Written by David Weliver | Edited by Chris Muller | Last updated on March 10, 2024
At Money Under 30, we think your financial future deserves more than a sound bite.
Our mission is to provide the best advice and recommendations to help you start your financial life on the right foot.
We want to help you eliminate the stress and confusion of deciding how to spend, save and invest your hard-earned money.
Each year, we scrutinize hundreds of financial products to help you find the best tools and accounts to help you manage your money and build wealth. We also publish hundreds of thoroughly-researched guides to help you navigate your finances.
We aim to be one of the most trustworthy independently-operated sources of financial advice on the Internet. We work with total editorial independence, meaning we will not publish or change something just because an advertiser asks us to. We won’t recommend a product unless our editors consider it to be extremely valuable for our readers.
Money Under 30 was founded in 2006 by David Weliver, a former employee at Dow Jones’ monthly personal finance magazine SmartMoney (now shuttered). The website was acquired by XLMedia in August 2017 but then reacquired by David’s company, Northern Lights Media, in June 2023.
We earn money through direct advertising and affiliate marketing relationships. This means we may earn referral fees when readers open an account, purchase a product, or sign-up for a service through our links. That said, we recommend products based upon our independent research and analysis of a service. When possible, we will try out the service ourselves, too. (Note that this isn’t always possible. We can’t, for instance, borrow money from hundreds of different lenders. U.S. securities law also prohibits us from discussing our personal experience with investing platforms.) Overall, we think we do a pretty good job of remaining fair and balanced in all of our advice and recommendations. Very often, we will recommend products and services for which we do not have an affiliate relations (meaning we will not earn a dime if you sign up).
Following six years of outside ownership, we are now focused on restoring the quality and breadth of content Money Under 30 was once known for. If you have questions or suggestions, please let us know.
About David
David Weliver founded Money Under 30 when he was 26 years old after working for SmartMoney — what used to be Dow Jones’ monthly personal finance magazine.
Despite working as a financial journalist, David struggled to afford living in New York City while repaying student loans. Without a financial education or role models to guide him, David exacerbated his situation by using credit cards to make ends meet. After a few short years, he was over $80,000 in debt.
After looking to the Internet for help turning his finances around, David discovered a dearth of serious financial advice written for young adults. David knew that most U.S. high schools and colleges don’t teach personal finance. He also knew that many 20-somethings, like him, didn’t learn how to be responsible with money from their parents.
David began blogging about his goal to repay all of his debt before turning 30; Money Under 30 was born. David accomplished his goal in just 3 years by working two, sometimes three, jobs and slashing his expenses.
During that time, Money Under 30 resonated with millions of other young adults, at some points reaching millions of unique visitors each and every month.
Although he’s now “just a little bit” over 30, David remains committed to creating content that cuts through the online clutter to give young adults friendly financial advice they can trust.
David is a graduate of Bates College. He lives in Maine with this wife, daughters and a growing number of dogs, cats and fish.
Selected press
A sampling of the several hundred interviews and quotes given by Money Under 30 founder David Weliver over the years.
- How To Juggle The Financial Ins and Outs Of Freelance Work – CNBC
- Sharing a Mortgage with Others – The New York Times
- Retirement Savings: Don’t Try To Save Too Much, Just Save ‘Enough’ – Investor’s Business Daily
- Shopping Tips On Buying Your Sweetheart An Engagement Ring – USA Today
- Why Are Millennials Turning To Payday Loans And Pawn Shops? – PBS News Hour
- Money Mistakes That Newlyweds Make – Kiplinger
- Millennials Want In On Annuities – USA Today
- Tips For 20-somethingsTo Handle Finances – Chicago Tribune
- The College Graduate’s Guide to Managing Money in the Real World – The Washington Post
- You’ve Graduated! Welcome to Reality 101 – Fox Business
- Four Mental Tricks To Help You Save Some Bucks – BlogHer.com
- Smart Financial Gifts For Young Adults – Chicago Tribune
- Young Adults Choose to Save Cash Instead of Investing– Marketplace (NPR)
- The Definitive Guide to Splitting the Dinner Bill – Forbes
- How Do I Make Sure I Stick to my Resolution? – Marketplace (NPR)
- The Difference Between Frugal and Cheap – The Washington Post
