Pat Doyle, 47, has been living in Dubai for the past eight years with his wife, Karen, a teaching assistant, and their two daughters, aged 14 and 12. He works as a project director for a Dubai construction company. His colleague got him hooked on the podcast Meaningful Money six months ago.
He downloads episodes, which last about 30 minutes, to his smartphone and listens to one a week on his lunch break or at the gym.
“I find the host, Pete Matthew, easy to listen to,” says Mr Doyle. “His podcasts are interesting and informative and apply to people, such as myself, who are not financial gurus.”
Mr Doyle says he was introduced to the podcasts through a work colleague at a time when he realised he had no specific plans in place to manage his financial future and retirement.
“This put me into a state of panic,” he adds. “The podcasts have helped me tremendously, calming my initial panic, informing me it was never too late to start, then advising me on the steps I needed to take – such as the setting of goals and the importance of budgeting. I came to realise that, previously, my goals were unrealistic and unachievable.”
Mr Doyle says the episodes also helped him better manage funds he already had in place, and showed him how to determine their performance without a financial adviser.
“I chose podcasts based on my goals – currently three- to five-year goals – with the long-term aim of financial security in retirement,” he adds. “Having now put a plan in place, the podcasts assist with topics such as understanding funds, investing in property and how pensions work.”
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