Image source: Getty Images.
This article was updated on August 4, 2017, and originally published on Sept. 16, 2016.
Whether you're just starting to learn how to invest or have been reaping the rewards of the stock market for decades, there's a financial podcast out there for you. Podcasts are perfect for fine-tuning your investing skills. You can listen to them while commuting, doing household chores, or walking your dog.
And the best part? They're totally free.
The best investing podcasts range in topics from personal finance and investment planning to stock market updates and niche investment ideas. To find the best investing podcast for you, start by deciding what exactly you want to learn.
If you're interested in "investing" as a broad economic concept, then NPR's Planet Money may suit your fancy. Planet Money discusses the incentives and behaviors that drive many everyday transactions and interactions. Podcasts like these can help investors analyze global macroeconomic trends, and any NPR podcast will be both riveting and polished.
Or, if you're looking for more stock-specific content, The Motley Fool's MarketFoolery will update you daily on the biggest stock market news, with top-tier investors analyzing the big headlines and giving investment recommendations. Industry Focus, also from The Motley Fool, goes a bit deeper, diving into a different sector of the stock market every day. Listeners will get the sense that they're a fly on the wall, snooping on a conversation between smart, well-informed investors.
In the interest of transparency, I have to disclose that not only do I work for The Motley Fool, but I am also the host of the Wednesday healthcare edition of Industry Focus. So I'm naturally predisposed to think that it's the best investing podcast out there. However, biases aside, I stand by my claim that Industry Focus and the other Motley Fool podcast will help you beef up your investing chops -- whether you're just getting started or you're a master investor. And I'm not suggesting you stop there: Plenty of other outlets offer outstanding personal-finance and investing podcasts.
If you're looking to learn how to invest, dive deep into niche sectors of the stock market, or get financial planning advice, there's a podcast for you. Here's a chart of the best investment podcasts out there:
| Name | Frequency | Length | Premise | Producer | Why You Should Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planet Money | Semi-weekly | 20 minutes | Economics of the real world | NPR | Satisfies your intellectual curiosity like none other |
| Motley Fool Money | Weekly | 40 minutes | Top business and investing stories | TMF | Your weekly financial digest, all in under an hour |
| Market Foolery | Daily | 20 minutes | Stock market news | TMF | Legendary host and premium analysts |
| Money for the Rest of Us | Weekly | 30 minutes | Personal finance with a hint of philosophy | Independent | Outside-the-box lessons on how stocks and the economy work together |
| Industry Focus | Daily | 25 minutes | Industry deep dives | TMF | Sector-specific expertise |
| Motley Fool Answers | Weekly | 30 minutes | Personal-finance questions answered | TMF | Hilarious banter amid top-notch advice for a healthier, wealthier life |
| Rule Breaker Investing | Weekly | 25 minutes | Learn to invest | TMF | One of the world's greatest investors teaches you his secret sauce |
| Freakonomics | Weekly | 45 minutes | The hidden side of everything | WNYC Studios | What you wish Econ 101 had been |
Check out any of these great investing podcasts on iTunes or through podcast apps such as Overcast or Stitcher. You can also find any of The Motley Fool's podcasts at fool.com/podcasts.
