Happy Blogiversary to Me

I have been writing Above the Market for two years as of today (August 1, 2013). I began and still write largely to clarify my own thinking and to force and enforce commitment on my part. Actual readers are a lovely bonus. Over 650 posts and now hundreds of thousands of readers later, I remain astonished at the level of interest Above the Market has received — it is far beyond what I thought possible, much less likely. I appreciate each and every reader.

A few people deserve special mention and thanks.

Tom Brakke (his terrific blog is The Research Puzzle) generously offered outstanding help and guidance before I even had any readers to speak of and continues to offer wise counsel whenever I ask.  Tadas Viskanta provided my first distribution (exactly one month in) to the expert community he serves via his blog, Abnormal Returns, which remains the standard for its type.  Joe Calhoun upped my exposure tremendously via Real Clear Markets. I am humbled to be featured often at both of those sites, including today.

According to Investment News, Above the Market is a blog “for all financial advisers to follow.”  Thank you, Michael Kitces, for saying so. Financial Planning and Insider Monkey honored Above the Market as among the best of its type anywhere.  Wade Pfau has been a great help too (be sure to read his blog and his site if you don’t already). Thanks also to some of the “big boys” (of both sexes) for help and encouragement or for simply liking or linking my work (Jason Zweig, Cullen Roche, Carl Richards, Christine Benz, Josh Brown and Barry Ritholtz, among others). Special thanks too to my firm for encouraging this endeavor. 

My “top ten” posts based upon reader numbers follow in order of popularity. I hope you will give them a look (or another look).

1. Investors’ 10 Most Common Behavioral Biases (why does the internet love numbered lists so much?)
2. Establishing Your Top 10 Investment Default Settings (see?)
3. My Investing Checklist (it likes un-numbered lists too)
4. Above the Market’s Leading Investment Indicators 
5. Financial Advice: A Top Ten List (back to the numbered lists)
6. Top Ten Ways to Deal with Behavioral Biases (hmmm…)
7. 10 Classic Failed Tech Predictions (I’m sensing a theme)
8. Saving Investors From Themselves (we need it)
9. Math Suckage and Dave Ramsey (Ramsey apologists are everywhere it seems)
10. We Suck at Probabilities (sad but true)

However, I’d also like to focus on the following lucky 13 posts that didn’t get nearly as much attention — sometimes because they appeared before I had many readers — but which I think are worth reading. I encourage you to check them out.

1. Beguiled By Narrative
2. Financial Products are Sold, Not Bought
3. It’s Not You, It’s Me 
4. Just Put the Ball in Play
5. Gaming the System
6. The Semmelweis Reflex
7. Neurath’s Boat
8. Bias Blindness and Political Polarization
9. Michelle Pfeiffer Needs Help
10. Demand for Hitmen and Yield
11. Luck, Skill and Jim Harbaugh
12. Librarius Booker, Confabulation and Choice Blindness
13. Carolina Crazy

To everyone who has read, supported and helped me with this effort:  Thank You! I hope two years leads to many more.

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