I review the best posts of 2024, from the posts you liked the best to the ones I’m most pleased with.
It’s time for a look back at this past year here at Empathic Finance.
In some ways, it’s been a quiet year. I ran my continuing education class for therapists a few times, but in terms of public-facing events, that was about all. A lot of the reason for that is because my individual and couples financial coaching business really took off this year, with me having more client sessions than ever before. I’m quite pleased and honored to have been able to be a part of people’s financial journey.
And for everyone else, I published 52 blog posts over the past year, one each week, just as I’ve done for years now.
I spend a lot of time working on content for my blog, as my goal is to be helpful to everyone, regardless of whether they’re a client of mine or not. I don’t know if I always succeed, but I certainly try.
And to that end, I want to take a look at the best posts of 2024.
As always, I divide this list into two parts: the top-read blog posts of the year (as determined by Google Analytics) and my personal favorites. Five of one, five of the other.
So let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
Top ranked posts
5. On the eve of anxiety
Wow, we’re starting off heavy, aren’t we? This post, despite only being a few weeks old, certainly resonated with many of you. It was my attempt to make sense of what was going to happen with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as more generally how to handle anxiety about something you can’t do anything about.
You may want to bookmark this post as we head into 2025, if you know what I mean.
Let’s be honest, things can look pretty dark right now. And the darkness may not be over any time soon. I don’t want to sugarcoat that. But at the same time, I also want you to look back over previous dark times that you have experienced, and survived.
4. Better financial habits are easier when you stop using credit cards
This is the hill I’m going to die on, and I’ll die on it because this hill works. There are lots of reasons to not use credit cards for everyday spending, but here’s a different take: the good financial habits that you’re looking to build are actually easier to build when you stop using credit cards. Maybe this one resonated a little more than normal?
“How do I know if I have the money to pay for what I’m buying?” How indeed.
3. 3 reasons to fire your financial planner
Look, I’m all for financial planners. They provide a valuable service, at least sometimes. But other times, you are spending money employing someone who is costing you more money than they are making. It sounds like many of you were wondering if this was the case.
I know far too many people who have given their money to a financial planner and then have no idea what’s actually happening with it. Is their money properly invested? Are their returns adequate?
2. The 1% Rule: How to know when to move your money
I have no problem with deal-chasing, at least up to a point. If you can find a better deal, be it a higher savings rate, a lower interest rate, or even just less cost, then it might be worth it. But the key word is “might”. And the trick is know when it’s worth it, and when it’s not. And my determination is using the 1% Rule.
In general, when it comes to financial moves, I’m a fan of the phrase “don’t just do something; stand there!”. If you try to be slick, you’ll most likely end up losing your shirt.
1. 7 financial tasks to do before the end of the year
I have to admit that I was a little bit surprised that this was the top-visited blog post of the year, but hey, I don’t make the rules: Google does.
The nice thing about this post is that it’s evergreen. These seven tasks are things you can do every year from now on to give you the most impact on your financial situation as you move from one year to the next. You might want to bookmark this one as well.
Next year doesn’t have to be the same as this year. Whatever you struggled with, you’re not fated to struggle with it forever.
My favorite posts
1. How to talk about money with a partner
This might be one of the most important topics I’ve ever discussed on this site. Connection with a partner is incredibly important to a happy (partnered) life, and finances can be one of the most difficult areas in which to connect.
But if you can learn how to connect with a partner around the topic of money, you are going to level up your entire relationship and give it a much higher chances of success.
Assuming (as I must) that you are all fundamentally on the same page about your commitment, then even if you have differing views about the way you spend money, you can agree that you’re both working toward strengthening that commitment. (And if you’re not on the same page, well, that would be good to know too, wouldn’t it?)
2. You aren’t smarter than the timeshare people
This year, I traveled with my partner and some friends to Hawaii, a friend of mine having gotten a killer deal due to it being connected to a timeshare presentation.
Timeshares are vile, and my experiences have led me to realize that some people honestly believe that they can outsmart the timeshare people in order to come up with a deal that will benefit them. They’re wrong, and I’ll tell you why, and also what you can do instead to really get the best deal. (And I must add that, thankfully, my friend was not one who was trying to outsmart them.)
Just walk down any area that’s for tourists. You’ll see kiosks with “discount tickets” and “ask me about free resort stays” or something like that. You might even be accosted by a salesperson, wanting to know if you want to see a show tonight. If timeshares were a good idea, none of this would be necessary.
3. 5 reasons why condos are better than houses
“Owning a home is so expensive! Roofs, lawns, and fences cost so much.”
This is where I raise my hand and mention that I own my home, but do not have to deal with roofs, lawns, or fences. That’s because I own a condo.
People forget that condominiums are an option when looking to get into homeownership. They need to be reminded, because as far as I’m concerned, they’re so much better than houses.
If I had only thought about houses, I probably wouldn’t be an owner today. But now I own a home, and making some serious progress toward paying off my mortgage entirely. And it’s all because I chose to live in a condo.
4. Your car insurance doesn’t care about your loyalty
For years, I thought that there was a cost-savings benefit to staying with the same car insurance company. But I was totally wrong. The car insurance model actually rewards not being loyal, as I found out to my benefit this year.
Usually, companies that have the “boiling frog” business model (where prices go up a lot each year) can do so because you’re locked in and it’s really hard to move away. If you are not locked in, then it seems clear that companies should keep their prices low so as to incentivize you to stay. But that is not what’s happening with car insurance.
5. What King’s Quest taught me about financial wellness
Okay, this last one is kind of silly, but it allowed me to showcase my love for the King’s Quest game series from my childhood, and also allowed me to talk about a music project I’ve been working on that has absolutely nothing to do with money.
Because, after all, money is a tool you can use to make your life better, but life shouldn’t be all about money.
Looking ahead
The work continues. I’m grateful that the community here has been growing, and I intend to make this community even more interactive in the year to come. My goal is to get people together learning from each other, and not just from me. You’re important too!
If you want to be informed about what I’m building in the coming months, please join my mailing list if you haven’t already.
And if you want this year to be the year that you finally start to get some traction with your finances, I can help make that happen.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here. Let’s make the next year one to remember.
