Carnival of Personal Finance

Welcome to this week's edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance.

For those of you who do not know what a carnival is, check out Best Practices for Driving Traffic with Blog Carnivals and How to Get Your Blog to 100,000 Visitors and Beyond, Step 13; Participate in Carnivals. This particular carnival is one where money bloggers submit their best recent posts. Readers then scan through the list and read the posts that interest them. If you need a more regular fix of great personal finance articles, see my Twitter blog where I list the best out of hundreds of posts each week.

If you submitted a post to this carnival and don't see it here, it's because: 1) it wasn't a post that was money related or 2) it appeared to be a spam or commercial post.

I'm sticking with my usual method of hosting a carnival -- listing a summary of each piece with the author's reason for submitting the post to the carnival (for those that submitted one) and/or a bit of the post itself as a summary -- so you readers know what to expect before you get to the post. In addition, I am posting the entries in the order they were submitted.

We'll start with what I consider to be the best posts from this week's submissions:

• Living Beyond Your Means: School Bus Driver Losing Her $800,000 Home to Foreclosure - Maybe I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that anyone who drives a big yellow bus full of screaming kids is a few paygrades below a cardiac surgeon that invested 10 to 15 years of their life learning a highly specific tradecraft or a successful small business owner who busted their hump for 15 hours a day after 10 years of hard work.

• Why It May Be Costly to Reject Paying Points - What I hope you take away from this article is simple: The idea that it may be to your benefit to pay points on a loan, and rejecting the possibility only encourages prospective loan providers to lie about what loan they are really going to deliver.

• Commuting Cost Analysis: Bus vs Bike vs Car - Which mode of transportation is costs you the least?  This analysis takes the cost of time as well as the more traditional costs associated with each commuting type into consideration in the analysis.

• How We Cut Our Car Insurance Bill in Half - Last night we canceled our car insurance with Progressive and went with Ameriprise through our Costco membership. Progressive was $118/month. I shopped around and Amerprise offered a little bit more for insurance coverage for $58/month.

• Stress at Work Getting You Down? How To Manage Job Burnout - These days, even those of us with just one job to deal with work twice as hard in our current positions to avoid the fatal pink slip. Unless you have an emotional suit of armor, you may very well end up burning out.

And here's the rest of the pack by the date/time they were submitted:

• Control Your Own Finances - The bottom line is that it’s easy to become a victim of the financial services industry.  The more you know about the industry and the more you make your own decisions, the less likely this will happen to you.

• Are You Living 'Within Your Means' or 'Below Your Means'? - In this article I question the true meaning behind these two popular phrases.

• Starting Your Own Business: An Interview With a Practical Entrepreneur - The following is a bit of insight from David, a small business owner / entrepreneur.  David is an ideal example of what I like to call a, "practical entrepreneur"; that is, someone who sees opportunities in ordinary tasks no one else wants to do (like getting rid of a skunk underneath a deck).

• Student Loans Driving Your Career? - Did you take a different job based on the sheer magnitude of your loans?

• Self-Employed Income Plans - My new plan for my self-employed career.

• YNAB (You Need a Budget Pro) Review - Review of You Need A Budget Pro.

• Taxable and Non-Taxable Investment Accounts - A discussion of taxable vs non-taxable investment accounts.

• Financial Stress Resolved - Godfather Style - This article explains how to make your financial stress "sleep with the fish", like Luca Brazzi.

• Why Tax Free Municipal Bonds are Great Investments in Obama’s America - Whether one agrees with the president’s politics or not, there are some new realities that investors will need to face in the coming years and adjust their portfolios accordingly.

• Preparing for Job Loss - Be Proactive - This post focuses on proactive steps you can take ahead of time to be prepared should you lose your job, rather than waiting until the ax falls!

• My Thoughts On Foreclosure Bailouts - I've been feeling frustrated by the foreclosure bailout discussion lately, and wanted to put my conflicted feelings into words.

• Essential Recession Skills - This article talks about three basic skills people can use to save money in a down time. They can also learn new skills that will benefit them financially in the long run.

• What Would Mario Do? 9 Money Lessons from Super Mario Brothers - Here are 9 money lessons I’ve learned from playing Super Mario Brothers.

