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Sunday, October 13, 2024

10 Best Personal Finance Bloggers for 2023

10 Best Personal Finance Bloggers For 2023
Mike Senecal

Writer: Mike Senecal

Mike Senecal

Mike Senecal, Staff Writer

Mike Senecal draws on more than 20 years of editorial experience to update CardRates.com readers on industry trends, business news, and best practices in budgeting and credit use. Mike has worked for decades in academic and trade publishing, including roles as managing editor and technical editor at the University of Florida and as contributor to finance industry publications, including Surety Bond Quarterly and Independent Agent, among others. Mike holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina, and he enjoys bringing his years of academic and industry expertise online to help consumers of diverse financial backgrounds.

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Lillian Guevara-Castro

Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro, Senior Editor

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to the CardRates team. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Gwinnett Daily News, Gainesville Sun, and The New York Times, where she covered demographics, consumer issues, and the business and financial sectors. Lillian has a degree in journalism and communications from Georgia State University and brings her fact-checking expertise to ensure Digital Brands content is accurate and engaging.

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Ashley Fricker

Reviewer: Ashley Fricker

Ashley Fricker

Ashley Fricker, Senior Editor

Ashley Fricker has more than a decade of experience as a finance contributor and editor, and has specialized in the credit card industry since 2015. Her credit card commentary is featured on national media outlets that include CNBC, MarketWatch, Investopedia, and Reader's Digest, among many others. She has worked closely with the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, up-and-coming fintech companies, and press and news outlets to curate comprehensive content and media. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in multimedia journalism from Florida Atlantic University.

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Our experts and industry insiders blog the latest news, studies and current events from inside the credit card industry. Our articles follow strict editorial guidelines.

Like most things in life, learning sound financial habits and turning good decisions into lasting wealth for yourself and your loved ones is a journey. Very few people make all the right moves without making at least a few mistakes along the way.

Editor's Best Personal Finance Bloggers

Building your financial competency is about turning good advice into a plan that works for you. Because there’s no shortage of financial advice on the web, we’ve compiled this list of the 10 best personal finance bloggers to help.

No matter where you are on your financial journey, a blogger here has personal experience you can use. Good luck!

Jim Wang of Best Wallet Hacks

#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Actionable Advice

Jim Wang

After 15 years of writing about personal finance, Jim Wang concluded that most advice is unnecessarily complicated and that many financial advisors may actually prefer it that way.

Jim has distilled his experience deciphering the wisdom of others into his blog, Best Wallet Hacks.

He carefully curates his blog so everyday consumers can learn how to use the banking system, credit cards, the investing marketplace, and insurance.

Why We Love Jim

As the son of an immigrant family from Taiwan, Jim studied computer science, economics, and software engineering — disciplines that value simplicity and elegance.

We love that Jim incorporates values learned in school into his view of personal finance. Building a success strategy is much easier when you know what you’re doing.

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Kevin Ha of Financial Panther

#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Side Hustles

Kevin Ha

Kevin Ha paid off massive law school debt in less than three years by avoiding the lifestyle inflation trap (i.e., spending on things you don’t need).

He began exploring meaningful side hustles to supplement his income as a government lawyer. He started with an income beyond his wildest dreams.

He writes about those experiences in his blog, Financial Panther.

Why We Love Kevin

Kevin is a down-to-earth guy who offers frequent side-hustle reports in his blog. His real-world perspective lets him find value in activities to help him and his wife achieve their financial goals.

We appreciate Kevin’s thorough analysis of the advantages (and challenges) of earning extra income through side hustles like pet sitting and food delivery.

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Deacon Hayes of Well Kept Wallet

#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Financial Independence

Deacon Hayes

Deacon Hayes was so excited about paying off $52,000 in debt in 18 months that he became a financial planner.

But then he realized that advising high-net-worth individuals wasn’t as gratifying as he thought.

So he switched gears and started his blog, Well Kept Wallet, to help the average consumer seeking financial independence find the test strategies for success and put them into action.

Why We Love Deacon

Deacon’s book, “You Can Retire Early!,” chronicles his financial journey and shows that almost anyone can save and invest to achieve their goals.

We love that the book offers strategies for building personalized plans. Because Deacon doesn’t give one-size-fits-all advice, he’s highly relatable.

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#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Investment Trends

Ben Carlson

It takes courage to devote a portion of your income to the uncertain world of investing. Certified Financial Advisor Ben Carlson breaks down the fundamentals in his blog, A Wealth of Common Sense.

