Expert picks: Apps, podcasts and websites to check out
29 June 2020
Want to know what podcasts the experts are listening to and sites they are visiting? We asked four experts in various finance areas to reveal their favourite money or investing-related app, podcast and/or website. Here’s what they had to say.
Peter Koulizos
Podcast: The Money
The Money podcast from ABC is not just about investment. It tries to educate people on how the Australian economy works and how it all then connects with the global economy. For the older generation who aren’t into podcasts as much as the young ones, The Money airs on ABC Radio on a Thursday at 5:30 pm and is repeated on a Friday at 1:30 pm. However, you could listen to it anytime on a podcast. They have a variety of guest speakers and topics, ranging from inflation and fintech to the cost of housing and the financial risks of unregulated property investment advice.
Website: corelogic.com.au
I have been using the CoreLogic site for almost 20 years. I am lucky as I have a subscription to the database and I can gather a large amount of data which helps me with my research. I can find out when a property sold, how much it sold for, who bought it (in some cases, state government privacy issues prevent this) and much more. However, even without a subscription, you can glean some very valuable data such as movement in property prices in one day, one month, a quarter or year. You can find this information for houses and units, in all the capital cities.
App: realestate.com.au
It probably comes as no surprise that somebody who teaches and invests in property has realestate.com.au as their favourite app. I often find myself on the website but I am more likely to be checking the app throughout the day, especially during commercial breaks whilst I am watching TV. Compared to the old days where the only place you could search for properties that were for sale was in the weekend newspaper, the app is so convenient. The app is up-to-date, you can view photos and videos, there are various filters that you can use to help you find the right property and you can also share a property that you like with someone else.
Peter Koulizos is the Program Director of the Master of Property at The University of Adelaide and the author of several books.
Marcus Padley
Website: livewiremarkets.com
Some of the smartest and most informed investment professionals publish their ideas and insights on the Livewire website. A fabulous source of information that includes articles, videos, podcasts and an annual conference. If you are looking for some stock ideas, this is the place.
App: Finabase
There is a great app I have had for years now called Finabase by Astontek. It is based on StockIdeal Pro. It operates on real-time data so prices and data update live time. It is a great way to keep track of stocks and markets at any time when you’re away from the PC. Brilliant on an iPad. It has a great charting package which allows customised technical scans and a plethora of other features for any investor, trader or chartist. They call it the ‘ultimate’ investment tracking tool. It’s certainly a very good one. It could suit people who understand charts and want to scan stocks for technical signals. It costs $139.99.
Marcus Padley is the author of the daily stock market newsletter Marcus Today.
Effie Zahos
Podcast: Freakonomics
What hooks me in here is not just the obscure topics such as ‘Reasons to be cheerful’ or ‘How to make meetings less terrible’but the production quality. If host Stephen Dubner is talking about fitness and happens to be running on a treadmill the sound effects and audio quality make me feel like I’m actually there. Dubner covers everything from behavioural economics and education to medicine and sport. Episodes range from just 30 minutes to a little over one hour – perfect for my road trips when travelling from Sydney to Canberra to visit my daughter.
Website: napkinfinance.com
Love, love, love this website! If a picture paints 1,000 words then a graph is worth 1,000 pictures. The concept behind this website is to demystify complex financial topics – all of which are explained on just one napkin. It reminds me of when you get together with friends at your local pub and there’s only the napkin there to help you explain your next brilliant money-making idea. If you’re a visual learner short on time then I’d very much recommend this site. The only downside is that it’s not an Aussie website.
App: GasBuddy
For some reason I hate stopping the car to fill up the tank. It’s like I enjoy the rush of seeing the fuel light turn on and not being sure if I will make it to the nearest petrol station. It also means I often dearly pay for it in fuel prices as I often have no choice but just to fill up at whatever price.
With that in mind I’ve recently downloaded two free fuel pricing apps – Motormouth and GasBuddy. While I don’t think these apps will change my behaviour they will allow me to be a little savvier about where I fill up.
At this stage I am enjoying the simplicity of GasBuddy. Last time I filled up I used the GasBuddy app to compare the prices of unleaded fuel near me. It was well worth the download as the spread in my area on that day was a massive 28 cents per litre.
Effie Zahos is Canstar’s Editor-at-Large. She is also an author and one of Australia’s leading personal finance commentators, appearing regularly on TV and radio.
Shaun Bond
Podcast: Planet Money
My favourite podcast is definitely Planet Money by NPR. I was a big fan of this when I lived in the US and like their mix of stories related to current issues in business, finance and the economy. A great recent example is Poker, Markets And Life.
Website: The Bogleheads Forum
I like to keep my own investing simple – focusing mainly on index funds to give low-cost exposure to my preferred assets. The Bogleheads Forum is built around this idea and is inspired by Jack Bogle’s approach to investment (he’s the grandfather of index investing and founder of Vanguard). The forums can be a great place to get started with investing.
Shaun Bond is the Frank Finn Professor of Finance in the Department of Finance at the University of Queensland. He has research interests in the areas of real estate finance and financial economics.
Main image source: stockfour (Shutterstock)
