Money magazine = worth it really?

[DangerMouse]

I used to subscribe to most of the financial magazines, Money included, and have found that I have outgrown them. Most of what they publish is fluff and I usually find myself thinking that those featured in the articles are a pack of idiots.

 

[Art G]

OK, here's the summation on Money Magazine. Check out year to year they publish their list of "Mutual Funds you absolutely must own". Each year they are different funds.

 

[Orchidflower]

I have all of Money's issues from this year. Seems as if they cover the same old thing over and over, but just change a couple verbs, adverbs, nouns and pronouns in the titles like, "The Best Place to Move in Retirement" to "Best Places to Live in Retirement." Well, you get the picture. SOS, different month. Zzzzz...
Did get some good ideas from others here, tho, and using them, too.

 

[clifp]

I still subscribe to Kiplingers. I'd probably resubscribe to either Fortune or Forbes at less than $20/year. I do pay for online access to the WSJ. Money is useless perhaps dangerous fluff. AAII has about one good article per issue. However, in general I think most board members have outgrown the financial planning info in most of the magazines. Of course you can get almost all of them online for free.

 

[novaman]

By the time MONEY magazine starts recommending something, it has already peaked.

I foolishly took a flyer on a few of their must own stocks a few years ago. They were citigroup, intel, dell. Intel hasn't moved in 3-4 years and the other 2 have been among the biggest losers i've ever owned.

 

[chinaco]

Not worth it. Too much free information available on the internet.

 

[CuppaJoe]

i like reading it, it makes my own problems seem not so bad. kind of like watching the loosers on susie orman

Do you know Suzi, like I know Suzi? Oh! Oh! Oh, what a gal.

Yes, one must know Suzi to be culturally literate. I superficially skim her books and believe that she advises women beginning to wise up financially to not only accept the extra $100 in interest from TD AmeriTrade but also asks them to promise they will regularly read one of the magazines like "Money" or "Kiplingers." Wonder what the K guy thinks of "Money."
My "Money" gets skimmed as I open the mail and goes right into the recycling.

I continue to suggest getting financial insight from novels rather than most finance books.

 

[Spanky]

I read Money magazine at the library. I would not mind paying $10 for a subscription.

 

[GoodSense]

I subscribed to it last year and am thinking about stopping it. All the stuff I like (personal stories, etc.) is already on their website. The other stuff I don't really care (ie. recommended stocks).

I'll just put the magazines in a box and read them again in a couple of years. I won't remember that I already read them and they'll be like new.

 

[MooreBonds]

I read Money magazine at the library. I would not mind paying $10 for a subscription.

When I make my weekly trip to the library to return my DVDs and pick up a few more to watch over the coming week, I'll occasionally grab the latest copy of Forbes/Fortune/etc. to browse through.

I did sign up for a 3-year laugh fest subscription to Money about 18 months ago. I usually keep it sitting on the toilet in the bathroom to read a page or two at a time (hey, it helps pass the time ). I'm definitely not renewing the subscription when it expires, even though it's $1/issue.

 

[RetireeRobert]

but am not sure Money is worth buying even for the sr. $10 a year rate. I seem to never look or take Money's advice. Am I wrong for thinking this?

Yes, you are wrong.

For $10 a year what do you expect? For that price it is worth the entertainment value. And sometimes they have interesting travel articles, info on new websites, insurance, and the like. I like to read the personal stories profiles too.

It is worth $10 a year, to answer your original question. $20 a year, I would think twice.

 

[mathjak107]

we let money mag doing an article on us 2 years ago, it was fun doing the photo shoot and all but they really couldnt find much to change in our portfolio. the big issue was our differing views on long term care.

MONEY Magazine: Money Makeover: Ready for the home stretch - March 1, 2006

 

[Jeb-NY]

I subscribe to Money but just for the pictures

Jeb

 

[cardude]

Playboy has some good financial articles..............

I used to get OID (Outstanding Investor Digest) back when I was trolling for individual stocks. I don't even know if they are still in business.

The best reading to learn about general investing, IMO, are the Chairman's Letters and the annual reports of Berkshire Hathaway. However, they don't have any information about mutual funds or any other detailed "how too" stuff at all, so it they actually may not be helpful for day to day stuff.

