Personal Finance Newsletter

How Profitable Is A Personal Finance Newsletter? (Updated for 2024)

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 9th, 2024

So you want to start a personal finance newsletter?

And the first question that came to your mind was, “well, are personal finance newsletters actually profitable?”

With a market size of $22.5T - there’s plenty of business to go around.

Especially considering:

You could start a personal finance newsletter with as low as $100
Based on our data, personal finance newsletters generate an average of $36.4M per year

There’s money to be made. Don’t worry.

But, I don't want to spoil it all. Below we’ll cover everything you need to know when it comes to the profitability of a personal finance newsletter.

Let’s dive in!

Yes, a personal finance newsletter is generally a profitable business. However, you still need to consider several factors since these things always impact the overall outcome.

For instance, since average revenue is $36.4M per year with an estimated gross margin of 65%, you could expect to recover your investment within 7 months or even less.

But of course, it all comes down to how much you earn compared to the potential revenues of your personal finance newsletter.

To determine whether your business is profitable, you should earn more than your expenses in the beginning months. However, while you're in your first month, it can be challenging to know what to expect.

Therefore, you should maintain a record of your monthly expenses and income to determine whether you're meeting your goals. By doing this step, you can see how your personal finance newsletter is doing and if any changes or adjustments need to be made to enhance or maintain your efforts.

If you’re wondering if a personal finance newsletter is worth it, the answer is a big YES. With personal finance newsletters, you have the potential to earn $36.4M per year (this is based on data reported by real founders).

Further, you could have your initial investment back within months. Simply put, it’s a business worth a shot, especially if you have the resources and make the necessary efforts to achieve or surpass the target.

With a market size of $22.5T, it will be possible for you to build something that grows and turns into a flourishing business. As such, it’s the type of business you might want to consider starting.

Of course, you must learn and understand every aspect of running a personal finance newsletter to ensure success. Still, as long as you have the initial investment and can endure a few months before your actual gains, this business could be worth it.

You might want to consider reading more specifics about successful personal finance newsletters case studies.

Examples Of Profitable Personal Finance Newsletters

Here are a few examples of profitable personal finance newsletters, and a few more details about them:

1. Money Talk ($1.92K/year)

Qin Xie, a journalist and editor based in London, launched her reader-funded newsletter, Money Talk, during her furlough period due to the pandemic. After coming across a post about the future of journalism on Substack, she saw an opportunity to write about personal finance, a topic she was already familiar with and interested in. With low overhead costs and a desire to equip herself and others with knowledge on handling finances during a recession, she quickly launched the newsletter and has received positive feedback and early success.

Is it profitable? Yes
How much money it makes: $1.92K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0

On Starting A Reader-Funded Newsletter About Personal Finance

Qin Xie launched Money Talk, a reader-funded newsletter on personal finance, in May 2020, and made £100 in the first month, chiefly promoting it on LinkedIn.

Read this case study

Read by 6,279 founders

2. Ramsey Solutions ($300M/year)

Dave Ramsey came up with the idea for Ramsey Solutions after experiencing a financial downfall that completely upended his life. Early in his career, Dave had significant success in real estate but lost everything due to mismanaging debt and declared bankruptcy at age 28. This personal crisis drove him to seek answers in financial stability and led him to turn to biblical principles for financial guidance.

He began helping others create financial plans, offering advice based on his own experiences of hitting rock bottom and climbing back up. He used his insights from formally studying the Bible's teachings on money management, which resonated with many who were also struggling financially. Ramsey initially tested his ideas by counseling one-on-one and eventually moved on to teaching classes and hosting a radio show, continuously refining his approach based on feedback and the success stories of those he helped.

One of the significant challenges he faced was navigating public skepticism and refining his methods to ensure they were both practical and spiritually grounded. Overcoming this and positioning himself as a trusted financial advisor taught him the importance of transparency and staying true to one's values. His journey emphasizes the need for personal experience and authenticity in building a business that aims to solve real-world problems.

