What AI Gets Wrong About Your Money and What a New Study Reveals About Credit Card Debt

New research upends assumptions about credit card debt, and we explore what AI gets wrong about money. Could you be making credit card debt worse without realizing it? Should you trust AI with your finances? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss the pros and cons of using AI for financial guidance. But first, senior news writer Anna Helhoski and NerdWallet writer Kurt Woock join them to unpack the findings of a new NerdWallet study that challenges common myths about credit card debt. They discuss why income is a poor predictor of who carries it, what expenses actually drive balances higher, and why Baby Boomers carry multi-card debt at surprisingly high rates. Then, Sean and Elizabeth sit down with Ryan Sterling, wealth advisor with NerdWallet Wealth Partners, to explore how large language models and agentic AI fit into your financial life, where DIY money managers and delegators diverge, what "human value" a financial planner provides that no chatbot can, and how to think about AI-generated answers when your money is on the line. NerdWallet Wealth Partners, LLC is an affiliate of NerdWallet Inc. NerdWallet Wealth Partners is a fiduciary online financial advisor, offering low-cost, comprehensive financial advice and investment management. Learn more at nerdwalletwealthpartners.com/smart 2025 Household Credit Card Debt Study: 49% Say Card Debt is Normal https://www.nerdwallet.com/credit-cards/studies/household-debt-study 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices