Last year I listed what I thought were my best posts of 2009 (and here are the ones from 2008 if you are interested.) I'm continuing that tradition now with what I feel were my top 10 posts of 2010 (listed in countdown order) out of the over 900 posts here last year. If you want a summary of what I consider the "best" at FMF last year, here it is:
#10 - Real-Life Case Study: How to Take Early Semi-Retirement - I was introduced to the concept of early semi-retirement this year and it intrigues me. In addition, I LOVE real-life stories of how people have accomplished a financial task that many of us simply discuss. As such, this post makes it into the top 10.
#9 - How to Buy and Sell Physical Gold and Silver - A three-part interview that was very enlightening for me -- not because it made me want to buy physical gold and/or silver, but because it uncovered many of what I see as "mysteries" associated with doing so.
#8 - Seven Steps to Get Out of Debt - A basic, "down and dirty", how-to post. One that can be read and used for years to come.
#7 - Three Easiest Ways to Earn More Money - Everyone loves "easy" and everyone loves "earning more money", so this post is bound to be a winner. ;-)
#6 - How to Ask for a Raise - A key to making the most of your #1 financial asset (your career) is to ask for raises when the situation is appropriate. This post tells how to do it successfully.
#5 - The Two Financial Measures that Determine the Health of Your Finances (AKA Two Financial Measures to Track Your Finances) - You need to regularly monitor your net worth and your cash flow to keep track of how you're doing financially. This post tells why.
#4 - Two Simple Equations that Lead to Financial Success - Gives the keys to financial success -- having surplus income (savings) for many years leads to wealth. Simple, yet powerful.
#3 - Making the Most of Your Most Valuable Financial Asset - An on-going, foundational topic here at Free Money Finance. Most people have their careers on auto-pilot (letting what will happen to them by fortune, luck, etc.) simply happen, and that's a big financial mistake. This post tells why and what to do instead.
#2 - The Ten Worst Money Mistakes Anyone Can Make - In addition to making the right moves to become wealthy, you need to avoid these ten. If you don't, they can derail all your efforts to grow your net worth.
#1 - Career Insurance: Insuring Your Most Valuable Asset - If your career is your most valuable financial asset (which it is), then you need to protect it. This post tells how to do so. In addition, I like it because it represents "new thinking" -- a concept that I haven't seen elsewhere previously.
In addition to the posts above, there were some other posts that I felt were worth mentioning again, but just missed cracking the top ten. They are:
- Make and Save Money by Getting Rid of Your Junk - It regualrly amazes me how much "stuff" Americans have. If we sell just the things we don't use, we can make a good amount of extra income and de-clutter our lives at the same time.
- How to Become Wealthy - Many readers got hung up on the example and missed the point of this post -- the road to becoming wealthy is one that almost anyone can travel, if they follow the right map.
- Five Financial No-Brainers - A simple post that lays it right out there -- if you aren't doing all of these five, you're missing something financially.
Enjoy!!
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