Staying Fit
A guide to some of the best and little-known sites that help you plan your retirement, invest more effectively or simply save more money.
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I recently had the chance to spend a couple of days at FinCon, the country's premier conference for financial bloggers. Are there enough financial bloggers in the U.S. to have their own conference? There are, indeed. More than 400 of them were at this third annual gathering organized by Philip Taylor, who blogs at PTMoney.com.
I came away with a new required reading list for myself and thought I'd share some of my finds with you. I've broken them down by subject matter and listed a first choice and an alternate in five categories. Opinions are solely my own. If there are others you like better, please weigh in!
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Early Retirement/Retirement
My pick: SquaredAway. In 2010, Kimberly Blanton, a veteran finance and economics reporter, was hired by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College to develop and write a personal finance blog. This is the result. In clear, straightforward language, Blanton delves into what future and current retirees need to focus on, from the ups and downs of the stock market to the rise of part-time work and, recently, the Affordable Care Act. The site takes no ads and has a nice, clean look and feel.
Also worth a look: Johnny Moneyseed. The author of this blog and his wife are 30-something early retirees. Don't let that dissuade you. Their posts on topics such as how to be a foodie on a limited budget and how much you can save by downsizing apply to folks of all ages.
Investing
My pick: The Chicago Financial Planner. Roger Wohlner, a fee-only financial adviser based near the Windy City, focuses on helping regular investors avoid the hype and confusion of the financial-services industry. An entertaining writer prone to football references (a recent post focused on what financial firms could learn from visiting Lambeau Field), he gets down to the nitty-gritty on topics ranging from ETF pricing to estate- planning mistakes.
Also worth a look: Oblivious Investor. Certified financial planner Mike Piper started the blog in 2007 to deal with the questions his friends and loved ones would bombard him with every tax season. He decided that, rather than offering answers over and over again, he'd put them in a book and online. Today readers will find succinct tips on tax and retirement planning and low-maintenance investing.
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