Aside from maybe an economics class in high school or college, most people are released into adulthood without any exposure to the financial world. It’s as if you’re supposed to suddenly wake up one morning and know how to budget, plan a retirement, and invest in the stock market.
If you’re out there reading this blog post, realizing that you never woke up to that magical moment of financial understanding, then this post is for you!
Below is a list of 8 podcasts that will help you get your finances on track and take the mystery out of money:
You Need a Budget (YNAB) with Jesse Mecham
We’re going to start at step number one: Budgeting. Now you probably already know that you should have a ‘budget,’ but do you really know what a budget is?
YNAB is a zero-based budgeting tool that helps you gain control of your financial destiny by living on what you actually have vs. what you think you will have.
You can learn more about the YNAB method over at their website, but now back to the topic at hand, their podcast!
The podcast is a super short, 10-15 minute chat typically hosted by YNAB Founder, Jesse Mecham. It usually covers a financial or financial-adjacent topic that gets you thinking. To get a taste, check out this burst where Jesse explores the concept of ‘buy it for life’:
Listen Money Matters
Probably one of the most challenging things about getting folks excited about financial planning is the idea of how ‘boring’ the whole topic sounds.
Your podcast listening time is already stretched pretty thin (I mean, the new season of Serial is out, amirite?), so listening to someone yammering about the stock market may not be on your list of things to do.
Listen Money Matters is essentially the exact opposite of boring yammering. Andrew Fiebert and Matt Giovanisci host the show and they are funny and entertaining, removing that uncomfortable feeling of being lectured that usually comes with a financial discussion.
Recently they talked to Travis Hornsby of The Student Loan Planner on the topic of student loans. Click below to learn how working for the government or a non-profit can help get you loan forgiveness:
Money Girl
Money Girl, aka Laura Adams, is going to be your go-to source for quick, easy tips on how to improve your financial situation. She’s an accomplished author and has been putting her podcast out there for over a decade.
To get an idea of the kind of financial advice she provides, take a look at her recent blog post and podcast episode on Balance Transfer Credit Cards. Balance transfers can be a beneficial tool in your financial toolbox if you are faced with high-interest debt, but for it to be a smart move, you need to have some idea of how you’re going to pay it off. In this episode, Adams teaches you what a balance transfer is, and whether or not it might be the right option for you:
Millennial Money
Financial planner Shannah Compton Game hosts Millennial Money. Game, along with guest experts, dishes real talk, breaking down the ins and outs of millennial financial life in a way that is easy to understand and use to your benefit.
Whether you’re trying to get your act together, or you’ve been on the road to financial independence for some time and are looking to grow your wealth, this podcast has something to offer.
Retirement is a particularly tricky subject for people trying to ‘adult.’ It seems that by the time you’re 30, you’re supposed to have tons of money already squirreled away for your golden years. The trouble is that you also have student loans, rent or a mortgage, and you know, maybe you want to buy a latte once in a while. In this episode, Shannah talks to Douglas Boneparth of Bonefied Wealth about saving for retirement and priorities:
Side Hustle School with Chris Guillebeau
The term “side hustle” is a pretty big buzzword these days, but rightly so. The gig economy is going strong, and even if you have a regular 9-5, having something going on the side can be great for both the wallet and the soul.
Sounds great, but no idea where to get started? Never fear, Side Hustle School is here to give you some direction on how to make a little (or a lot) of money on the side. Hosted by author Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity fame, Side Hustle school is a short daily podcast that tells the stories of regular people, just like you, who have created additional revenue streams on the side. Some ideas are more standard, like affiliate marketing, but others can be unique, like writing fish tank reviews. Seriously.
Recently Chris answered a listener question from someone who wondered if there was any way that a person could make money through a side hustle related to the subject of history:
Bad with Money
Actor, author, and comedian Gaby Dunn is the host of the Bad with Money podcast. While the podcast does offer some personal finance insights for the millennial, the show often takes a more emotional look at the American financial system.
Gaby is funny and insightful while taking on the issues that impact many, but few talk about.
Given the recent news out of Panoply, the future of shows hosted on the network is currently unclear. Luckily, Bad with Money is three seasons deep, so there is an extensive back catalog to dive into. In addition, host Gaby Dunn has a book (also titled Bad with Money) coming out in January 2019.
In the most recent episode of the show, Gaby discusses millennial financial realities with Huffington Post reporter Michael Hobbes, author of the piece Generation Screwed:
Planet Money
Created in 2008 to cover the financial crisis, Planet Money is a podcast that includes any and all topics related to the economy.
Using a story format, it takes listeners in deep, helping them understand the economic world around them. It’s extremely accessible, informative, and entertaining.
As someone interested in figuring out money, you may have taken note of ads online that talk about making tons of money from home. Sound too good to be true? Well, that’s because it is. In this clip, Planet Money deep dives into this popular scam:
Death, Sex, & Money with Anna Sale
Last on the list, but certainly not least, is a podcast that focuses on the taboo topics of Death, Sex, and Money. Anna Sale brings these topics out into the foreground through this aptly titled interview-style podcast.
While not every episode is financially focused and you aren’t going to find any budgeting tips in the show, no money-centric podcast list would be complete without it.
Earlier this year the show did a collaboration with Buzzfeed News about class and money. In this episode, the topic of “Friendship and Fertility” in relation to class is tackled:
Looking for more audio content to help in your quest for financial stability? Check out Audioburst Search to find other great shows on this or any topic.