Buy Now, Pay Later Comes at a Price: Credit Score Risks You Need to Know (Plus: $124k Windfall Tips)

Summary

NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast: "Buy Now, Pay Later Comes at a Price: Credit Score Risks You Need to Know (Plus: $124k Windfall Tips)" – Detailed Summary

Release Date: July 10, 2025

NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast, hosted by Sean Pyles, CFP®, Elizabeth Ayoola, and other financial experts, delves into crucial personal finance topics to empower listeners with actionable advice. In the July 10, 2025 episode titled "Buy Now, Pay Later Comes at a Price: Credit Score Risks You Need to Know (Plus: $124k Windfall Tips)," the hosts explore the growing popularity of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services and provide guidance on managing unexpected financial windfalls.

---

I. Money News Roundup: The Rise of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) and Its Impact on Credit Scores

The episode begins with Elizabeth Ayoola introducing the Money News segment, focusing on significant changes in credit scoring related to BNPL services.

A. Understanding Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)

Ana Helhoski explains BNPL as a modern twist on the traditional layaway plan, allowing consumers to split larger purchases into smaller, manageable installments. These services have become ubiquitous in online and in-store checkouts, with providers like Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna leading the market.

B. Surge in Popularity

Jackie Belling, a personal loans writer and BNPL expert, highlights the exponential growth of BNPL, especially during the pandemic when online shopping surged. "Since 2020, BNPL has only continued to grow and it's really entered the mainstream," Belling notes (02:53).

C. Integration into FICO Scores

A significant development discussed is the upcoming integration of BNPL transactions into FICO credit scores. Jackie explains, "FICO recognized this growing blind spot with BNPL and how their existing models just don't translate" (05:07). The new FICO 10 scores aim to accurately assess BNPL usage, which traditionally might have been viewed negatively due to the frequent opening and closing of credit lines inherent in BNPL services.

D. Benefits and Risks for Consumers

Elizabeth highlights that responsible use of BNPL can positively impact credit scores by demonstrating consistent repayment behavior. Jackie adds, "If you're someone who uses BNPL regularly and you use it responsibly... it should help build your credit score over time" (05:55). However, the flip side includes potential negative impacts from missed or late payments, which can hurt credit scores similarly to traditional loans.

E. Regulatory Environment

The conversation touches on regulatory changes, specifically the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) stance on BNPL. Under the Biden administration, the CFPB had issued rules treating BNPL like credit cards, imposing stricter requirements. However, these rules were withdrawn under the subsequent Trump administration, leaving BNPL companies with fewer regulatory obligations. "BNPL companies don't have to follow those requirements," Jackie states (10:12).

F. Best Practices for Using BNPL

The hosts offer practical advice for consumers considering BNPL:

• Budgeting: "Shop with a budget in mind," advises Jackie (08:40).
• Automatic Payments: Setting up auto-payments can prevent late fees.
• Avoiding Loan Stacking: Managing multiple BNPL loans simultaneously can lead to financial strain.

Jackie emphasizes, "Avoid overspending like we talked about, and late payments," underscoring the importance of disciplined usage to mitigate credit risks.

---

II. Listener Question: How to Responsibly Use an Unexpected $124k Windfall

Transitioning from the BNPL discussion, the podcast addresses a listener's scenario involving a substantial financial windfall.

A. Listener’s Situation

Jared, a 26-year-old environmental worker, inherits $124,000. His financial landscape includes:

• Debt: $20,000 in student loans.
• Savings: An $8,000 emergency fund.
• Investments: $8,000 in a federal Roth TSP and a newly opened 457 retirement account with a $75 monthly match.
• Income: $45,072 annually, aiming to reach $60k.

Jared seeks advice on allocating his inheritance, considering options like high-yield savings accounts, Certificates of Deposit (CDs), IRAs, and robo-advisors.

B. Expert Guidance from Hosts and Alana Benson

Alana Benson, the episode's investing expert, collaborates with the hosts to provide comprehensive advice.

1. Prioritizing Financial Goals

   • Debt Repayment: Jackie suggests paying off high-interest debt first to reduce financial burdens.
   • Emergency Fund: Ensuring a robust emergency fund is vital for financial stability.

2. Investment Strategies

   • IRA Contributions: Sean Pyles cautions about the annual contribution limit for IRAs ($7,000/year for those under 50). "You can only put in $7,000 a year for those under 50," he mentions (23:59).
   • Robo-Advisors: Alana explains robo-advisors as automated investment platforms that manage portfolios based on user preferences. They typically charge around 0.25% in fees but offer convenience and professional management.
   • Tax Implications: Alana highlights the importance of understanding the tax benefits of different accounts, such as Roth IRAs versus traditional IRAs.

3. Managing Fees and Expense Ratios

   • Expense Ratios: These are fees charged by investment funds. Alana advises choosing funds with low expense ratios (e.g., 0.10%) to maximize returns.
   • Robo-Advisor Fees: While some robo-advisors charge management fees, others offer no-fee options, which can be advantageous for cost-conscious investors.

   "If you're with a traditional financial advisor, you might be paying pretty high fees," Alana notes (25:05).

4. Account Types and Best Fit

   • IRA vs. Brokerage Accounts: Sean distinguishes between IRAs (tax-advantaged) and taxable brokerage accounts, suggesting diversification based on investment timelines.
   • 529 Plans: For future educational expenses, Alana recommends 529 college savings plans, especially for those with children.

5. Balancing Financial Planning with Enjoyment

   • Allocating for Fun: Sean emphasizes the importance of setting aside a portion of the windfall for personal enjoyment to maintain financial well-being without feeling deprived.
   • Honoring Loved Ones: Considering Jared's desire to honor his grandparents, allocating funds towards meaningful investments or expenditures can provide emotional satisfaction alongside financial growth.

6. Timeline Considerations

   • Short-Term vs. Long-Term Goals: Alana advises that money needed within five years should be kept in low-risk accounts like high-yield savings or CDs to avoid market volatility impacting necessary funds.

   "If you're going to need the money in a shorter time frame... you don't want to invest that money in the stock market," she explains (20:06).

7. Professional Consultation

   • Seeking Expertise: Both Sean and Alana recommend consulting a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to tailor investment strategies to individual circumstances.

   "Might be a good time to rope in a CPA to do some of this math for you," Sean suggests (24:36).

---

III. Key Takeaways and Strategic Insights

1. BNPL Integration into Credit Scores:

   • The inclusion of BNPL in FICO scores represents a significant shift, allowing responsible users to potentially enhance their credit profiles while cautioning against overuse and missed payments.

2. Managing Windfalls Effectively:

   • Prioritize debt repayment and emergency savings before delving into investments.
   • Utilize tax-advantaged accounts like IRAs and consider the limitations on contributions.
   • Evaluate investment platforms, balancing fees against convenience and management quality.
   • Align investment choices with personal timelines and financial goals to ensure liquidity and growth.

3. Balancing Financial Responsibility with Personal Enjoyment:

   • Allocating a portion of any financial windfall for personal use can prevent feelings of deprivation and encourage sustainable financial habits.

4. Regulatory Awareness:

   • Stay informed about the evolving regulatory landscape surrounding financial products like BNPL to make informed decisions and protect financial standing.

---

Conclusion

This episode of NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast provides listeners with an in-depth understanding of the implications of BNPL services on credit scores and offers strategic advice on managing significant financial windfalls. By combining expert insights with practical tips, the hosts equip their audience with the knowledge to navigate complex financial landscapes confidently.

For those seeking to enhance their financial literacy and make informed decisions, NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast remains a trusted resource.

Transcript

[Sean Pyles]

Today's episode is sponsored by Dell. Let's talk about the new Dell AI PC powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor. It's not just an AI computer, it's a computer built for AI. That means it's built to help do your busy work for you so you can fast forward through editing images, designing presentations, generating code, debugging code, categorizing your financial transactions, running lots of apps without lag, creating live translations and captions, summarizing meeting notes, extending battery life, enhancing security, finding that file you are looking for, organizing your receipts, managing your schedule, meeting your deadlines, drafting financial summaries, responding to Cody's long emails, leaving all the time in the world for more you time and the things that you actually want to do. No offense Cody. Get A new Dell AI PC starting at [e-mail] AI PC that's Dell.com AI PC how those ahead? Stay ahead. What would you do with a windfall? Blow it all on a trip around the world, Buy a fancy car? Or maybe pay off student loans and save for retirement. This episode we're helping a listener make some responsible and fun choices. Welcome to NerdWallet's Smart Money podcast where you send us your money questions and we answer them with the help of our genius nerds. I'm Sean Pyles.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

And I'm Elizabeth Ayola. Later on this episode, we're going to be looking at what to do with a financial windfall. But first, we have our weekly Money News roundup where we break down the latest in the world of finance to help you be smarter with your money. Our news colleague Ana Helhoski is back to talk about a new change to credit scoring that shoppers are going to want to know about. Welcome back, Ana.