• Stick it to The Man: 15 Things You Should Never Pay For - 15 things that you should never pay “the man” for.

• Understanding AGI - Adjusted Gross Income - What is AGI?

• Homeowner Refinance Bill Is A Waste Of Money - This plan will cost about $75 billion and I really have to say that it is a complete waste of money.

• Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early? - Tackles the question of whether or not to prepay your mortgage in this economy.

• Cheap Healthy Homemade Meals - Here are some cheap eats real fast that I have created for you—and get this you do not even need a recipe for my ideas—there is no measuring needed!

• Avoiding Time Sinks When Working from Home - After being accustomed to a large office environment, working from my home office can feel isolating; and it’s very easy to let distractions pile up and discover that very little work was accomplished by the end of the day.  It’s taken me some time to evolve practices that have helped me stay focused and more productive.  So, I thought I would share these.

• Economic Stimulus - What’s in it for me? - Is the new stimulus a big deal for you?

• Layoffs or Not, How Some Ways Companies Let Employees Go - Be humane and let employees go the right way!

• Timing Your Message - Great tip to increase your negotiation abilities.

• My Hail Mary Pass - Well, I am embarassed to admit, I made my own Hail Mary pass a week and a half ago. But I didn’t buy shares in some unknown company with a  $10 million market cap. No, I am embarassed to say that I bought more shares in Bank of America.

• Financial Crisis: Can You Spare A Dime For My Wealthy Friend? - After careful research I have determined this financial downturn is so bad, that even the well-to-do are suffering - at least in their own way.

• Is Now The Time to Refinance? - Refinancing considerations.

• Investment Changes after the Market Crash - I plan on continuing traditional investments in stocks and bonds once I decide I have enough of an emergency fund, but probably in a reduced capacity.

• COBRA Subsidy? Maybe Not - If you've been laid off in the past 6 months, your employer may be on the hook for 65% of your COBRA insurance premium.

• Don’t Donate Money To Charity - Four reasons why you shouldn’t donate money to charity.

• Diamonds Becoming A Girl’s Best Friend, In a New Way - Diamonds are “a girl’s best friend” for two reasons now. On the one hand they get attention and feel glamorous, on the other they can sell the old stuff if money gets tight.  Like an emergency fund you wear.

• Verify your Retirement Account's Beneficiary - New Supreme Court Case making it clear you better check your beneficiary status on your qualified accounts.

• Is Rationalization the Key to Happiness? - Rationalization is a powerful defense mechanism which comes at the cost of self deception. Does honesty with oneself comes with a price in happens?

• Shared Work: It Has Some Advantages - If your employer cooperates you can get unemployment compensation for those days that you’re not paid on your job.

• The Upside of a Down Economy - Five simple things to be thankful for in this economy.

• First time home buyer tax credit explained - Looking at purchasing a house this year, I am interested in the $8000 tax credit. I decided to get the facts about it and this is what I found.

• What the Down Economy Really Means for Your 401k - A graphical look at what the drops in the market mean for your investments based on where in your plan you currently are.

• My Tale of First-Time Homebuyer Panic - I’m confident that once I start looking for real, I’ll get over some of my fears, but I’m having a hard time taking the next step.

• Obama's Plan to Rescue Mortgages - On February 18th, President Barack Obama announced a plan meant to stabilize the faltering housing market. The plan is already labeled as the “backyard bailout” by many.

• What to do When a Credit Card Application has been Refused - What should you do if your credit card application has been refused?

• Top 5 Ways to Save Money in Retirement - These are simple things, but can save so much money. Not only that, but they will make your retirement years that much more enjoyable.

• It's Deductible! - Review of TurboTax's FREE It's Deductible program.  Previously available only for purchase, It's Deductible allows you to quickly and easily organize your charitable contributions for the maximum benefit.

• Understanding Bonds: What Purpose do they Have? - Understanding bonds, and the role they play in your portfolio is essential to any financial plan.

• Recent incidents where I didn't spend money and it was bad - or not - The fourth category of spending/non-spending that I've been thinking of lately is times when I should have spent money but didn't. And you know what? There's no incident that comes to mind.

• My first financial Mistake - What was your first financial misstep?

