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

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

Author: NerdWallet Personal Finance September 3, 2026 Duration: 40:04
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/  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

Money can feel complicated, but it doesn't have to be a source of constant stress. On NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast, the team of experienced personal finance journalists from NerdWallet takes the questions you're actually asking and turns them into a straightforward conversation. You'll hear them unpack the nuances of everyday financial choices, from figuring out the right way to budget for an irregular income to demystifying how to start investing without a huge sum of money. They tackle everything-credit card strategies, the true costs of homeownership, and effective saving techniques-by cutting through the noise and popular myths. Every discussion is rooted in careful research and a practical understanding of how people live their lives, ensuring the advice you get is both credible and immediately useful. Tuning into this podcast feels like getting reliable guidance from a knowledgeable friend who wants you to succeed. Each episode leaves you with a clearer perspective and concrete steps you can take to feel more in control of your financial future, building confidence one decision at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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