Sometime not too long ago, Rockstar Finance, one of my favorite personal finance websites, went dormant. This was a pretty big bummer because of how important the site was not only to myself but to the entire personal finance community as well.
The premise behind Rockstar Finance was pretty simple. Each day, they featured three new blog posts written by different personal finance bloggers. For a long time, Rockstar Finance served as a really good content curation source, providing a single spot where you could find interesting new articles from a variety of different people. For years, I would start out each morning by logging into Rockstar Finance and checking out the articles that were featured for the day.Â
What made Rockstar Finance work so well was its simplicity. It didn’t have a lot of pictures or text – mainly just a plain white page with links to featured posts. This made it so that you could easily go to the website, see what was featured for the day, and get to the different posts without having to click through a lot of pages. There wasn’t any self-promotion. There was no original content for a long time. And there were very few ads – if I recall, it was just a banner ad and maybe a few other ads scattered throughout.Â
This simplicity belied Rockstar Finance’s true purpose. It wasn’t made to promote itself. Rather, it was created to promote everyone else in the personal finance community. And indeed, this is probably what made the blogging community love Rockstar Finance so much – it had a real emphasis on helping others get seen, with no strings attached. Even better, Rockstar Finance seemed to do a good job of helping newer bloggers get found, as it didn’t always feature the same big bloggers.
I remember the first time I got featured on Rockstar Finance. My blog was just a few months old, and at the time, I was only getting a few visitors per day. When you’re a new blogger, it can often feel like you’re writing into the ether. But if you got featured on Rockstar Finance, you’d get thousands of visitors to your site over the course of a few days. When I got featured on Rockstar Finance, for the first time, it felt like people were actually reading what I was writing.
Unfortunately, Rockstar Finance went through a few ownership changes that ultimately led to a decline in quality and to its now-dormant state. The site got to be a little bit too cluttered, with too much stuff going on. Eventually, I stopped checking it simply because it felt like the site had strayed too far from its origins.
It’s really a shame to see Rockstar Finance fall like this. And at this point, I don’t think it’s possible for it to come back.Â
But what if we could recreate what Rockstar Finance was all about? That’s what I wanted to try to do.Â
Creating A New Rockstar Finance
Sometime last year, my friend Erik from The Mastermind Within started up his own content curation site that he called Daily Finance Blogs. It was basically an aggregator site that allowed visitors to see all of the latest posts written by people in the personal finance community. His goal was to create a central place where people could find the latest blog posts from a lot of different bloggers. Â
Several months ago, the two of us got to talking about the steady decline we’d seen in Rockstar Finance. It occurred to us that maybe we could create a new version of Rockstar Finance, one that would try to go back to the roots of what made Rockstar Finance work so well – a simple website featuring interesting posts from different people in the personal finance community.Â
And so, we got to work. Initially, the plan was to try to expand on what Erik had created with Daily Finance Blogs. However, an opportunity came up to buy a new domain name that we thought was simple and made it clear what the website was about.
After many weeks of work throughout the summer, we finally got it set up. We set up our site at www.PersonalFinanceBlogs.com. We called it PFB for short.Â
Room For Plenty Of Curation SitesÂ
Our site wasn’t the first content curation site to pop up after Rockstar Finance’s downfall. In fact, as we got the ball rolling on our project, a couple of new sites popped up that were doing what we had hoped to do.
First, we found out that our friend Zach over at Four Pillar Freedom had converted his site, Collecting Wisdom, into a site similar to what we wanted to do – a simple website featuring three daily posts from the personal finance community.
Then we found out that JD Roth and Jim Wang had started up their own site, Apex Money, which also provided daily curated content from around the web.Â
I think both sites are amazing and after discovering them, we worried about what this would mean for our project that we’d been working so hard on. Were we just too slow to the party?Â
But as we thought about it more, we remembered what made the personal finance community so great. One of the great things about the personal finance community is that even with so many bloggers and content creators out there, we’ve never viewed each other as competitors. They say a rising tide lifts all boats and I think that’s how a lot of us in the personal finance community think. If we all do well, we all rise. Indeed, I think Rockstar Finance was built on that very principle of working together.Â
And with literally hundreds, if not thousands, of blogs out there, there’s room for multiple curation websites to help people get discovered and find new content to read. We all have different points of view, so with multiple sites looking for new posts to feature, hopefully even more people will find their content reaching more and more people!
