I Listened To Them All So You Didn’t Have To
Here’s a continuation of what I started earlier in the week. There are a few more podcasts I haven’t got to I’m sure but I hope to next time. (Let me know if you definitely know of one I missed.)
I happened to see on another blog (and I forgot which one!) that showed a web site that rates a blog’s reading level. (Breaking Even happens to be a middle school reading level, which I’m taking to mean as accessible rather then the kind of blog that would pass notes about another blog.) They rated the Wall Street blog as elementary level (this is not a reflection on the Wall Street Journal publication I’m guessing). This podcast covered a variety of topics but in a way that was a little too fast (and seemed clipped as a result). You would need to be paying more close attention then you would to a typical podcast to get all the needed information. I accidentally spaced out for thirty seconds and had to rewind.
NBC5 Savage Money Podcast
Marcus Riley and Terry Savage talk about the economy in a general but easy to understand way. The regulating water level and temperature analogy used in this podcast for our federal reserve is a useful and concrete way of understanding our current economic situation. There is some shameless self promotion (two instances in the first minute) but I understand that everyone needs to get their name out there, myself included. The tune at the beginning is catchy and helps subtly reinforce the brand of the Savage Money podcast. It is a good length at 8 minutes. But what is it about money podcasts that make them a little more boring then other types?
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
This podcast, read by the editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, tackles one topic in this case a “magic formula” of figuring out a good investment (earnings shares and return on capital). This is another kind of podcast you can learn a lot from but you’ll have to pay very close attention to, especially if you are like me and not familiar with financial terms (I had to rewind three times to get the two variables of the magic formula for this blog). Since Kiplingers is such a well established authority on personal finance, however, I am more apt to take information from it more seriously then I would other podcasts.
The Money Guy
The host of the program is funny and into what he’s doing, making it easier to listen to him for the half an hour he talks. He is a little tangential as many solo podcasters seem to be, telling stories that can seem off topic. His whole podcast, however, was tied to Warren Buffet’s annual report, which he keeps coming back to throughout, giving the podcast some structure. He quotes the report and reflects on how Warren Buffet became the successful guy he is. He even apparently has a Warren Buffet quote generator on his blog. The guy is clearly a WB fan and therefor not trying to be objective but you have to admire his admiration.
30 Minutes of Personal Finance
The show topic “Five Steps To Stop Identity Theft” is presented with a guest John Sileo (www.thinklikeaspy.com). The objectives are clear in the intro so you know what the program will be like before you listen to it, a simple organizational tool I found lacking in other podcasts. The half hour program is a little long, though it may just feel that way. The audio is a little unclear and it sounds like both people are on the phone. The information is good (if a little paranoid….leaving next of kin off obituaries?!?) but it needs to be presented in a more dynamic way to be easier to listen to.
Financial podcasts not updated in the last two months: It’s Your Money Radio, Getting Started Finance, Fidelity Personal Money Finance, Miss Money Blogger, Money Blogger Podcast, Two Guys And Your Money, Your Home-Your Money, Your Money.
It kind of bugs me that the internet has these "dead" podcasts but thankfully, I can at least get the satisfaction of deleting them off my own computer!
I’ve learned a few things from taking in all this media and analyzing it, mainly that there are a lot of things to avoid to avoid being boring. More and more, I’m thinking of giving a podcast a shot.
If you have any ideas about how to be not-boring or want to be a guest on my podcast, drop me a comment or an email.
See part one of this series here…
Picture from: http://www.informacyde.com/weblog