We can all agree how important it is to stay in touch with your financial situation. That doesn’t solely encompass knowing how much you money you have or which financially savvy advisor you’re giving it to. It means staying informed on current events, whether that is knowing what is going on with financial markets or understanding political events. Without understanding basic concepts, no article, blog, or video will make sense to you. I’ve put together 5 sites that are good for your money. They can act as a reference, as well as a daily or weekly resource to keep you in the loop.
Real Clear Markets
Real Clear Markets is a useful resource to stay in touch with the daily news of money and markets. Right away, the homepage provides over 20 articles from all different resources. They are mostly links to different media outlets from both sides of the aisle along with a snapshot of the DOW, SP 500, and NASDAQ. It also has commodity prices listed (Gold, Oil, Silver, Copper, etc). It’s a one stop shop for the news of money and economics. If you’re not a reader, you’ll find video links that I’ve also found to be quite informative. Money and politics are similar, everyone has an opinion and they all sound so convincing. Use Real Clear Markets as a resource to compare monetary opinion in order to make better financial choices.
Real Clear Politics
If you can’t tell by the name, this is exactly like Real Clear Markets but in a political theme. This is important because we are a nation of laws and each one has a unique effect (Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, or what have you). If you’re looking for the latest poll data, commentary, or interview, you should be able to find it on here. Keeping your finger on the pulse of politics can go a long way. In addition, this site can be wonders for your conversation skills, as it’s hard to avoid the hot topic of the day, week, or year. Rather than focusing on one news outlet, which may or may not be biased, why not diversify your news with Real Clear Politics.
Khan Academy
The Khan Academy can be of great value to you if you would like to understand financial concepts whether basic, intermediate, or advanced. Breakdowns of some significant events are also covered. For instance, they’ve covered the Great Recession, European Debt Crisis, and even some recent bailouts that were dominating the news in recent years. Their categories consist of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Finance & Capital Markets, and Entrepreneurship. The content inside Entrepreneurship section is mostly filled with interview videos.
Even with as much experience as I have in finance (almost a decade), I find myself visiting Khan’s video’s just to refresh my knowledge of basic concepts. They are so thorough and detailed. Like a good book, I’ll always pick up something new. You will find information from how your credit card interest is calculated to the inner working of the monetary system, and much more. Very informative.
AOL Finance Collective
The AOL Finance Collective is self described as a group of trusted voices covering personal finance, careers, small business, industry trends, and real estate. It’s made up of bloggers, all with a unique approach to finance. That’s not to mention the diversified experience they offer, most of which they learned through trial and error.
Go onto the collective and find the voice that you relate with most. You’ll find personalities specializing is anything from debt and budgeting from a mother’s perspective to paying off your mortgage or getting rid of your student loans. The amount of personal finance bloggers is growing and this page can help you find what you are looking for. Many of their stories are quite intriguing.
Investopedia
Investopedia has really made a step up in quality of content. They have news, blogs, video, and an incredible reference area. Their financial dictionary is immense and more detailed than I expected. Anytime I google anything about money, Investopedia always seems to be at the top of the engine with a definition. It is more than a simple dictionary, though it does perform that function, examples and scenarios are included as well. It’s about as in depth as you can get, without providing too much information.
The site also offers a very valuable tool in their stock and foreign exchange simulator, whether it be for children or adults. For those of you who are financial professionals, there is an exam prep section. If you’re tired of the material you’re using to study for that Series 7, check out what they offer. Series 65 and CFA Level 1 are also on there.
While I could have easily listed 100 sites that are good for your money, this brief list should get you started. Stay informed, as technology is rapidly changing industry.
