Organic Search Terms

EPF’s organic search traffic has really spiked up in the past couple weeks – well, at least in comparison with what it used to be!  Just last week I started looking at the search terms leading people to EPF (people, not bots).  Today I’d like to take a look at a few of the search phrases.

Post with the Most

By far my most popular post in terms of being found by the wider internet is the one I did for the Roth IRA movement on the definition of earned income and whether or not graduate students can contribute to IRAs.  Apparently people really want to know this information!

Some of the search terms that were used to find that post and others like it were:

• taxable fellowship income qualified for roth ira
• scholarship and fellowship payroll payments and ira
• how phd students save for retirement
• roth and graduate student
• if you got 1099 misc which ira should you contribute to
• how to invest money while in grad school
• grad school stipend considered earned income for roth ira
• postdoctoral roth ira
• can i invest in a roth ira if my income is from a 1099-misc
• can money earned on 1099 go to roth ira
• roth ira fellowship income
• contributions must be earned income
• roth ira fellowship earned income

To review, if you receive only 1099-MISC income from a fellowship through the course of a year, you can’t contribute to an IRA in that year.  It’s not earned income.  For motivation to save for retirement while in grad school or young/low income, see my posts on compound interest and miscellaneous softer arguments.  If you’re stuck with a 1099-MISC, there are a few other strategies you could use if you are determined to save.

Questions

I’m not a financial planner or anything, so I’m not qualified to answer these questions – but I will try anyway!

“should i save for retirement at age 27” – Almost certainly yes.  If you work for a reasonable amount of money, I think you should save for the future.  I don’t think there’s a certain age at which you have to add in saving for retirement to everything else you’re doing.  If you’re working and living independent from your parents and not going into debt, save for retirement with every paycheck.

“how save half income 2012” – I have no idea how to do this but apparently this lady does!

“what’s it like to go down to a one car family” – It is awesome.  Sharing a car has enhanced our marriage more than I ever could have anticipated.  Not only are we spending additional time together in the commute itself, but it’s totally synched up our schedules and improved our communication.  Also, we’re saving a little money.  But mostly it’s the marriage stuff.  I wish we’d done it sooner!

“where should you be living during school” – Near the school, I hope.  As far as living on vs. off campus, it definitely depends on the area and what other students are doing.  I know there are some schools where student housing is subsidized by the university and is far cheaper than the going rate for off-campus housing.  But I think in most cities it’s cheaper to live off campus.  Let the popularity of the choices at your university guide you.  If everyone avoids student housing, there is probably a good reason.

“should i save for retirement while in medical school” – If you’re taking out loans for school, no.  Just take out fewer loans.  You probably don’t have earned income anyway so you won’t have access to a tax-advantaged retirement account.  If you have some kind of great fellowship and you get a stipend, then yes, if you can live on much less than you earn (assuming “earned” income).  If you’re doing an MD/PhD, maybe consider real estate – you’re going to be there a while!

“2012 emory global health case competition winner” – It was Emory.  For the fourth year running.  They totally deserved it, though.

Pointing Directly to Posts

Some of the search terms clearly hit on a singular post of ours.  Here are some that went directly to my favorites!

“lifestyle creep” – One of the main objectives of this blog is to hold us accountable in fighting lifestyle creep as our income increases and life situation changes over the next few years.

“targeted savings” – You know I love to talk about our targeted savings accounts!  I wrote a detailed guest post at Life and My Finances about our accounts and I listed our balances a few months ago.

“bp redeem at pump or statement credit” – Kyle has had one post on the blog so far, and he wrote it about BP/Chase downgrading our rewards while telling us it was an exciting opportunity.  We were not pleased.

“what does frugal means” – I not only tell you how my definition of frugal differs from Kyle’s, but there are lots more opinions in the comments!

“financial benefits being in school” – There are lots!  But sometimes it sucks.

Bot Searches

I just had to add in some bot search terms as well.  They are so weird.  🙂

• #6 #3 clippers haircut
• chinese birthday cakes
• dave ramsey unrealistic
• grinnell, how they count older child in grad school
• het ontstaan van schoolangst
• how much is 7 ounces of mayonnaise
• npr planet money marriage costs
• wanna take baby footprint
• why do we follow rules in basketball

Have you found any surprising or funny search terms leading people to your blog?  Is your most popular post a different one than you had expected?