Personal Finance in Your 20s & 30s For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Chapter 17

Using Media Resources

IN THIS CHAPTER

Reviewing Internet content

Evaluating free information and advice

Separating the best media sources from the rest

Technology and the Internet have changed the way people tap the vast and increasing amount of financial information and advice. Television, radio, magazines, and newspapers continue to attract plenty of eyeballs and listeners, of course, but those media have had to adapt and will continue to evolve because of the pressures of competition.

When I was a teenager and first took notice of the financial world, I was captivated, and so I observed, read, and learned all that I could about it. It’s no surprise, then, that I landed in my current profession! What’s amazing to me is how much things have changed and how much they haven’t changed over the decades.

What has dramatically changed is where and how you can get financial advice and information. In my youth, you could consult lots of newspapers (especially the Wall Street Journal), some financial magazines, Wall Street Week on PBS television, and investment newsletters. Today, you can still refer to many of these sources for information (although fewer newspapers are around), ...