The 5 Best Finance Podcasts for Millennials in 2024

The best Millennial money podcasts emphasize clarity and simplicity

You’re increasingly far removed from your college days. Your income has started to grow, along with your savings. You think you probably should invest more. But how? Where? In which accounts? That’s where the best finance podcasts for Millennials may come in.

You need access to clear, simple information. At some point, you may want to work with a financial advisor. But first, perhaps you want to boost your financial education.

Personal finance doesn’t need to be as complicated as you may think. To be clear, that’s not the same as easy. We all face financial tradeoffs, and that makes our choices stressful and time-consuming. But practical, straightforward information, such as through a good money podcast, can eliminate unnecessary self-doubt.

My Criteria for Selecting the Best Finance Podcasts for Millennials

We have an overwhelming number of options for personal finance information. Should you ask your parents? Your colleagues? What about a blog? Or social media? Let’s assume for a moment that you’re not yet ready to work with a financial advisor for Millennials. In that case, a thoughtful personal finance podcast is one of my favorite alternative resources.

What do my “best finance podcasts for Millennials” selections have in common? During my research, I looked for the following three criteria:

1. Empathy: each podcast must offer ideas that acknowledge human emotions & reflect modern challenges
2. Clarity: each podcast must explain new or complex financial topics as clearly as possible
3. Sustainability: each podcast should emphasize sustainable habits over “get rich quick” strategies

With that in mind, here are what I consider to be the 5 best finance podcast for Millennials in 2024:

Best Finance Podcast #1: Money With Katie

About the Host:

“Katie Gatti Tassin is the personality behind the blog, podcast, and newsletter brand, Money with Katie. She started writing about money in 2020 after a few years of independent personal finance consulting and consuming all the personal finance content she could get her hands on. Since then, Money with Katie has grown to a community near-100,000 strong, and she focuses on teaching #RichGirls how to make their money work for them.” (From her appearance on the So Money podcast)

How Katie Describes the Podcast:

“Finance bros are out, #RichGirls are in. Join Money with Katie and her guests as they talk spending habits, smart investing, and tax strategies – without putting you to sleep. Listen weekly on Wednesdays to learn how to turn your Rich Girl mindset into money.”

Why I Consider This One of the Best Finance Podcasts for Millennials:

Gatti Tassin really gets the challenges that Millennials face. And her understanding shines through in each episode. She covers a wide range of financial topics, all of which are relevant in some way to her audience. From budgeting to investing, and debt management to building wealth — she’s got you covered.

One of Gatti Tassin’s strongest skills is her ability to break down complex financial concepts into easy-to-understand language. She explains financial concepts in relatable and accessible ways. And as a result, her listeners have an easier time applying the wisdom to their own lives. Her talent for bridging the gap between financial jargon and everyday language creates an engaging and educational experience.

A Podcast Preview, About Retirement:

“For example, if you’re someone who’s been at this for awhile and you’ve got, say, $250,000 invested, 20 years at a 6% real rate of return is as good as $800,000 in your pocket, and that’s $800,000 of purchasing power in today’s dollars, without adding another dollar. In this type of situation, you may already be in a position where you can safely downshift and make life adjustments without meaningfully threatening your future security. 

To put an even finer point on this, you may already have enough saved and invested for future use needs that any stress you are currently experiencing about sticking around in a highly paid field that isn’t right for you might be unfounded.

Because we don’t know what the individually funded and personally responsible retirement is going to look like at large, it’s worth interrogating whether or not the traditional model for retirement still makes sense for today’s generation of young people. Instead, you can determine what a life you don’t need a break from looks like, and set your financial goals accordingly with a range based on your spending. Depending on your age and how much you’ve already saved and invested, you may be closer to safety than you think. And having a general command of financial frameworks, like the 4% rule and compounding, can help contextualize your choices if you want or need to downshift or simply change course.”

You can listen to the Money With Katie podcast here!

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Best Finance Podcast #2: Real Personal Finance

About the Hosts:

Co-host Scott Frank, CFA, CFP®, is the founder of Stone Steps Financial. Co-host James Conole, CFP®, is the founder of Root Financial Partners.

How the Real Personal Finance Team Describes the Podcast:

“While everyone has unique situations, Scott and James feel that everyone should have a base level of financial knowledge. Wanting a better way to educate as many people as possible, James and Scott figured the best way was to answer one real personal finance question a week. This podcast is designed to provide clear and thorough answers to questions we commonly hear from clients and listeners.”

Why I Consider This One of the Best Finance Podcasts for Millennials:

As Certified Financial Planners, Scott and James know their subject matter well. They also convey a passion for helping their peers navigate their financial journeys. The team’s expertise and enthusiasm shine through in their back-and-forth discussions. They frequently share personal anecdotes, real-life examples, and success stories from clients and friends. Altogether, the format makes for relatable and engaging episodes. With Real Personal Finance, Millennials and Gen-Z receive valuable insights, tips, and strategies for addressing the unique financial challenges they face.

Real Personal Finance also deserves credit for its practical, actionable advice. Scott and James make a conscious effort to address financial questions in a clear, straightforward, and empathetic manner. And their conversations cover a lot of ground, ranging from budgeting and student loans to retirement and buying a house. Through its detailed guidance, the podcast empowers young adults to feel more confident and informed about money.

A Podcast Preview, About Contributing to Roth IRAs:

A listener asks, “I am currently 33 years old, single, and am nearing a $129,000 annual salary. I have been investing in a Roth IRA and realize the phaseout limits for single taxpayers are from $129k – $144k. My question is, how do I lower my income, besides contributing to my traditional 401k, so I can keep contributing the max $6000/year into my Roth IRA as my income rises over the years?” In the episode, Scott and James discuss “utilizing time efficiently, capital appreciation, purchasing power, and other issues such as IRAs, inflation, and financial goals.”

You can listen to the Real Personal Finance podcast here!

(Please note that the Real Personal Finance podcast stopped recording new episodes in March 2023. But I highly recommend listening to their full library.)

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Best Finance Podcast #3: The Long Term Investor

About the Host:

Peter Lazaroff is the Chief Investment Officer of Plancorp and the author of Making Money Simple.

How Peter Describes the Podcast:

“Long-term investing made simple. Most people enter the markets without understanding how to grow their wealth over the long term or clearly hit their financial goals. The Long Term Investor shows you how to proactively minimize taxes, hedge against rising inflation, and ride the waves of volatility with confidence. …Lazaroff shares practical advice on how to make smart investment decisions your future self with thank you for.”

Why I Consider This One of the Best Finance Podcasts for Millennials:

The Long Term Investor podcast is perfect for young professionals who want to nerd out over personal finance details. Peter provides sharp insights about key investment concepts, such as costs, portfolio diversification, and risk management. Along the way, you’re sure to learn how to build wealth for the future.

And most importantly, Peter doesn’t overwhelm the listener with opaque terminology. Instead, he emphasizes education and transparency. He breaks down complex investment concepts into digestible explanations. So even listeners who are new to investing can learn how to invest prudently. This approach helps his audience build knowledge, while avoiding common mistakes.

Lastly, the Long Term Investor podcast shines due to its research-driven format and narrative. Peter doesn’t promote specific products or speculate recklessly about the future. Instead, he prioritizes objective analysis and insights. His commitment is particularly valuable for listeners who, as I mentioned earlier, seek reliable and trustworthy information.

A Preview, About Investing in Bonds:

“A solid understanding of how to measure return on your bond portfolio and how bond prices change when interest rates change gives a lot more context to the misconceptions about the use of individual bonds versus bond funds in a portfolio.

The most common misconception among investors holding individual bonds is that they often believe price fluctuations don’t impact their holdings if they hold the bond to maturity.

While it’s true that holding an individual bond to maturity will result in the return of principal if the bond issuer doesn’t default, those nominal dollars will be worth less with inflation and during periods of higher interest rates.

Plus the lack of price volatility in individual bonds is an illusion. Individual bond prices fluctuate every day, even if held to maturity, but you may not notice if the bond isn’t re-priced every day.

The other common concern I hear from investors owning individual bonds is that most bond funds do not mature — but most individual bonds are part of a bond portfolio that never mature either. Investors usually reinvest the proceeds of maturing bonds into new bonds.

…Bonds play an important role in reducing your portfolio’s volatility, but today’s higher interest rates make the disadvantages of individual bonds versus bond funds even more prevalent. Investors using individual bonds for their fixed income allocation would be well served to reconsider their outdated strategy.”

You can listen to The Long Term Investor podcast here!

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Best Finance Podcast #4: The Morgan Housel Podcast

About the Host:

Morgan Housel is a partner at The Collaborative Fund and the author of The Psychology of Money, which has sold over three million copies worldwide. He released his second book, Same as Ever, in the fall of 2023.

How Morgan Describes the Podcast:

The podcast is about “timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness.” But, he adds, “I have no idea where it’s going, how many I’ll do, how often I’ll do it, etc.” (So enjoy it while it’s here!)

Why I Consider This One of the Best Finance Podcasts for Millennials:

Morgan Housel is one of the best and most popular financial writers of our generation. His ability to tie different stories and life lessons to personal finance is unparalleled. And his professional experiences writing about different aspects of finance make his podcast a valuable resource for every Millennial.

One of the most unique aspects of the Morgan Housel Podcast is its focus on behavioral finance. Housel regularly explores the psychological aspects of investing. He also commonly points outs the behavioral biases that can impact our investment decisions.

More than most other money podcasts, the Morgan Housel Podcast is incredibly thought-provoking. Housel’s personal interest in exploring a wide range of topics and ideas can feel like a departure from what we expect from this genre of podcast. But the examples and lessons always tie back to our money, often in unique and novel ways.

A Preview, About the Highest Forms of Wealth:

“The highest forms of wealth are measured differently. A few stick out:

1. Controlling your time and the ability to wake up and say, ‘I can do whatever I want today.’

Five-year-old Franklin Roosevelt complained that his life was dictated by rules. So his mother gave him a day free of structure – he could do whatever he pleased. Sara Roosevelt wrote in her diary that day: ‘Quite of his own accord, he went contently back to his routine.’

