NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast
Strategies for Navigating Market Swings and Leveraging Home Equity Wisely
17 Apr 2025
Learn how to stay calm during market volatility and whether a HELOC or cash-out refi makes sense for your home reno goals. What should you do with your investments when the stock market is particularly volatile? What’s the difference between a HELOC and a cash-out refinance? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss coping with market volatility as well as borrowing against home equity to help you understand how to navigate uncertainty and also make smart decisions about home renovations. First, NerdWallet senior news writer Anna Helhoski and investing writer Sam Taube offer different strategies for approaching recent market volatility, including tips for ignoring short-term investment noise, building financial resilience, and understanding how tariffs affect the economy. Then, NerdWallet mortgage writer Kate Wood joins Sean and Elizabeth to discuss how to borrow against your home’s value. They discuss the pros and cons of home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and cash-out refinances, how to evaluate which option may suit your renovation goals, and strategies to avoid financial regret down the road. NerdWallet’s free HELOC calculator can help you figure out whether you could be eligible for a home equity line of credit—and how much you might be able to borrow: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/mortgages/heloc-calculator In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: stock market volatility, what to do when the stock market drops, HELOC vs cash-out refinance, home equity loan pros and cons, how to fund home renovations, building financial resilience, emergency fund tips, tariffs and the stock market, inflation and investments, Fed interest rate policy, bear market meaning, market downturn tips, investing during volatility, how tariffs affect the economy, bond ladder strategy, best time for HELOC, home equity loan risks, saving for home renovation, California home prices, budgeting for renovations, mortgage and equity options, financial impact of home improvements, refinance or HELOC for renovations, Vanguard FTSE All-World Ex-US ETF, iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF, international stocks vs US stocks, when to use a cash-out refinance, credit card debt vs investing, student loans and home equity, home improvement timeline planning, setting renovation budgets, housing equity strategies, planning for college savings, market correction vs crash, coping with investment stress, and financial planning in uncertain times. To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Full Episode
Elizabeth, have you peaked yet?
Have I peaked? No, my best days are ahead of me. But have you peaked at your 401k balances? Sean, also no, because their best days are ahead of them too.
Okay, you know, that's a good way to think about it. But today we're going to hear some coping strategies for when stock market madness starts to keep you up at night. 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 Piles.
And I'm Elizabeth Ayola.
This episode, we're answering a listener's question about the pros and cons of home equity loans. But first, our weekly money news roundup, where we break down the latest in the world of finance to help you be smarter with your money.
One of the ways to be smarter with your money is to ignore it, or at least parts of it. The recent wild fluctuations in the stock market is one example.
Yeah, it's been a wild ride, and that ride is most likely not over yet. We've been here before, we'll be here again. And yes, some of the most basic advice is to not look at your 401k balances, or 529s for that matter. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be paying attention.
Our news colleague, Ana Helhosky, is here with more. Ana, you're going to help us out here, right? Bring us some sage advice on how to keep on keeping on in our retirement and college savings account.
Well, I'll give it a shot. And I'm joined by fellow nerd, Sam Taub, who covers investing for us. Welcome back, Sam.
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