If you are lucky enough to be part of the mass affluent -- that is a household with $100K - $1 million to invest -- you may be finding publications like Money & Smart Money sometimes too basic to really help with some of the issues you now face.

So for the mass affluent, what’s the best resource for keeping abreast of investment / personal finance related topics? [ Other than pfblog of course :) ]

The Wall Street Journal gets my vote. If you’re a current subscriber, you already know what I’m talking about. If not, here are my thoughts on why you should give the WSJ a 6 to 12 month test-run...

The WSJ is targeted at the wealthy

The average household assets for WSJ subscribers is $1.4 mil (excluding their home). Naturally it follows that WSJ articles are written to appeal to people who are concerned about more than the basics.

Think of it as panning for gold

Don’t feel that you need to read every article to get your money's worth. Rather, keep your eye on The Personal Journal and Money & Investing sections where, over the course of the year, I can all but guarantee you will find numerous articles that hit the mark.

You will better understand the big picture

It’s easy to get caught up in the daily fluctuations of the stock market or the rising cost of gas at the pump. But it is also important to understand long term trends and how they may impact your future. I suggest you pay particular attention to the following:

 Inflation
 National budget deficit
 National savings deficit
 The trade deficit
 Interest rates
 Social Security & Medicare
 Dollar valuation relative to foreign currencies
 The real estate market
 Emerging economies, especially China
 Rising cost of health care
 Individual & long-term care insurance
 Retirement & retirement planning
 The graying of America’s population

Here’s a link if you wish to subscribe. (I am NOT paid for this endorsement)

Note: Please don't think that I'm knocking the other publications -- I personally subscribe to Money, Smart Money and Kiplinger's too.

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