I am the guiding voice of Get Rich Slowly. Over the past six years (and one month), I’ve been the one who has written the bulk of the articles here, the one who has edited 95% of the material on the site, and the one who has decided which topics we cover and which topics we ignore.
That said, I like to think I’m responsive to the needs of the readers. As the audience has changed, so too has the material I’ve covered. (And, of course, my own financial life has changed too, which influences the direction of the site.)
From time to time, though, I feel out of sync with the readership. I feel like your needs and my needs have diverged. When that happens, I make a post like this one, a post that asks explicitly: What topics would you like to see Get Rich Slowly cover?
Rather than simply guess at this stuff, I’m asking you to give us feedback about what you need and want from a personal finance blog.
- Do you want to see more articles about the psychological side of money? Or would you prefer to see fewer of these?
- Is it useful for you to hear about the lateest bank and credit card deals? Or should we keep these sorts of articles to just a couple of times per year?
- Would you like more reader-contributed material or less of it?
- What about non-financial stories, stories about success and achievement?
Basically, anything you can tell us about what you like about Get Rich Slowly — and what you don’t like — will help us build a better blog for the future. So, please leave a comment below to tell us how we can better help you. (And, if possible, point to some recent articles you love and/or some recent articles you hate.)
While we’re talking about administrative stuff, let me note that we’ll soon be doing another round of hiring for staff writers. As we bring new people on board, what’s important to you about their content and writing style? Do you like personal stories? More academic pieces? Do you a younger writer who reflects your experience? An older writer? Somebody who’s struggling with debt? A millionaire? How important is the writer’s voice? Their writing skill? Basically, tell us what sort of staff writer you think would appeal to you
I know many of you would prefer that I wrote every post here, and that’s flattering. But, as several astute readers have noted lately, I’ve burned out. It’s time to inject some fresh blood into this site, and your voice will help us determine how we do that.
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HI JD,
I have read your blog for about 3 years now and feel my demographic is underserved. I am almost 60, divorced, with no retirement. I am self-employed in the arts, which means there is little money left over for investing. I am scared about the future and know many women in the same boat, who lost a lot because of divorce. (Child support does not begin to cover the cost of raising kids, so I went into credit card debt to fill the gap. I have paid that off now but am still wondering if I will be a bag lady in the next 20 years. I no longer own a home.) I guess I really need to get rich FAST! Thanks!
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I think you will enjoy “Graceful Retirement”. She’s on a similar journey.
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Like many others above, Id like to see more stories on ‘getting by’ and the psychology behind personal finance. I have absolutely no debt and am currently saving to buy a house and I tell ya, its a frigging battle. Just like getting OUT of debt, SAVING is a real chore. Im super proud of my progress but it is a constant, real, daily struggle to stay on budget. I am SOO sick of scrimping and saving (its been 2 years now), whatever can inspire us to go on, is helpful. I often feel defeated, that it is too high a hill to climb, even with breaking it down to smaller, achievable goals. I live in a big city and 20% down for a >shack< is still a large chunk of change.
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Congrats on an awesome job so far, Maria. Sounds like you might be facing burnout. Here’s a suggestion that’s worked for me. I know is sounds crazy, but I can’t tell you what a psychological boost it was and continues to be.
I went to Hawaii for 12 days and spent $450. After airline credits of $400, my net cost was actually $50! The only way it worked was a kind of perfect storm of planning and circumstance: I used airline miles to pay my fare. I bought my brother’s ticket with more miles. In exchange, he paid for the rental car and gas, which I found a screaming deal on. We brought along a cousin who flew on miles, too. We all stayed with yet another a cousin who was stationed in Honolulu at the time. We all pooled our resources for groceries. We shopped at Costco and cooked at home. We packed a cooler every morning and set off in search of free/cheap/fun things to do. We had some friends on the island and made some new ones, so we even hosted a party before we left. Costco to the rescue. I have relived that vacation thousands of times in the four years since.
Now I know that “Take a Hawaiian vacation” looks like terrible GRS advice, but here’s my point: you need a reward for what you’ve accomplished thus far and to encourage you to keep making progress. Figure out something that will do that for you and make it happen on the cheap. You may not have a cousin in Hawaii (I don’t either any more, alas.) but find something that is unique to your situation and compound your advantage. The fun is in the planning. The maximum fun is in planning and doing it at rock-bottom cost. Find something, plan it out in extensive frugal detail, and have an incredible time. Take lots of pictures. You will have filled your “great memories” reserve to the brim and it will motivate you to redouble your efforts.
I didn’t set out to have a $450 vacation, much less a $50 net one. I just looked for ways to cut every corner without suffering. I bought “new” beach clothes at Goodwill beforehand and a new bathing suit at Costco in Hawaii Kai. We planned our trip in the shoulder season because we wanted to be there for “Lei Day”. We participated in the “World’s Longest Lei” Event. We hiked, swam, and picnicked all over the island. We toured the USS Arizona Memorial and went to the Bishop Museum for a free star-gazing program. A highlight was a long morning spent strolling the Aloha Stadium Swap. I bought a pretty wrap skirt that I still wear often. It reminds me of my trip and of my renewed goals.
Find something that will inspire you and start planning it right away.
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Now this here was a real GRS article. I like this thought. I want to go to Hawaii& this started me thinking . There are state parks there & I’m going to check out campsites.We don’t have any credit cards to have airline miles though , so will have to figure something else out. Thank you for the ideas!
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My email box is bombarded every day with competing content so I only read what is useful. I like practical tips for saving and managing money. Great credit card or bank offers are helpful (once in awhile). I’d also like to know more about peer-to-peer lending and helping your parents prepare for retirement (particularly when they are financially unprepared). While the psychological stuff is interesting, I usually delete those emails.
I enjoy content from other writers and readers as everyone has something different to offer.
Thanks for asking!
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J.D., this isn’t content related but one thing that really frustrates me is this “you’re posting comments too quickly” message. I usually get it the first time I post a comment on an article! Am I typing too quickly or what?
It’s really annoying typing up a thoughtful response to something only to lose your comment with an error message.
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I like posts about understanding more about investing, starting businesses – the nitty gritty, and some personal stories mixed in.
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Please, do not increase bank and credit card articles. I like the psychology of money articles and I would like to see more third stage personal finance information. Can someone explain what a REIT is and when it would be beneficial? How about asset allocations that go beyond just 120-age=stocks? I’m sure there’s much more to learn about, I’d love to learn it here.
It probably comes as no surprise that Robert Brokamp is my favorite GRS contributor. His combination of knowledge and voice is fantastic and I would love to see more contributors like him.
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I’d like to see more posts on:
*earning more – you’ve touched on this, but more posts about increasing income would be helpful
*investing
*saving through diy, gardening, self-sufficiency
*eco-friendly – how being good stewards of the earth benefits us financially as well – also, how to save on organics, etc.
*giving back/charity
*how to teach kids about money – when to start, how to start, which lessons are most important
*BOOK REVIEWS – I’d love to see book reviews. For example, Laura Vanderkam has a new book out (All the Money in the World) that I’m reading now — it would be a great one to review for the GRS audience. It deals with money & happiness with some interesting & surprising research finds.
I also really like the behavioral/psychological posts about why we do what we do.
Thanks for 6 years (and 1 month) of great content!
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I like the mix of stories as it is. I can best relate to the third phase stories, because that is where I’m at. But I do enjoy reading the other posts too.
It would be nice to see a few older, more experienced staff writers in the mix. I love reading articles by the younger writers, but those of us who are older have some obstacles and considerations they don’t face. (And I just may suggest to my mom that she apply for one of the positions!)
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I would prefer more articles on diversifying through different investment types. Once you have the money saved how to make it grow best, something other than index funds though. I have been so focused on saving money, now its what to do with it. Your not getting any interest in most bank accounts, bonds and stocks are iffy, you never know if the market will drop 20%, commodities, international, what else?
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I really like having a mix of articles from writers in different stages. It’s helpful to hear from someone else who is also trying to get out of debt, but it’s inspiring to hear from someone who’s already there. It’s also nice to know what kind of issues or problems might arise once I’m more financially secure.
I like the reader stories, but the more details there are, the better. Sometimes it’s hard to glean a take-away if the story is too vague.
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And, now that I think of it: I dont see many of these articles anywhere, but any kinds of advice on how to manage/deal/budget for medical things would be great. I am also SOO sick of going to the doctor, dentist, etc and not knowing what it is really going to cost me. The doctor may be covered by insurance, but then the medications arent, or the labs arent, and 2-3 months later I get a bill for a couple hundred dollars because suddenly I have a pre-existing condition and nothing is covered. And then one of the cats gets sick, too. I have a separate bank account that I fund every paycheck just for medical-type things, but its not really working. I am always short. I have no idea how to budget for these things. Theres an FSA at work, but it doesnt cover any of the products/medications I use, so… its useless. We do not have a high-deductible plan, so an HSA is also not possible. How do I get the doctors or insurance company to tell you how much something will REALLY cost before agreeing to the (non-critical) procedure? Nothing destroys my budget more quickly than a medical bill.
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I agree. More reader stories and personal accounts of varying subjects. Less work for you, more reading material for us. Do it!
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I have been doing my own bugeting since 1970. I am currently teaching at least eight people about budgeting. My husband and I have followed this for years and we are doing very well and owe no one anything. I would like to write a book on my bugeting but I don’t know how to get this started. It would be helpful if you coud give me some advice on how to do this book. Your e-mails are so informative and I send them to all my friends. Keep up the great work. Below is a story on Deborah Joseph, she is one of the people I am teaching the budget to. Read what she has to say about the budget.
Hello, Iam Deborah Joseph, the Caretaker for Mrs. Giglia,I have been on the budget since December 2011.I was being taught while at work. I was in jeapordy of losing my home and was in debt up to my ears. Mrs. Giglia, told me I can save money to pay these bills off. I told her there was no way I could afford it. She then told me “YES YOU CAN”, “YES YOU CAN”. I didn’t believe her at first until I started doing the things she told me to do. I was amazed that what she said was true. I now have paid all my bills off but two and will have one paid by July 2012, and the other off in 2013. I am so excited because I was able to trade in my junky car that was taking all my money and buy a newer car because of this budget. I can’t thank her enough for taking the time to teach me how to save money to pay my bills. It is very simple and if you will reply to her I am sure she will teach you how to save money too. It is all up to you and you wanting to get out of debt.
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I like stories about transitions. Many of life’s financial difficulties come from transitions. I would like to hear about how people handle the financial issues surrounding: getting married (wedding, joint finances, moving in together), changing jobs, changing cities, changing countries, having a baby, buying a house, moving out of home, going into retirement, and so forth.
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I think once/twice a year is fine for bank & credit card deals, unless someone offers a truly extraordinary, short-term deal (a relatively large bonus for starting a savings account, an ultra-high savings interest rate for a promotional period, etc.) People don’t change their banking accounts that often, and unless there’s some kind of uniquely good deal, knowing who offered good rates within the last six months is fine as a starting point for someone looking to open a new account/card.
And my favorite stories are generally those where someone has come up with an innovative way to earn/save money — something that everyone can do and that’s often overlooked. Beyond that, I always enjoy stories that are about real dilemmas — to pay off the mortgage early or to invest? what to do with a lump sum? how to save for a child’s college — and the discussion those stories spur in the comments.
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I, too, skim the article headlines and read what appeals to my current situation. I enjoy the third party articles with helpful advice and new ideas. You can only hear “skip the daily latte to save” so many times before you start screaming at the computer that you don’t even drink coffee. I feel like we’re doing what we can to save, but with two kids and sports/band/camps/school it’s hard to save what we need to. We’ve gleaned some good information from your blog and really enjoy the articles on:
how to buy stuff sensibly
how to invest (for the beginner)
unique savings/earnings ideas
links to other articles/sites with helpful info
investment guides
budgeting
I’d enjoy seeing some articles where either JD or a guest author worked with GRS readers (one on one) to help with an issue: new to investing, cutting spending, remodeling on a budget, starting to save for ? (college, a new car, a new home, a trip).
This blog has been a great source of information. Keep it up and drop the credit card articles. Thanks!
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I’m interested in hearing more stories around the world. I live in London so all US specific articles (pension plans, credit cards) are largely irrelevant to me. On the other hand, the psychology behind spending, methods of getting/staying out of debt etc apply to everyone. It would be interesting to have a monthly “around the world” series where people outside US could share their experiences. I have learned a lot whilst reading articles that don’t fully apply to me, and I’m sure this could work the other way too. GRS must have quite a global following.
In addition, I’m interested in the “third stage” as well.
Thanks for asking!
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Long time reader, still check in daily – though now I have officially added MMM (Mr Money Mustache) to the blog rotation.
The good
I love your posts.
I LOVE Donna!
I also like stories about starting your own business but they are often lacking the concrete details in favor of brevity – make these longer
I also like the informative posts by Robert and the political pieces by Sarah, I may not agree but it’s food for thought for the day
The Bad
There are no posts anymore about the personal journey you were taking – the war on clutter, how to navigate it, why we make the choices we do, I know you’re not done – you’re just not writing about the details like you used to – I miss that
I also miss any posts on DIY ingenuity -I get that you’re now living the apartment lifestyle – so maybe one of your new writers could be a *gasp* homeowner – who does cool stuff to save/make money
The Ugly
This last week was terrible posting pacing, I know really does it matter that much, yes it does. I like to sit down with my coffe and catch up on the day’s post – it sets me up for the day
The coupon clipping queen – there was nothing new, and not only that – there was no details that were worthy. If you’re going to tell me you saved $500 on groceries – I want to see what you’re buying. Cause otherwise – I’m assuming it’s processed food and moving on.
Two posts on Chris’ new book? I’m interested in getting it – and I still think it was overkill
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Mr. Roth,
I really appreciate the variety of articles here, sir. Not every post is specific to my situation, but I always take something away.
There is one thing I’ve been thinking about… (I’ve been a loyal reader for about a year now, and I seriously look forward to each article!) A more detailed archive would be incredibly helpful on this blog. You have a wealth of information here- can you create a better system of archiving? You have listings for “best of” and “popular tips” (this is good) but there are so many excellent articles that are relevant and timely. Consider a system of topics or tags where every article is “tagged” with various words that describe it’s contents. That way people can easily go back and read every article about IRAs or what-have-you. This might take a little time going back and tagging every article, but would be an extremely helpful device for your readership!
THANK YOU! Keep up the great work!
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I enjoy personal stories (either funny or emotional) of here’s what happened and here’s what I learned. I would like to see reader submissions be compensated in some way so we get more variety and fresh voices (not just other blog writers wanting to advertise). I think that would be better than more staff writers.
I enjoy the psychology of money and here’s why you should do A instead of B… However, only when it is fully researched, citing references. For the last year or so, I skim the article and then go to the comments section to read El Nerdo’s response. He usually cites more concrete facts than most of the authors on this site.
On the topic of reader comments – I would love to see an open forum where readers can submit questions directly to the other readers to answer and respond to. Where the readers have full control over the direction and topics. In addition to the formatted articles on the main page.
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Also a very long term reader. The articles I’ve loved and recommended:
- Lazy portfolios. Excellent article from 2009 that could use an update.
- Roth IRAs.
- Setting up targeted savings accounts at ING.
- Planning your estate – the one from the reader, on how her father set things up in advance. I sent that to my 75 year old mom.
- Anything by Brokamp.
For me, it’s about analytical guidance. How to think about things. Where the resources are. Smart strategies with limited time to get these things done in a Monday-Friday world, when we’re working in an office.
And for the commenter who said we need MORE articles about credit cards so we can “understand” them – we understand them just fine. We just have them under control, and don’t need the incessant marketing.
An article about the analytics of choosing (or changing!) a bank or credit card is different. Have recent laws about credit card disclosures changed the tactics of the card companies and the banks? And if so, how?
Also, I think for those of us who own houses, a HUGE part of building wealth is the courage to DIY. I’d love guest posts on people with fixit and handyman skills on resources for DIY projects. How do you get a permit? If you need architectural drawings, what’s the best way to get them? How to source the materials smartly? Which projects can I do, and when to bring in a pro? And which projects can I stat, and then bring in someone to finish the work for maximum savings AND impact?
Thanks for asking.
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I know this may only apply to a handful of readers, but it would be awesome to read a guest post or two on LGBT finance. My wife and I have been married almost a year and we just went through the odd process of filing our taxes as single with the federal government, but jointly with the state government for the first time. Now we’re working on making sure we have wills and power of attorney in place so that if anything happens to one of us while we’re in a state that doesn’t recognize our marriage, the other person would still be protected. And we’re trying to make sure we have money set aside for the legal fees involved in a second-parent adoption for our first child that we’re expecting in November.
I guess I just wonder if there are other things we should be thinking of to make sure we have our financial house in order given our married, but not married everywhere legal status.
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That’s a thorny issue. My sister and her girlfriend live in North Carolina. They have an estate plan, powers of attorney, all kinds of financial entanglements … and with the new amendment these may all be invalidated.
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This is an excellent idea.
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There is a science of getting rich. Discussion about it may be useful.
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Practical investing ideas/advice/resources/opinions/thoughts on investing for the individual who does not use a Financial Planner.
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Thanks for asking! I really like this website so I am happy to contribute feedback.
I like to think GRS is not another “find and share good deals” blog. For this reason I am turned off by articles like “How to pay less for items you buy every day” or “Dining out on the cheap” (fictitious references, I can’t remember if you’ve had any other these type articles recently…). Those type of articles are helpful but generic and easy to find all over the web.
I enjoy articles about the psychology of money. I also like personal finance book reviews and insights into different types of money management (ex: an overview of the balanced budget equation, the envelope method, $ management software, etc.). I also enjoy the occasional article about different investment vehicles (a closer look at bonds, IRAs, etc.).
I appreciate articles about entrepreneurship but, personally, I’d like to see it be treated as PART of the website content, without hogging too much focus in the overall content. I also don’t mind reader stories, usually of the “share my success” variety, but prefer they be kept to a minimum– 1-2 days per week tops.
I largely view GRS as a daily nugget of financial education. Wether new info or just a reminder, I like to think your website helps keep me “on my game”, financially. I also subscribe to “Wise Bread” and “Christian PF” (in case you wanted to know your “peers” in my humble world). Thanks for all you have done, are doing, and will go on to!
…also, thanks for bothering to read this LONG response!
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Not interested in credit card deals or frequent flyer gimmicks.
More on paying down mortgages, frolicking cat pics, funny Donna articles, and any reader articles about quitting a stable job when they’ve had enough.
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I love the blog and the content is great. I am a firm believer in, to beicome a more successful person you have to become a better person, so more self improvement stuff would be great! Also as an “over 40 victim of fate” (jimmy buffet), I would love stuff on how to get out of the hole after shortsaleing or forclosing. Also articles on starting over after flubbing your finances. So let’s say someone who is over $100,000 dollars in debt and has no credit because of a shortsale. This peson also wants to start her own business but no bank will give a business loan…… Stuff like that would be helpful. Keep up the great work you info is very useful!
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Mr. Roth,
I really appreciate the variety of articles here, sir. Not every post is specific to my situation, but I always take something away.
There is one thing I’ve been thinking about… (I’ve been a loyal reader for about a year now, and I seriously look forward to each article!) A more detailed archive would be incredibly helpful on this blog. You have a wealth of information here- can you create a better system of archiving? You have listings for “best of” and “popular tips” (this is good) but there are so many excellent articles that are relevant and timely. Consider a system of topics or tags where every article is “tagged” with various words that describe its contents. With this system, people can easily go back and read every article about IRAs or what-have-you. It might take a little time going back and tagging every article, but would be an extremely helpful device for your readership!
THANK YOU! Keep up the great work!
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My favorite articles are the ones that discuss new-to-me ideas about money management, savings and income, and living well on a budget. I love trying out these ideas and seeing if they work for me; some I love (like the “spontenaity fund”) and some I scrap (I found I can barely get weeds to grow, so I doubt I’ll be canning anytime soon), but the experimentation is always fun and informative.
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What about a feature that helps a reader? I.e. a “money makeover” along the lines of what money magazine sometimes does on their site? This could offer practical help for someone and also give ideas to others. GRS really helped me focus on getting myself out of debt and more aware of what I spend, but I’m concerned that although I’ve moved on to a stage in life where there is money to be saved/spent that I’m still doing the wrong thing with it… also interested about money management and marriage.
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Some things I like best:
- Success/acheivement stories
- Perspective of people in debt, or who used to be in debt but got out of it (either through staff writer or reader story)
- Enjoy the reader stories
Don’t care as much for really technical stories (not that there are too many of those), or the best bank/credit card articles…
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I love your site. I check it everyday. I really wish there was a bold function within your forum, where if I have clicked a thread its no longer bold. When someone new posts in the thread, not only it is bumped to the top but re-bolded.
Thanks!
savingadvice.com is another one I use. I read their forum more than yours exclusively due to this
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Honestly, I think LESS writers might be an improvement. There are currently so many that I don’t feel like I *know* any of them… which to some degree hampers my enjoyment of this site. Two or three (max) good voices with occasional guest or reader stories seems like a good combo to me. J.D. is still the reason I read here, but I understand the burnout thing.
In terms of content, I enjoy the psychology of saving/spending. I especially appreciate those articles geared towards the college set and young adults that I can share with my daughters. I like to encourage them without lecturing.
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Good writing that is engaging, concise, and grammatically accurate is essential whether it’s yours or that of a guest writer. In the upcoming recruitment, I hope you are able and interested in keeping Donna Freedman on board. Her GRS articles are consistently good, as are those from Robert Brokamp. And if you can woo Phillip Brewer away from Wisebread, you’d have another dynamite guest writer.
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It’s funny how all the baby-boomers think that they’re being “underserved” or want more content geared towards them. Seems pretty typical of that gen. Forget that! There’s tons of content out there for their demographic already.
I really like “Get Rich Slowly” and its current diversiveness. I enjoy this site very much the way it is. (Although it could maybe use a little eye-candy here and there in the way of photos?)
I have to also say that it’s refreshing there aren’t a whole bunch of those fluff articles here. …Ones like “10 Ways to Vacation on the Cheap”. Ugh… There are enough of those out there to last the Net its lifetime.
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“There’s tons of content out there for their demographic already.”
Please be more specific – like what? Name names.
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Don’t arrogantly dismiss the concerns of a whole group of people. Their problems will be yours soon enough.
And for what it’s worth, the whole concept of the Baby Boom as a monolith is absurd. People born in 1947 have very little in common with those born in 1957, or 1964– yet they are, quite lazily, grouped together all too often.
Also, “diversiveness” is not a word.
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Hello and thank you for asking.
I agree with one of the comments. I don’t think we need another “how to save money using coupons and/or strategies for buying for less.”
I have a blog on “Dollar Stretcher” (Thrifty Living Today). TDS and other sites offer lots of advice on saving and using resources for a number of projects.
What I like about “Get Rich Slowly” is the fact that you go outside the box and address numerous areas of personal financial management. You have a huge audience and I think everyone finds needed material as the posts come along.
I am a Senior. I have recently retired. One of my goals was to start a blog dedicated to Senior Living and what it is like to retire. The site is now up and named “Retire and Renew.” The site is http://www.retireandrenew.com
I think retirees face a lot of challenges. They need a strong knowledge base on Thrift and living on a great deal less. So I periodically post information on frugal Senior living.
Best wishes on your search for the opinions of your audience. You give us a voice and we appreciate it.
Lori Blatzheim
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I think it’d be great to keep having more posts on the psychology of earning more, as well as on related topics such as motivation, productivity and how to turn ideas into profit.
I think case studies will always be welcome as both a source of inspiration and for learning too, as long as they are focused on teaching some explicit topic instead of just showcasing someone’s success.
As for the new writers, I think it would be good to have both success cases and people who are getting rich slowly and can comment on their progress.
Thanks for your great content!
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I’m way late on this post, so who knows if you’ll even get here, but here’s what I’d like to see.
A mix of posts not only applicable to the various stages of personal finance, but also to different lifestyles. We don’t all WANT to ditch our 9-5 and move to a tropical beach.
More investing info – both the practical info sharing (common lazy portfolios, index vs active, rebalancing how-tos, etc) and the personal (really enjoyed the beginning of JD’s thought process on his asset allocation, but still wondering where he ended up and why).
I like “ask the reader” features and the reader stories, as long as the reader stories have real details or something concrete to offer.
I think it’d be great to occasionally share some money management/tracking methods. Ways to use common software effectively, Excel spreadsheet templates and how to use/modify them. How a reader actually manages their joint or separate-but-equal finances or whatever.
Book reviews are good as long as they’re not also stacked with guest posts (it did feel pushy), very little if any credit card/bank special/deal of the week posts, behavioral/phsycological stories are great, general success/achievement fine but not all geared towards one type of life.
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Would love, love, love (I did I mention love?) articles on:
1.) How to buy real estate that’s not on the market
2.) Alternative real estate financing
3.) How to locate multi-family flippers
4.) Ways to protect yourself against liabilities(LLCs, LLPs, trusts, umbrella insurance, etc.)
5.) Dream identification techniques
6.) Dream achievement techniques
7.) how to hit a two-handed tennis backhand (not really in your scope but hey while you’re here)
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I like the personal stories – yes, we like your voice, but it’s because over six years it feels like we’ve come to know you. Having guest writers who post irregularly isn’t really the same, it’s harder to build a connection.
I probably represent one of your rarer demographics – single, no kids, approaching middle age (can’t be there yet!!!!), making a decent salary, trying to figure out retirement, should I buy a home, all that sort of stuff. I would love to feel represented by a writer on your staff. I’m in that middle stage of no debt, but not financially free, kind of wondering what the point of it all is.
I don’t like credit ‘best card/bank rate’ posts at all, they always feel tainted to me.
I like reader contributions that have a point or an applicable lesson. I like articles about the psychological side of money.
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Another “Beth H” here, single, no kids, and I can really relate to what you’re saying. No debt but not able to be financially independent and at 32, I’m not sure what that would look like. But anyway, you aren’t the only one here in that demographic
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I love the fact that J.D. wants to hear what the readers want. As many have already stated, Trent at TSD clearly does not and that has turned into a mess over there. It’s really quite sad.
I may be in the minority, but I love the articles about fitness. As someone who has lost 110 pounds in the past three years, I have also gotten my finances in better shape throughout the process. The growth or decline article has been my favorite as of late.
Keep up the good work, GRS.
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As an older reader, I’d like more information about preserving savings after retirement to keep up with inflation. Is it a good idea to hire a financial adviser and what should I expect from that person – fees, level of support, bank versus independent adviser, etc..? How changes in health care legislation will impact consumers (young and old)and how to find affordable medical plans and medications. Benefits and free resources you may not even know you have (not just medical).
I’d like more information about apps that will help me track my money and find savings for the things I need to buy.
I enjoy your site and often forward articles to friends. Thanks for the great advice.
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Try Syd over at “Retirement: A Full Time Job”. She’s had some great posts on this topic lately.
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I don’t know how feasible this is, but when you hire the next batch of staff writers, perhaps consider including some that are not “professional” writers (or wannabe professionals). No offense, but writers in general (and bloggers in particular) lead a certain lifestyle and are not themselves a very diverse group. That’s not bad, but would you want all the articles written by doctors, or plumbers, or any certain career path? I would be interested to read posts from someone who just writes on the side, but otherwise lives a normal life with a full time job (homemakers included). I think that is one reason the reader submitted content is enjoyable, but a staff writer like this would let you get to know their voice rather than just a one-off.
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Good point!! I second this.
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another way to acheeve the same result might be to hire a reporter to do interviews of interesting (ie. normal) people, and then writing good professional quality pieces on them.
when writing about ones own experience, do we really recognize where the story is? Maybe the reader stories should be written by a professional based on an interview with the reader in question.
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Yes, more articles about the psychology of money.
No, not articles about bank & credit card deals.
Less reader contributed material, please.
Yes, more about success and achievement.
And financial book reviews. And technology.
Thanks for asking.
Cathy
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I’m a 28 y/o, single, software engineer with a small mortgage that has gone through significant periods of unemployment. I’ve been a long time reader and a sometimes commenter. I want to fine tune my systems. I hear a lot of rules of thumb when it comes to finance, but surely we can get a little more fine grained than that without counting ALL the exceptions. For example when talking about asset allocation for retirement simple age metrics and the general “index funds” isn’t very specific. How can I make sure that I have a VERY high chance of a minimum income in retirement while having a higher expected income. I (like others) can probably spend less if I have to. But my commitment to this site is less about the knock em out of the park articles and is more about the amount of cruft I have to wade through for the nuggets.
Articles I haven’t liked lately:
The Real Secret to Making Money by Following Your Passion
How I Got Rich Quickly, Then Failed…Miserably
Professional Sports: A Waste of Time, Money, and Energy?
Dollar Coins: Or, In Other Words, a New Tax
Ones I liked:
Is Your Spending Normal?
The Best Way to Buy a New Car
Saving Without a Goal
I like the details and the research more than the stories(although I like those when I can relate) and I like those more than generic advice. Breaking this site into sections or finance stages would probably help (especially with RSS feeds for each). I’d like articles that try to handle more cases or at least cover cutoff points for when a certain strategy starts making sense. How much money dictates a fee advisor? When should I invest instead of paying down mortgage (from a $/risk perspecitve). When should I work out my first will? When should I change finance institutions? When benefits are up for renewal/changes what should I choose when? When is it worth moving closer to work? You still have tons of topics, but they are detailed, will take research and nuance to find a way to get them to apply to most people.
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I think putting things in a wider context would help – what effect do local and global events have on our finances? I really hate the trend of not keeping up with news and even hiding from it. We are all interlinked!
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Less stories of financial failure.
I think you should mention less stories of financial indiscretion. It creates an impression that bad financial aptitude is quite normal and makes it seem almost acceptable even though you mention those in the context of someone pulling themselves together and getting their act together.
It is easy to make people think that at the earlier stage in life it is normal to be financially mismanaged.
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It IS normal. It’s just not desirable. And by “normal” I mean the huge hunking bulk of the bell curve.
It feels like I am bashing here, and that’s not my intent. The roots of this site and most of its readers comes from this “normal” behavior and I would be appalled if we started pretending it wasn’t.
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Yes, you’re right. It is normal. I didn’t word that statement correctly. I meant to say, it will lead some readers to hold one-self to a lower standard of financial management and control given that mismanagement is so common at some point in life.
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Most of the articles on this site no longer interest me, which is a shame since I always used to read GRS articles first every day when I went online. This site is about money/personal finance, but the topics covered are WAY too broad; the focus needs to be narrowed some. For example, I don’t care about the ethical implications of money; if I did, I would find a different site to find that info (no offense, but most of what Sarah Gilbert writes is about that, and I basically don’t read her aritcles because of it).
I like personal stories. Even though I’m farther along on my journey, it never hurts to read an article about frugality or saving money; there’s always more to learn. I’m also interested in retirement planning; since the market and tax laws are always changing, I don’t think this topic will ever get old. Budgeting is also a good topic since there are so many ways to do it.
And after reading some of the other comments, some people’s requests have NOTHING to do with personal finance. What type of entity to build a business under and how to buy real estate from a business point of view is not personal finance.
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To keep it short, as there have already been many good suggestions:
Please keep a tighter rein on your “guest posts.” All too often they are desperately in need of a good editor. Lack of focus, ungrammatical sentences, and endless, bloated paragraphs do no one any favors.
Also, posts that are thinly disguised sales pitches (for books, websites, etc.) are not clever. They are advertising.
And please do whatever you can to keep Donna Freedman. Her voice is unique.