The blog tackles the challenges of wealth management and investments while analyzing financial markets and investor psychology.

Why We Love Ben

Ben is still a full-time portfolio manager, so it’s his job to understand market trends and the issues of the day. We love that he distills his life’s work into concepts and insights everyday investors can use.

He also produces an entertaining podcast, “Animal Spirits,” with friend and colleague Michael Batnick.

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A Purple Life

#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Global Nomads

A Purple Life

When you dye your hair purple, you’re signaling you’re willing to stand out from the crowd.

That’s how the proprietor of the blog known as A Purple Life wants it.

In 2015, she started the blog with a plan to retire in 10 years at 35.

She saved, earned, and cut expenses to the point where she reached her goal in half the time.

Why We Love A Purple Life

We love A Purple Life for its vivid portrayal of the lifestyle of a traveling global nomad. She has no house, car, children, or pets and keeps her finances separate from those of her partner.

It’s a classic case of loving experiences over things — something we can get behind.

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Jesse Cramer of The Best Interest

#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Wealth Building

Jesse Cramer

Jesse Cramer has a background in mechanical engineering, so you know he places great importance on numbers and knowledge by nature.

His blog, The Best Interest, takes a broad view of investing, portfolio management, tax planning, investor psychology, estate planning, and macroeconomics to get to the basics of wealth building.

Why We Love Jesse

Jesse is an expert investor who enjoys communicating complex topics in terms anyone can understand.

We appreciate his willingness to help ambitious neophytes move the needle beyond the basics to exceed their financial potential.

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Julien and Kiersten Saunders of Rich & REGULAR

#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Financial Empowerment

Rich & REGULAR

Rich & REGULAR is the story of a couple, Julien and Kiersten Saunders, who argued about money.

But instead of repeating the same talking points and expecting a different result, they persevered, paid off $200,000 in debt in five years.

In the process, they learned valuable lessons about financial fitness and empowerment. You can read about it all in their blog.

Why We Love Julien and Kiersten

Julien and Kiersten tackle many topics on Rich & REGULAR. If you don’t know exactly where to start your financial journey, their blog allows you to sample everything.

We love their realistic, relatable perspective on saving, earning, investing, and learning a few things along the way.

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Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance

#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Money Management

Barbara Friedberg

Barbara Friedberg has an MBA in Finance, an MS in Counseling, and decades of experience as an investment portfolio manager and chief financial officer for a real estate company.

But none of that would mean anything if she talked over her readers’ heads about strategies that sometimes seem too complex to act on. Her blog, Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance, strikes the right balance.

Why We Love Barbara

Barbara wants you to think of her as the money-savvy sister you wish you had. She successfully navigates the narrow path between expertise and accessibility.

We love her directness and ability to address pain points and fears in ways that help people get comfortable with investing.

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Alexis Schroeder of Fitnancials

#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Women

Alexis Schroeder

Alexis Schroeder is a self-described personal finance nerd who paid off $102,000 in debt and aims to retire in her 30s.

She targets her blog, Fitnancials, at women interested in exploring her strategies for saving, making, and managing money.

Women who want to be debt-free, save money for their future, and spend money on things they enjoy are a perfect fit to read this blog.

Why We Love Alexis

Alexis has an interesting take on personal finance that fits her active, outdoorsy lifestyle. She’s a role model for young women because she doesn’t want to compromise her values or let money impede her.

We love her drive and ambition as she takes intentional steps toward her goals.

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Carl Jensen of 1500 Days to Freedom

#1 Personal Finance Blogger for Saving and Earning

Carl Jensen

Setting a goal is one thing, and achieving it is another. Carl Jensen calls his blog 1500 Days to Freedom, so you probably have a pretty good idea of what he’s about.

Carl’s goal was to build a million-dollar portfolio 1,500 days from the launch of his blog.

It was an ambitious goal that required some personal sacrifice. But he achieved it and retired to continue to tell his story.

Why We Love Carl

Carl and his wife seek to inspire readers to think about American consumerist culture differently and move beyond it to financial independence.

We love that they find value in simple things and convey that life is too short to spend on frivolities.

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Americans love to think of themselves as rugged individualists. But personal finance is probably not the best area to pioneer new insights.

More likely, you’re better off learning from those who have come before you. There’s room for creativity, but not if it impacts the bottom line!

We hope you’ve found a personal finance blogger in this 10-best list who will be your guide.