As with previous editions, this carnival has been expertly edited by The Skilled Investor and takes a long-term view of personal financial planning for individuals and families. The focus is on efficient and sustainable personal financial planning practices that can lead to lifetime financial security.
The carnival is arranged by subject heading, so that you can browse efficiently.
You're in for a TREAT, as you learn some new financial TRICKS:
Budgeting
20smoney presents Two Jobs Where You Can Put Away A Ton Of Money posted at 20s Money, saying, "Two employment opportunities that allow above average savings."
Susan Savering presents Personal Budgets posted at Family
Financial Planners,
saying, "When you don't understand how much you spend and how much
you save and invest, you do not have a financial plan. This
dramatically increases your family’s long-term financial
risk."
Economics
Zach Scheidt presents Mortgage Crisis, Part Deux posted at ZachStocks,
saying, "Commercial Mortgages continue to clog bank balance sheets and
losses do not appear to have been recognized. Watch for weakness in
regional banks with heavy exposure to commercial real estate loans."
Estate Planning
Bucksome presents The Importance of a Living Will posted at Buck$ome Boomer's Journey to Retirement, saying, "A personal story about a parent on life support without a living will."
The Financial Blogger presents Estate Planning: 5 Reasons Why You Should Have A Professional Among Your Liquidators posted at The Financial Blogger,
saying, "managing an estate is more complicated than simply writing a
few checks! Fortunately, for those who can afford it, you can name a
professional among your liquidators."
Financial Planning
Jeff Rose presents Can You Reverse/Undo a Roth IRA Conversion? posted at Jeff Rose.
The Dough Roller presents Enough Practice – Make Your Credit Score Perfect! posted at The Dough Roller,
saying, "A FICO credit score can determine a very large number of
decisions in your life. Where you live, what you drive, where you work
and where you and or your kids go to school can depend on a 3-digit
magic number."
MoneyNing presents Help Your Children Visualize Money Mangement with the Four Jars Approach posted at Money Ning, saying, "I was taught the four jars approach when I was young to learn personal finance. How about you?"
Tom Drake presents A Look At Ponzi Schemes In Canada posted at The Canadian Finance Blog,
saying, "With the current condition of the economy, there have been a
couple ponzi schemes that have unraveled, leaving investors wondering
what happened to their money."
Patrick @ Military Money presents How Much Life Insurance Do Military Members Need? posted at Military Finance Network,
saying, "Military members may have different life insurance needs than
civilians. Here is information regarding how much life insurance
military members should buy, and some resources for finding the best
life insurance deals."
Dividend Tree presents Building Core Competency for Long Term Survival posted at Dividend Tree,
saying, "whether it is running a business or individuals’ investment
portfolio, it is important to build a core competency for long term
sustainability. In my case, I focus on good quality companies that
consistently pay or have potential to pay growing dividends over time."
Susan Saverton presents Financial Advisor Pasadena California posted at Pasadena Financial Planner,
saying, "Appropriately setting your personal asset allocation in line
with your personal risk tolerance is a critical decision for every
investor. The percentages that are allocated to various asset classes
tend to change slowly over time, so it is important to get it right at
the outset."
Allan Inocente presents Top 10 best personal finance books of all time! posted at Rich Money Habits, saying, "Rich Money Habits' top 10 best personal finance books of all time!"
FaithAllen presents How to Rollover Your 401k Plan to a New 401k Plan | eHow.com posted at FaithAllen, saying, "This is an article how rolling over your 401k to another 401k. It has step by step instructions on how to do that."
Financing a Home
Colin Robertson presents When Do Mortgage Payments Start? posted at Mortgage Tips and Credit Help, saying, "New homeowners often wonder when mortgage payments
start, as there’s sometimes a considerable gap between closing and the due date of the first monthly payment."
Brandon Laughridge presents How Much House Can I Afford? posted at Mortgage Loan Place, saying, "Check out our new widget that helps home buyers estimate how much they can afford."
Alex Fotopoulos presents When to Refinance a Mortgage? posted at My Trader's
Journal, saying, "Some key points to consider when
refinancing your home."