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I love the variety that GRS has to offer. I don’t want to hear about credit card deals…because bottom line; none of us need them. I like the general philosophy of GRS, it’s real people with real issues, real answers. I’d love to see more of that. The psychological side of money is something that everyone one of us have to deal with daily and sometimes by the moment. Resisting temptation, deferred gratification, saving mindset..general encouragement. We are as a GRS community different from social norms. We are paying attention in a sea of indifference. So, while I can appreciate your burn-out and your desire for ‘direction’ from your audience, I say that you’re on the right track just give us more of what you’re already doing! Thank you for your hard work and dedication to this project.
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I enjoy the variety here. Less so, the credit card offers. I enjoy the reader stories, and sometimes enjoy the moree off-topic, sometimes not.
I’m in my early 50′s. My husband had a high paying job while I stayed home for a few years to raise the kids, then the economy had it’s impact on manufacturing – so I returned to work, and have also earned some relevant certifications to increase my earning power.
We are both working now, but still frequent a local store “Bargin Foods” mispelling and all. We only eat out on special occassions, always pack lunches for work and school.
We only have a mortgage as debt, but had our 26 acres up for sale in 2008 before the real estate debacle. We paid off the land before we built our house – so we are still in very good shape, and feel it is prudent to wait for a recovery. That, or we will need the land to become self sufficient if things get worse. We have always maximized our 401K contributions. Our only “perks” are cell phones (for 4 – and a verizon card to get internet) and DirecTV, though that has been on the chopping block a few times.
We work on both spending less, and earning more. We’ve handled the finances on both my in-laws as they passed away. Was appalled at how inusrance etc were taking grave advantage of them. i.e. they had a $1M liability policy, but only a 100K net worth.
We’ve been through having to be self insured. So while we are in pretty good shape now, we are prepared for that to change in an instant.
I note many have inquired about your choosing staff writers – I would also be interested.
I have taken much of the time I had used to gain my certification to continue to read. I am currently reading “The Power of Habit; Why we do what we do” and it is fascinating. Could be relevant on the money side too.
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Okay I have a few things to suggest and I’ll do it in separate comments.
The first thing I’d suggest is for JD to exert more editorial oversight.
This is a multi-author blog, but it shouldn’t be an “everything goes” blog. Originally it was you who made it successful, and while you can’t (and shouldn’t) write every article every day, at least make sure it’s up to your own standards for publication, which is what your audience has come to expect.
A couple of examples about this–
Brokamp who is usually such a good writer managed to insult a ton of readers some weeks ago in his self-hating anti-sports rant. Yes, he’s free to flog himself if he wants, but he didn’t have to put down millions of people in the process. So then unnecessary drama ensued, with much gnashing of teeth that could have been avoided (maybe).
Same thing with the whole “eskimo” incident– I don’t blame a foreign writer for not having a grasp of “First World” sensibilities, but this was a matter of having an editor get back to the writer and say “hey, I get your point, but could you say it differently?” or even actually edit the piece. Cross-cultural communication can be a social minefield (as an immigrant, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve made an ass of myself in cross-cultural transmissions), and a good editor should be able to make adjustments for the target audience.
Then there’s stuff that’s more straightforward editing, like Sarah’s post from a couple days back– it had some good ideas about the covert influence of consumption but it was all over the place and in the eyes of some readers it suffered from faulty logic. I agree that it was an unwieldy piece, it was really 2 articles in one. So an editor should be able to say, “hey, why don’t we split this into 2 parts and you have 2 articles coming up”.
And then of course the stuff we all hate: spammy articles with canned prose that read like horrible infomercials and then other bloggers comment just to say “me too!” and link to their spammy sites. Sure, guest writers want to post in a successful blog to promote their own less successful blogs, it’s only natural. But I don’t think you’re very fond of writing spammy posts yourself, so you can always exercise editorial standards and get back to your guest writers and say “no” or “please delete that” or “Can you make this less spammy?–This is GRS and my readers won’t like that.” Etc.
As Editor you’re your writers’ first reader, so if something doesn’t feel right don’t just let it go, but trust your instincts and apply judgment and give your writer feedback– your instincts have served you well as a writer, after all, and you seem to have a good feel for your audience when you do the writing.
And yeah, nobody bats a thousand, there will always be problems, and protests, and readers who will leave in anger, but I believe your editorial feedback would add a layer of “GRSness” to articles before publication, and this could keep some readers from complaining that this isn’t your blog anymore.
[note: I've been drafting this in the same open window during work breaks this morning, so I might be repeating things other people have written but I didn't have a chance to read since I began--so it's not that I'm ignoring or repeating anyone on purpose]
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Can I vote to get El Nerdo on as a staff writer? I often enjoy his comments more than the posts! :0)
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I think El Nerdo’s comments are sometimes better than the articles too. I would love it if he contributed regularly. I also would like some regular contributions about the finances of health care.
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