Charles Ives, the great American modernist had an equally illustrious career as an insurance executive. Besides being remembered as one of the most important composers of the twentieth century, Ives founded a successful insurance agency and has been credited with inventing an early form of estate planning.

Like a lot of creative people, Ives was an accomplished moonlighter.

Bloggers know a thing or two about juggling multiple roles. It’s one of the often-overlooked aspects of blogging. Some of the best work – and there is a ton of great writing out there on personal finance – is done by smart, creative people in the little bits of spare time they can piece together.

I’ve really enjoyed connecting with talented bloggers since launching the Today’s economy blog. Yesterday, I did a long overdue spring cleaning of my blogroll. And I traded emails with several new friends I’ve added to the list.

It’s fascinating to me how many people dedicate so much time out of a genuine desire to help. Please check out these amazing writers:

• The Canadian Finance Blog. Tom Drake is a must-read. He writes about “personal finance issues that matter to Canadians, from investing in RRSPs and TFSAs to saving money on insurance and household bills.”
• Econbrowser. “Provides analysis of current economic conditions and policy,” by Professors Menzie D. Chinn and Jim Hamilton.
• Economics Help. Tejvan Pettinger is an economics teacher who is “simplifying economics issues and ideas for the general reader.”
• Financial Methods “is intended to promote financial intelligence through discussion and self-learned mistakes over the years,” said Matt Breed. “I want to be a part of the great group of financial bloggers who help hundreds of thousands of people every day.”
• Four Pillars is one of this country’s most popular blogs. Mike told me he “likes to communicate ideas about financial (and other) topics and getting feedback.”
• Humble Student of the Markets. Cam Hui blogs “about hedge funds, markets (mostly equity, mostly U.S.-focused) and comments on how to better build a quantitative investment process.” Hui is semi-retired after more than 25 years in the investment business.
• News N Economics “presents lots of data – mostly in the areas of macroeconomics, finance and international finance – pertaining to current events, politics and finance.” Rebecca Wilder’s blog is one of the best.
• OneMint is “about personal finance, investing, economics and other financial concepts that we need to know to manage our money better.” Manshu Verma wants to “create wealth for everyone.”
• Squawkfox seems to be coming up a lot in this space these days. Journalist and author Kerry Taylor “shows how living frugally on a budget is fun and even entertaining.”
• The UpSide of Money is written by journalist Barbara Bryn. It “takes dry financial concepts and infuses them with a fresh, upbeat approach.” Bryn told me she blogs because it “is a great way to reach out and educate.”
• WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com “is about everything and anything financial for Canadians. It is mostly investment focused, but also includes economic commentary (rarely), tips on frugality, book reviews, etc.” Preet Banerjee is “passionate about educating people about finances.”