Comments on: Caveat Lector! PF Blogs are For Fun and Entertainment

By: The Simple Dollar » Carnival of Personal Finance #114

The Simple Dollar » Carnival of Personal Finance #114 — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:51:54 +0000

[…] Caveat Lector! PF Blogs Are For Fun And Entertainment (@ mapgirl’s fiscal challenge) […]

By: Mrs. Micah

Mrs. Micah — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:55:00 +0000

Indeed. Good post!

I see blog more as telling the story of what I do, what I have, what I do (or will do) with it, how I go about it, etc. Most other bloggers are the same. It’s not unlike having friends. I like my friends, but I know they’re not infallible about personal finance.

By: Reggie, the blk kid

Reggie, the blk kid — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:02:46 +0000

Yeah, this is definitely a good post. No problem on the linking. Keep up the good work.

By: Art Dinkin

Art Dinkin — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:31:13 +0000

MapGirl, thanks for pointing out the typo in my URL and for the kind words.

By: Super Saver

Super Saver — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 01:42:43 +0000

Mapgirl,

Great post. I had been thinking of doing a similar post about a contradiction in claims I have seen on some PF blogs. While the blog contains the standard disclaimer (i.e. I am not professional…), there will also be a “subscribe to my blog for $Y, XX% returns in the last 2 months” widget in the sidebar.

I wonder if anyone else notices the irony of the act of requesting pay for advice while claiming to not be a professional

By: mapgirl

mapgirl — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:46:07 +0000

BTW, Art Dinkins’ URL is actually http://www.momentonmoney.com/

There is a comma typo for the first dot. Please enjoy his website since he’s actually qualified to give some insight on these matters. His qualifications are rather lengthy but seem legit. Perhaps that’s a starting point when you go to select your own advisor.

By: financeforus.com

financeforus.com — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:31:56 +0000

I don’t know jack….

I mean that in the sense that I’m not a financial professional so I am in no position to give advice of any type (as so well pointed out in Mapgirl’s post.) I am just me, learning from the school of hard-knocks. At the beginning of this…

By: Art Dinkin

Art Dinkin — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:43:27 +0000

As a PF blogger AND and practicing CFP professional, I want to thank you for this post. Not to cast a bad shadow on PF bloggers, most are usually right. But I have said it before and I will say it again, never take advice from a pseudonym.

There were (and are) a mountain of regulatory issues I face to create and maintain my blog. I know that some people enjoy mananging their own finances and are not candidates for my services. Other people shudder at the thought of managing money and those are the people I can offer the most help to.

Thanks mapgirl for your insights.

By: Moneymonk

Moneymonk — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:26:05 +0000

I felt that this post was not needed, but then again some people need to know this! I’m glad you posted it.

By: ck_dex

ck_dex — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:13:46 +0000

I stopped reading “The Simple Dollar” because Trent, the blogger–and a guy who was deep in debt a year ago–is now opining on what to do with $50 million trust funds and other topics about which he knows zilch. But he never hesitates to tackle these topics and potentially mislead people.

By: mapgirl

mapgirl — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:08:54 +0000

Nickel - You are a bad man. One word for you. “No.”

By: fivecentnickel.com

fivecentnickel.com — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 02:02:10 +0000

Oh c’mon. Name names. You know you want to.

By: Own Your Own Decisio

Own Your Own Decisio — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:58:13 +0000

Awesome! I think you are completely right. It’s good to keep in mind that we are all spouting off stuff, but that ultimately most/none of the PF bloggers have any formal training or certification.

That doesn’t mean that the discussion isn’t useful, just that what you read on the web shouldn’t be held infallible.

By: dimes

dimes — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:15:46 +0000

Oh I agree with you so much on this. I’m amazed at the number of people who think certain PF bloggers are infallible or even know what they’re talking about just because they’re popular and prolific. Sure, everyone has some weak little disclaimer on their site that says something like “Everything I write here is crap and does not constitute advice. Consult a professional.” However, when they’re always posting about how you should sell this or buy that or do this or react in a certain way or (my least favorite) poll their audience for group advice, I want to scream and run away. It’s totally irresponsible, but I don’t think your average reader necessarily realizes that.

By: Asset Gatherer

Asset Gatherer — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 03:15:31 +0000

Hello again! (2 comments in one week!)
CFA is “Chartered Financial Analyst”; I was sucked into it for my career! It’s a pretty heinous experience.