What To Expect From PersonalFinanceBlogs.comÂ
So, here’s what you can expect from Personal Finance Blogs (or PFB, for short). There will be two main features:
- Daily Features. Monday through Friday, we’ll feature three articles at the top of the front page. These articles are ones that we find ourselves from scouring the web or that are submitted to us and that we think are worth sharing. We’re going to aim for more recent content. And any featured posts will remain on the site so that people can find them in the future.
- Personal Finance Blog Feed. Erik made a really good feed that aggregates all of the daily posts from hundreds of different personal finance blogs. He spent a lot of time trying to make this feed as visually appealing and simple as possible. I think this is a great place for readers to find the latest content out there. You can check out the feeds here. And if we missed your blog and you want it featured in the feed, just hit us up.Â
Our goal is to keep the site as simple and visually appealing as possible. You won’t have to click through a lot of pages to find good content. Ideally, if we feature a blogger, we’ll do our best not to feature that blogger again for at least a little bit. This is a bit of a fluid concept, but the general idea is to get as many different blog posts from as many different bloggers and points of view as we can.
I don’t expect to replace what Rockstar Finance did for this community – they started something that can never be fully replicated. But I think a combination of curation from sites like ours, Collecting Wisdom, and Apex Money is a good start. Our friend Michelle over at Frugality and Freedom also put together a great post: Get Your Regular Dose of Finance Posts: A Curated List of Curated Lists. Her post lists all of the bloggers and websites out there curating lists of interesting personal finance posts. It’s definitely worth checking out.
If you’re looking for content to read, we’d definitely appreciate if you’d check out Personal Finance Blogs. From there, you can submit any posts you think are worth sharing. Be sure to also check out the Personal Finance Blogs Feed, where you can see all of the latest posts from the personal finance community. Please also follow us on Twitter.Â
This is a big project and we really hope that it benefits the community. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to me or drop a comment down below. We’re really excited to share Personal Finance Blogs with the world and really hope it benefits people.
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free shares using Webull.
- Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
- SoFi Invest ($50) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $50 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Upgrade ($150) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $150 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $150 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- US Bank Business ($800) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- Fifth Third Bank ($350) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
- GO2Bank ($75) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $75 referral bonus.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Netspend ($40 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $40 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $40 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
- Digital Federal Credit Union ($20) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.25% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $800 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Came here trying to figure out what happened to rockstar finance and discovered a few other citation sites. Thanks for sharing and good luck to you guys!
Thanks! Let us know what we can do to improve. The new site is only 3 months old, so we’re still working on it!
Congratulations on this new venture! I look forward to checking out this new site and learning from the great content you will be curating.
Thanks Laura!
I am thrilled and can’t wait to see your new site, Kevin! Love the idea of aggregated articles and thank you for sharing other similar sites.
Thanks! Hope PersonalFinanceBlogs.com helps you to discover great new voices in the personal finance space!
Thanks for the mention! I love your point that, “Even with so many bloggers and content creators out there, we’ve never viewed each other as competitors. They say a rising tide lifts all boats and I think that’s how a lot of us in the personal finance community think.”
Well put! Not competitors, but complementary. I have felt like this community is very welcoming and supportive, especially amongst the financial independence / retire early content creators. Perhaps the abundance mindset associated with their money is what is flowing through?
Anyway, congratulations on the launch of this new project and I look forward to the daily emails!
Thanks Michelle!
Hooray! I’m excited to check out Personal Finance Blogs. Nice work Kevin and Erik.
I also just have to say this: WTF happened to Rockstar?!! Why did the new owner buy it only to ditch it? I’m sure it wasn’t cheap to buy. So perplexing.
Thanks Chrissy!
And yeah, I have no idea what the heck happened to Rockstar. Like that person must’ve had a ton of money to throw away.