Photographed by Serena Brown.
The beginning of the year is a great time to set some new financial goals. And time is money, so what better way to load up on the best personal finance advice than a podcast on the go? There’s a wealth of smart, entertaining money podcasts out there right now, just waiting to be discovered. Many offer great practical insights, but some of the best share relatable stories of the struggles and triumphs we face when it comes to matters of the bank account. Ahead, we rounded up a diverse portfolio of 12 money-related podcasts that will have you ready to take on your 2020 goals in no time.
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So Money is one of the best resources for actionable financial advice. Host Farnoosh Tornabi is an Iranian-American journalist and veteran financial expert, so not only is she good at suggesting what to do with your money, she snags some great interviews, too. One of her greatest hits is a fun episode with Patti Stanger, the Millionaire Matchmaker.
She Makes Money Moves is new to the podcast scene, but it’s already resonating with a lot of women. The show tells the stories of everyday American women through the lens of money; its latest episode shares the journey of a woman who faced drastic financial ups and downs due to the lack of tools and resources available to undocumented immigrants.
Clever Girls Know, hosted by financial expert Bola Sokunbi, dishes out tons of great advice and personal debt tales that will help you feel less alone in your financial journey. One episode features a woman who was once nearly $400,000 in debt and is now worth over a million dollars. The conversations are inspiring and hopeful for those of us who might be doubting if our money goals are even possible.
Couple Money is a personal finance podcast for when your money isn’t just your own. Money can be a major stress point in a relationship when you’re not on the same page, and this podcast delves into the disagreements that couples may be dealing with — or not dealing with. What kind of questions should you ask, and how should you ask them? There’s even an episode on how to talk about money with your aging parents.
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Financial experts Mandi Woodruff and Tiffany Aliche tackle a lot of important money- and career-related topics in the 200 episodes that have aired of Brown Ambition. Stop by if you want to know when you should slow down even if you want to go faster, or how to talk to a partner who is feeling insecure that you’re making more than them. Woodruff and Aliche’s fun banter make potentially dry conversations really come alive.
Planet Money is the perfect podcast for anyone who can’t help but associate the word “economy” with “boring.” It tracks down bizarre facts and little-known histories to paint a living, breathing portrait of the economy. Since premiering in 2008, it has aired hundreds of intriguing episodes, including a five-part series in which the Planet Money team buys 100 barrels of oil and follows them from oil well to gas tank.
The tagline for this series, presented by Marketplace, is “a podcast about life, and how money messes with it.” An episode that originally aired in August 2019 contains an honest discussion of class anxiety with nuance and humor, touching on feeling like a middle class imposter to wanting to dress in certain coveted clothing brands in middle school. The topics covered by the podcast may be uncomfortable, but they’re always interesting.
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The Financial Confessions is hosted by Chelsea fa*gan, founder of the Financial Diet, who does a great job of inviting people with truly unique financial takes onto her show. Case in point: One guest of the show advocates saving 99% of your income. One of its best episodes features Caitlin Doughty, who calls herself a “death awareness advocate” and talks about how expensive death can be in America and the need to plan financially around it. A morbid subject, but Doughty and fa*gan tie the conversation to a broader one about dispelling the stigma around both topics, and how to balance living for both the present and the future.
Death, Sex & Money uses stellar storytelling to examine how often these three taboo topics go hand in hand. In the podcast’s first episode on student loan debt, we hear from a woman who’s finally able pay off her debt by cashing in on a loved one’s life insurance policy. Another woman talks about how she remarried her ex because of her student loan debt. It’s a podcast that looks at the emotional costs of our money matters with incredible empathy.
Speaking of the student loan crisis, it's become big enough to merit entire podcasts dedicated to the issue. Borrowed Future dispels myths about student debt, explores how we got here, and how it affects all of us on a grand scale. It also examines the worth of a college education — and the changing roadmap for careers — as we head into a decade of even greater financial extremes.
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No, Bad With Money isn’t really for people who want to get better with money. Its host, Gaby Dunn, is not a seasoned guru with a memorable quip for every money woe: She's a comedian. Dunn turns her relatable money anxieties and questions into comic catharsis, while also researching economic subjects through a social justice angle, whether it’s universal basic income, generational wealth, or how being the “happiest countries on Earth” are (and aren’t) connected to money.
Actress-comedian Laci Mosley’s show is all about discussing the most brazen financially-motivated crimes in recent memory. And though we’re definitely not condoning carrying out any scams of your own, this podcast smartly captures the current cultural fascination with hustles. Where did the scammers get the idea? How did they get caught? Do they feel bad? Regularly joined by fun guests like comedian Lauren Lapkus, Scam Goddess promises entertaining conversations and vicarious thrills.
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