Boost Your Financial Knowledge One Podcast At a Time

Are you looking for a convenient way to boost your financial knowledge?  Have you tried listening to finance podcasts?  Using a smart phone, you can do it almost anywhere!  There is no need to drive to a library or classroom.  Whether you have five minutes waiting in a line or an hour in the lobby of the dentist’s office, a podcast may make the wait more enjoyable.  I can’t imagine an easier way to boost your financial knowledge than listening to a podcast each day.

It is super easy to get started and find a podcast that suites your interests and level of knowledge.  If you have no idea how to begin, check out this informative article, “How to Listen to Podcasts (a guide for absolute beginners).”  Once you’re comfortable with the mechanics of how to access podcasts, it’s time to go searching for your new favorite show. I recommend you listen to a few different types of podcasts each day to boost your financial knowledge.

The first type of podcast to seek out is a daily recap show of trending financial topics.  This will keep you abreast of short-term economic changes that may affect you.  For example, why did the car dealership commercial just advertise they will pay 25% more for your trade-in this year than last?  You’ll know there is a shortage of computer chips to manufacture new cars.  This shortage of new cars is going to cause used car prices to surge temporarily.  You can use this knowledge to make smart short-term financial decisions.  Do you have a car you are not driving?  If you sell right now you can get a premium selling price.  Do you need a car?  Maybe you should hold off a few months to let the prices settle down.  If you can wait, you may save 25% or more of the purchase price.  A few of my favorite daily recap shows are “This Morning with Gordon Deal”, and the “WSJ (Wall Street Journal) What’s News.”  But there are many finance podcasts to choose from.  Experiment and find the personality and voice that clicks with you.

The second type of podcast you should seek out to boost your financial knowledge is a broad-based consumer finance focused show.  Some of these podcasts are produced daily, others may air only once or twice weekly.  Finding the right show will help you understand the basics of most consumer financial topics.  For example, what types of insurance do you need?  How do you invest money in the stock market?  What is online banking?  A few of my go-to podcasts to boost my general financial knowledge include, “The Clark Howard Podcast,” “Afford Anything with Paula Pant,” NPR’s “The Indicator,” by Planet Money. I’ll often hear a guest speaker on a podcast and then I’ll go check-out their show. I try to mix things up to keep a fresh perspective.  Again, there will be no shortage of podcasts for you to choose from.

The final type of podcast I recommend for boosting your financial knowledge takes you on a deep dive into a financial topic.  This type of podcast involves a lot of research and preparation on the hosts part, so they may only air once a week or every other week.  I’ve utilized these podcasts to learn about topics such as cryptocurrency, Federal Reserve monetary policy, and how to manage financial risk.  Podcasts of this type are a little harder to find but they are a treasure when you stumble upon one.  Two shows I learn a lot from are “Think Like an Economist,” and “Money for the Rest of Us.”  These are meaty podcasts that you may have to listen to several times to grasp the concepts they are teaching.

Finance podcasts are not a substitute for a trusted financial mentor, and you shouldn’t take specific investment advice from any television show, radio broadcast, or podcast.  But podcasts are an excellent source to boost your overall financial knowledge.  Another trusted source to boost your financial knowledge is building a relationship with an NFCC accredited nonprofit agency, like Apprisen.  Apprisen offers an on-demand financial coaching program called Propel. Members have on-demand access to a Financial Coach so they can address any financial question or concern anytime. By choosing an NFCC accredited agency you’ll be confident you are getting unbiased guidance you can trust.