It's Bean Two Years

Last week, one of my partners at the office commented "that he could not believe how many blogs I had written'. Since I had not really paid much attention to my running total, I went back and determined that I have posted 210 blogs to date. Today will be number 211. That is a lot of blogs when you consider the technical nature of many of my topics and the fact that I tend to write long blogs, despite advice to the contrary.

Today's blog post also marks the second anniversary of my blog which debuted September 20, 2010.

I have been told by several people that when they Google a tax topic, The Blunt Bean Counter is often one of the first links displayed. I am not sure whether I should be impressed with that information or consider the possibility that I write on such boring topics that no one else bothers to write on those topics. I have however, managed to write several blogs on some taboo money topics that have been fairly original in nature and received some recognition.

Over the last year I have received some critical acclaim; being nominated for a Plutus award (I did not win), having multiple mentions in Rob Carrick’s Reader, and being noted as a must read in Money Sense on four or five occasions. I have also been quoted in the newspaper a few times and even been interviewed.

Another blogging accomplishment this past year was creating the Bloggers for Charity initiative, in which Boomer & Echo, Canadian Capitalist, Michael James on Money, Canadian Finance Blog, Retire Happy Blog, Financial Highway, Canadian Financial DIY, Where Does All My Money Go, Young and Thrifty, Canadian Personal Finance Blog and my blog, raised $12,575 by auctioning off our blogs for a guest blogger for the day.

All in all, my decision to write has worked out very well, especially considering I really had no game plan other than to write a blog. Despite the time it takes to write many of my posts, I really enjoy writing them and it is rare that the task is burdensome. Now, how many blogs I have left in me is a question I cannot answer at this time?

Finally, although I do not have the largest financial blog following in Canada by any means, I have many readers who take the time to write to me privately, encouraging me or congratulating me when they like a blog, or offering constructive criticism when they don’t like something I wrote. I would like to thank those loyal readers of The BBC – thank you!

The blogs posted on The Blunt Bean Counter provide information of a general nature. These posts should not be considered specific advice; as each reader's personal financial situation is unique and fact specific. Please contact a professional advisor prior to implementing or acting upon any of the information contained in one of the blogs.

The Blunt Bean Counter noted in The Globe and Mail

Thanks to Preet Banerjee for referencing me today in his Globe and Mail column. His column today is titled "Share your family fortune now to reap the rewards". Preet is a well-known financial expert, who writes a column for the Globe and Mail, is the money expert on the W Network and is the blogger behind the blog WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com. I am not sure if he still has another real job :)

I would also like to give Preet props for participating in my Bloggers for Charity initiative, in which he raised $5,000 for charity. He is obviously an altruistic financial guy; yes, I know that term is usually an oxymoron.

This is the fifth time that I know of, that one of my blogs has been at least in part an inspiration for a newspaper column. Preet's column today quoted from my blog "A Family Vacation- A Memory worth not Dying for". Personally, it is self-satisfying when my blogs provide an inspirational thought or idea for others, given the time and effort required to create many of the blog posts.

I am particularly pleased that only one of the inspired newspaper columns has been an income tax based article. I look at my income tax blogs as loss leaders. I write income tax blogs since they show a professional competence (or incompetence) and they fill an information void since I think there is only one other mainstream blogger (Canadian Tax Resource) doing such that I am aware of. 

However, what I really enjoy writing are my blog posts on how money and finances impact families, relationships and the psyches of individuals. After 25 years of practice as a CA, I have seen most of what is to be seen in that regard, so I write from a perspective of experience.

Since I have severe restrictions on site advertising as a Chartered Accountant, I am not blogging for financial gain (although I do get the occasional client from my blog), but mostly because I enjoy doing so and as such, I appreciate it when columnists such as Preet, Roma Luciw, Rob Carrick and other financial bloggers, most notably Boomer & Echo, Canadian Capitalist, Big Cajunman, Michael James, Jim Yih,  My Own Advisor and Money Sense Online appreciate my blog posts whether as an inspiration for a column or as a recommended read. Thanks!

The blogs posted on The Blunt Bean Counter provide information of a general nature. These posts should not be considered specific advice; as each reader's personal financial situation is unique and fact specific. Please contact a professional advisor prior to implementing or acting upon any of the information contained in one of the blogs.