Financing Education
Praveen presents Will Education Follow the Housing Bust? posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, "Tips for students to avoid excessive loans and debt"
Health Care
Lisa Taylor presents Top 10 Best Free and Cheap Ways to Quit Smoking posted at Dental Assisting School,
saying, "With the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
only five months old, associated issues have once again become pushed
to the forefront of society’s consciousness."
KCLau presents Withdraw EPF Fund to Pay Insurance Premium? posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "Vincent Lee from Penang generously shares an idea to use your EPF"
Income
Linders presents 8 Ways the Internet Can Make You Richer posted at Money Hacker - Australia's Personal Finance Blog,
saying, "Hello there, this article suggests a few easy ways to make
some money via the internet, some tips are well-known, others are not.
I hope you enjoy the read. And thanks for considering the post. All the
best, Linda"
Dividend Tree presents Three Companies with Sustainable Dividends posted at Dividend Tree,
saying, "Even in soft economic environment, there are companies out
there that are continuing to increase dividends for their shareholders.
While dividend increase is good, it is more critical to make sure we
understand that companies can sustain their dividends."
FMF presents The Top Ten Turnoffs About Networking posted at Free Money Finance,
saying, "Networking is a key part of making the most from your career.
This piece lists some of the circumstances that keep people from
reaching out to others."
Investing
Darwin presents The Gold-Dollar Correlation Explained and Why it Broke Down posted at Darwin's Finance,
saying, "With the daily gold price capturing headlines, it's worthwhile
to understand how the decline of the US Dollar is correlated with gold
and which investments are actually better suited to reflect this
trend."
Engelbert Hudson presents The Definitive Oil ETF Guide (Five Minute Edition): Crude Oil ETFs posted at ETFdb.
Super Saver presents Why Stocks Still Make Sense to Me posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, "I still believe stocks are a great investment."
Praveen presents India Fund (IFN) Trade Example posted at My Simple Trading System,
saying, "An example of how having a trading system gives you
an edge, and let's you take advantage of market moves outside of your
control."
ABC presents Stock Purchase – Bid/Ask Prices posted at ABCs of Investing, saying, "Bid and Ask prices - Information if you are buying or selling a stock."
Ray @ Financial Highway presents Gold Investment posted at Financial Highway,
saying, "With increasing Gold Prices, investing in gold has become a
hot topic. Although I do not like gold as an investment, here are some
reasons why people do invest in gold."
Investing Toolkit presents Why Trade In The Forex Market? posted at Investing Toolkit, saying, "Some thoughts on why forex trading may actually work well for some people."
Manshu presents What is an ETF? posted at OneMint, saying, "A post explaining what an ETF is and its similarities with stocks and mutual funds."
Jules Wells presents Best Investment Strategy posted at Financial Planning Software,
saying, "Personal investing seems incredibly complex, but the best
investment strategy also tends to be a more simple investment
strategy."
The Skilled Investor presents Investing Strategy posted at Personal
Investment Manager,
saying, "Investors more easily understand investment costs that are
directly measurable, such as fees deducted on investment statements.
However, many investors ignore or are unaware of the opportunity costs
of their sub-optimal investment behaviors. Opportunity costs are
usually much more difficult to measure directly, but these investment
costs can be even higher than more visible investment fees."
Tomas Escent presents Professional Investment Management posted at Nerds on Wall Street,
saying, "Think of this book as sort of a Hitchhiker’s Guide to Wired
Markets. There are no robots parking cars for six million years, but
there are robots trading millions of shares in six milliseconds, so
maybe that’s close enough."
Curt presents More Debt is Not Going to Help Small Business posted at PennyJobs.com.
Stacie Young presents 100 Best Blogs for Future Investors posted at Online Schools.
Evolution Of Wealth presents It's Just 3 years posted at Evolution of Wealth,
saying, "Most people underestimate the difference a few years can make
when investing. Let's look at what it costs you in the long run. Did
you realize early years come off the end?"
Tushar Mathur presents Can't Control the Markets? Try controlling the Costs posted at Everything Finance,
saying, "As 2008 proved, the financial markets are prone to
unpredictable periods of turbulence. That can make investing feel a bit
like a roller-coaster ride. The disappointing results that many mutual
funds posted in 2008 and at the outset of 2009 may have left you
feeling concerned over your financial future. You're not alone."
The Smarter Wallet presents Lending Club Review: Lending Money For Profit posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, "Alternative investing using a lending platform."
Frank Vertin presents Low Cost Index Fund posted at Best Index Fund,
saying, "Buying an S&P 500 index fund through an investment
counselor can substantially increase your initial purchasing costs and
and drive up your annual management expense fees. Unfortunately, the
vast majority of individual investors buy mutual funds and ETFs through
brokers and investment advisers. Rarely do financial advisors recommend
that you buy index funds with low fees. This is because low cost, no
load mutual funds do not pay them as well as loaded, high fee mutual
funds."
Zach Scheidt presents First Cash Financial Reports Strong Earnings posted at ZachStocks,
saying, "First Cash Financial Services (FCFS) announced earnings for a
very strong third quarter. The pawn shop expansion into Mexico is
driving profit growth and investors appear to be ready to push the
stock higher."
Soo-Young presents How To Choose An Online Stock Broker posted at Bullishness.com, saying, "A comprehensive, unbiased, ad/affiliate free guide to finding the perfect online stock broker."
The Financial Blogger presents The Financial Blogger » Blog Archive » Canadian ETFs That Pays Dividends – Am I in Heaven? posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, "There are a lot of people that love dividends. There are 2 major reasons why so many investors love them.
#1 they are usually issued by very stable companies which mean less volatility in a stock portfolio.
#2 they pay quarterly income, which is great for revenue seekers."
Larry Russell presents NoLoad Mutual Funds posted
at Best No Load
Mutual Funds,
saying, "Taken as a whole, the vast body of investment research studies
show that there really are better approaches to buying and owning
mutual funds and ETFs. You do not need to frantically chase fund
performance. Performance chasing simply does not work."
FMF presents Bond Primer: Yield vs. Total Return posted at Free Money Finance, saying, "The basics of investing in bonds."
ABC presents More Exciting Facts About Stock Indexes posted at ABCs of Investing, saying, "Some interesting facts about stock indexes."
Joe B presents 5 steps to follow to make sure you do not lose everything to the next Bernie Madoff posted at Gather Little By Little,
saying, "Here are 5 steps I would personally recommend to reduce the
possible exposure/loss but also to avoid investments in fraudulent
funds.
#1-Don’t believe everything friends and family tell you
#2-Know what you own
#3-Fund & Returns history
#4-Fund Allocation
#5-Diversify managers"
Dividends4Life presents 15 Hot Dividend Increases posted at Dividends Value,
saying, "Dividends from a quality, well-diversified portfolio are much
more predictable than capital gains and good companies routinely raise
their dividends well in excess of the inflation rate."
Managing Debt
April presents Should You Stop Funding Retirement to Focus on Debt? posted at Get Rich Slowly,
saying, "Whether you should halt your retirement contributions in order
to focus debt is one of the most heavily debated dilemmas in personal
finance. Variables such as age, career, risk tolerance, and even
personality type make each situation unique."
jim presents Chase Blueprint Payment Program Review posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
Silicon Valley Blogger presents Best 0% APR Credit Card Offers posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Some ways to reduce debt: use lower interest credit cards!"
MoneyNing presents Credit vs Debit Transactions with Your ATM Card posted at Money Ning, saying, "Are there any difference with saying credit or debit when you hand over an ATM card?"
The Smarter Wallet presents How To Get A Credit Card That's Right For You posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, "How to shop for the right credit card."
FMF presents Make Sure Your Credit Card Has Smart Features posted at Free Money Finance, saying, "Use the right credit card and make it work FOR you -- not against you."
The Smarter Wallet presents How 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards Can Save You Money posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, "You can save money with the right kind of credit cards!"
KCLau presents Case Study: Consolidating Personal Loan, Mortgage and Credit Card Debt posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "Managing debts"
Miscellaneous
Tyler Tervooren presents Is Life Getting in the Way of Your Life? posted at Frugally Green,
saying, "Lately I've been deep in debt, but not with money - with time.
Funny thing is, the feelings associated with time debt aren't that
different from money debt. Overwhelm, stress, and frustration can get
the best of us when we get behind with anything. Here are the steps I'm
taking to solve my own time management problem. Hopefully you can apply
them as well."
nissim ziv presents Business Analyst: Interview Questions for Business Analyst Position posted at Job Interview Guide, saying, "The Business Analyst job description may vary from one company to another.
And the job requirements of a person filling the Business Analyst position depend on the business nature of a given company.
This article provides sample of job interview questions for or business analyst position."
No Load Bond Funds presents Low Cost Bond Funds posted at Bond Index Fund,
saying, "Simply put, if you pay higher bond mutual fund fees, then
these bond management expenses tend just to be a deadweight loss to
you. The best bond fund buying strategy is to pick only very low-cost
no load bond funds."
Susan Savering presents Personal Financial Strategy posted at Family
Financial Planner,
saying, "When pursuing optimal financial planning and investing
strategies and controlling your costs and capital gains taxes, you also
need to establish a time-efficient system to monitor, adjust, and
adhere to your financial plan."
Roshawn Watson presents Should You Buy A House Outright? posted at Watson Inc,
saying, "Suppose you find yourself in the somewhat unique predicament
of having the resources to purchase your house outright without a
mortgage. Is it then financially-wise to make the purchase?"
FMF presents The Basics Will Make You Rich posted at Free Money Finance, saying, "If you follow a few, simple steps, you will become wealthy."
Retirement Planning
Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents Where Do You Get the Best Roth IRA Rates? posted at Cash Money Life,
saying, "A common question people ask is where to find the best IRA
rates, which doesn't really have an answer because IRAs are an
instrument for investments, not an investment themselves. This article
explains more."
Top Stock Index Mutual Funds presents Stock Index Funds posted at Top 10 Index Fund,
saying, "To build your retirement portfolio, buy some of these top 10 very low cost no load S&P 500 index
mutual funds directly. You do not have to pay the heavy added expenses
of buying through a stock broker, financial adviser, investment
adviser, or investment counselor."
Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents 2010 Roth IRA Contribution Limits posted at Cash Money Life,
saying, "The IRS recently released the 2010 Traditional and Roth IRA
contribution limits. Now is a great time to get started on your
retirement and tax planning for next year!"
Risk Management and Insurance
Patrick @ Military Money presents COBRA Benefits 2009 Economic Stimulus Recovery Act posted at Military Finance Network, saying, "The 2009 Economic Stimulus Plan includes additional COBRA and unemployment benefits."
Mary Jones presents Top 10 Most Stolen Cars and 10 DIY Ways to Keep Them Safe posted at Online Criminal Justice Degrees,
saying, "The Insurance Information Institute estimates a car is stolen
every 24 minutes. To help keep your car from ending up like these top
ten, we have also included the top ten DIY ways to keep them safe and
protected from thieves."
Jeff Rose presents Term Life Insurance Vs. Cash Value Life Insurance: What Is the Difference? posted at Jeff Rose, saying, "Depending on what your needs are will decide if term life insurance vs. cash value is better in your situation."
Savings
Four Pillars presents $8,000 Credit For First-Time Homebuyers Extended 6 Months – Not Increased To $15k posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, "Home buyers credit extended 6 months."
FIRE Getters presents The Witch of Wall Street - Henrietta "Hetty" Green posted at FIRE Finance,
saying, "Over the last couple of years folks have become increasingly
cautious about spending. For good reasons that is - losing employment,
sinking portfolios, negative house equities and the list goes on.
Frugality is in - big time!"
Four Pillars presents Back To School Cell Phone Deals posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, "Comparison of the best cell phone deals for students heading back to school."
Taxes
Jeff Rose presents 2010 Traditional IRA to Roth IRA Conversion Tax Rules posted at Jeff Rose, saying, "Tax implications of converting from a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Don't forget the after-tax contributions."
Super Saver presents End of Year Tax Planning - Deductions posted at My Wealth Builder,
saying, "For me, October is a good time to review my 2009 financial
status for tax return filing purposes. It gives me a few months to make
any changes that can lower my taxes."
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