[Ana Helhoski]

Great to be here, Sean. Elizabeth and yeah, that's right. Soon your credit reports will reflect your Buy now pay later purchases. But first off, I want to back up and say if you haven't heard of or use it before, Buy Now, Pay later or BNPL is a type of short term installment loan that lets buyers pay a little at a time for a bigger purchase.

[Sean Pyles]

If you've made a recent purchase online, you've probably seen BNPL providers like Affirm, Afterpay and Klarna on the checkout screen.

[Ana Helhoski]

Right, and BNPLs have gained a ton of traction over the last few years. In March, a survey conducted by Harris Poll for NERV Wallet found that more than half of Americans surveyed use Buy now pay later services. And among those, nearly one in Four say they currently owe money to a BNPL service provider. But there's a big change starting soon for BNPL users. Those loans are going to be integrated into your FICO score. Now, this is new. So to learn more about BNPL and what the FICO model means for consumers, we have Jackie Belling, a personal loans writer and Nerdwault's resident authority on bnpl. Jackie, welcome to Smart Money.

[Jackie Belling]

Thanks for having me.

[Ana Helhoski]

So, to kick off our conversation, I'm hoping you can explain more about how BNPL loans work.

[Jackie Belling]

You can think of BNPL as a modern day layaway plan. When you go to buy something with bnpl, which you can do online or in stores, you'll pay a fraction of the cost upfront and then pay the rest later. Hence, buy now, pay later. The most common plan is what's called a pay in for, which divides the total cost of your purchase into four equal installments. So if your purchase is $100, you'll only pay $25 at checkout. And then you'll have three $25 payments remaining, each due two weeks apart until you've paid in full.

[Ana Helhoski]

So it's about two months then to pay off a typical purchase.

[Jackie Belling]

That's right, about six weeks.

[Ana Helhoski]

So walk us through the current BNPL landscape and how it's grown in recent years.

[Jackie Belling]

Well, BNPL really took off during the pandemic. People started shopping more online, which is where these plans are the easiest to use because BNPL payment options can be integrated directly into a retailer's checkout flow. That's why when you go to check out online at Target, for example, you'll see the option to pay with a firm. Since 2020, BNPL has only continued to grow and it's really entered the mainstream. It's estimated that anywhere between 15 to just over 20% of Americans have used BNPL to pay for something. Even if you're not using it, you probably know about it because the largest retailers in the country like Walmart, Amazon, Costco, they now have direct partnerships with BNPL providers. But as the industry has grown, it's also attracted more attention from regulators and consumer advocates who are worried about how people are bnpl.

[Ana Helhoski]

So why is there concern about how people are using bnpl?

[Jackie Belling]

BNPL isn't regulated right now like traditional credit products. And there's a big concern essentially that people are over borrowing and taking on more debt than they can afford.

[Ana Helhoski]

Okay, onto the new credit scoring changes. Some providers, like a firm, have already started reporting to credit bureaus like Experian and TransUnion. Has there been any impact yet to reports or credit scores?

[Jackie Belling]

Not that I've seen and definitely not at scale. This has been an issue with BNPL for a long time where a credit bureau or a BNPL provider will make some big announcement about reporting BNPL loans and nothing ever really comes of it. Affirm has actually been reporting some of its loan information to Experian for years. So historically it's a lot of chatter with few tangible results. And that's because there hasn't been a widely used scoring model available that could process these types of loans. That's changing now.

[Ana Helhoski]

And what prompted FICO to include BNPL in its scoring?

[Jackie Belling]

I think FICO recognized this growing blind spot with BNPL and how their existing models just don't translate. Let me give you an example. Traditionally, if you open and close a bunch of new lines of credit in a short period of time, that's a bad thing for your credit. It doesn't look good to do that. It hurts your score. But that's exactly how BNPL loans work. They're short term loans for small expenses. So you're opening and closing these loans constantly. And in the world of bnpl, that's arguably a good thing. It means you're successfully paying off the loan and getting approved for another. But using the existing scoring models, that behavior is going to hurt you. So FICO had to figure out how to make a new scoring model that accurately assesses BNPL usage, which is where these new FICO 10 scores come into play.

[Ana Helhoski]

And are there any upsides for consumers about their BNPL data being reported to credit bureaus?

[Jackie Belling]

Absolutely. Your credit score, your credit history are some of the most important pieces of financial information about you. It's how you get approved for a credit card, a mortgage, a car loan, a personal loan if you need to cover an emergency expense. So if you're someone who uses BNPL regularly and you use it responsibly, meaning you make the payments on time, having that payment history reported to the bureaus is a good thing. Ideally, you're going to have this shiny new record of responsible repayment behavior, which should help build your credit score over time and make it easier to get approved for different types of credit in the future. That's especially important for BNPL users who tend to have lower credit scores to begin with.

[Ana Helhoski]

Now, the NERV Wallet survey showed that one in five Buy now, pay later users have paid late fees or interest after missing a payment over the last 12 months. Now, how could late or missed payments hurt people's scores and ability to get credit.

[Jackie Belling]

I think it's safe to assume that missing a payment on a BNPL loan, like missing a payment on a traditional loan, will hurt your credit score, especially if it becomes a habit. FICO places a heavy emphasis on payment history. It's actually the most important thing that determines your score. So most likely it'll be the same with these new scoring models.

[Ana Helhoski]

And how soon could consumers see BNPL reporting on their credit reports?

[Jackie Belling]

That's the big question. FICO says they're releasing the scoring models in the fall, but I think it may take some time for this to actually show up on credit reports. So many players have to come together. The BNPL providers have to be willing to report their loan data, which some have been pretty resistant to in the past, and then the bureaus have to be willing to display that information to lenders. It's a lot of moving parts, but I do think there's some real urgency with trying to finally get these loans on the books, so that may help push it forward.

[Ana Helhoski]

BNPLs are non traditional loans, right? How do they compare to more traditional ones?

[Jackie Belling]

Well, there's some key differences right from the jump, including in the application process. A traditional lender like your bank or credit union is almost always going to do a hard credit pool when you apply for credit. That sounds bad to a lot of people, but it can be a way of protecting you so you don't over borrow. BNPL providers tend to be more lenient. They may do a soft pull, but they'll still lend to borrowers with pretty low credit scores. And approval decisions are instantaneous. So not like you're waiting a few days to hear back with classic BNPL loans. So that's your pay in for plan. You're typically not paying interest, so it's not costing you anything extra to break up your purchase. A personal loan from your bank or credit union may charge rates up to 36%. Some providers like Affirm or PayPal also don't charge fees, which is different from traditional lenders too who charge origination fees, late fees, return payment fees, and then the repayment term is significantly shorter. A pay in for loan is six weeks versus a traditional loan which may be more like two to seven years. That being said, loan amounts are a lot higher for personal loans, so you need more time to pay them back.

[Ana Helhoski]

So if you are going to buy now and pay later, what are some best practices for doing so?

[Jackie Belling]

Shop with a budget in mind. First of all, because it's easy to overspend with bnpl, since you're not paying the full amount upfront, all of a sudden a $200 purchase is only $50 at checkout. So it seems like you can maybe go back and buy a couple more things. It makes you feel like you have more financial flexibility than you probably do. I'd also recommend setting up automatic payments for BNPL loans, though you'll want to keep an eye on your checking account to make sure you have plenty of funds available, but this helps prevent late fees, which many BNPL providers charge. I'd also avoid loan stacking, which is where you take out a ton of these loans at the same time, possibly from different providers. Because the payments are due every two weeks and you've got multiple loans going on. It's just so hard to stay on top of it. Think death by 1000 cuts. $20 here, $25 there. Next thing you know it's the first of the month and you're short on rent.

[Ana Helhoski]

That makes sense. The Nervault survey had found that one in five users have carried multiple loans at the same time over a 12 month period. Should users treat BNPL as a strategy to build credit?

[Jackie Belling]

If building credit is a big priority for you, I'd argue there are better ways to do that than bnpl. Even with the new scoring models, I'd go with a more well established credit building product like a credit builder loan or a starter credit card from your bank. Those payments will be consistently reported to the three main credit bureaus using the older scoring models. So I just think it's a safer bet. That being said, if BNPL becomes this additional form of credit building for you, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

[Ana Helhoski]

Before we let you go, I'm hoping you can give us status of BNPL oversight enforcement by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under the Trump administration.

