For many people, talking about personal finances is a touchy topic. Because of this, many of us go through life without getting the sort of solid advice we need to manage our money so the bills are paid, credit card spending doesn’t overwhelm us and we don’t get flooded when that so-called “rainy day” arrives and we have no savings.
Because of this, only about 30 percent of Americans have a family budget, almost 20 percent of us have no money saved for an emergency expense and fully 75 percent of say they struggle to make ends meet each month.
However, there is help to be had and you can learn about as you drive. There is a slew of personal finance podcasts available, including many aimed at providing the practical solutions you need. Here are five pretty good ones.
Life Kit from NPR covers several topics, including personal finance. (It also delivers tips on wellness and parenting.) This podcast includes episodes on how to get started saving, how to pay off student loans, avoiding unnecessary financial fees and living within your budget.
In Clever Girls Know, Bola Sokunbi offers tips and insights on dollars and cents issues ranging from getting out of debt to staying on top of your bills to marriage and money.
Money Girl is part of the wildly successful and helpful Quick & Dirty Tricks series, and host Laura Adams delivers advice you can use. Recent podcast topics include “14 Tips to Stop Impulse Buying and Save Money,” and “10 Horrible Habits That Keep You From Growing Rich.”
Choose FI is named for half of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence and Retire Early). In it, Jonathan Mendonsa & Brad Barrett tell you how to take steps to secure your financial future. Some are big steps like writing a will to much smaller ones like saving when you grocery shop.
Whitney Hansen is the host of The Money Nerds and her podcast delivers highly personal and especially helpful insights into how people deal with money. She and others talk not just about saving money, but also making extra money. And, she does it with a smile.
