Building a successful blog is a long, slow process.  It takes determination and consistency.  Most people struggle to make money online through a blog because 1) they see the slow growth and give up or 2) because they see how hard it is to monetize traffic (what little traffic they have) and give up.  The most important thing you can do to build a successful blog that can actually make money is to blog about something you are really, really interested in or blog about something related to work or …

Women & Finances is a new series written by a 20-something about her financial journey. Her columns will be appearing weekly here at 20smoney.com. You can read her other articles by visiting the Women & Finances category.
One way I have tried to cut back my spending recently is in the make-up department. I am an expensive make-up junkie that has not exactly been rehabilitated, but has been on the search for what make up and skin care products it’s okay to skimp and go cheap with. I …

So many 20-somethings struggle to start their career early in the 20s.  Whether you have a degree or not, it’s important to start your career as soon as possible.  There is a learning curve involved in any industry and it will take years to grow in your career.  Delaying can cost you opportunity and money.  Lots of it.
Learning A Business
Whatever industry or area you start your career in, you will likely know very little about it going in, even with a related college degree.  The key is to simply start …

This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of executive mba programs. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson1@gmail.com
It’s risky business indeed, when you want to put your hard earned money into the stock market. What with all the ups and mostly downs that are going through this industry right now, you’re right to be wary of stocks and funds, especially if you’re a newcomer and just testing the waters. Stocks and bonds are good investment options, if you know …

BRK-B Split
Berkshire announced recently a 50-1 split of their class B shares which may make it easier for small time investors to pick up shares of BRK (think $68/share vs $3400/share).  As such, I’ve decided to document a strategy that could involve building a portfolio with these shares as a big part of the portfolio.
BRK-B As A Play On The U.S. Economy
Berkshire is a holding company with many businesses ranging from flooring to insurance to railroads.  It’s a pretty diversified way to play the U.S. economy.  Plus, you basically get …

I have a close friend that recently just quit his job and is starting a company.  He’s in his mid-twenties, and sure the economy sucks, but neither is stopping him from going for it.  Very cool.  What I’ve really taken away from his journey is the way that a person who is launching a start-up manages his or her life and finances.  Then, it struck me as odd that we don’t manage our lives this way more often, even if we’re not starting a new company.
Unexpected Expenses
A few days after …

The real economy is in shambles, despite trillions of cash being thrown at the symptoms: housing, banking, etc.  Because the real economy is unlikely to rebound to any significant extent in my opinion, it’s only a matter of time before politicians begin pushing stimulus 2.0.  Add in the fact of looming commercial real estate crises and broke state and local governments, and you have a clear slam dunk, right?
Amazingly, there are already politicians discussing the need for a second stimulus.  This is insane since the majority of the first stimulus …

There is a growing segment of the population that is becoming more educated on the economy and the markets.  Internet blogs and websites are providing individuals with real, hardcore economic data and discussion that is very different than the mainstream media (see Growing Divide Between Financial Blogs & Mainstream Media [10/28/09]).  The encouraging sign of all of this is that the traffic is increasing for these “smart” blogs, as I like to call them, and viewership is definitely stagnant at best for outlets like CNBC.  Maybe it’s because the CNBC …