• Ohio Cash Advance Stores Skirting Law with "Payday Clones" - See how some Ohio payday loan providers are skirting the law.

• I'm growing up: My first collections letter - It’s pretty horrifying to receive a letter with the words “collections department" on it, but it was easier to deal with than I thought since it was a mix-up.

• When will the Recession End? - Already 14 months long, when will the recession end?  Here's one prediction.

• Peak Oil. What is it and why should you care? - “Peak Oil” is the point where world oil production begins to decline. M. King Hubbert first created and used this theory in 1956 to predict that peak oil production in the United States would occur between 1965 and 1970, a prediction that was correct.

• Using Google Calendar To Pay Bills On Time - Ever missed a due date on one of your bills? Here's a way to help keep track of the due dates!

• How to Weed Out Bad Consolidation Companies - While the process of going through a debt consolidation may not be overly difficult, the process of find a legitimate company to do your consolidation through may be an entirely different story.

• 98 Ways to Save Money - 98 practical ways for people to save money on household expenses.

• Do you think showering together REALLY saves water? - There is a rumor that showering w/ another saves you money...I try to prove this wrong for some interesting reasons ;)

• Why the Stimulus Bill is a Boost for Real Estate Investors - The stimulus plan may be a big boon for real estate investors if they know how to use it.

• Recession in America - Abandoned Subdivisions - How the recession is impacting unfinished subdivisions in America.

• At Least 25 Lazy Portfolios You Can Use - Lazy investing means investing in a passive method through index funds and ETFs.  This article highlights 10 of those lazy portfolios.

• Financial Freedom Phase Two: Solidify the Defence - This is the second phase in my journey to financial freedom.

• Has The Recent Market Turmoil Affected Your Risk Tolerance? - There's some concern the current economic crisis will breed a generation of extremely risk-adverse investors. Have you adjusted your portfolio in response to recent market turmoil?

• Finding Jobs To Match Your Skills Using Web 3.0: Can Climber.com Deliver? - A lot of us are familiar with LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals. Today, I’m taking a look at a similar site known as Climber.com.

• High-yield savings accounts for safe investments, good for emergency funds - One of the best alternatives for the risk-adverse is to store the money in a high-yield savings account.

• The Dreaded Bi-Weekly Paycheck - About five years ago, my company switched from paying me monthly to bi-weekly.  Troubleeeee!  I was running especially close to the wire then, and this change reeked havoc with me getting my monthly bills paid on time.

• Consumer Safety Resources from the Government on SPAM, Scams, Fraud, Phishing and Identity Theft - A guide containing almost 100 links to consumer protection resources from government agencies around the web including recognizing and avoiding scams, identity theft, SPAM, phishing, where to report fraudulent activity, victim assistance and more.

• Can We Have an Economy without Losers? - Can government rescue and stimulus plans convert all losers into winners? I think not.

• Inflation and Retirement Investing - If you are in the home stretch toward retirement, investing for inflation protection should be part of your game plan.

• Why I Love Debt - Let’s just make this clear: I don’t love all debts. I don’t love yours; you can keep them! But in truth, mine will always have a special place in my heart. This is why.

• Interesting Phone Call From My Tenant - I received an interesting call from my tenant yesterday. This call made me feel really good.

• Don’t Let Last Year’s Stimulus Check Mess Up Your 2008 Tax Return - According to the IRS, approximately 15% of tax returns filed so far have an error relating to the stimulus checks sent out last spring, the Recovery Rebate Credit.

• “Fun” With Starwood Amex - I guess I am putting up with Amex’s shenanigans yet another year.

• What About Poor Customer Service? - As you may know by now, I had my Cannondale stolen and subsequently replaced it with a used Bianchi which I am still adjusting to. But in the meantime, I ordered a replacement bike from Nashbar, one of the most well known of bicycle mail order outfits. Since then, dealing with that order has been a fiasco.

• I really can't get mad at Experian - So Experian isn't allowing consumers to see their score anymore.  So what?

• 4 Reasons Why Money Brings Happiness - Some people might see me as an evil capitalist; I think I am just being realistic.

• When investing becomes a big giant gamble - Recently, investors have been gravitating towards two main feelings; fear and hope.  Which is worse? In my opinion, both can have tragic impacts on a portfolio.