[Jackie Belling]

So back in 2024, under the Biden administration, the CFPB issued an interpretive rule stating that BNPL should be treated the same as credit cards and that consumers should have the same legal protections. Basically, that meant much stricter requirements for the BNPL companies. Now they need to provide regular billing statements, issue timely refunds for returns, pause payments during an open dispute. But this ruling has since been withdrawn by the CFPB under the new Trump administration, and it's essentially dead in the water. BNPL companies don't have to follow those requirements.

[Ana Helhoski]

And what does that mean for buy now, pay later borrowers?

[Jackie Belling]

It means that they need to be their own watchdog because there isn't a ton of oversight right now, at least at the federal level. So what that means practically you want to avoid overspending like we talked about, and late payments. But also you want to minimize BNPL for purchases where there's a good chance you'll need to make a return or file some type of dispute. This tends to be where I hear the most frustration from readers. Someone makes a return or has a complaint and the BNPL company isn't getting back to them and they're still having to make payments every two weeks and it's really frustrating. And some companies are obviously better than others when it comes to customer service. So it's important to do your research online. But if you can avoid those types of scenarios as a general rule, that will go a long way in protecting you when you do use BNPL to pay for something.

[Ana Helhoski]

All right, thanks for joining us today, Jackie.

[Jackie Belling]

Thanks, Ana.

[Sean Pyles]

And thank you, Ana.

[Jackie Belling]

Sure.

[Ana Helhoski]

Thanks Sean.

[Sean Pyles]

Elizabeth, are you a Buy now pay later person?

[Elizabeth Ayola]

I have stories on that. I used to be. I have thrown in the towel because that is a slow creep. So I'm not anymore.

[Sean Pyles]

But yeah, that is why I'm wary of them. So understood. Well, up next we answer a listener's question about how to responsibly use an unexpected windfall. But before we get into that, a reminder listener to send us your money questions.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

Maybe you have a question about how you can budget for a large payment so you don't have to use Buy Now, Pay later or you want to know the most responsible way to use it? Either way, leave us a voicemail or text us on the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 again, 901730 nerd. Of course we love emails so send us [e-mail] in a moment.

[Sean Pyles]

This episode's money question Stay with us. We are back and answering your money questions to help you make smarter financial decisions. This episode's question comes from Jared who sent us an email. Here it is as read by our audio mixing pro, Nick Karisimi.

[Nick Kharismi]

Hey, I'm a big fan of the show. It's a regular listen for me on my work commute. I'm a 26 year old working in the environmental field. An unfortunate reality of working in this field is that it can be financially troublesome. I just inherited $124,000 and would like to make my grandparents proud with their money. I have $20,000 in outstanding student loan debt so I will be starting by paying that off. I'm otherwise debt Free. I'm renting an apartment with my partner and would like to set aside some money for a down payment on a house in hopefully three to five years. Outside of that, I have a six month emergency fund, about $8,000 in a federal Roth TSP retirement account and I just opened a 457 retirement account through my state job which is up to $75 monthly match. I'm salaried at $45,072, hoping to get that closer to 60k by the end of the year. Right now I have the inheritance. With my emergency fund in a high Yield Savings producing 3.6% APY, I'm thinking it makes sense to take $50,000 from my future down payment and and keep it there or in another hys, purchase a CD or possibly open a high yield checking account that I heard about at a local credit union offering 5.5% on up to $25,000. The other 50k I would like to invest. Right now I'm considering putting 25k into an IRA, potentially cranking up my 457 contribution and living on the savings to shift it and opening a brokerage account with the other 25k using a robo advisor. Thank you, Jared.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

To help us answer Jared's question on this episode of the podcast, we are joined by investing nerd Alana Benson. Hey Alana, welcome back to Smart Money.

[Alana Benson]

Hi guys. Thanks for having me.

[Sean Pyles]

Great to have you on. I want to start by talking about windfalls generally because they can be pretty sweet and sometimes they can totally transform your financial life. Have either of you ever received a windfall and if so, what did you do with it?

[Alana Benson]

I have not. But I have to say I would probably do something similar to our listener.

[Sean Pyles]

If I did spread it across a few different priorities and generally make a smart plan for it.

[Alana Benson]

Yeah. And being like very responsible and struggling to use it for fun.

[Sean Pyles]

Yeah, we're going to get to that part of it because money is about having fun too sometimes. Elizabeth, what about you?

[Elizabeth Ayola]

I have not received a windfall and you guys should thank the heavens that I haven't because I wouldn't be here today if I did. Okay, all right.

