Interview with the UpSide of Money

• What encouraged you to start The Upside of Money?

I started Upside of Money around the same time as I was writing an e-book on saving every day in summer ’06. The blog was pretty primitive and it still is. I started blogging in earnest as an adjunct to my SF Examiner.com Personal Finance column this year. My blog has gone through only a few changes since then, and want to see it evolve into a more interactive site.

• What sets your blog different than other financial blogs?

  The Upside of Money does just that: helps you stay on the upside (optimistic, informed, “in the black”). I try to alert people to the downside of money as well.I strive to make my blog informational, first and foremost. I don’t want questionable ads urging you to apply for a credit card next to an article on the dangers of credit card debt. I do this in part because of the frustration of not being able to control what displays on my Examiner column. I am determined to stay in control of all the content on the page, monetized or not.

  I educate myself all the time; I also aim to make my writing style approachable but with a journalistic standard – I want the blog to be based on knowledge, not just anecdote. In 2000, a company I was working for had an IPO, and I was able to observe the process from inside. After that, I decided to get graduate training in finance, and took classes in technical analysis. I am currently studying for my CFP certificate and earlier this year I got my accreditation as a Credit Counselor. In my career as a finance writer, I have worked for E*TRADE Financial, Mellon Investor Services, a subsidiary of JP Morgan and now Wells Fargo, explaining complex financial products/applications.

• Which 3-5 blogs would you consider “must-reads” in order to better understand finances?

  My personal favorites are journey-style blogs in which the author puts an actual number to a net worth or debt-free goal and then tracks his or her progress toward that goal. I find those blogs very inspiring, even though I don’t disclose financial info on mine. I have been watching www.mymoneyblog.com working toward his goal for years. I also watch, and occasionally worry about, www.debtsucks.com. Another favorite is www.Bostongals.com because I enjoy tracking her great success and I think she has a winning formula and is going to make it.

• What topic do you enjoy blogging about the most?

  The two topics I am most passionate about are investing and debt. I have been investing my own money successfully (and sometimes unsuccessfully) since my 20s, so I have lots of stories. I have invested in metals, REITs, real estate, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, options, DRIPs, and for a short while, I swing traded stocks.

  I am definitely a frugalite. There should be a word for someone who shuns major retail stores, goes to thrift stores and uses Craigslist all the time, maybe a Craigalista? That would be me. I abhor debt and shopping – the act of handing my hard-earned cash over to someone else – makes me nervous, unless it’s for food or a gift (or occasionally, shoes). I have a 0 rank on Where’s George? because I carry around the same bills for weeks. The only debt I have is from my husband, but that’s another story.

• Where do you get your blogging ideas?

  I never run out of ideas, just time. I have a few articles in my head at a time, and most of them end up on my column, not the blog, but that will change.

• What are some financial tips you can give to our readers?

  Carefully and objectively chart all the methods you have tried over time and you will clearly see which financial strategies work best for you. For me, it’s covered calls and dividend DRIPS hands-down, and for saving, it’s automatic withdrawals into a separate savings account.. It is definitely not fast buy and sell! The most successful people I know are firing on all “cylinders”: earning, saving, investing and spending wisely.

  Stay informed about the financial world and your own personal financial world. And be as upbeat as you can; resilience in the market – and life – is important.

Get Free Email Updates
Like this article? Enter your email address and click "Subscribe" to get the latest articles sent to your email for free. Your email will only be used for this daily update and you can unsubscribe anytime.

* Subscribe to our feed now, it's free!

Please share your comment:

1 blogs that link to this article:

If your trackback does not show in 24 hours, please resend to this trackback URI.

1. About UPSIDE and Barbara Bryn Klare « UPSIDE of Money