There’s a difference between working hard because you want to and working hard because someone else told you you had to, and how to do it, and when to do it. Even if you’re doing the same work, the independence of doing it on your own terms changes everything in the same way that sleeping in a tent is fun when you’re camping but miserable when you’re homeless.

To me, the highest form of wealth is controlling your time.

Wealth can lead to time independence, but it’s never assured. It can be the opposite, as whatever created the wealth – whether a company or an inheritance – creates a claim on your time in equal proportion to its financial reward. A great number of CEOs fall into this category: They have an abundance of wealth and not a moment of free time or scheduling control even when it’s desired, which is its own form of poverty.

Charlie Munger summed it up: ‘I did not intend to get rich. I just wanted to get independent.’ It’s a wonderful goal, and harder to measure than net worth.”

You can listen to The Morgan Housel Podcast here!

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Best Finance Podcast #5: Financially Well

About Me:

I’m the founder & CEO of Illumint, a Washington, DC-based company that specializes in financial planning for Millennials. I focus on helping my peers navigate the new financial decisions that arise during our 30s and early 40s as we try to repay student loans, buy a house, save for college, and invest for the future.

How I Describe the Financially Well Podcast:

“On this finance podcast for Millennials, Kevin Mahoney, CFP® connects recent personal finance news to specific steps you can take toward greater financial wellness. Are you among the many Millennials ready for more financial clarity and confidence?”

Why (Despite My Obvious Bias!) I Consider This One of the Best Finance Podcasts for Millennials:

Admittedly, I have modeled some of my writing and podcast episodes after Morgan Housel’s approach to personal finance. We all have such easy access to information about IRAs and college savings accounts. So I value trying to do something different. And for me, like Morgan, I want to try to help you think about money in different ways. I will always try to give you a fact or tip about money management that you may not know. But that should be easy for a Certified Financial Planner like me.

The Financially Well podcast should help you to take that information one step further. How can you think more clearly about the personal tradeoffs that a certain tip might require? That’s what separates the best finance podcasts for Millennials from other sources of information. You should gain confidence to take financial rules and options that are available widely, and apply them specifically to your own life.

A Preview, About Types of Investment Accounts:

“Our money increasingly lacks a third place.

We have a well-established ‘first place’ in our financial lives. Like a home, we rely on checking and savings accounts for financial security and our daily cash flow needs. And in recent decades, we’ve cemented a new second place: tax-advantaged retirement accounts, such as a 401(k). Like an office, this government creation give us an outlet to work toward long-term goals.

Yet, 401(k) plans have only existed since 1978. 

Less than 50 years later, more flexible investment accounts no longer factor as prominently into our lives. We’ve given up on prioritizing a dynamic, multi-purpose savings alternative. Instead, we direct much of our savings toward investment accounts that come with limitations and potential penalties.

And in doing so, we’ve lost the ‘opportunity structure’ to use our money to create the lives we want. We’ve hampered our ability to save and spend our money in “regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated” ways. At least, not until we reach a government-defined retirement age.

Ray Oldenburg wrote that, ‘The character of a third place… is marked by a playful mood, which contrasts with people’s more serious involvement in other spheres.’ The same might be said of how we save and invest.

We take our monthly cash flow and long-term financial needs seriously. And for good reason. But many of us, without even realizing it, have taken those good habits to an extreme. As a result, we lack more ‘playful’ investments. We’ve willingly surrendered money that we might want to use over the next 5-15 years to fund an extended family trip, new business idea, or work sabbatical.”

You can listen to the Financially Well podcast here!

What You’ll Learn From the Best Finance Podcasts for Millennials in 2024

A valuable money podcast doesn’t focus exclusively on tactics. Learning new tactics certainly can be useful. But you also need to financial wisdom to make choices that reflect what you want from your money.

You can easily learn from an internet search or AI the answer to questions such as, “What is the maximum 401(k) contribution this year?” But the best finance podcasts for Millennials teach you what to do with that information. And such podcasts do so in a way that helps you evaluate challenging tradeoffs.

Ultimately, the best Millennial money podcasts empower you to use money to create the life that you envision for you and your family.

What personal finance podcasts have you found helpful? I’d love for you to send me an e-mail at kevin@illumintfc.com with ideas for the next edition of the “Best Finance Podcasts for Millennials” list. And, of course, please subscribe to my Millennial finance podcast to gain another guide on your financial journey.

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Recommended Money Reads for Millennials

If you liked this article, you may also want to check out:

• The Best 529 Plan for Maryland Residents
• The True Cost of Homeownership

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About the author: Kevin Mahoney, CFP®

Hi, I’m Kevin. I’m a financial advisor in Washington, DC. I’m also the founder of Illumint, an independent financial planning company in the District that specializes in financial planning for Millennials like you. I empower our generation with the confidence to invest an inheritance, financial gift, or extra savings. If you’re new to Financially Well, welcome – you now have access to the leading finance podcast for Millennials. I encourage you to read, watch, or listen to the ideas I’ve shared about making your money work for you. And then when you’re ready, please send me your thoughts & questions!