What caught my eye this week.
With AI chatbots and search overviews now vigorously putting the boot into an online media that was already on its knees, quality independent websites covering investing and money are shrinking faster than violets at an OnlyFans convention.
Good news then that the curation site Snippet Finance has started maintaining a content hub for investors, with links to all kinds of resources.
You’ll find a few Weekend Reading favourites in its listings. But there’s plenty of other lesser-seen websites, tools, and other useful stuff to explore, especially if you’re a professional or dedicated amateur finance nerd.
Be sure to check out Snippet Finance itself. Creator Yuri is the Hemmingway of investment editorial. This introduction is twice as long as a typical Snippet post.
Incidentally, I just dived into the Monevator vaults to find a similar listing I ran early in the life of this website. Of the blogs I tracked, only us, Mr Money Mustache, Financial Samurai, and Simple Living in Somerset (renamed) are still standing.
Who would want to write for us?
Talking of the bonfire of the blogosphere, any investing maniac starting today who wants to talk about their favourite subject online – doubtless having been banned from doing so by exhausted family and friends – would probably have to gurn into an iPhone to create videos for YouTube or TikTok.
Maybe that’s you – but then again maybe you’re more a great one for a witty adverb, rather than the next Mr Beast?
If so then Monevator would benefit from a new and brilliant regular writer.
We’ve had several over the years, but somehow they never last.
Often they discover they haven’t got as much to say about FIRE, personal finance, or index funds as they thought they did after the third article.
Most just can’t write the Monevator way. (It’s not so hard. Take the day off and yet still be at it at midnight. Never use two words when three will do. Add some obscure references to 1980s music and 1990s video games and you’re all set!)
Honestly it probably won’t work out with you either.
But I’d still love to hear from you if you’ve got a lot to share.
Ideally you’ll be more towards the start of your journey than we are. Not phobic about smartphones and investing apps. Maybe you even bought an NFT of a cartoon gorilla during the 2021 crypto mania before repenting your foolish ways.
But mainly you’ll be on-message with sensible investing. A bit of personal finance hackery – stoozing, credit card rewards, current account bonus chasing – wouldn’t hurt either. (It all adds up in your 20s.)
We’d want a bit of personality in the mix. Judicious. Tasteful. Nothing too influencer-y.
Can you point me to a bit of writing you did earlier? Brilliant.
Get in touch via the Contact form if you’re the person all your friends go to about investing. Just so long as you write better than ChatGPT, and without it too.
Try to enjoy the heatwave if you’re in the UK. It’ll be winter by August.
From Monevator
Quality, momentum, low vol, and dividend growth versus the market – Monevator
Profiting from the UK stock market liquidation [Posting Sunday, sign-up now!] – Monevator Mogul Members
From the archive-ator: Cash and bonds are different investments – Monevator
News
BoE holds rates at 4.25%, with dovish split emerging despite high inflation – BBC
CEO pay at UK’s top companies 52 times that of typical worker… – Guardian
…but overall the UK rich got poorer in 2024 – This Is Money
Scottish Widows to slash UK equity exposure [Paywall] – FT
The families paying £1,500 for ‘private bobbies’ to police their homes – BBC
Retail sales slumped in May – This Is Money
UK house prices rose 74% over the past 20 years – Which
Chancellor considers changes to non-dom IHT amid ‘exodus’ [Paywall] – FT
Assisted dying set to become law in England and Wales – Guardian
Japan’s Nippon seals controversial US Steel deal after Trump pact – BBC
UK goes all-in on nuclear after years of debate – Semafor
Products and services
Savers warned of wave of tax bills as millions of fixed-rate deals end – T.I.M.
