Listen up: 5 top podcasts for accountants

AML updates: The UKFIU Podcast

Hosted by the UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU), part of the National Crime Agency, each episode features a panel or guest diving deep to explain a particular topic related to money laundering, fraud and economic crime.

Surprising fact: While the majority of episodes, particularly the early episodes, are focused on suspicious activity reports (SARs), three out of the 18 episodes currently available discuss the illegal wildlife trade. Who’d have thought?

See the series.

Only going to listen to one episode? Make it the episode featuring IFA Director of Professional Standards Tim Pinkney– the panel discusses what actions to take when specific concerns are raised during ‘know your customer’ processes, when to submit SARs and more.  

The consultants’ expertise: UK Matters in Accounting / The Accounting Influencers Podcast

Each week until January 2023, renowned speakers and consultants to accounting businesses Martin Bissett and Rob Brown hosted a short episode of ‘UK Matters in Accounting’, covering leadership, performance, brand, pricing, technology, future-proofing and more.

The archive is worth a listen – skipping some of the more news-focused episodes.

See all episodes, or listen below to a 15-minute discussion with Carl Reader about how accounting professionals can build stronger client relationships and renegotiate fees.

The UK Matters in Accounting team now hosts its discussions under the Accounting Influencers banner.

All about that growth: The Bookkeepers’ Podcast

Last year, bookkeeper Jo Wood sold the practice she’d built from her table at home – she’d grown it to multi-six figures before she exited.

Wood, alongside accountant Zoe Whitman, hosts growth-focused conversations for bookkeepers that are just as relevant for accountants and the majority of small businesses in professional services.
Wood and Whitman, who also coach other bookkeepers to scale and build success, discuss all aspects of growth, including marketing, interior design, technology, relationship management and more.

The only downside – the episodes are at times irregular. Five episodes were published on 6 March, 4 episodes a month earlier, and so on. Could be an upside for the binge-listeners!

See all episodes.

Only time for one episode? Start with this December 2023 discussion about how to start a practice:

Leadership and growth: Humanise the Numbers

With a solid 100+ episodes in the back-catalogue, Humanise the Numbers has covered just about every aspect of leading an accounting practice. Each hour-long episode, host Paul Shrimpling dives deep on a guest’s leadership and growth strategies, from setting and tracking KPIs with clients, planning for succession and exiting, branding and more.

See all episodes.

Ready to dive in? This growth- and people-focused conversation with Rachel Harris (who you might recognise from our women in accounting article published just yesterday) is the perfect place to start

A lesson in disagreeing: The Rest is Politics

Former communications chief for Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell and former Conservative party politician and diplomat, Rory Stewart host wide-ranging discussions with one apparent rule: any disagreement must be handled agreeably.

‘Politics’ is in the title – and features prominently – but this is not politics for the sake of it. Every conversation is directly relevant to everyday life, informative and useful.

See all episodes.

If you have somehow managed to avoid The Rest is Politics up until this point, start here – Campbell and Stewart discuss freeports, MP’s salaries, arts in the school curriculum and more: