7 of the best personal finance podcasts to listen to in lockdown

27/04/20
News

You might find yourself with free time at the moment. Amongst the old hobbies to rediscover, the new skills to acquire, and the jobs around the house you can no longer put off, maybe now is the time to indulge in the latest podcasts from the world of finance.

But which one to choose? Here’s your guide to seven of the best personal finance podcasts to catch up on now.

1. Freakonomics

The 2005 book Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Stephen D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner, was a publishing phenomenon and an instant bestseller.

An economist and a journalist respectively, the pair’s book used behavioural economics to answer such questions as What makes a perfect parent? Why were the 1990s a good decade to be a criminal in America? Who cheats and why?

Freakonomics the podcast, broadcast on US public radio, piggybacks the book’s success, continuing to ask the questions you didn’t know you needed the answers to.

Freakonomics Radio provides podcasts of around 40 minutes each, aimed at the laymen rather than the expert investor, but always informative and entertaining, tackling a wide range of topics from an economic perspective.

With a large archive available, you’ll be sure to find topics of interest to you.

2. Money Box

BBC Radio 4’s Money Box is the BBC’s original personal finance programme and a great podcast to dip into, with an archive of over 700 available programmes.

The 30-minute shows include studio guests, investigations into topical issues, and interviews with those most closely involved in the world of personal finance.

You’ll also find tips for how to get the most from your money, and discussions on topics such as early retirement, tenants’ rights, and how to afford a dream wedding on a tight budget.

3. It’s Your Money

This 30-minute per episode podcast from the Telegraph is aimed at everyone, regardless of their current financial knowledge.

As such, it aims to cover a wide range of topics, from how to avoid scams, to getting on the property ladder and managing your tax bill, all presented by Investment Editor Laura Suter, in bitesize chunks.

Engaging, entertaining, and always informative.

4. The Economist Radio

One for the more committed investor, the 40-minute podcasts from the Economist are at the opposite end of the scale to It’s Your Money.

The Economist has a wide range of podcasts covering all manner of topics including Money First – a weekly podcast on markets, the economy, and the world of business –  and daily podcast The Intelligence, offering a broader roundup of the stories shaping our world.

For a snapshot of the programming on offer, recent podcasts include an interview with Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and an episode covering bank lending in the coronavirus crisis and the reckoning being faced by tech unicorns.

5. Wake up to Money

BBC Radio 5 Live’s Wake Up to Money features news and views on business and the world of personal finance, plus the very latest from the financial markets around the globe.

Currently presented by Sean Farrington, these 50-minute podcasts are broadcast live from five am daily, but if that’s a little early, they are available as podcasts shortly after.

From interviews with leading company’s CEOs to discussions on the business of sport and the future of retail, you’ll find something to interest you.

6. More or Less: Behind the Stats

This BBC Radio 4 podcast is presented by economist and journalist, Tim Harford, whose books include The Undercover Economist and The Logic of Life.

The show aims to use statistics to help us understand the world around us, within the worlds of business and finance but in our everyday lives too.

As with most podcasts on our list, current output is dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, but other recent questions posed by the team include:

  • Is it that true that 40% of your body’s heat loss comes from your head?
  • Does watching 30 minutes of Netflix have the same carbon footprint as driving for four miles?
  • Can alligators run at 50 kph?

Although not wholly personal finance-based, the podcast attempts – in a similar vein to Freakonomics – to use statistics and economics to tackle everyday questions.

7. The FT Money Show

The FT Money Show attempts to bring you engaging and insightful coverage of the week’s major personal finance issues.

At around the 30-minute mark, these easily digestible episodes are presented by Claer Barrett and are aimed at the more serious investor.

Recent topics include in-depth discussions with industry experts on ISAs, investment trusts, and retirement budgeting, as well as asking what you need to know before hiring a nanny, what happens to our digital assets when we die, and what six financial mistakes should women avoid?