[Sean Pyles]

It would all go toward fun. Maybe kickstart that fire fund that you're working toward.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

Look at you all. In my business, 20 something year old me absolutely would be out having fun. But this version of me, of course I do something similar to Alana, but I'm definitely going to have a fun budget and they're going to be like, who is this Girl, where did she get all this money from? None of your business.

[Sean Pyles]

Yeah, I actually have received a windfall if you guys want to hear about it.

[Alana Benson]

Yeah, I do.

[Sean Pyles]

Yeah, I know you're nosy, Elizabeth. So this was a few years back, NerdWallet went public, and I had a decent amount of stock saved up, and so I sold a solid chunk of it. And, you know, it wasn't $124,000, but it was enough money to help me make a lot of Prof. Progress on some different financial goals all at the same time. And so, similar to Jared, I paid off some student loans. I put money toward my higher interest student loans. I put a big chunk in an investment account. I put a bunch toward my savings to have an extra cushion there. And then I did allocate 10% just for fun. This is a piece of advice that my former co host, Liz Weston recommended because, again, money is meant to be enjoyed. And sometimes if you're overly restrictive with it and you're too disciplined, at least for me, I know I'm going to end up rebelling against myself and maybe overspending. But I have still felt the dividends, if you will, of that windfall years later. It's made me feel really secure financially. And I've seen how my investments and my savings have grown over time. And I can point a lot of my sense of security that I feel now back to that one windfall. So it goes to show the power of having a big influx of cash like this.

[Alana Benson]

Good to remember that money is like a tool for us to have great lives. It's not this thing that we just have to acquire infinitely. It's a means to an end.

[Sean Pyles]

I think windfalls are a time to live by the adage of planning for tomorrow but living for today because there is no guarantee of tomorrow. I think that my situation was a little bit different than something like what Jared is going through. Or I had a family member last year lose their spouse, and they came into a decent amount of money from life insurance. And I advised this family member to sit and wait and not be too rash with their money. And they didn't really heed my advice. And now guess what? $250,000 is gone.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

Wow.

[Sean Pyles]

So that was painful to see happen. But everyone has to learn their lessons in their own way, I guess. Beyond that, I think what Jared is doing, what I did was focusing on financial priorities here. So if you have high interest debt, it's a good idea to pay that off. Topping off your emergency fund is great. Also, investing for financial goals and things to not do. Like I said, don't spend it all quickly, don't give it to people who come out of would work, don't not have a plan for it. Be thoughtful about what you're doing with this money because it's an amazing opportunity.

[Alana Benson]

I'd certainly agree with that. I think especially your situation, Sean, was a little bit different. One you work at NerdWallet and you were very well versed in the steps of what you should do for your financial goals. But that's not necessarily everyone. And so if you come into a lot of money, you might be having to do a lot of self education and figuring out how to do all this stuff. And that takes. Takes time. And also if a windfall is coming from a place of grief, you know, if you've lost a loved one, it's really important to take time to grieve so that you can make those decisions with a clear head.

[Sean Pyles]

And that brings me to something else that Jared pointed out that I thought was really smart and thoughtful is that they want to make their grandparents proud. So maybe Jared can consider what that might be. I don't know what their grandparents valued. Maybe it was travel, maybe it was investing for your future. But setting aside some of the money that you have from this windfall just for that purpose, I think would bring a lot of satisfaction and would be a really lovely way to honor their memory too.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

So what comes to mind for me, even though I haven't experienced a windfall, is I would love, if I did, to put a huge chunk into investing and watch that baby compound and grow. So, Alana, as you're the investing expert here, can you tell us a bit about how Jared could potentially invest this money or a portion of it?

[Alana Benson]

I think he's got some really good ideas going forward. I think it's great to look at your goals holistically. And I always like to think, you know those fountains that water like flows out of the top bucket and then it fills up the second bucket and then once that second bucket is full, it overflows into the third like a garden feature. So I always think of that in terms of your financial priority. So the first one is, you know, saving an emergency fund. So once you save that up, it can overflow into the next bucket. Once you do that, you can pay down high interest debt and then go from there into things like putting money towards your 401k, enough to get the match and all these things. And so I think it's great the way that he's modeling this of, okay, I'm going to put this over here. I'm going to put this over here. There's a couple little things I think we should chat about, but I think overall, I think he's got a good plan.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

So when it comes to timelines, can you detail how the time until you need the money, can dictate where it should go?

