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

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*The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality. 

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