Stop Worrying About Your Financial Advisor and Start Finding the Right One

Learn what financial advisor fee structures could mean for your wealth and how to find someone who won't sell you out.

What new threats are emerging for identity crime victims? Host Sean Pyles, CFP®, and news colleague Rick VanderKnyff are joined by Mona Terry, chief operating and programs officer of the Identity Theft Resource Center, to walk through the ITRC's 2026 Trends in Identity Report. They explore why more than 1 in 4 victims now face two or more simultaneous identity incidents, how device compromise differs from the scams most people think to watch for, and whether AI is already making identity crimes harder to detect and resolve.

Do financial advisors have a built-in conflict of interest that could be costing you money? Sean is joined by co-host Elizabeth Ayoola and NerdWallet Wealth Partners CEO Ryan Sterling to tackle a listener’s question about whether they should hire a financial advisor. They dig into how different advisor fee structures — from AUM (assets under management) percentages to flat-fee plans, hourly rates, and commissions — create different kinds of conflicts, what the fiduciary standard actually guarantees (and what it doesn't), and what red flags could signal that an advisor's priorities aren't aligned with yours.

Learn more about working with a financial advisor at NerdWallet Wealth Partners: https://nerdwalletwealthpartners.com/smart 

How to Prevent Identity Theft: Warning Signs, Protection Services and More https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/learn/how-to-prevent-identity-theft 

Read the ITRC's 2026 Trends in Identity Report: https://www.idtheftcenter.org/post/2026-trends-in-identity-report-hacked-devices-overtake-scams

Subscribe to our podcast’s free email newsletter for bonus content and more from our hosts at https://smartmoney-nerdwallet.beehiiv.com/ 

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To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com.

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