PennyWise: Personal Finance & Travel Tips

In this episode of PennyWise, host John Kiernan and Professor Jacob Montgomery from Washington University in St. Louis discuss whether consumers can still trust Google. John and Jacob talk about inaccuracies and bias in Google’s AI overviews, how Google’s shortcomings could affect holiday shoppers, and what you can do to avoid bad results.  More on this episode from WalletHub: Google Search Results Study & Survey  Bad Google Search Results Are Costing Consumers up to $616  Google Quality Issues: Harmful to Consumers & Possibly Intentional  Best Credit Card Deals Right Now  Compare Credit Cards (Latest Offers)  12 Common Budget Categories to Organize Your Spending  If you want to take your finances to the next level, sign up for a WalletHub Premium subscription. You can get personalized credit-improvement help, budgeting tools, identity protection and more. And if you want to find the best financial products, always add “WalletHub” to your search!  

In this episode of PennyWise, host John Kiernan discusses early holiday shopping trends with guest Carl-Philip Ahlbom, an assistant professor of marketing at Florida State University. John and Dr. Ahlbom cover where shoppers can expect to find the best deals, how to adjust for inflation, and the best ways to save money in the current retail landscape.   More on this episode from WalletHub: Best Credit Cards for Shopping  Early Holiday Shopping Survey (2026) 8 Holiday Shopping Tips for 2026 – Give More & Spend Less 14 (Nearly) Free Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season  Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses  If you want to take your finances to the next level, sign up for a WalletHub Premium subscription. You can get personalized credit-improvement help, budgeting tools, identity protection and more. And if you want to find the best financial products, always add “WalletHub” to your search!  

In this episode of PennyWise, host John Kiernan discusses Fed rate hikes with guest Abhi Gupta from the Budget Lab at Yale University, who previously worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. John and Abhi talk about why normal people should care about Fed rate changes and how to keep a hike from derailing your finances. More on this episode from WalletHub: Fed Rate Hike Probability & Analysis Debt Statistics for 2026 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards Best Debt Consolidation Loans    Best High-Yield Savings Accounts  Best Expense Tracker Apps If you want to take your finances to the next level, sign up for a WalletHub Premium subscription. You can get personalized credit-improvement help, budgeting tools, identity protection and more. And if you want to find the best financial products, always add “WalletHub” to your search!    

In this episode of PennyWise, host John Kiernan discusses when it makes sense to pay high credit card fees. In some cases, paying a fee can actually help you save more money overall. But if you’re not careful, it can bleed your wallet dry. Learn how to walk that tightrope to extra savings.    More on this episode from WalletHub: Best Premium Credit Cards Best Rewards Credit Cards Right Now    How to Choose a Credit Card for Rewards in 2026  Key Things to Know About Credit Card Fees (2026)  How Much Americans Pay in Credit Card Interest and Fees (2026)  WalletHub CardAdvisor: Get Personalized Credit Card Recommendations If you want to take your finances to the next level, sign up for a WalletHub Premium subscription. You can get personalized credit-improvement help, budgeting tools, identity protection and more. And if you want to find the best financial products, always add “WalletHub” to your search!    

In this episode of PennyWise, host John Kiernan discusses the value of identity theft insurance and cyber insurance with guest Dr. Daniel W. Woods, a Lecturer in Cybersecurity at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics. Daniel studies the U.S. identity/cyber insurance markets closely and has published some very interesting research about these types of coverage. John and Daniel discuss how effective the insurance is, who needs it, and more.   More on this episode from WalletHub: Identity Theft Insurance: $1 Million in Coverage  Best Identity Theft Protection Services of 2026 Lost Wallet Assistance: Avoid Hassle & Identity Theft  Identity Theft Statistics (2026)  States Most Vulnerable to Identity Theft & Fraud  If you want to take your finances to the next level, sign up for a WalletHub Premium subscription. You can get personalized credit-improvement help, budgeting tools, identity protection and more. And if you want to find the best financial products, always add “WalletHub” to your search!