Getting financial literacy takes some work, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. And in 2021, one of the easiest ways to get hands-on advice on budgeting, debt management, and investing is by listening to personal finance podcasts while you prepare dinner, walk your dog, or commute to work. To help you choose the ones worth your time, we’ve sifted through a seemingly endless supply of excellent (and not-so-great) podcasts and picked our top 10 for 2021.
Clark Howard, a longtime consumer advocate and former nationwide syndicated radio host, is a one-stop shop for practical, clear advice on a variety of listener-selected topics within a given episode, which can cover anything from saving for retirement to choosing a streaming TV. Service, all the way to cheap recipes at Costco. The show includes an amusing “Clark Stinks!” Segment in which Howard reads out complaints about his advice from previous shows.
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DIY Money is a personal finance podcast hosted by two finance professionals, Quint Tatro and Daniel Czulno. The show mainly deals with investment strategies, with topics ranging from broad (“Bitcoin as an investment strategy”) to shaky (“Roth Conversion Rules”). It’s a chatty podcast with a similar feel to a morning radio show, and usually includes a section that answers listener questions. Expect lots of goofy audio clips and banter as the energetic presenters sometimes work a little too hard to keep your attention.
The Personal Finance Podcast is hosted by Andrew Giancola, a real estate investor and author of the Dollar After Dollar blog, and it covers just about any topic related to wealth creation, be it real estate investing, stock picking, building a business strategy, or managing a budget. Giancola has a persistent style that keeps things moving (it sounds like he’s cutting out the pauses between sentences, a trick adopted by Youtube) and he packs tons of information into every 30 minute show.
The Stacking Benjamin Show is a hilarious 70-90 minute podcast run by former financial advisor Joe Saul-Sehy along with his anonymous co-host named “OG” (which stands for “Other Guy”). Three times a week, the joke couple deals with money-saving tips, investments and other financial goals with a large number of guest interviews. It’s “live” than other podcasts (i.e. largely unedited), so it sounds more like a relaxed radio show.
Jill on Money is a no-nonsense financial advisory podcast hosted by Jill Schlesinger, a business analyst for CBS News and a certified financial planner. The episodes are bite-sized (less than 20 minutes) and typically address specific questions (“Should I pay back my mortgage or invest?”) Submitted by listeners who appear on the show often. Schlesinger is a charming, gifted interviewer, and the best episodes are often those with guests, which is usually not the case with many podcasts.
WSJ Your Money Briefing, hosted by JR Whalen, uses the Wall Street Journal’s reporters to provide concise explanations on financial topics of the day, be it car prices, bitcoin or new tax credits. Each episode is less than 10 minutes long, and new ones are posted every day of the week, making it a great resource for quick explanations of topics that are trending on the news.
Money presenter Farnoosh Torabi covers a wide range of money topics, from interviews with business writers and influencers to her own advice on starting a family, paying off debts and building a successful career. Every Friday she answers questions from listeners – and offers a private one-on-one money coaching session to those whose questions she covers on the show. Although much of their content is aimed at women, anyone can dive into their library of 1,200+ episodes (and there are more!) And find something useful. —Meghan Walbert
Dave Ramsey, the Grand Pooh-Bah of personal financial advice, is a polarizing figure best known for its near zero tolerance towards debt. His podcast is a nifty production that has two hours of in-depth questions from listeners dealing with personal finance topics, and Ramsey is not shy about offering blunt advice. While his Judge Judy-esque lack of patience with his callers can be daunting, he keeps the show going in one entertainingly quick clip, and the guidance he offers is clear, concise, and practical.
Odd Lots, a Bloomberg-produced podcast hosted by Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway, always seems to have the earliest coverage of investment topics (stock moves, commodities, inflation), even when they hit the news. The episodes usually last less than an hour, and the show doesn’t shy away from complicated topics like DeFi or quant investing. The guests are also consistently informative.
