When was the last time you picked up a daily financial broadsheet? Better yet, when was the last time you turned on CNBC or Bloomberg to check on the DJIA? The last time you sat down with your stockbroker? Or how about when you last checked the All Ords?
Let’s be honest: there’s just too much news about finance and investment to keep up with these days. That’s why podcasts – accessible, informative and free – are some of the most underrated resources when it comes to informing yourself about the state of the economy, global markets and where’s best to invest.
If you’re struggling to stay on top of the world of finance, The CEO Magazine has you covered. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or someone just looking to get a start, here are five of the best podcasts to keep you informed and up-to-date on what to do with your money.
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Planet Money
NPR’s podcast on the “complicated forces that move our economy” comes down to a single premise: “Imagine you could call up a friend and say, ‘Meet me at the bar and tell me what’s going on with the economy.’ Now imagine that’s actually a fun evening. That’s what we’re going for at Planet Money.”
Inspired by an episode of NPR’s This American Life in which Adam Davidson and Alex Blumberg made “the ‘subprime’ mortgage crisis clear and cogent”, the hosts of the titular podcast break down vital economic news into digestible, 30-minute segments.
With more than a decade under its belt, Planet Money uses a rotating roster of hosts and experts, covering broad topics including international trade and taxation, to the more obscure, such as the impact of informal regulation on stand-up comedy and the role of economists in the rise of Augusto Pinochet.
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Masters in Business
As the CIO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, Bloomberg columnist Barry Ritholtz is an authority when it comes to the issues shaping “markets, investing and business”.
In his weekly podcast, he conducts hour-long interviews with recognisable names such as Ray Dalio and Michael Lewis, diving deep with his guests into the intricacies and minutia of investment and finance.
If you want to dig even deeper, the Bloomberg network also hosts an assortment of podcasts covering niche investment issues. That includes a series dedicated to investigating the gender pay gap, an explainer of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as well as an analytical podcast covering current global economic issues.
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Freakonomics
Best known as the authors of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, Stephen J Dubner and Steven D Levitt use the series to explore the real-world application of theoretical economics such as how legalised abortion can lead to reduced crime rates, as well as how a child’s name can determine its success in life.
Thankfully, the Freakonomics podcast is a little more grounded in finance than the books. However, the two hosts are no less sophisticated in the depth of topics covered.
Some of its most notable episodes have explained why opening a restaurant is a bad idea, why Gary Cohn went from being a possible CEO for Goldman Sachs to a long-suffering economic adviser to President Trump as well as why rent control is a futile policy idea.
If you only have a cursory interest in finance and markets, Freakonomics is a good starting point for understanding why investment is such an important aspect of everyday life.
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Stacking Benjamins
If you’re after something a bit more casual, Stacking Benjamins is the investment podcast for you.
Though its creator and co-host Joe Saul-Sehy admits that it can sound like he and his guests are “messing around”, he professes to being “deadly serious about financial literacy”, marrying warm, affable and candid discussions about money to “the science of play”.
Purposely broad and basic in its content, Joe breaks down investment into accessible lessons that are useful for investors of all seniority levels. What’s more, he and his guests will often share lessons they’ve learned from past investment mistakes, because as they admit, “even pros sometimes get it wrong”.
This casual, friendly manner of each 60–90-minute-long episode is perfect for investors of any level.
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Listen Money Matters
Hosts Andrew Fiebert and Matt Giovanisci began the Listen Money Matters podcast after several financial tolls that saw them displaced and out-of-luck.
With a desire to create a podcast series that’s “not your father’s boring money show”, the two offer a daring explainer of personal finance and investment issues by cutting through the “bullshit”. While that often means frank discussions about financial literacy, it also means coverage of more outlandish investment ideas, such as early retirement and the inheritable habits of the rich.
More informal than the other podcasts on this list, Listen Money Matters is perfect for the investor who wants to see results without getting too bogged down in the textbook details of finance and economics.
