Tariff Uncertainty After Supreme Court Decision and Budgeting With Sinking Funds

Find out how tariffs may change prices and how to build sinking funds while saving for retirement.

What could the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling mean for the prices you pay and the next move on trade policy? How much should you set aside for sinking funds while you build an emergency fund and contribute to your 401(k)? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss sinking funds and savings priorities to help you balance long-term goals with near-term costs. But first, senior news writer Anna Helhoski joins Sean and Elizabeth to unpack the Supreme Court decision limiting “reciprocal” tariffs tied to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) with Lourdes S. Casanova, senior lecturer at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business. They dig into the big open questions the ruling raises, including what legal paths might still allow new tariffs, how trading partners and markets could respond, and what tariff refunds and lawsuits could mean for businesses and consumers.

Then, Sean and Elizabeth discuss sinking funds and how to decide what percentage of your income to dedicate to them when you’re also trying to hit a retirement savings target. They cover what sinking funds are and why they’re useful, where to keep the money (and why a high-yield savings account often fits), and how to use frameworks like 50/30/20 and time horizon to choose between saving versus investing for specific goals.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts for February 2026: Up to 4.21% https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/best/high-yield-online-savings-accounts 

Are you on track to save enough for retirement? Use NerdWallet’s free retirement calculator to check your progress, see how much retirement income you'll have and estimate how much more you should save: https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/calculators/retirement-calculator 

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