If you want to boost your financial knowledge and learn more about different types of investments, there are entire libraries written on these subjects that can teach you everything from A to Z. You can also take financial courses and even obtain certifications that will look great on your resume, or work with an experienced financial advisor. Or you can make things a bit more interesting and watch a few TV shows. That’s right, if you want to take a less conventional route to learning about finance and investments, TV shows provide a great alternative. Whether you’re interested in financial planning, improving your credit score, investing in bonds, stocks, crypto, NFTs, Ordinals, real estate, or everything in between, there’s certainly a TV show that can provide you with valuable insights on each of these topics.
Sure, this won’t help you earn a degree in economics and finance, but it will certainly make for a much more entertaining learning experience. Besides, you can gain a lot more knowledge from these shows than you can imagine as they are packed with useful information. If you don’t believe us, we dare you to give these shows a try. So, here’s a scoop on what each of them has to offer.
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Squawk Box
Dubbed the pre-market show because of its broadcasting schedule, Squawk Box is a TV program that has been bringing viewers a daily dose of financial knowledge since 1995 and is still going strong to this day. The show is hosted by long-time anchors Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin and offers an analysis of the latest events impacting different financial markets, as well as interviews with important names in the world of business and politics. Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Alan Greenspan are some of the heavyweights who appeared on the show.
Each episode touches upon a variety of issues of broad public concern, providing you with a bird’s eye view of the interconnected politics and finance landscapes. It airs Monday to Friday, from 6 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time on CNBC.
Shark Tank
Aspiring entrepreneurs and startup owners, this one is for you! Shark Tank mixes drama with business acumen in a show that puts real-life entrepreneurs face to face with a panel of well-known investors to whom they have to pitch their business ideas so they can secure funding for their ventures. The show has won four Emmy awards so far, so you know you’re in for some quality entertainment with a generous side of investment education.
This might not be your classical finance program, but there’s a lot to learn (and laugh at) from both participants and “the sharks” Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Kevin O’Leary. The show has been running for 12 seasons and you can watch it on ABC each Friday night at 8 pm Eastern Time.
The Profit
Those of you who have enjoyed ABC’s Shark Tank will probably also like watching CNBC’s The Profit. The show follows a similar premise, with budding entrepreneurs and business owners trying to carve their paths in their respective fields and take their ventures to the next level by securing investment. However, the structure of the show differs slightly as participants don’t have to convince a group of investors of the viability of their ideas, but only have to deal with one investor, multimillionaire CEO Marcus Lemonis, who is also the host of the show.
Watching Lemonis decide which businesses are worth investing in and the measures he takes to help them thrive makes for an exciting educational journey you can join online on CNBC.com.
The Dave Ramsey Show
If you want to make more informed financial decisions and take control of your life, Dave Ramsey is the man who can help. On this show, finance expert and speaker Dave Ramsey talks directly with viewers about different financial issues or dilemmas they’re dealing with, from debt and lending to saving and investing, and provides them with financial advice with a no-nonsense attitude. The live stream is broadcast exclusively on YouTube, Monday through Friday from 2-5 PM ET, and all episodes are recorded and can be found on his channel.
Mad Money with Jim Cramer
You can hardly find an individual who is more passionate or knowledgeable about the stock market than Jim Cramer. So, through his show, Cramer aims to break down the ins and outs of the stock market so that everyone can learn how to navigate it like a pro. And he does that in his unique style, by going on fervent, colorful yet accurate rants about the topics he’s addressing, so it’s impossible not to get hooked. You can tune in to watch it on weeknights on CNBC at 6 pm Eastern Time.
Final thoughts
Let’s be honest here. Although the economy represents the engine that keeps our modern society running, its inner workings are still a mystery for most of us. The majority of people struggle with grasping even the most basic financial concepts like savings, inflation, liquidity, and credit management, and don’t even get us started on taxes.
This is mostly because financial education is not included in the national curriculum in most countries. It’s no surprise that so many don’t understand these elementary notions and are even more confused when it comes to things like digital currencies or NFT marketplaces like Magic Eden that haven’t been around for too long. So, one needs to look for other ways to fill in the gaps left by the education system and improve their financial literacy.
And that’s where TV shows come in. Beyond the entertainment value they provide, many TV shows also have the ability to educate the audience, and the productions listed above are a great example in this respect. Unlike books and courses, these TV shows can deliver information about money and finance in a captivating manner, so you can have fun while learning.
