Monday, December 20, 2010

Personal Finance Blogs


More and more personal finance blogs are popping up every day. Some discuss how they are going to make their first million dollars, others are about how to be frugal and save money, while others are more focused on paying down debt. It's great to see such an interest in personal finance, and it's fantastic to be able to be an observer and watch step-by-step how people take control of their financial situation.

One thing to conscious of as you read through personal finance blogs is that they are often not written by professionals in the field. In my opinion this has some strengths, as they are true accounts of strategies, products and systems that actually work for the author and it's readers. But that also means it is even more important for you to do your due diligence before acting on any of the information given on these sites, as it should be regarded as opinion rather than professional advice.

That's not to say there isn't very valuable information that can be found within the pages of these personal finance blogs. Many have been listed in Money Magazine's best personal finance websites, and listed in the New York Times and the like, so they do come with a level of credibility. Secondly, authors tend to do their very best at publishing accurate information in order to maintain their level of credibility and attract more readers.

The real gold, however, is often found deep in the comments section after each article found in the archives. Since most of these blogs allow anyone to leave a comment, it is not unusual to see people with competing views debate an issue, which is great for the readers. This is where you will often find certified professionals give their thoughts, argue points or include some additional background to help you make the most out of your financial situation. These comments allow you to see things from all angles so you can make the best decision based on the information at hand.

You probably don't wan to let these personal finance blogs be a substitute for professional advice, but rather help guide you to a starting point and give you some general background information. Each person's situation is slightly different, and what may work for one person may not work for everyone. However, the same fundamental concepts generally apply when working to pay down debt, manage money or accumulate wealth, so they are a great starting point.

Beyond that, you will often find honest personal finance software reviews, documents to help you stay organized, and general stories that will help you stay motivate and inspired to reach your goals.

With all of the personal finance bloggers out there, there is a wealth of information at your finger tips that can truly make you rich. Find the one's you can relate to the most, and add them to your RSS feed. That way you can easily read through the new content on each site in one place, making it easy to read all of the fresh material.

Read More : http://ezinearticles.com/?Personal-Finance-Blogs&id=1190501

Personal Finance Tips From One of Life's Financial Victims


Good advice without strings is extremely hard to find nowadays, nevertheless, this is what I'm here to do. Yes, I'm offering personal finance tips that are both useful and practical, and what's more, free of charge. Some of my personal finance tips you may have heard from others, and some you may not. However, even if you've heard them before, many of them are well worth repeating. After all, good advice always holds its value and none more so than personal finance tips from one of life's financial victims. I'd even go as far as to say that not only do they represent sound advice, but these words are good enough to live by.

Always be Wary of Shoes

If you're a man and married, here's a peculiar and extremely useful personal finance tip I urge you to listen to. Strange as it may sound, please take note of the relationship between your wife and her shoes. Whenever you first marry, usually things start out quite innocently as simply just several nice pairs of shoes and, of course, some sneakers for wearing outdoor. But all of a sudden, it quickly turns out she'll need a new pair of shoes for every new outfit for work, despite that she may already have two pairs of black shoes. "Ah", she proclaims, "but none of my own shoes are like this new pair of black shoes". Before you know it, you are up to your knees in a sea of shoes just to try and get out the door in the morning. And the problem grows steadily worse. This tip is as much for your personal sanity as it is one of my personal finance tips. Trust me on this one!

Replace your Light Bulbs

Recently I decided to change all of my current standard light bulbs to the energy-saving bulbs that only use a fraction of the power of the standard, yet emit greater light. So I ask you, what makes this one of my personal finance tips?

This is indeed one of my personal financial tips as the new energy-savers cost $35 for the entire house, which I have ascertained will save approximately $50 and $60 per month on my home energy bill. The point being, if you find ways to save money in your home, ultimately you'll see a positive increase in the balance of your savings account.

Avoid High Interest Terms and Conditions

Credit is all very well, however, should you take the finance option to buy a $500 product, then with an interest rate of 25%, by the end of the finance period you'll have paid out just short of $1,500 for the privilege. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that if you can save the $500 cash needed to pay for the product, you'll save yourself almost $1000.

At all costs, try to avoid purchasing any item on a store credit card, as these tend to charge the greatest rates of interest. When it comes to personal finance tips, the best tip I can give you is to avoid high interest rates whenever you go on a spending spree.

Read More : http://ezinearticles.com/?Personal-Finance-Tips-From-One-of-Lifes-Financial-Victims&id=4389472