Top financial blogs for building wealth
(MoneyWatch) COMMENTARY I just attended FinCon 12, a financial bloggers conference. Of the 400 attendees, I was one of the oldest. I was not only wowed by the young talent producing independent blogs with millions of followers, but also impressed by the outstanding advice they were giving to readers of all ages.
The event kicked off with the Plutus Awards to recognize the best financial blogs (aptly named after Plutus, the Greek god of wealth). Here are some of the winners, whose outstanding sites you may want to visit:
Best frugality blog: The Centsible Life. I tell people that I'm not cheap, I'm "value-oriented." So this is definitely a blog for people like me who want to have it all, but on a budget.
Best investing blog: Oblivious Investor. This blog offers great investment advice for simple low-maintenance investing. The founder, Mike Piper, has written many successful books, and his site is filled with uncommon common-sense investing. I'm biased here, as I know Mike. think he is brilliant and wish I'd had his wisdom when I was his age.
Best tax blog: Joe Taxpayer. This blog covers far more than just taxes and explores many great financial topics. Think of it as financial commentary for the average Joe.
Best retirement blog: Good Financial Cents. This isn't your typical "how to live in retirement" blog. It's about taking charge of your life and reaching financial independence. Personally, I like the phrase "financial independence" far more than retirement.
Best blog for young adults: Studenomics.The founder says, "My goal is to put more money in your pocket. I love to see young people grab life by the... and conquer their money." Now that's a mission statement!
People's choice award: Punch Debt in the Face. The site's slogan is "financial education one laugh at a time," and it delivers common sense advice with a dose of humor. Who says money can't be funny?
Blog of the year: Budgets are Sexy. Practical advice and tools to build wealth. I've always found saving to be sexy, and now I know I am not alone.
This is only a small sample of some of the outstanding financial blogs out there on the Internet. You can see winners of other categories, as well as other finalists, by clicking on the Plutus Awards.
No snake oil
Though I didn't know what to expect from this conference going in, I can tell you that I was blown away by this new generation of sharp financial minds and the excellent advice they offer in their blogs. The event was organized by Philip Taylor of PT Money, one of the finalists for blog of the year. But like all the other bloggers, he wasn't there for the awards competition. He was there for the collaboration required to help the financial blogging community deliver more value to consumers.
It's a brave new world out there in the blogosphere. I loved the abundance of great blogs delivering valuable advice. I was also happy with the absence of blogs offering garbage advice on getting rich quick or on putting everything in gold. If you want to be on the right side of Plutus, the god of wealth, be sure to check out some of these blogs.