The investing world has come a long way from the days when the written word was the main — sometimes only — way for experts to share their advice. With the advent of the internet age, a whole host of multimedia options have sprung up.
From webinars to videos to interactive graphics, these methods of sharing information can be more interesting and engaging for a lot of people. They can also cater to a number of different learning styles.
And one outlet that has been continuing to grow in popularity has been the podcast.
Anyone looking to improve their investing chops will benefit from listening to the best investing podcasts. From the hundreds of available programs, these shows rose to the top, with top-notch hosts and smart, engaging guests.
And the best part is, with the wide variety of investing podcasts out there, there’s bound to be one to fit your taste and investing style.
Sound Investing – Best Investing Podcast for Passive Investors
Paul Merriman is a nationally recognized authority on mutual funds, index investing, asset allocation, buy and hold, and active investing. A former financial analyst, Merriman created the Merriman Financial Education Foundation, which provides people with comprehensive financial, retirement and investment information.
The podcast airs weekly and covers exceptionally smart and sensible investment information. For beginners through advanced investors, Merriman is like a bible of investment information. Each episode offers consumable wealth-building investment advice. Merriman includes his own commentary along with a wide range of guests.
Recent episodes include:
- Help for the Do-It-Yourself Investor
- How Confident Can we be in Past Performance?
- 10 Ways Retirees can Make an Extra $1 Million Dollars on Their Portfolio
- Fixed Contributions – Small Changes Leading to big Returns
Motley Fool Money – Best Investing Podcast for Stock Pickers
For investors, Motley Fool rarely disappoints. Chris Hill and Motley Fool investment analysts host the podcast, which covers the weekly investment and business news along with interviews. For investors, Motley Fool’s famous stock picks are revealed along with conversations with corporate executives, authors and other bright financial minds.
The podcast airs twice a week, keeping you current with investment news and trends. Listening to the July 10, 2020 episode, the hosts offer insight on the retail environment under the current Covid-19 pandemic with information to help with your investment decisions.
Recent episodes include:
- Buffett’s Buy and the Future of Restaurants
- Tesla, Musk, and the Future of Movies
- Is Grit Overrated?
- Diversity is the First Step
Money Tree Investing – Best Podcast for Generalists
The format of this podcast is unique, with diverse investment nuggets from a variety of finance and investment experts. Full disclosure — I am a weekly panelist on the show. First, Kirk Chisholm, co-chair of the Investment Committee and Head of the Traditional Investment Risk Management Group of Innovative Advisory Group, interviews a guest from the traditional to alternative investment realm. He also invites unique guests with a variety of money strategies. After the interview, the rotating panel of guests delve into related investment topics replete with an abundance of investment information.
Each podcast is actually a two-fer, with part one offering a deep dive into a corner of the financial and investment markets. Part two is loosely affiliated with the guest but can veer off into other useful financial topics. We appreciate the panelists who each come from a distinct corner of the financial markets. Megan Gorman is a smart tax attorney and high-net worth investment advisor. Kirk Chisolm is a financial advisor who offers an alternative investment approach focused on both capital preservation and appreciation.
As for myself, I come from a deep finance and investment background as a former portfolio manager and university instructor.
Recent episodes include:
- Smart Beta vs Dumb Beta – Which is Better? A Discussion About ETFs
- Social Security Benefits: What You Need To Know About Maximizing Your Benefits
- Offshore Investing and Life as an Expat
- Current Market Conditions and Types of Wealth Management Firms
Animal Spirits with Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson – Best Podcast Hosts for Banter
Batnick is director of Research and Carlson is director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management. Their knowledge, insights and chemistry, along with top-notch guests, makes this the second time Animal Spirits has appeared on one of my best investing podcasts list. The pair meld their insights on the economy, business and investing along with those of important financial authorities like Jeremy Siegel, author of Stocks for the Long Run.
The show airs roughly twice per week and peppers in personal anecdotes along with the economic, business and market information. Batnick and Carlson go from macro trends like the migration out of big cities to economic predictions like future inflation rates.
Recent episodes include:
- The Future of Education – Covers Tesla and Investing Mistakes
- Existential Hurricane – Discusses Worries About the Economy and an Impending Double-Dip Depression.
- Talk Your Book: Advisor Solutions with Helios – Conversation with Chris Shuba, founder and CEO of Helios Quantitative Research
- The Opposite of a Falling Knife – What’s Driving Market Prices Now
Money Savage with George Grombacher – Best Podcast for Daily Listening
George Grombacher is one of the most prolific podcasters, releasing a new episode every weekday. Grombacher is a financial advisor, consultant, podcaster, writer, and speaker. The Money Savage podcast features financial mavens and subject matter experts. He covers the gamut of investing and money topics in an engaging style.
Recent podcast topics include conversations about financial advisors with Rick Kahler, psychology and investing with Tom Hegna, and an abundant retirement with Barry Spencer. The “non-investing” topics cover the intersection of health, work, and lifestyle topics, which can indirectly impact your financial future.
Recent episodes include:
- Understanding Downturns with Larry Sprung
- Building Passive Income with Rachel Richards
- Your 401(k) Account with Harris Nydick
- Investing for Animal Welfare with Vicki Benjamin
My Worst Investment Ever with Andrew Stotz – Best Podcast for a Global View
Anyone who’s been investing for awhile has lost money at some point (or is lying). Stotz shares stories of losing investments to help you learn. The show’s premise is that if you learn about others’ investment mistakes, you’ll be less apt to repeat them. Stotz is a Ph.D., CFA, and CEO of A. Stotz Investment Research.
Stotz is an American who resides in Thailand, which gives an interesting international flavor to the show. The show airs approximately twice weekly. He gets high-level international professionals to reveal their biggest investing mistakes, which is no small feat. Recently, Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz and SparkToro, reveals how growth-at-all costs may not be the best business model. Ranveer Brar, who is a television celebrity, Masterchef India judge, author and one of the most well-known chefs in India, shares his biggest investment mistake along with comments about doing what you love.
Recent episodes include:
- Neil Patel – Fail Your Way to Success by Practicing the 3Es: Experiment, Experiment, Experiment
- Nicholas Hinrichsen – If you Aren’t Suited for Picking Stocks Build a Diversified Portfolio
- Wim Steemers – Overcome Behavioral Biases with the Help of a Good Team
- Jonathan Slain – Plan for a Recession so That you can Survive and Thrive from it
Matt McCall’s Moneyline – Best Investing Podcast for Active Investors
Finally, we have InvestorPlace’s own Matt McCall. The founder and president of Penn Financial Group focuses on energy, individual stocks and ETFs. McCall is a former Fox Business Network Host. His stock analysis approach is top-down to both maximize profits and manage risk.
The podcast airs weekly and looks under the hood of the stock market. He ferrets out the best sectors and stocks to invest in now.
Recent episodes include:
- Job Numbers and What They Mean
- Market Volatility Coming, What Sectors to Invest in Now
- Short Term Trading vs Long Term Investing & Is It Worth it to Invest in China
- Finding Opportunities in Today’s Market – with Matt McCall
Overall, the best investment podcasts are the ones that broaden your current knowledge and introduce you to new concepts.
If you haven’t started listening to podcasts yet, download one of these right from the podcast app on your phone and start looking for the right one for you.
Barbara A. Friedberg, MBA, MS is a veteran portfolio manager, expert investor, and former university finance instructor. She is editor/author of Personal Finance; An Encyclopedia of Modern Money Management and two additional money books. She is CEO of Robo-Advisor Pros.com, a robo-advisor review and information website. Additionally, Friedberg is publisher of the well-regarded investment website Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance.com. Follow her on twitter @barbfriedberg and @roboadvisorpros. As of this writing, she did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
