In a Nutshell: When it comes to learning, we’re all different; everyone has his or her own style of learning and preferences for staying engaged, especially with important (but highly individual) topics like finance. For auditory learners, the modern streaming era is generating an abundance of new, unique learning opportunities, and content sites like TuneIn.com are becoming important resources for finding the best variety of programming options. Among their millions of broadcasts, TuneIn provides robust resources for users who want to learn more about personal finance, investing, and even business development — all for free — as well as new premium offerings like unlimited access to thousands of popular authors, including top finance experts.
Almost 107 years ago, on January 13, 1910, the very first public radio broadcast was transmitted across New York City. Consisting of a live Metropolitan Opera House performance, the experiment by Dr. Lee De Forest represented the first stage of De Forest’s vision for a vast broadcasting network spreading lectures and church music across the country.
While he didn’t play as large a role as he may have wanted, De Forest did witness the monumental rise of radio into a national phenomenon. Today, the digital era is having a huge impact on the radio engine. The contemporary consumer is no longer content with general, generic programming. They expect a niche experience, and a variety of options — and they expect to get everything, wherever they are.
Michael Martin, an executive for CBS radio, was quoted as saying, “Radio would die if it stuck its head in the sand and refused to acknowledge the technology.” The modern media landscape is full of companies taking his advice and running with it, including the four-year-old startup TuneIn.com, which connects more than 60 million users a month to streaming audio.
“We offer a robust combination of sports, music, news, and talk,” described Brenna Webb, Public Relations at TuneIn. “That includes podcasts, live programming, terrestrial radio, and premium content like live sports and audiobooks. We cover a lot of ground.”
TuneIn has more than 4 million podcasts and broadcasts over 100,000 live radio stations all for free. The broadcasts cover just about every topic, from Arts & Culture to World Talk — including hundreds of resources to learn more about business and personal finance.
Gain Unlimited Access to Finance Broadcasts Designed to Help You Learn
Everyone learns differently; when it comes to a complex, highly individual topic like personal finance, the learning curve can be even more particular. So, when looking for resources to improve your financial know-how, having options can be extremely important.
With TuneIn, the options are abundant. Spanning a variety of voices and approaches to suit a plethora of learning styles, almost anyone can find the perfect podcast or radio show for them. Looking for answers to your personal finance questions? Check out “The Dave Ramsey Show.” Do you want quick tips on investing? Listen to the Money Girl’s investing advice.
The best part of all these great resources? TuneIn’s millions of podcasts and live radio shows can be streamed for free. While you’ll have to listen to the occasional commercial, you can start listening and learning without even signing up for a free TuneIn account — though opening the account will allow you to save broadcasts to your personal library, as well as keep track of your favorite users and categories.
Of course, as with most streaming services, you’ll get the best experience by becoming a premium member. For starters, you’ll eliminate those pesky commercials on over 600 of your favorite stations. You’ll also get access to TuneIn’s play-by-play sports action, including live streaming from the MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL.
In my opinion, though, the biggest bang for your buck comes from the access to more than 60,000 audiobooks, which you can listen to as much as you like. Find many of your favorite fiction authors, as well as a wide variety of finance-focused books to boost your mastery of money, with titles from personal finance experts like Suze Orman and Beth Kobilner.
Additionally, all of the free and premium resources can be accessed nearly anywhere. TuneIn is compatible with hundreds of devices, available through the TuneIn mobile application or desktop site, and even as an embedded player on tons of other sites.
TuneIn to 5 of the Top Finance Podcasts
While TuneIn has something for just about anyone, choosing from their wide selection can be a little overwhelming. We’ve selected five of our top recommendations from among TuneIn’s best finance podcasts.
1. The Dave Ramsey Show
By the time he was 30 years old, Dave Ramsey had built a $4 million real estate portfolio — and lost it all. Over time, Dave rebuilt his financial life, growing a successful business based on sharing his hard-won wisdom. Today, he runs Ramsey Solutions, a financial counseling firm, and advises those who need it through his seven personal finances books and his popular financial radio show/podcast series, called “The Dave Ramsey Show.”
Every week, millions tune in to hear Dave’s advice while he answers questions from callers in need of some financial sense. He covers the gambit of finances, including helping callers determine the best credit card, how to pay off their debts, and even if a business plan is sound. According to Dave, “It’s where life happens…caller after caller.”
2. Motley Fool Money
Started by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a financial-services company providing personal finance and investing advice through their website, free streaming podcasts, and premium advising. Their goal is “to educate, amuse, and enrich — providing financial solutions for investors of every kind.”
Their finance-centered podcast series “Motley Fool Money” is described as “an irreverent, fast-paced look at the world of business and investing,” where the self-dubbed Fools dole out advice on important topics, like retirement, host round-table discussions on the latest trends, and interview some of the movers-and-shakers of finance.
3. Personal Finance Hour
Personal finance writer JD Roth started his blog GetRichSlowly in 2006 and it quickly became a mainstay for thousands of followers who loved to read about his personal stories and practical financial tips. After successfully selling his blog, JD got together with fellow writer Jim Wang to create the “Personal Finance Hour” podcast series.
According to the site, “JD and Jim discuss important personal finance topics such as budgeting, debt management, saving, and more.” The show also covers less traditional topics, including gardening and pets, as well as interviews and guest appearances with other experienced finance bloggers and personalities.
4. Radical Personal Finance
Hosted by finance expert Joshua Sheats, the podcast series “Radical Personal Finance” is designed to appeal to the more educated consumer, eschewing the simplified language of some more general productions in favor of in-depth explanations.
The show describes itself with, “Radical Personal Finance focuses on in-depth content and Master’s Degree-level education delivered to you as a comprehensive curriculum of financial knowledge.” The show’s focus on critical thinking and education provides listeners with the opportunity to learn not just which steps to take, but why those steps are important.
5. Money Girl
Known for her work with QuickAndDirtyTips.com, Money Girl Laura Adams uses her MBA and financial experience to provide easy-to-digest advice to listeners through her “Money Girl” podcast. The site summarizes the show as, “Money Girl provides short and friendly personal finance, real estate, and investing tips to help you live a richer life.”
Laura chats about everything from cutting the cable cord and saving money on clothes, to important things you should know about your IRA. Whether you’re just starting out or are already a savvy investor, Money Girl’s advice will point you in the right direction.”
An Ever-Growing Library of Content
Though television has been usurping some of radio’s power since the 1950s, De Forest’s vision is still realized in today’s more than 30,000 licensed radio broadcast outlets across the AM and FM bands, including almost 4,000 non-profit or educational stations. And, while the internet may be impacting the way millions of listeners access audio programming — the death of radio is hardly nigh.
In fact, services like TuneIn are part of what is keeping the spirit of radio alive, connecting listeners to fresh new radio shows and audio personalities every day. The company plans to expand their ability to generate content, too, by partnering with live events around the world, as well as getting into the production game themselves. You can follow @TuneIn on Twitter to keep track of the latest updates.
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