It's Not Too Late: How to Reset Your Money Habits at 50

Can you really overhaul 50 years of money habits — and are the drivers paying the highest prices per gallon actually the ones hurting most from rising gas prices? Host Sean Pyles, CFP© and Elizabeth Ayoola are joined by senior news writer Anna Helhoski and joined by data studies Nerd, Kurt Woock, to unpack why the price on the sign at the gas station doesn't tell the whole story about how gas prices hit your budget. They break down why states like Wyoming, Oklahoma, Montana and Utah saw the biggest jumps in weekly gas spending this year — even though they don't have the highest prices at the pump — and why total spending, not the price per gallon, is what really matters when you're budgeting. Then, Sean and Elizabeth answer a question from a 50-year-old listener named David, who's trying to reset a lifetime of impulse spending and build a real retirement plan on a later timeline. They walk through catch-up contributions for IRAs, 401(k)s and HSAs, why automated savings buckets and an emergency fund matter more than ever at this stage, and how to think through the tradeoffs of claiming Social Security early versus waiting. Gas Costs (Not Just Pump Prices) Hit Some States Harder: https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/studies/2026-gas-prices-costs Catch-Up Contributions: How They Work and 2026 Limits: https://www.nerdwallet.com/retirement/learn/catch-up-contributions Average Retirement Savings by Age: https://www.nerdwallet.com/retirement/learn/the-average-retirement-savings-by-age-and-why-you-need-more Retirement Calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/calculators/retirement-calculator How to Invest With Your HSA — And Why You Should: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/how-to-invest-hsa NerdWallet Wealth Partners, fee-only financial advisors: https://nerdwalletwealthpartners.com/smart Smart Money’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney 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 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