“Give a woman a dollar, and she can put it to good use. Teach her about how money really works, and she can change the world.” —Linda Davis Taylor
When I first entered the workforce after graduating college 3+ years ago, I made it a mission to learn about money. Though my incoming paychecks were meager, I had student loans to pay and a future to build. Important financial decisions came flying at me. Which retirement plan should I enroll in? Should I prioritize saving or paying off my debt? And what the heck is an HSA? I needed education fast. Unfortunately, the intricacies of investing and retirement were not taught to me in school or by my parents. Self-education was my route to financial empowerment.
Fortunately in this digital age, we have access to a plethora of resources to educate ourselves. With podcasts, we can now hear the voices of financial experts through little plastic headphones. When I started my financial education, I began with the biggest and most popular podcasts: Dave Ramsey, Chris Hogan, and the Minimalists. They were great, I learned a lot. Enough to turn me from a wobbly newborn calf to being able to stand (and even trot) on stable legs.
While the aforementioned finance podcasts are all sources of great advice and I absolutely recommend them, I do notice a commonality. They are all hosted by men. It turns out that many finance podcasts are. As of writing this post in February 2020, an overwhelming majority of finance podcasts topping the iTunes charts are hosted by men.
But there are women financial experts out there too, and it’s time we hear from them. So, I spent three months diving into the many wonderful and enlightening women-hosted finance podcasts. Although I discovered and loved many, four stood out from the rest.
These podcasts made it to my “top four” because they are all led by hosts who are smart, confident, easy to connect with, and ask interesting questions. They also incorporate diverse guests with unique stories and backgrounds.
Without further ado…
Four amazing finance podcasts hosted by women
So Money by Farnoosh Torabi
For personal finance advice that goes beyond the basics of budgeting and saving for retirement. Farnoosh’s style is very straightforward and to the point. It doesn’t take 4-5 minutes to get to the content. I certainly enjoyed not having to skip through prolonged ads. Farnoosh seems very well-prepared for each episode, and I admire her confidence and clarity when she speaks. I honestly had a hard time not adding all the episodes I listened to in my “recommended episodes”’ list down below.
Recommended episodes:
- 930: Career and financial success as an undocumented immigrant with Daniela Pierre-Bravo
- 939: Health and Wealth with Kelly Brogan
- 936: Christina Stebel, Farmgirl Flowers
The Fairer Cents: Women, Money, and the Fight to Break Even by Kara Perez and Tanja Hester
For a broader view of the finance world, The Fairer Cents provides more social commentary than personal finance. Hosts Kara and Tanja discuss social issues with a definitive focus on women and gend er inequality. Each episode feels like a mini-documentary. They interview multiple experts and quote snippets of videos and Ted Talks regarding the topic at hand. I thoroughly enjoyed the combination between the host’s personalities and the external sources they share.
Recommended episodes:
- #31 + 32: The Economics of Wellness
- #27: Broadening the FIRE Conversation with Vicki Robin
- #15: Toxic Masculinity
Journey to Launch by Jamila Souffrant
This personal finance podcast is so aptly named. Wherever you are in your “journey to launch,” you’ll learn from host Jamila Souffrant. What I found unique about this podcast was that interviewed guests could be found at all parts of their financial journey. As a listener, it’s refreshing to hear from someone at a similar financial stage. While hearing from experts is great, listening to mistakes and triumphs from everyday people, is both inspiring and educational.
Recommended episodes:
- 091: Leveling Up Your Money & Investing with Erin Lowry
- 139: Love & Money: How They Got on the Same Page
- 099: How to Unlock Your Full Wealth Potential & The Power Within You with David Neagle
Oh My Dollar by Lillian Karabaic
Lillian is an extremely articulate and clear speaker. Her podcast is crowd-funded, which means she has a loyal following of people who elect to support her work. And it shows why. Lillian breaks down finance concepts and teaches them in a way that’s easy to follow. Lillian also asks really smart questions that have me nodding along in encouragement thinking, “Oh, I’m so glad she asked that.” I truly enjoyed her self-assured personality and no bullsh*t way of thinking.
Recommended episodes:
- How to Fund a Creative Project without Going Broke (Risk + Money)
- How to Split Rent, First Dates, and Retirement Accounts in Relationships
Conclusion
Originally, I was going to include and review all the podcasts I listened to over the past three months. I quickly realized however, there was a clear “short-list” of podcasts I know I would actually listen to again once my review was complete. That’s how I narrowed my recommendations to the four podcasts listed above.
Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot about money over these three months. For example, I learned that spending too close to my intentionally low-set credit limit was dampening my credit score (oops!). I called my bank and had them raise my credit limit ASAP!
The world of finance can feel like a vast and complicated space. Thankfully this world is also filled with great teachers. Click here for a full directory of women-hosted finance podcasts.
Curious questions about finance podcasts:
- Have you listened to any of the mentioned podcasts? What do you think of them?
- Are there other women-hosted finance podcasts that should be on this list?
- How do you educate yourself about personal finance?
What’s the author been up to?
Lindsay enjoying vegan food at by CHLOE while traveling in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Photo: Omid Arman via Unsplash
