Smart Money vs Money vs Kiplinger

[Angio333]

I know that we have discussed this before, but its time to decide which finance magazine I should subscribe to. I like actually reading from a real magazine over reading it online.

I am currently subscribed to Smart Money, but its due to expire.

Out of the three magazines (Smart Money, Money, and Kiplingers) do you prefer and why?

[MrPolarZero]

sorry to say this, but I don't read any of those magazines. Because when it comes to finance-related write ups, I prefer to read online articles/blogs.

[bjl584]

I've had subscriptions to all of them, and I found them to all be about on par with each other.

All 3 give a good basic overview of finances and can point you in a general direction as to what to do with your money. I did find that once I started to really learn about money and the markets the magazines became rather elementary to me. The more I learned about finances, the less I got out of reading those magazines. I think that they are geared more toward people that don't have the time or interest to dig too deeply and learn too extensively about matters concerning finances. They are a good place to start to learn about things, but they are definitely not geared toward a more advanced audience.

[rj.phila]

out of those three, if i had to choose, id definitely choose the economist.

seriously, i think you'll get as much info out of online forums as you will out of them. i had a free sub to money for a while, and i thought it sucked. 99% of the articles read like they came from the same playbook, IMO.

[Bob Frost]

All magazines are the same? You can't be serious?

Also, you think skimming the Web is enough to get serious personal finance advice? You're joking, right? All you'll get is enough information to hurt yourself. Here's the deal:

Money magazine - dumbed down, but useful. Prettiest pictures.

Smart Money -- best for investing in stocks, and also does some serious stories that are interesting, but not particularly useful.

Kiplinger's -- the best all-around magazine. It focuses on great, no-load mutual funds as far as investing goes. It's Kiplinger 25 list is all you need to build a portfolio. But it's also the most holistic of the magazines. It takes care of your credit cards, housing, medical, social security ... very well balanced. It's a little more sophisticated than the others, but totally understandable. If you're serious about your finances, get Kiplinger's.

[disneysteve]

I think all three are decent reads. If I had to pick just one, I'd probably agree with Bob Frost and go with Kiplinger's. I currently get both Kiplinger's and Money but Kiplinger's does go more in depth.

[robertgpitts]

Hi Angio. Be very careful about consuming financial media from any source. Doing so can be hazardous to your financial health.

The financial media tends to be reactionary instead of insightful. And constant exposure can influence us to make financial decisions based on temporary trends rather than timeless principles. See "Your Money and Your Brain" by Jason Zweig for more. Also "The Little Book of Behavioral Investing" by James Montier.

I consume my financial news via radio and web sites, but I also read personal finance books continually. The books serve as the foundation to evaluate everything else.

Robert Pitts
Freedom Personal Finance
Lakeland, FL

[disneysteve]

Keep in mind that the nature of publishing means that magazines have outdated info when they hit the newstands so I wouldn't depend on recommendations published in these magazines. They are more for educational purposes and understanding how things work. By the time Money or Kiplinger's come out, any recommendations in the issue are already well known by investors.

[JimInOK]

I subscribed to Money for a period of time a few years back. They did too good a job on the money-saving part, because when the renewal notice came in I remember thinking "here's one way I can save $30" and pitched it in the trash...

[Robert742]

Here is another vote for The Economist. I can't imagine paying for a newspaper, much less a magazine these days, but if I had time to keep up with it, I would subscribe to The Economist.

I prefer to read online, and articles from all 3 mags you mention make their way to the Internet as free content.

I learned a lot from Money growing up when I knew nothing. My dad subscribed to it. It is not as useful now that I know slightly more than nothing.

Personal finance magazines are kind of like fitness mags to me -- lots of hype and empty calories -- "Find out the top ten must-own stocks for 2011!" is not much different than "Killer core workout to give you wash board abs in 6 weeks!" Basically, its financial pornography.