It is our great pleasure to host the Totally Money Carnival! Dang this carnival has grown. I was reading, and reading, and reading… What’s great about this carnival is the breadth of subjects and of course the awesome information the articles contain.
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Enjoy the articles!
Editor’s Picks
Emily presents Common Investing Mistakes: 401K posted at Outlaw Finance, saying “If your employer offers a 401k plan, it should be easy to save for retirement. Are you guilty of one of these common 401k blunders?”
Sandy presents 10 Ways to Save Money on Life Insurance posted at Yes, I Am Cheap, saying “Just because you should buy life insurance doesn’t mean that you have to get hosed doing it. Here are some ways to save.”
My Journey presents Retirement Planning Pitfalls posted at My Journey to Millions, saying, “It’s essential that we as a culture realize the pitfalls of saving for retirement in an economy that no longer has the social resources of days long past.”
And the rest…
Budgeting
Pat S. presents Pay Yourself First. Automate Your Savings. posted at compounding returns, saying, “Automating your finances can make saving easy!”
Careers
Melissa Batai presents How One Family Survived Unemployment: Part Two posted at Mom’s Plans, saying, “This is the second part in a two part series that documents Tim and Catherine’s struggle to survive Tim’s back to back unemployment.”
Credit
CardWisdom presents FAQ: Should I Transfer a Balance to a Credit Card with a Current Balance? posted at Smart Balance Transfers, saying, “Credit card companies often try to convince consumers to transfer debt to cards they currently have debt on. This can be a costly mistake.”
Brian presents Which Is Better – The Credit Card or the Debit Card? posted at Wallet Watcher, saying “Much to-do is made about the benefits of one type of card or another. In fact, you would not be hard-pressed to find experts and consumers commonly contradicting which card is best – the credit or debit card.”
Robert presents The Biggest Credit Card Mistakes Young People Make and How You Can Avoid Them posted at The College Investor, saying “How to avoid some of the biggest credit card mistakes.”
Debt
Philip Taylor presents My Refinance Experience with Quicken Loans posted at PT Money Personal Finance, saying “An overview of my particular experience so you can decide if working with Quicken Loans on your purchase or refinance is right for you.”
Matt presents Winning With Money Part 1: Stop Digging posted at Living In Financial Excellence, saying, “Changing the way you look at debt changes the way you look at a lot of things in your finances. When you draw the line in the sand and refuse to borrow anymore,you start making better choices with your money.”
Chris presents From Debt Payer to Stupid Cents posted at Stupid Cents, saying “New staff writer Chris Thomas discusses personal finance, six figure student loan debt, and selling blogs.”
Marjorie presents Charge-off Guide posted at CardHub.com, saying “Hey, I hope you had a great weekend! I think you and your readers will enjoy my submission this week as I explain what a charge-off for you debt is and how it works.”
Economy
Briana Myricks presents 20 and Laid Off…Again? posted at 20 and Engaged, saying, “My husband may be getting laid off. If he does, we’ll both be unemployed.”
Jim presents Low Interest Rates: Good or Bad? posted at Canadian Finance Blog, saying “From a personal finance perspective low interest rates present Canadians with key strategies for debt reduction in a low interest rate environment.”
jared h presents Stocks to Purchase in a Down Market posted at RICH AS CHOCOLATE, saying, “Details of the top NYSE dividend stocks likely to thrive in a down market.”
Control your Cash presents Look at the BIG PICTURE posted at Control Your Cash: Making Money Make Sense, saying, “Stock prices are nothing more than opinions. They’re values attached, via crowdsourcing, to intangible pieces of dynamic, vibrant corporations.”
Everything Finance presents Does a Credit Rating Downgrade Mean an Upswing in Rates? posted at Everything Finance, saying, “The unprecedented decision of Standard and Poor’s to downgrade the credit rating of the United States Government has caused a global economic commotion as markets fluctuated dramatically since the new rating was announced.”
Finance
Mike Piper presents Does It Still Make Sense to Max Out Your 401k? posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, “In light of the recent craziness in the stock market, does it still make sense for people to max out their retirement accounts?”
Echo presents When Interest Rates Are Low Should You Pay Off Debt Or Invest? posted at Boomer & Echo, saying “With low interest rates here to stay, should you take advantage of cheap borrowing costs to pay off debt or use this opportunity to invest your money?”
MoneyCone presents Ally Vs. Ing Direct: A Face Off! posted at Money Cone, saying, “Being online banks, both Ally and ING Direct can afford to offer very aggressive rates when compared to traditional banks. But between them, which one offers the best value for your money? Let’s find out!”
Jim Yih presents Inflation and retirement planning posted at Retire Happy Blog, saying “When you are doing retirement planning, it’s important that you factor inflation into the projections. Inflation changes the value of money over time.”
Jonathan Milligan presents Get Me Out of Debt! posted at Simple Life Habits, saying, “Are you drowning in financial debt? Here are 5 simple tips that you can use starting today to be able to get out of debt.”
Online Dividends presents 5 Stocks On Sale posted at The DIV-Net, saying, “With the drop in the market being the talk of the town, it’s not terribly difficult to find value. I could probably put a list of 30 or more stocks that I find particular value in, but I think ultimately you want to stick to your plan. You should always think about allocation, diversification and buying quality on sale.”
Miranda presents P2P Lending Review: Prosper.com posted at Deliver Away Debt, saying “An overview of how Prosper.com works for both lendors/investors and borrowers.”
Frugality
Money Beagle presents How To Get Free Stuff From The Vending Machine (Legally, Too!) posted at Money Beagle, saying, “Is this genius or overboard?”
Jonathan from Debt Loans presents Raid the Kitchen for Your Beauty Needs posted at Frugal Living, saying, “Everyone likes to look good, but nobody wants to pay the shockingly high price of fancy treatments and expensive lotions. The next time you run out of face mask, hair treatment or eye cream, take a good look at your pantry or fridge for natural ingredients such as avocado, lemon, eggs or cucumber to make your own beauty products. Here are some tried and tested remedies.”
Jonathan presents Homemade Beauty Treats for Mum posted at Money Mum, saying, “We all deserve a treat now and again but as a Mum, you’re probably the one to miss out in that department if money is a bit tight. Rather than forgoing beauty treats altogether, why not try making your own? In most cases you won’t need anything fancy and you’ll probably find that you’ve got a lot of the ingredients at home already. Here are some ideas that you can try out next time you’ve got some ‘me’ time in the bathroom.”
Jen presents Extreme Couponing Reality Check | Master the Art of Saving posted at Master the Art of Saving, saying, “But what about the downside, can it end up costing you more in the long run? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a coupon-lover myself, but I don’t take it to a dark place (anymore). So here are some of the potential costs that can be associated with Extreme Couponing:”
Roger, the Amateur Financier presents Frugal Friday – Raising Frugal Children posted at The Amateur Financier, saying, “It’s one thing to be frugal, it’s another to help your children be frugal. This article provides some tips on how to do the latter, encouraging your children to be frugal.”
Money Spending Mommy presents College Students: Pros and Cons of Moving Back with Parents to Save Money posted at Money Spending Mommy, saying “Is moving back in with your parents right for you? Here are some pros and cons to consider.”
SB presents Loosing weight saves money, the how and why guide posted at One Cent at a Time, saying “This is a personal narration of my weight loss program and how it is helping me losing weight and saving money, as all that I am doing they don’t cost money.”
Justin Weinger presents How to Buy an Engagement Ring posted at Money Is The Root, saying “Some tips on how to purchase an engagement ring when you are ready to propose.”
Crystal presents Auctions Are Fun! posted at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, saying “If you’ve never been to the auction it may seem foreign to you. Here’s our experience with going to the auction for the first time.”
Investing
Darwin presents I’m Borrowing $50,000 From My 401(k) – Here’s Why! posted at Darwin’s Money, saying “By bucking conventional wisdom and borrowing $50,000 from my 401(k), I’ll be earning 20% on my investment and diversifying my asset allocation. What am I missing?”
Bob presents How to invest in food posted at Christian Personal Finance, saying “I have an idea—a way to keep your portfolio diversified. Something that – no matter what the market does – will retain enough value that you will not go hungry. I’m talking about investing in food. Also known as “stock”-ing up.”
Glen Craig presents TradeKing Online Discount Brokerage | Review posted at Free From Broke, saying “Looking to invest online? Take a look at this TradeKing review and see why TradeKing is a top-rated discount brokerage.”
The Wealthy Canadian presents My Portfolio: Sector Breakdown (Part 5) posted at The Wealthy Canadian, saying “This article discusses each equity position I own in the Oil & Gas sector and provides details of each company.”
Money Management
Daniel presents ING Direct Can Now Replace Your Brick and Mortar Bank posted at Sweating The Big Stuff, saying “For a long time, Bank of America ruled the world. Now ING is a viable replacement!”
CreditDonkey presents 5 Ways to Maximize Your Financial Aid Eligibility posted at CreditDonkey.com Tips, saying, “Smart financial moves to ensure you maximize your financial aid eligibility, legally”
Jason presents Is that the best you can do? posted at Live Real, Now, saying, “It is difficult in these hectic times to be alert to other available options and yet with so much competition between rival companies, you may find a better deal elsewhere.”
DJ presents The Importance of Keeping Records of Your Money posted at The Family Wallet, saying, “In order to get a handle on your budget, it’s absolutely essential to carefully track expenses. This includes bills, variable necessities such as groceries and transportation expenses, and discretionary spending. Here are some of the many reasons why we must do so.”
