NPR

The 5 Best Money Podcasts

Amanda Meadows — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 13:15:50 +0000

Have trouble sticking to a budget? Can't afford to pay a high-priced financial advisor to set you straight? Podcasts are not just for comedians and true crime — listen to these five money podcasts to help you whip your finances into shape:

1. You Need a Budget

This may not come as a surprise to you, but most Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. You Need a Budget is all about helping listeners slowly get out of debt and start making every dollar count. Making a budget is key, and not only does the podcast give you great advice, but the creator also made a software system for budgeting that anyone can use. Whether you choose to use their software or not, using YNAB as a motivational tool is very useful. Listening to other families making financial progress might inspire you to reexamine your own budget.

Good for: Practical everyday budgeting advice and motivation.

2. Planet Money

It's great to learn how to manage your personal finances, but do you ever wonder why things are the way they are? To fully, truly understand why college costs so much, why our clothes come from Bangladesh, or why certain trends prevail in the modern economy, listen to Planet Money. Think of it as This American Life for your finances. With fascinating stories from a global perspective, the charismatic reporters at Planet Money manage to make unwieldy, abstract economic theories fun and easy to understand.

Good for: Economics lessons and entertainment.

3. Money With Farnoosh Torabi

The wise and sharp Farnoosh Torabi is both a great financial adviser and a great interviewer. She also does specific advice episodes, such as a recent one in which she invited an expert to answer a listener's question on how to save for a baby. If you're diving in for the first time, you're in luck: this podcast is on five times a week, so there's a lot of back catalog. It might be hard to catch up, so scroll through and pick the episodes most relevant to you.

Good for: Specific life planning and financial advice and recommendations to other financial gurus.

4. Stacking Benjamins

Joe, the host of Stacking Benjamins, is a former financial planner. This helps considerably, because he does a great job of interviewing subjects who have gotten out of debt or have managed to build wealth. When you're not in the 1%, it sure seems really hard to do either of those, but listening to this podcast shows you that with careful planning and taking consistent baby steps, you can break the paycheck cycle, too.

Good for: Personal finance stories and practical money advice.

5. Marketplace

Are you a nerd for up-to-date financial intel? Marketplace is a great public radio podcast covering the major finance and business news of the day. Hear everything from stock ticker news, to announcements from big brands, to reports about housing and credit. Host Kai Ryssdal also brings experts onto the show for interviews. Also good is the lighter Marketplace Weekend podcast — perfect for listening while gardening on a lazy Sunday.

Good for: Finance and business news and investment advice from experts.

What are your favorite podcasts about money?

This article is from Amanda Meadows of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Cultural Financial Problems and Learning to Cook: Wise Bread on Marketplace

Meg Favreau — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 23:26:47 +0000

This month, I've appeared on one of my favorite radio shows, American Public Media's Marketplace Money:

This weekend, I spoke with guest host Barbara Bogaev and a caller named Elizabeth about how to make financial decisions when two people come from very different cultural backgrounds. Listen here!
The weekend of August 2nd, meanwhile, I participated in Marketplace Money's summer reading list, recommending Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" — a great resource if you want to save money by learning to cook.

And of course, you can listen to Marketplace Money every weekend on their website or by tuning in to your local NPR station.

This article is from Meg Favreau of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Wise Bread on Marketplace: "Frugal" Travel That Isn't

Meg Favreau — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 10:05:50 +0000

I'm back on American Public Media's Marketplace Money this weekend, chatting with the great Tess Vigeland about supposedly "frugal" travel that isn't worth it. You can listen online or check local air times.

Want more information about making sure your frugal trip is worth it? Check out Julie's article on what experts fail to mention about frugal vacations, Jason's piece on maximizing your airline mileage redemptions, or our collection of the 40 most useful travel websites that can save you a fortune.

You can also take a listen to my previous Marketplace Money segments:

The Frugal Gardener (with a recipe for herbed cucumber soup)
My Frugal Valentine (with recipes for easy chocolate truffles and bourbon balls)
Start a "Forget You" Fund
Homemade Gifts People Will Like (with recipes for fridge pickles and infused booze)

This article is from Meg Favreau of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Wise Bread on Marketplace: Justifying Frugality

Meg Favreau — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:48:21 +0000

I'm back on American Public Media's Marketplace Money this weekend, chatting with the always-wonderful Tess Vigeland about justifying your frugal lifestyle (or, moreover, not feeling like you should have to). You can listen online or check local air times.

You can also take a listen to my previous Marketplace Money segments:

The Frugal Gardener (with a recipe for herbed cucumber soup)
My Frugal Valentine (with recipes for easy chocolate truffles and bourbon balls)
Start a "Forget You" Fund
Homemade Gifts People Will Like (with recipes for fridge pickles and infused booze)

This article is from Meg Favreau of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Wise Bread on Marketplace: A Frugal Valentine's Day

Meg Favreau — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:36:11 +0000

I'm not the biggest Valentine's Day fan. It's not that I hate love, but I do hate all of the expensive things people are expected to do to express that love. And personally, I fail to see how a gold-script card and box of chocolates (or worse — a poorly made stuffed bear holding a heart) from the drug store is the proper expression of something as profound as loving another human being.

But I'm not a total sourpuss — I just think that there are more personal, and definitely more frugal, ways to celebrate Valentine's Day. That's why I chatted with Marketplace Money host Tess Vigeland over the weekend about wonderful and cheap V-Day celebrations. Plus, many of these great gifts and celebrations can be pulled off last-minute, if you happen to be reading this on February 14

You can listen to or read the segment online, and check out my super-easy recipe for awesome chocolate truffles.

Are you celebrating a frugal Valentine's Day? Share what you're doing in the comments!

This article is from Meg Favreau of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Wise Bread on Marketplace: Great Homemade Gifts

Meg Favreau — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:25:48 +0000

I love homemade gifts...well, most of them. Around the winter holidays every year, there are always those people who seem to think that anything homemade makes a great gift — it's the thought that counts.

I disagree with that. There are some darn awful homemade gifts out there — gifts that are poorly timed, tacky, or, more than anything, don't take what the giftee might actually like into account.

Last week, I was thrilled to go on one of my favorite radio shows, Marketplace Money, and talk with host Tess Vigeland about tasteless homemade gifts and some great things to make and give instead. It was a lot of fun, and Tess is as awesome, friendly, and funny as she sounds.

The show aired over the weekend, but you can still listen to the segment and check out my recipes for fridge pickles and infused liquor on the Marketplace website.

Are you making gifts this year? What's the best homemade gift you've been given? The worst?

This article is from Meg Favreau of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: