Comments on: Daily Links: GRS Site Survey Edition

By: Ouida Vincent

Ouida Vincent — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:55:16 +0000

Hi JD, I took the survey. I think they are an excellent way to find out about your readers and what your readers want…just a bit long. I was glad to see “final questions” at the top of the last page! I wanted to thank you for mentioning my blog post Developing Your Financial Philosophy. I very much enjoy reading your blog and am glad I found it.

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By: mhb

mhb — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:52:07 +0000

Compared to the above comments, this might be nitpicky, but I work full-time and am a part-time student. This is something that affects my outlook and my finances… but I had to choose one in the survey. Making that question a “check all that apply” might have been better.

And I don’t think you need to offer a reward. Your readers are happy to give you feedback (including feedback on the setup of the survey!)

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By: Cely

Cely — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:14:24 +0000

I completely agree with bon — I really want more info on how to handle finances with your significant other. Living together as well as marriage. Forgot to put that in the survey but it’s something I look for here and elsewhere and I can never find good info.

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By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:42:24 +0000

My survey feedback somewhat duplicates the above, but here’s what I typed on Notepad as I took it:

-don’t have a debt problem even though I have debt
-don’t want some financial products. I have decided I don’t want them.
-bank bias – no mention of credit unions?
-age ranges are pretty clumsy – big difference between 25 and 21, for example.
-work fulltime / side business as an option?

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By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:06:26 +0000

I would have been good to have an extra comments box as well. I am from the UK so not all the stuff here is relevant for me but this is still my favourite blog by a mile.

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By: bon

bon — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:48:57 +0000

I just finished my survey but thought of something else that I would like to see more of on the site:

Discussions of finances & families — different ways that couples handle finances (whether married, shacking up, long-term dating, etc.), parents teaching kids, adult kids & parents, handling relatives in better or worse financial situations etc. I’d love to get more reader feedback on these topics!

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By: Linear Girl

Linear Girl — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:26:24 +0000

I’d just like to second Stefanie’s suggestion for adding a “shacking up” option for relationship status. I picked the answer that was technically correct but not really accurate.

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By: J.D.

J.D. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:38:03 +0000

Thanks for the feedback on the survey, folks. Obviously, I don’t have a lot of experience with them!

As for the “don’t have, don’t want”, I just assumed people would leave these blank. You’re right that it would have been better to have an explicit option for that.

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By: Canadian

Canadian — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:33:01 +0000

Some of your questions did not apply to me because I am not American – 401k or whatever is for Americans.

And ditto to cmadler — you need a “don’t have and don’t want” option.

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By: Beth

Beth — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:32:50 +0000

JD, I had a hard time with this survey because it made too many assumptions — especially that I’m a US citizen!

For example, I had to say that a lot of topics or tools weren’t useful to me. That’s not because they aren’t useful information, it’s just that I’m in another country so the information doesn’t apply. An “N/A” option for the questions would have been helpful.

Maybe you’d get a better idea of what your US audience was looking for if you asked where people are coming from? Then you wouldn’t have us “outsiders” like me skewing your results

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By: cmadler

cmadler — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:43:35 +0000

On survey question 2.1 (“Which of the following accounts do you already have and/or are planning to open (please check all that apply)”) the only options were “Already have”, “Planning to open in 1-2 months”, “Trying to decide if I want one”. What about “Don’t have and don’t want”?

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By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:33:36 +0000

Good health – You have options to cope with change. That’s a good thing to know. I gotta work on my Disposable income ratio though. By the way: Excelent post J.D. This is exactly the kind of information I hope to find!

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By: Glen Allsopp

Glen Allsopp — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:38:48 +0000

I love your link round-up’s JD. Found a nice post from Trent here. I will complete your survey now!

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By: Amy F

Amy F — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:23:51 +0000

Whoo-hoo, 78 pts and excellent health here! Maxed out factors 1 and 4, almost did for factor 3, but have low emergency savings (factor 2). We’ve almost paid off the student loan and plan on gathering emergency savings next, so hopefully by the end of the year we’ll be even better.

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By: NoMoreStudentLoans.org

NoMoreStudentLoans.org — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:29:27 +0000

This stress test should be done by everyone.

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By: frugalscholar

frugalscholar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:56:46 +0000

My father constructed and analyzed consumer surveys for a living (and I spent many hours working for him!); you get more responses when you offer a reward, if not to each respondent, then to, say, 20 respondents chosen at random.

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By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:11:30 +0000

Another recommendation, if I may? Under employment status considering having an option for “self-employed.” I checked that I work full-time (which I do), but I am self-employed and work from home for the past 12+ years (while taking care of two kids, now 13 and 15).

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By: stefanie

stefanie — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:57:11 +0000

Hi J.D., Can I make a recommendation about the survey? If you’re really interested in knowing readers’ relationship status, please include at least one choice that includes non-married partnership. This doesn’t need to be “domestic partnership,” since I am sure there are plenty of people, myself included, who are living with a partner but are neither married nor legally domestically partnered, put something along the lines of “living with significant other(s)/ partner(s)” would be great. Thanks!

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By: Melanie

Melanie — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:57:17 +0000

I would say write the post anyway…I know if my husband wrote something like that for me I’d print it up and frame it as a reminder of how well we work together!

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