Jon Elder presents 13 Part-time Jobs With Benefits posted at Free Money Wisdom, saying, “There are a surprising number of popular employers who provide benefits to part-time employees. Here are 13 employers and a sample of the benefits each provides for part-timers—there’s an excellent chance that several are located where you live:”
Benjamin presents Changing the Way You Think About Money posted at Trees Full of Money, saying, “This article recounts one of the “turning points” in my family’s eventual success in becoming debt free.”
Eric J. Nisall presents Changing Banks Is Not So Easy posted at DollarVersity, saying, “Changing banks used to be as easy as opening up an account, depositing your money and closing the old account, but not so much any more.”
John presents Money Market Accounts vs. Savings Accounts posted at Wallet Blog, saying “In our submission this week we examine what separates a money market account from a traditional savings account. After all, if we’re to make responsible banking decisions and effectively manage our money, we must understand the options available to us.”
Other
Flexo presents Wells Fargo Testing $3 Monthly Debit Card Fee posted at Consumerism Commentary, saying “Wells Fargo is going to lose a good number of customers if they decide to implement this $3 fee nationwide, but don’t be surprised if every bank adopts this policy soon. Free banking could be over before you know it.”
Suba presents Mail in rebate : Why we fail and how to beat it posted at Wealth Informatics, saying “Almost 60% of the people won’t send in their mail in rebate or fail to get the rebate money. This post discusses the psychology of mail in rebate and a system to submit successful mail in rebates.”
Jacob presents The Office Of Tomorrow posted at My Personal Finance Journey, saying “With the way technology is rapidly advancing these days, who knows what sort of office environment we will go to work to earn our money in 50 years!”
Alvaro Cramton presents 30 Unique Career Paths With an Accounting Degree posted at Masters in Accounting, saying, “If you love number crunching but don’t necessarily want to spend four years in college, there are other paths you can take in the accounting field to find a job you love. These are 30 unique career paths available to those interested in the accounting field, ranging from entry level to more advanced professions.”
Edna Goldberg presents Top 30 Management Forums & Message Boards posted at Masters in Management, saying, “Whether you are new to management or have years of experience, it is not uncommon to have situations arise that you have never dealt with before. For these moments, it is helpful to have somewhere to turn for advice from someone who has been in your shoes. These thirty message boards and forums offer great advice for everyone from students to CEOs to help you manage those tricky situations.”
Steve presents Should I Invest in Google? posted at FastSwings, saying, “Google has had a great run and continues to perform well as a longer term investment.”
Tarik presents 3 Tips to Increase Sales | Success starts today posted at Success starts today, saying, “3 easy tips to improve your income from your business.”
J.B. presents The 1st Annual My University Money Scholarship Contest! posted at My University Money, saying, “Our first ever scholarship contest! We’re giving away $100 to the winner!”
Marie@familymoneyvalues.com presents Do You Talk to Your Parents About Money? posted at FamilyMoneyValues, saying, “Numerous financial sites and articles recommend that you get a grip on your parent’s financial situation. After all, they could get sick and expect you to handle finances for them, run out of money and expect you to support them, or worse yet, they could die and leave you with a mess. Not one of those sites seem to realize that it should be a two way street.”
Jason Price presents Time Management Exercise posted at One Money Design, saying, “Try this time management exercise to identify what’s most important in your life which can help you balance career, family and finances.”
Real Estate
Bucksome presents Reasons Why You Probably Can’t Count on a Mortgage Tax Deduction posted at Buck$ome Boomer’s Journey to Retirement, saying, “Reasons why the mortgage tax deduction shouldn’t be the motivation to buy a home.”
Dough Roller presents Which Mortgage is Right for You? posted at Dough Roller, saying “Before deciding on which mortgage is right for you, it’s important to first understand your financial situation and the benefits each type of mortgage can provide.”
Saving
Kevin presents How Much Should I Save, and Why? posted at Invest It Wisely, saying, “The “normal” guideline during good times is 10%, and that definitely isn’t a bad place to start. In current times, I feel that 30% to 50% of net income is a better goal to target.”
Madison presents American Express 5% Cash Back on Wireless posted at My Dollar Plan, saying “This is a great credit card to supplement any cash back strategy!”
Taxes
Kevin presents How Does A Roth IRA Factor Into Your Estate Plan posted at RothIRA.com’s Retirement Planning Blog, saying, “Paying taxes is one of the constants of life. But is it possible to avoid the hefty estate tax with a Roth IRA? Potentially.”
Whew! Told you there were a lot of articles. They were great though, weren’t they? Make sure you check out next week’s carnival at Bank Nerd. You can submit your articles using the submission form.
Which article is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
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Totally Money Carnival #33