Why Refis Are Spiking and How to Optimize Your 401k Target-Date Fund for Long-Term Growth

NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

Learn when a refi saves money and how target-date funds work, including fees and when to pick a later fund year.

What exactly is a target-date fund, and when should you move your date? How do you know if now is a good time to refinance a house? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss mortgage refinancing and target-date funds to help you understand how to quantify savings on a refi and how to set (and adjust) an age-appropriate retirement glide path. To kick off the episode, NerdWallet senior news writer Anna Helhoski joins with mortgages and student loans writer Kate Wood and mortgage reporter Holden Lewis to break down why refis are spiking even without fresh Federal Reserve cuts, who’s most likely to benefit right now, and how markets (not just the Fed) drive daily mortgage rate moves. They begin with a discussion of rate-and-term vs. cash-out refinancing, with tips and tricks on calculating your breakeven point, using the ~0.75 percentage-point rule-of-thumb for potential savings, and factoring in 2% to 6% closing costs and how long you’ll stay put.

Then, investing Nerd June Sham joins Sean and Elizabeth to discuss target-date funds. They discuss how glide paths work (to vs. through retirement), when to push your target year if you’ll work longer, and how fees compare with index funds/ETFs, plus contribution frameworks (10% to 15% of income vs. the “80% replacement” rule) and why many hands-off investors value auto-rebalancing despite higher expense ratios. A listener case study (age 35, 2055 fund) highlights how to revisit your target date in the decade before retirement, how to read a fund’s glide path, and why staying invested and consistent often matters more than chasing perfect timing.

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In this episode, the Nerds discuss: mortgage refinance, refinance calculator, mortgage rates today, breakeven point refinance, cash-out refinance, HELOC vs cash-out, refinance closing costs, when to refinance, refinance vs home equity loan, bond market and mortgage rates, Federal Reserve and mortgage rates, target-date fund, best target-date funds, target-date fund glide path, to vs through glide path, 401k target-date fund, change target-date fund year, 2055 target-date fund, target-date fund fees, expense ratio comparison, ETF vs mutual fund, index funds S&P 500, retirement contribution 10 to 15 percent, 80 percent income replacement rule, taxable brokerage vs 401k, annuity vs staying invested, debt consolidation with home equity, credit card APR vs mortgage rate, divorce refinance requirements, stay-or-sell breakeven analysis, and refinance eligibility 2025.

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected].

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