Is it profitable? Yes
How much money it makes: $300M/year

How Dave Ramsey Built Into A $700M Empire After Bankruptcy

Ramsey Solutions transformed a personal financial collapse into a $300 million annual empire, leveraging radio shows and best-selling books to reach over 20 million weekly listeners while offering products like Financial Peace University at $99, showcasing the power of resilience and strategic diversification in building a thriving business.

Read this case study

Read by 59 founders

3. The Ways To Wealth ($468K/year)

R.J. Weiss started his blog, The Ways To Wealth, with a small niche idea of posting investing reading lists. However, after reading income reports from other financial bloggers and realizing the potential in affiliate marketing, he dedicated eight months to doubling down on the site and making it a success. Through a combination of organic search, paid ads, and viral Pinterest traffic, the blog now earns over $30,000 in monthly revenue.

Is it profitable? Yes
How much money it makes: $468K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100

How I Started A $30K/Month Blog About Saving And Making More Money

This case study outlines how R.J. Weiss created The Ways To Wealth blog, earning over $30,000 in monthly revenue from a mix of affiliate and advertising revenue with a team producing 15-20 hours of work per article to teach hundreds of thousands of visitors each month how to save and make more money.

Read this case study

Read by 8,762 founders

Learn more about starting a personal finance newsletter:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a personal finance newsletter?
-> Pros and cons of a personal finance newsletter

Need inspiration?

-> Other personal finance newsletter success stories
-> Marketing ideas for a personal finance newsletter

Other resources

-> Personal finance newsletter tips

With a personal finance newsletter, you can make an average of $36.4M revenue per year (based on data reported by real businesses).

You can start with an initial investment as low as $100. Then, with proper knowledge and sustained effort, you could have an ROI (return of investment) within 7 months.

Based on our data, average weekly revenue for a personal finance newsletter ranges around $759K. As such, you could see monthly revenues of $3.04M.

To know if your personal finance newsletter achieves the weekly profit target, you need to keep track of the total earnings you get per day. Afterward, you'll want to consider subtracting the expenses you have daily.

Learning your weekly profit can also show whether you're hitting your target goal for your personal finance newsletter.

How much do personal finance newsletters owners make?

The income of a personal finance newsletter owner can vary depending on various factors such as location, size, competition, and the owner's business skills.

But to give you some idea, the weekly revenue of an established personal finance newsletter is about $759K. But this can be lower or higher depending on so many factors - it's almost impossible to say exactly.

While the potential for earning a good income as a personal finance newsletter owner exists, success in this field requires a commitment to providing quality products and services and building a strong reputation within the community.

Generally speaking, a personal finance newsletter can expect profit margin of around 65%. Profit margins refer to the percentage of revenue that remains after deducting all expenses associated with running a business. In the case of a personal finance newsletter, profit margins can vary depending on various factors, such as the type and quality of products sold, the size of the store, and the level of competition in the area.

However, these figures can vary depending on the pricing strategy, inventory management, and overall efficiency of the business. To maintain healthy profit margins, personal finance newsletter owners must focus on managing costs, negotiating favorable supplier terms, and providing high-quality products and services to attract and retain customers. By doing so, personal finance newsletter owners can ensure long-term sustainability and profitability for their business.

The salary of a personal finance newsletter owner is an unpredictable figure. It's significantly influenced by numerous factors, including the store's location, its size, and the degree of competition. An owner of a well-established personal finance newsletter, in a prime position, might see an average weekly salary around the ballpark of $493K.

But it's worth noting, such numbers aren't always consistent. The earnings can vary wildly, potentially swinging by as much as 80% either way.

Achieving consistent success and maintaining a reliable income stream in this industry requires a deep commitment. It's imperative to offer high-quality products, deliver impeccable customer service, and nurture a trusted bond with the community you serve.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, based on many of our examples, a personal finance newsletter may be a promising business to start - but the success of your personal finance newsletter mostly depends on your effort and your approach.

If you focus on these, you'll have a much higher chance of a profitable personal finance newsletter.

Part of

Starting A Personal Finance Newsletter: Everything You Need To Know

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