My Top 7 Posts

Kevin at "Invest it Wisely" has invited me to participate in the "My Top 7 Posts" project.
Thanks Kevin.  Here it is:  The project asks for posts related to 7 categories.  I cheated and added a couple under two headings.

Your most beautiful post

I'd have to go with the one I just wrote describing a bit about a remarkable man, Edward Abbey, who had a passion for nature.  Included in the post was a mention of the memories from cross country trips with my son.  The subtle message was that, in the end, all of this financial blogging is about enabling people to get the most out of life.  I get the same message from fellow bloggers when I read about some of the fantastic trips they have been on.

Your most popular post

The post I wrote on how to calculate the time weighted return consistently gets more hits than anything else, although it was written some time ago.  I have to say that I'm disappointed  that  brokers don't make the ability to calculate performance more readily available.  As I've mentioned and stressed in numerous posts, Schwab does and it is a reason I use them.  Incidently, posts on how to calculate just about anything tend to be popular.  I guess readers see the title and, if they don't know how to do the calculation, will read the post.

Your most controversial post

Also, probably a recent one where I disagreed with a popular finance topics journalist.  I disagreed with her assessment that a 65-year-old shouldn't "feel guilty" about being befuddled dealing with retirement questions.  My view is that people need to take responsibility before they reach 65 and think about retirement.  My comment on her site for the newspaper was deleted as inappropriate.  I guess she or her site overseer didn't like disagreement.


Your most helpful post

I have to put down two.  First, a 3-parter on advice for my younger daughter.  Like many young college graduates, she was handed a booklet on the company 401(k) and needed guidance.  The simple idea of using low-cost index funds and participating at least up to the company match and starting at a young age is lost on so many young people.  Part of the mission of my site is to get adults and those who understand this to spread the message.

Secondly, recommending Andrew Hallam's forthcoming book,  Millionaire Teacher: The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School and Ramit Sethi's I Will Teach You To Be Rich.  A really great part of financial blogging is that a few hours of explaining some basic concepts can make a huge difference in people's lives that they will be thankful for many years in the future.


A post whose success surprised you

A post about Michael Jordan's house got more attention than I expected.  But, on reflection, I guess with people around the world constantly plugging his name in search engines it probably isn't surprising. Anyways, it was a good chance to explain the difference between value in use and value in exchange - a distinction many people, even those who have taken economics, don't get.

A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved

I wrote about the Khan academy  which has an enormous library of online educational YouTube videos on all kinds of subjects, including financial topics, which I didn't get much response on.  I probably didn't go into enough depth because I know people are very much interested in the basics, such as how to calculate P/E ratios, present value, and why bond prices drop when interest rates rise and all of this at people's fingertips at the Khan Academy site.  Many of these topics are explained very well by Khan who has been called Bill Gate's "favorite teacher."

The post you are most proud of

Again, a 3-parter that takes new investors through the Schwab site but encourages them to check out their own site.  The purpose is to get newbies over their fear of investing.  For some, it is like a math phobia.  Many are surprised at the information they have at their fingertips and how useful it is in getting them on a solid path to reach their goals for retirement.

It’s your turn!

I nominate…

Monevator


The Biz of Life


The Investment Fiduciary


The Dividend Ninja

MoneyCone

Thanks again, Kevin, for the invite!