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Top 10 Personal Finance Articles of the Month — October 2021

It’s time again for one of my favorite features here on Dyer News: a look at the top 10 personal finance articles of the month. We’ll start things off with a pair of posts about credit cards. Then, we’ll transition to retirement, including early and semi-retirement. Lastly, we’ll look at bad financial advice, sponsored content, renting vs. owning, and more.

As usual, this month’s list includes a couple of Dyer News Top 10 mainstays as well as a few first-timers. Without further ado, below is my list of the top 10 personal finance articles published in October of 2021, along with their title, author, and the site they originally appeared on.

Credit Cards

How Many Credit Cards Should I Have? 5 Things to Consider — Tawnya Redding, Money Saved is Money Earned

It’s no secret that some financial influencers have vastly different views on credit cards. Thus, one of the biggest questions that consumers often have is “how many credit cards should I have?” — with some experts like Dave Ramsey likely saying “zero” while others argue “as many as you can get.” Yet, rather than look at a specific number, Tawnya instead highlights a few things to consider to help answer this key question.

Paying for Early Retirement with Credit Cards — The Dragons on FIRE

Those who are in favor of credit cards overall often tout such benefits as free flights, hotel nights, cashback, and more. But, what if those rewards added up to much more? This post from Dragons on FIRE chronicles how credit cards points and miles have helped them pay for their early retirement (or at least the travel aspects of it.)

Retirement

3 Outdated Retirement “Rules” You Should Ignore — Emily Guy Birken, MoneyNing

As we prepare for retirement, there are several different rules we become acquainted with. These typically involve how much you should save before retiring, how much you can withdraw after retirement, etc. Yet, in this article, Emily explains why some common rules of retirement are no longer valid.

Why the Semi-Retired Life Is the Ultimate FIRE Sweet Spot — Money Flamingo

In the minds of many consumers, retirement is like flipping a switch: either you’re working or you’re not. Despite this perception, semi-retirement is indeed a real thing. In fact, this post from Money Flamingo shares why this lifestyle is a FIRE sweet spot.

The More Runway You Have, The Safer You Are — The Escape Artist

Let’s face it: retiring can be frightening from a financial point of view. The same is true for temporary episodes where you stop working for one reason or another. That’s why building yourself a “runway” can make a huge difference, which is what The Escape Artist details in this article.

Personal Finance Tips

The 15 Worst Pieces of Financial Advice, Ever — Steve Adcock

These days, there are plenty of sources spouting financial advice. Unfortunately, not all of it is worth listening to. In particular, Steve takes aim at 15 pieces of advice and explains why he believes they’re dead wrong.

YouTuber Brand Deals: My First Sponsored Video Experience — Kyle Burbank, Money@30

Being a content creator can mean making difficult decisions. Among them is determining whether or not it makes sense to accept sponsors. On that note, Kyle shares his recent sponsored video experience, including why he elected to take on this particular opportunity.

OK Boomer: Renting is Better than Owning — Lisa, A Lawyer and Her Money

You’ve undoubtedly heard this refrain before: “Renting is just throwing money away.” For as common as this belief is, the truth is much more complicated than that. What’s more, Lisa argues that, actually, renting is better than owning overall.

How to Prepare for the Next Crisis While Times are Good — Retire Before Dad

While optimism is always important, reality suggests that preparing for setbacks is also required. Nevertheless, planning for a crisis when things are going well can be difficult. To help, Retire Before Dad shares some suggestions and tips on the topic.

5 Sacrifices We Made In Our 20s To Be Financially Independent In Our 30s —  Ken Okoroafor, The Humble Penny

In order to achieve your dreams and goals, there’s a good chance that some sort of sacrifice may be required. As it turns out, this is especially true when it comes to financial goals. In this conversational post from Ken, he and Mary look at some of the ways they’ve sacrificed in order to achieve financial independence.

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Thanks for checking out our top 10 personal finance articles published last month and congratulations to all of the bloggers who made the list. To find more of these great articles on a daily basis, be sure to follow us on Twitter @fioneymoney and of course visit Fioney.com.