[Alana Benson]

Yeah, absolutely. So it's a really important thing. If you're going to need the money in a shorter time frame, say five years, you don't want to invest that money in the stock market. And that's because the highs and lows, peaks and valleys, when you get that shorter timeframe, if you go to pull your money out and the market happens to be down, you're essentially locking in those losses. So you do have the possibility of losing a fair amount of the value of the money that you put in the stock market is for investments that are long term, 10 years or more, preferably closer to like 20 or 30 because almost certainly you'll have quite a bit more than when you started because those, those peaks and valleys smooth out into a generally upward trending line over time. So if you're going to do shorter time frame, you know, if you're saving for a down payment on a house and you want to buy that house in under five years, it's a great idea to put money into a CD or even a high yield savings account because those rates are really, really high right now. So you'll be getting some interest on that and you can pull that money out at any time and there's no risk to losing it in the market.

[Sean Pyles]

And it seems like that is about what Jared has in mind as well. But let's talk about how else they want to invest because Jared has a pretty sophisticated strategy or potential strategy for how they want to put their money in these different buckets here. They're considering breaking up investments across their IRA and a robo advis, which I am assuming is a brokerage account. So can you talk about the pros and cons of each of these accounts and also just a quick explanation of what a robo advisor is, because some folks may not be familiar with this option.

[Alana Benson]

One of the things that we have to keep in mind is that these are actually two sort of separate categories of things. So a robo advisor is a company or it's brokerage, essentially, that is a computer algorithm that manages your money for you. You just give them money and they put your investments in and it's all Automated. And you don't have to do anything. It's calibrated to your age, your risk tolerance, a lot of other personal factors. So it's great if you don't want to worry about investing or deal with picking your investments. It's awesome. They do charge a small fee. It's typically around 0.25% of your assets under management. So however much money you give them, they take a percentage as a fee. And the thing is, with a Robo Advisor, you can have an ira. With a Robo Advisor, the robo advisor essentially is just how it's managed. Whether you're managing it yourself or you're having a robo advisor manage it for you. An IRA is a type of investment account, as is a brokerage account. Technically, an IRA is a type of brokerage account. But we just want to be really careful with the language that we use around these things. We have a lot of people who think IRAs are investments themselves. They put the money in and they don't buy investments. And then 10 years they're saying, man, like, why haven't I made any money? So, yeah, a robo advisor is great. You can open an IRA or a Roth IRA through a Robo advisor, or you could open it up at a more traditional brokerage where you are buying your own investments and managing them yourself.

[Sean Pyles]

Okay. And then one thing I also wanted to flag is that our listener, Jared, at the ripe young age of 26, wants to put $25,000 into an IRA, which is great. They will definitely see that payoff over time, unless the market, you know, clothes or something. But Jared should keep in mind that there are annual contribution limits. You can only put in $7,000 a year for those under 50. So for that $25,000, Jared just might need to space that out over a few years to actually put all of that in there. In the meantime, it might be wise to keep that amount in a high yield savings account. Or if they want to invest everything all at once in a less tax advantaged account, then they could offer something like a traditional taxable brokerage account, which again, could be a Robo advisor account.

[Alana Benson]

Yeah. And I think it would be good to kind of weigh those options. Right. Do you want to park that money in a high yield savings account so you just have it and then put it in annually when it opens up and you can contribute more to your IRA? Or do you want to put in $7,000 this year and then take the rest of it and put it into a standard brokerage account and you can even do that math as to like, okay, I'd earn approximately this much interest over the next couple of years versus how much I would save on my taxes. It gets a little nebulous, but I feel like Jared is up to the task.

[Sean Pyles]

Might be a good time to rope in a CPA to do some of this math for you.

[Alana Benson]

Yeah, that's what I'd do.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

Or if Jared is bored, they can use our compound interest calculator to look at the differences between interests with the different vehicles. Alana. So all this talk about different accounts is making me think about fees because these different accounts do come with fees. Things like expense ratios and also management fees should be taken into account. So what should Jared be looking out for when it comes to fees? And how much of an impact do fees really have on long term growth?