Ten ways to save on festivals – Which
Monzo partners with Blackrock to offer 11 ETFs – This Is Money
Get up to £2,000 when you switch to an Interactive Investor SIPP. Terms and fees apply. – Interactive Investor
Is it time to take a fixed rate energy tariff? – This Is Money
Santander Edge saver review: earn 6% interest – Be Clever With Your Cash
French app Poppins rents out underused household items – Guardian
Get up to £100 as a welcome bonus when you open a new account with InvestEngine via our link. (Minimum deposit of £100, T&Cs apply. Capital at risk) – InvestEngine
Can you get travel insurance if you’re over 80? – Which
Crypto fund Ziglu stops trading and tells customers to withdraw funds – This Is Money
Penthouses with a private terrace for sale, in pictures – Guardian
Comment and opinion
Shared ownership: “It’s a con and we felt trapped” – BBC
Britain can’t afford to spend £24,000 on every adult – CityAM
Casting doubt on risk preferences – Klement on Investing
The ‘joint & separate’ method of managing money in marriage – Of Dollars and Data
Empathy isn’t part of the S&P 500 – A Teachable Moment
Why some assets become more attractive when more expensive – Behavioural Investment
How childhood financial insecurity can define your life – Optimistic Callie
(So) what if you miss the market’s N best days? – AQR
Finance rules that are good in theory – Humble Dollar
The ‘first year of retirement rule’ – Kiplinger
What would a dollar reversal mean for global equities? – Larry’s Substack
David Blanchett: Doing better with less [PDF] – Retirement Income Institute
The human complexities of correcting the record – Portfolio Charts
Naughty corner: Active antics
AirBnB: the hospitality giant without property – Quartr
Why investors should take a look at REITs – Morningstar
Enhancing momentum strategies – Alpha Architect
Monetising meals: advertising at the big delivery platforms – Platform Aeronaut
What are inflation surprises telling us about the tariffs? – Stay-At-Home Macro
Kindle book bargains
How to Own the World by Andrew Craig – £0.99 on Kindle
The Algebra of Wealth by Scott Galloway – £0.99 on Kindle
The Big Short by Michael Lewis – £0.99 on Kindle
Skunk Works: A Memoir of My Years at Lockheed by Ben Rich – £0.99 on Kindle
Or pick up one of the all-time great investing classics – Monevator shop
Environmental factors
Race to mine metals for EV batteries threatens marine paradise – BBC
How to keep your home cool in a heatwave – Guardian
Renowned climate scientist decries the most difficult time for science he’s seen – F.C.
Attenborough’s Ocean tells the truth about marine destruction – Guardian
Octopus boom on England’s southwest coast down to ‘perfect storm’ – Sky
Scientists develop plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours – Reuters
Robot overlord roundup
Mary Meeker’s latest AI report [PDF] – Bondcap
Planning your retirement? ChatGPT can help with that [Paywall] – FT
Student essays RIP. The future of cognition – The Garden of Forking Paths
All civil servants in England and Wales to get AI training – Guardian
The harsh reality of being laid off because of AI… – Independent
…with Amazon’s boss warning staff AI will replace jobs – BBC
Not at the dinner table
How to navigate the tariff circus – Mr Money Mustache
The reality behind Trump’s incredible investment claims – BBC
All we have are vibes and the vibes are bad – Garbage Day
Strikes on Iran reverberate through the media – Columbia Journalism Review
Off our beat
Very bad advice – Morgan Housel
The Taliban has gotten around to banning… chess – NPR
A Russian soldier takes the stand for an execution – BBC
The reciprocity of interest – More To That
Using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss from a doctor who’s been there – NPR
What happened to working your way up from the mailroom? – The Diff
The rise and fall of TV sitcoms – Stat Significant
Going out on top – We’re Gonna Get Those Bastards
And finally…
“Real estate is the ultimate field for entrepreneurs. You don’t need substantial capital to start; you just need to be resourceful. You can access financing. You can access friends and family money. You can use other people’s money. You can be in this business owning one property or a thousand.”
– Erez Cohen, Real Estate Titans
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Mashing up Gibson’s Necromancer (introducing Chatsubo’s bartender), in a world of affordable manufactured niche fintwit and financial micro franchises on X, Reddit and Substack, there’s something almost heraldic about sticking your neck out (and opening your wallet) to run a defiantly indie full service Website (remember those 😉 ) covering the gambit of UK related PF, FIRE and investing. Very 1990s/Gen X 🙂 Luv it. Long may you continue.
Good luck finding a new contributing author. The root problem surely remains that FIRE, or pursuit of FI, for the vast majority of people boils down to earning more, spending less and stashing (MMM influence?) the surplus. How to string that out week after week is a challenge.
As you wrote yourself we can all manage an article or three, probably based on our own habits, but to have the curiosity to keep seeking new opportunities is rare. I am always in awe of how people like Ermine find the inspiration to both keep going and maintain the quality.
In my office I am the boring bloke that people approach every September when asked to submit their choices for the flexible part of our total compensation for the year ahead. That might make an interesting paragraph or three for those at my firm, but after that the well dries up. Hell, articles on cycling to work and packed lunches have been both done to death and redundant by WFH.
On a minor point, and I’m not grouching about compounding –
> It all adds up in your 20s [stoozing et al. Is that really still a thing?]
What really adds up in your 20s IMO is the muppetry you don’t do that your peers do. Primum non nocere.
And this
Good luck with the search!