The Absolute Best Finance and Investing Blog Posts of 2008

Fitting – following this year’s Superbowl, I’m proud to present the very best articles from the blogosphere in Personal Finance and Investing from the various networks of bloggers I’ve associated with and follow.  I’m really impressed by the innovative, informative, inspirational and insightful articles that these bloggers churn out day after day.  The net result of these wonderful outlets is a more informed reading public with benefits too numerous to list here.  I’ve asked each blogger to submit their single best post of the year.  Here they are in no particular order (except for my five faves of course):

Darwin’s Choice – Top 5 of 2008

1. The Dividend Guy shows us three simple things an investor can do to improve their performance in the stock market – to the tune of better than 99% of investors.
2. Money Ning presents 50 Ways to Budget Travel and Save Money on Vacations.
3. Free From Broke presents: Never Mind an Economic Stimulus Package – Save Yourself!
4. Steadfast Finances presents an intriguing look at a chart from a 3rd person point of view and asks you to ponder whether this looks like a bubble or not.
5. Lazy Man and Money presents a massively commented (1400+!) post on Monavie and how his wife was recruited to sell snake oil!
6. Money Blue Book‘s take on MonaVie as well here.

 (OK, 6 – A top choice tie must go to two similarly insightful and gutsy articles exposing a Multi-Level Marketing outfit, which can both save readers the frustration and embarrassment of being taken by an MLM, as well as subject the blogger to legal threats and more, as I learned last year all too well.)

Investing

The Digerati Life reviews the Best Online Brokers for Cheap Stock Trades.

The Strump presents several personal finance and investing lessons in: 10 Ways to Tell if you can Afford it.

Old School Value presents an automatic spreadsheet that takes 10 years of data and calculates the value of a company with Grahams Formula.

Dividend Tree presents past strategies and an evaluation of investment strategies from 2008.

SRS Finance asks What Two Factors Need to Be in Place Before It is Safe To Assume a New Bull Market Has Begun? 

Monevator highlights that investing in small caps has advantages we can’t ignore if seeking an investing edge.  

 The Financial Blogger presents A Story About Banks: They are Not in the Real Estate Business.

Personal Finance/Other

Art of the Coupon presents an entire alphabet full of frugal tips, tricks and ideas.

Dough Roller presents a credit card review that breaks down these offers in way that shows their real cost: 

The Happy Rock presents How the Happy Rock Went Bold.

Sounds Money Matters presents basic tips for surviving in a Depression with 10 Ways to Prepare for a Depression.

Money Beagle shares how he saved 20% on heating usage with Adventures in Insulating.

Bargaineering shows consumers safe, dependable, and reliable certificates of deposit in Best CD Rates.

ChristianPF presents 10 Free Budget Spreadsheets.

Free Money Finance presents the Best 5 posts in 2008.

PTMoney presents How to Save Like a Madman.

Good Financial Cents presents why everyone should consider drafting a will in Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way.

My Dollar Plan presents a Summary of all the Free Money Offers from 2008.

Cash Money Life presents Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps which is part of his Financial Peace University – a step by step process for achieving financial freedom.

Military Finance Network presents a page listing discounts and freebies for military members HERE. 

 The Greenest Dollar presents Two strategies to pay off your mortgage early, and the pros and cons that go along with early repayment.

Budgets are Sexy presents a a fun “would you rather” type question – mixing in politics and the almighty dollar.

 Condo-Blues shows us how after changing these 15 habits with the seasons they lowered their home’s nnatural gas and electricity use by 70%!

The Smarter Wallet presents Shopping Tips for Buying a Computer.

FIRE Finance presents a means to Knock out your Financial Problems like Rocky.

Living Almost Large presents Secret Food Increase – know what’s in your package?

Michael Emilio presents the Debt Destruction Technique: Destroying Debt One at a Time.

 Penny Jobs presents 10 Ways to Save Money during the Recession.

Stumble Forward presents The REAL Reason You Can’t Get Out Of Debt.

Last, but hopefully not least, from my Everyday Finance blog, this article generated much ire, consternation and frustration from Multi-levelers who stood to benefit from selling unnecessary mortgage payment acceleration software (but hopefully saved some readers some money) in: UFirst Money Merge Account Shaves Years off your Mortgage…And Defies Logic!

 I hope you’ve enjoyed this culmination of excellent articles and will consider visiting these bloggers or return here in the future.  Darwin’s Finance can be followed in a reader or you can also follow my other blog Everyday Finance which has a bit more a personal tilt to it.