By Carol H Cox
If you’re like me, there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all your reading done. Like many people, I use my cell phone as a way of consuming information, whether it’s reading books on my Kindle app, perusing favorite blogs, or reviewing Twitter feeds.
Lately, I’ve been turning to podcasts to find interesting and timely information about personal finance. I often listen while driving, walking my dog, or doing work around the house. Here are my five all-time favorites in no particular order:
HerMoney with Jean Chatzky
You may have seen Jean Chatzky on TV at the Today Show, Oprah, or the View. She’s a financial journalist who provides outside-the-box topics on money matters in her weekly podcast. Most shows average about 30 minutes (enough for a 1-plus mile walk) and feature a guest expert. Even though the podcast title is HERMoney, most of the subjects are relevant to both men and women. Such podcast titles as “I Am My Own Worst Enemy,” “Stop Being a Broke Millennial,” and “Eyes Wide Shut! Arianna Huffington Teaches Us How to Sleep Our Way to Success,” easily hooked me. And at the end of every show Jean tackles a few questions from listeners on pressing personal finance concerns.
Money for the Rest of Us by David Stein
Every week, I can’t wait to see what fascinating topic Stein addresses. He’s a former professional money manager who loves to share with his audience unconventional ways of looking at your life and money. Conversation-inducing subjects like “Your Job or Half Your Business Could Be Gone Tomorrow,” or “The Universal Law You Need to Overcome to Thrive,” are sure to keep you interested for the typical 30 minute show.
Planet Money
If you haven’t tried this podcast, you’re really missing out on a great find. About twice a week, the crew of financial journalists at Planet Money tackle a new question or look at an old question through a new len. These subject immediately grabbed my attention and delivered: “Why Textbook Prices Keep Climbing,” “How Fracking Changed the World,” or “When Women Stopped Coding.” Episodes range from 15 to about 25 minutes, just perfect for a short walk.
Better Off with Jill Schlesinger
This weekly podcast centers on a guest expert. Recent episodes have been “Build Your Network with Kelly Hoey,” “Silicon Valley Disrupter with Brad Stone,” and “Become an Intelligent Investor with Jason Zweig.” Schlesinger, a business analyst at CBS news, is always energetic and knows how to pull interesting and informative insights from her guests to help you make the most of your money.
Freakonomics Radio
Okay, this one isn’t always about personal finance, but it’s so darn interesting and the topics usually address, in some way, improving the quality of your life. Some of my favorite episodes have been “How Safe Is Your Job?” “In Praise of Incrementalism,” and “Is the Internet Being Ruined?” The host, Stephen Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics book series, interviews various experts to tease out unconventional perspectives on the issues at hand.
These are just some of my favorites. I’ll post more in the future. What are some of your go-to podcasts?