Top 10 Personal Finance Articles of the Month — December 2017

Jumping into 2018

5 Money Mistakes to Avoid in 2018 — Maurie Backman, The Motley Fool

While plenty of people make New Year’s resolutions aimed at improving their finances, it should be noted that sometimes what’s hurting your money prospects isn’t something you’re doing but something you aren’t. For example, failing to build an emergency fund could prove fiscally disastrous should anything happen. With that in mind, Maurie takes a look at a few other money mistakes and how you can steer clear of them in the year ahead.

8 Financial Tools to Help Your Start 2018 Right — Kyle Burbank, Money@30

If you do have financial goals in mind for the new year, there may be an app that can help you achieve it. Whether you want to stick to a budget, build up savings, or get started investing, there are now a number of tools you can either use for free or for a small fee. To that point, Kyle shares his list of the top personal finance apps and tools you’ll want to use in 2018.

The 8 Best Personal Finance Books You Need to Read in 2018 — Josh, Money Buffalo

No matter how much you know about personal finance, there’s always more to learn. Moreover, while some truths about money never change, other financial tenants are more open to interpretation and opinion. That’s why Josh offers a list of books that could help change the way you think about money this year.

Bitcoin and Crypto Investing

What is Bitcoin and How Can You Get Started Investing? —Kelan & Brittany, The Savvy Couple

Lately the terms “Bitcoin” and “cryptocurrency” have been just about everywhere you look. Still the question remains, “what exactly is Bitcoin — and how can I get a piece of the action?” Thankfully Kelan and Brittany are here to help, explaining Bitcoin mining, futures, and more.

Bitcoin is Not a Good Way to Get Started with Investing —Kristin Wong, TwoCents

Now that you understand what Bitcoin is and how it works, there are some reasons why jumping all in might not be the best play. More specifically, if you’re new to investing, Bitcoin is likely not a great place to start. Instead, as Kristin points out, you may want to look into some long-term, less volatile options to begin your investing experience.

Credit Cards

Can I Hack My Credit Score by Overpaying My Credit Card?  — John Ulzheimer, The Simple Dollar

Given how interested people are in increasing their credit scores, it’s understandable that they’d be willing to believe certain rumors about how those scores work. While many of these myths have been debunked plenty of times in the past, it seems new ones keep popping up. In this piece John brings highlights another so-called “credit hack” and, sadly, explains why it’s not true.

How to Tell if You Need a New Rewards Card Strategy — Jason Steele, Wisebread

One of the benefits of having good credit is being able to qualify for rewards credit cards. These cards might incentive your use of them by offering cash back, travel miles, or other perks that can be maximized if you play your cards (pun intended) right. However, as Jason points out, there may be signs that it’s time for a change in your strategy.

Personal Finance Tips

Refurbished Electronics Save You Money Now, But Are They Really a Good Buy? — Tyler Omoth, The Penny Hoarder

Whenever you’re in the market for new gadgets like camera, cell phones, or computers, you’re likely to come across a number of refurbished items in your searches. Making these options tempting, they may be offered at a significantly lower price than if you were to buy the same item new. But are these really a good deal? Tyler takes a look at refurbished electronics and gives the answer to that question.

8 First Time Home Buyer Mistakes You Need to Avoid —Edwin C., Save the Bill

Buying your first house can be an overwhelming process. As a result it’s quite likely you could end up making a costly mistake if you’re not careful. With that in mind, Edwin shares a few different first-time buyer mistakes you should strive to avoid.

Why Xennials are the New Greatest Generation  — Jenn Piccolo-Dabal, The Piccy Penny

You’ve likely heard about how the Millennial generation is lazy, entitled, and Instagram obsessed, — undoubtedly making them bad with money. Although some Baby Boomers have been known to make these accusations, it seems to be the Gen Xers at the front lines of the war on Millennials. So what about those in the middle of these two generations? In this clever article, Jenn compares the money habits of Millennials and Gen Xers and explains why she’s content to identify as a “Xennial.”

Thanks for checking out my 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 me on Twitter @jondyer9 and of course visit DyerNews.com.