mark," a hypothetical ... Show More
31m 25s
Apr 2025
Student Loan Shakeup w/ Travis Hornsby #977
The Feds are cracking down on defaulted student loans! According to the new US Education Secretary, it’s time for student borrowers with federal loans to begin making payments. The clock is ticking and May 5th is the date that nearly 2 million borrowers are going to be moved into ... Show More
59m 33s
Sep 2019
WCI #123: Will the Politicians Cancel your Student Loan Debt?
"Aren't all the Democratic candidates going to cancel student loan debt? I'll just wait, because if I pay them back and then they cancel them, I'm out of luck." Now for some of you this might sound crazy but this is the thought process for many people right now. Should people be ... Show More
53m 44s
Jul 2024
989: Seeing Greene: Investing with High DTI, When to Refi, & Getting Out of Debt
Life happens, and you’ve accumulated some debt. You’re wondering how to buy real estate EVEN with a high DTI (debt-to-income) ratio. Whether it’s good debt, like rental property mortgages, or bad debt, like credit card debt, holding you back, David and Rob have some ideas to help ... Show More
48m 40s
Oct 2024
What Does The Fed Rate Cut Mean For Mortgages?
Mortgage rates aren’t directly influenced by Federal Reserve policy. However, the Fed’s recent cut likely will have a domino effect on the US housing market, say our Co-Heads of Securitized Products Research Jay Bacow and James Egan. ----- Transcript ----- Jay Bacow: Welcome to T ... Show More
8m 13s
Sep 2024
Is the Fed’s Plan to Avoid a Recession Working?
Preston Caldwell, senior US economist for Morningstar Research Services, discusses why the Federal Reserve made an aggressive interest-rate cut now. And what these lower rates mean for borrowers.Morningstar’s Take on the Federal Reserve’s First Interest-Rate Cut in 2024 What is t ... Show More
19m 29s
Nov 2024
Strategic Default For Student Loans: What You Need to Know
In 2011, some protestors encouraged borrowers to refuse to repay their student loans as part of Occupy Wall Street. They said that if enough borrowers joined this protest, the lenders would have no choice but to cancel the student loan debt.Few people participated, and even those ... Show More
10m 12s
Apr 2025
We Paid Off $500K in Debt: Now We’re on Track to Retire (Early) in Our 50s
Fear that early retirement is out of the question because you have too much debt? It’s not game over. Whether you’re debt-free or still chipping away at your student loans, today’s guests are proof that FIRE is never too far out of reach—even if you’ve got half a million dollars ... Show More
58m 44s