Finance presenter Alan Kohler retiring after three decades at ABC

Alan Kohler says he is ready to spend more time with his family. (Supplied: Alan Kohler)

Official response and confirmed impact

After a brilliant 31-year career as the ABC's finance guru, Alan Kohler has decided to hang up his boots at the end of the year.

With a successful career in print before moving to television, Kohler has been one of the most influential journalists Australia has ever produced, as a former editor of The Australian Financial Review (AFR) and The Age and as an incisive columnist on all affairs financial.

"I love the ABC, always have, even more so after I joined it," he told ABC staff in a statement.

Alan Kohler (left) speaks with then-treasurer Paul Keating in 1984, during Kohler's time as editor of The Australian Financial Review. (Supplied)

Kohler joined the public broadcaster in 1995 as business and economics correspondent for the 7.30 Report and went on to host Inside Business.

For the past 24 years, he has been the lead 7pm News finance presenter, unravelling the mysteries of financial markets for the audience with a format all his own that has often begun with: "Now, here's an interesting graph."