Shareholder Letters

 

[CuppaJoe]

we let money mag doing an article on us 2 years ago, it was fun doing the photo shoot and all but they really couldnt find much to change in our portfolio. the big issue was our differing views on long term care.

MONEY Magazine: Money Makeover: Ready for the home stretch - March 1, 2006

I agree with your views on long term care. Of course, I've been aware of planners' ideas on it for many years and always heard to consider it at about age 59; well I pretty much became uninsurable at age 57 but don't feel at all nervous about having no long term care insurance.

From my personal experience (small sample) with my mom and others I know, stays in nursing homes, etc. are more likely to be relatively short. There really are a lot of in-home alternatives.

 

[Sarah in SC]

For the LTC insurance, what I'd want to buy at 60 is a policy that covers in home care, not all that worried about the nursing home coverage, since I'd rather stay at home anyway if possible.

 

[yakers]

Does anyone think any of the financial magazines are worth a subscription?

Just buy a copy of The Economist and see if you like it. I have had a subscription for about 30 years now. The rest of my information I get on the web. Or I post a question here or at VG diehards board and they don't even charge .5%AUM.

 

[Midpack]

Just buy a copy of The Economist and see if you like it. I have had a subscription for about 30 years now. The rest of my information I get on the web. Or I post a question here or at VG diehards board and they don't even charge .5%AUM.

I do read The Economist periodically (get it) but I'm not a subscriber. I don't consider it a financial magazine, much broader than that IMHO. Friend of mine is a fanatic reader, and I'd agree with both of you, The Economist is one of the best magazines around. When I'm in an airport facing a long flight, TE is usually what I'll buy for the times I can't just listen/watch my iPod.

 

[Orchidflower]

I'll have to 3rd that on The Economist. My son gets it by subscription, and I "borrow" his to read.

 

[OldGuy]

Nords hit it when he wrote, "...it's hard to find a magazine worth paying for when you can read it on the Web."

I/we subscribe to a few magazines: Kiplingers, Cottage Living [unh-unh, not mine he said] & SI (all three are new, for $2/ea/yr courtesy of a crcard mailing), Money (the Classic Comic Book of financial mags), Proceedings (another life member) & the usual newsletters/mags associated with memberships. With more periodicals now offering electronic versions of their paper issues, why stick with paper? Why subscribe at all?

I just got an email from BoatUS - as a member, I get their monthly magazine. Now they're pushing the electronic version of the mag & want members to opt out of the printed version. And it's really a better way to read their stuff - easy search capabilities, cut-and-paste articles to send/save... I've gone through 2 issues so far, and it's growing on me as a way to read what they've written.

I can see it coming; when will they start to charge for the "privilege" of getting a printed copy in the mail? The conversion to e-magazines may give some of us old dogs a headache, but doesn't it really make sense to move away from paper?

 

[samclem]

I can see it coming; when will they start to charge for the "privilege" of getting a printed copy in the mail?

Well, there's plenty of precedent.

"You say that you want the actual checks you wrote physically mailed back to you after we process them at the bank? Why would anyone want that? Hey, Trixie--come over here and listen to what this guy is asking us to do."

 

[Milton]

Would definitely admit that a lot of the material is "same ol-same-ol" and articles tend to become somewhat redundant.

Just like 95% of all magazines (financial and non-financial). Waste of time and money IMHO; but if you find it entertaining reading, then $10 p.a. doesn't seem like a lot.

 

[Lsbcal]

I'm another one that gets The Economist. The first section I read is Finance because you'll sometimes find good articles that are fairly incisive on economic trends. Articles on other countries give you a decent sense of the world from less of an American-centric prespective.

The rest of the mags I peek at in the library.

 

[Lsbcal]

"Economist ... targets smart people", I knew there was a reason I subscribe to it: The Economist is beating the odds in the U.S. - MarketWatch

 

[W2R]

Frank's father subscribed to The Economist, and would leave it for Frank and me to read each week after he glanced through it.

He passed away last Easter, and we miss him dreadfully. Just to add to it, we no longer have The Economist to look forward to each week. If I were to subscribe to a magazine, that would be one to consider.