[Alana Benson]

Yeah, fees are really important. If you are with a traditional financial advisor, you might be paying pretty high fees. So what I was talking about before with the robo advisor, that's a management fee. That's what you're paying them to do the work of managing and looking after your investments so you don't have to. And As I said, 0.25% is a pretty good spot for that. That's what most robo advisors charge. There are some that charge no management fee. So you can take a look at some of our roundups and see which ones have no fees because those are really great. It allows you to get management for free. One other fee is, as you mentioned, expense ratios. So for every fund, this is a basket of investments, whether that's stocks or bonds or what have you. These funds are what most people will be investing in, largely. A lot of people, you probably shouldn't be buying individual stocks for your entire portfolio. So funds, even if they're passively managed, have what's called an expense ratio where the fund is charging this to manage the fund. So even if you're at a robo advisor, your robo advisor is investing in funds. So those funds still charge expense ratios versus if you're investing on your own and you're buying a fund, you also have to pay the expense ratio. So you kind of have to pay them no matter what. But you can find funds that have very, very low expense ratios. Like 0.10% is a pretty good benchmark. Sometimes they can get lower. There's some brokers that offer some funds with no expense ratios, but you do end up paying those every year and they're not going to be listed on a statement. So if you get all your info about, you know, how much interest you've made and the fees you paid. You should really pay attention to what it says up front about the expense ratios because it's not going to be in that paperwork.

[Sean Pyles]

If folks want to see how fees can make an impact on the amount that you earn in your investments over time, we do have an expense ratio calculator at NerdWallet. I recommend you check that out. It's actually really informative. Just Google NerdWallet expense ratio calculator and play around with it.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

We've discussed IRAs, 401ks CDs. Alana, are there any other accounts that you can think of that the listener may consider parking money in?

[Alana Benson]

Very much depends on what they want to do with their money. I think they've been very, very thorough. One of the things that if they're thinking of having a family, eventually they can look into 529 college plans. Because as we know, with compound interest, the earlier you start saving, the less you actually have to save, the less you actually have to invest in this case. So if they are thinking about kids and thinking about college for those kids, that is something that they could also consider. But I do want to touch on the fact that this listener has some specialty accounts that they have access to because they are a state employee. And so I like to highlight just the fact that everyone's financial situation is different. Everyone has access to different things. And so, you know, maybe you work for a nonprofit, maybe you work for the government, and there are always going to be different inputs to your life that we may not necessarily be able to speak on for every individual. So it's so important to understand what you have access to, what programs or accounts or different things that may be able to get you a discount or a better savings rate. With those 529 college plans, there's a different one for pretty much every state, and they have different incentives. So it's always good to look into what you specifically have access to.

[Sean Pyles]

One quick note on 529s, they are really helpful tools for college savings, and you can invest in them just about as soon as you have your child's Social Security number. So really handy there. So if someone is debating a few different investment options that might seem relatively similar, how can someone decide which one might actually be best for them?

[Alana Benson]

So in addition to their own personal situation and what they have access to, it's really great to consider future tax implications. So whether that's investing in a Roth versus a traditional IRA with the different tax breakdowns of those. If they have access to a 401k, if they get match percentage, if they don't get a match percentage, that's something that is really important to consider. Management is also a really important thing. Not everyone wants to be looking at stocks all the time and trading and doing that. For me, I'm a very lazy and boring investor. I want to basically forget about it and not even have to look at it until I'm in retirement. So do you want to manage this yourself or do you want a little bit of help and is it worth it to you to pay some extra money to just not have to consider it? That's another consideration. And like you said, your comfort level and fun. Are you going to treat yourself to something? Are you going to balance that with your responsibilities and financial burdens and things like that? And you know, might be nice to go on vacation.

[Sean Pyles]

I think so. I'd say go on a nice vacation. Maybe buy some nice clothes for said vacation and have nice meals on that vacation.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

Don't want to make any assumptions about Jared's grandma or the person who gave him the windfall, but I'm sure they would love them to enjoy themselves a little with the money too.

[Sean Pyles]

Absolutely. Well, Alana, thank you for coming on and sharing your thoughts with us today.

[Alana Benson]

Thank you guys for having me.

[Sean Pyles]

That is all we have for this episode. Remember, Listener, send us your money questions. You can call or text us on the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373. That's 901-730-N E R D. Or if you want to do things the old fashioned written way, you can email [e-mail] Join us next time to hear about how to do a mid year money check in. Follow Smart Money on your favorite podcast app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeartRadio to automatically download new episodes and our brief disclaimer.

[Elizabeth Ayola]

We are not your financial or investment advisors. This nerdy information is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes and it might not apply to your specific circumstances. This episode is produced by Tess Vigelan. Hilary Georgie helped with editing. Nick Kharismi mixed our audio and we want to give a huge thank you to NerdWallet's editors for all of their help.

[Sean Pyles]

And with that said, until next time, turn to the Nerds.