• Little Things Part 3 - Budget Practice And Correcting Mistakes - Getting used to budgeting and returning mis-priced items.

• US Workers Have the Worst Severance Packages - This article highlights how the US stacks up in comparison to other countries with respect to employee severance and examines the reasons why.

• Value Investors on Twitter - Discover other value investors on Twitter. This post also includes a basic guide to using Twitter.

• 8 unusual things to hold in your IRA - Most people know that you can hold mutual funds and stocks in your IRA, but here's a list of some unusual things you can hold in the IRA.

• The Cost of Delay: Don't Put Off The College Savings Plan - Late-grade penalty flashback: I recently registered my children in a state-run prepaid college savings plan. And I am feeling the sting of delay and regret. There's a financial penalty for procrastination.

• No-Load Mutual Funds: Earn More and Spend Less - recent years, people are choosing no-load funds over the load mutual fund because they don’t want to pay for extra charges. While this may have an advantage on a short-term basis, one can never tell if the investor can actually manage his or her investment in the long run.

• Guaranteed Frustration: Credit Card Regulations, Credit Accessibility, Consumer Protection and a Recession - All I can say is that, on the level of personal finance, there’s never been a better time to pay off your cards, chop them up into tiny plastic shards and walk away from them.

• Job Seach - Find a Freelance Job - Part of a series on finding a job in bad economic times.

• The Power of Changing Things Up - So, here is the result of (mostly) taking a week off my job search.

• Retirement Planning- Canadians more confident than Americans - Review of Sunlifes Unretirement survey. Comparing Canadian vs American results, Canadians seem to be more confident about their retirement plans than Americans, they also seem to be more optimistic about the economy. 

• Let’s Talk About the Weather…Economic Bad News Skews Individual Risk Assessments… - Remember when the weather was the preferred topic of smalltalk? I used to get tired of chatting about whether a cold spell was going to break or the old “heat vs. humidity” conversation. Now, I long for them.

• Lending Club Note Trading: Another Way for Peer-to-peer Lending - Even though it appears to me that risks of peer-to-peer lending is acceptable and the earning potential is quite big, I don’t expect to make much money from it

• How I Make Money Blogging - I’ve received plenty of emails and questions lately about it, so I thought I would address how the blogging business model works as a way of bringing in income.

• American Express To Pay You To Cancel Your Cards - This may not be a desperate move, but definitely sent a clear message to cardholders: They no longer appreciate your business. In fact, they will even pay you to leave. As unbelievable as it sounds, that’s what one credit card company is doing now and maybe more issuers will take similar action.

• Reduce Spending without Sacrificing Lifestyle #5 - Enjoy What You Already Have - There are lots of entertainment opportunities that somehow aren't fully used by us in our daily lives. Since we already have them, we can reduce spending by just using them more often.

Thanks for visiting the Carnival of Personal Finance!

Comments

[Penelope @ Pecuniarities]

Thanks for hosting and for including my post (Consumer Safety Resources from the Government on SPAM, Scams, Fraud, Phishing and Identity Theft).

Have a nice week,
Penelope

[Greener Pastures]

Thanks for including my article: The Dreaded Bi-Weekly Paycheck!

Lisa Spinelli

[Green Panda]

Thanks for including my post as a top pick. Lots of great articles. I enjoyed FFB's post on using Google Calendar to pay bills on time.

[the weakonomist]

Thanks for including my post on diamonds. I don't envy all the work you had to do putting this together. Great job!

[hgstern]

Nicely done, FMF.

Thanks for hosting, and for including our post.
 

[Single Guy Money]

Thanks for including my post. There are a lot of great reads in the roundup.

[Jeff@StretchyDollar]

Sweet! Thanks for the link and for hosting!

[funny about Money]

Thanks for hosting! And thanks for including Funny's report on "Shared Work," the Unemployment Insurance program that allows people who are furloughed but not laid off to collect a few dollars.

[Miss M @ M is for Money]

Thanks for hosting and including my post.

[FFB]

Thanks for hosting!

And thanks Green Panda, I need to really get my insurance lowered! Gotta check your article out!

[Miranda]

Thanks for hosting -- for including Yielding Wealth!

[My Life ROI]

Thanks for hosting and including my article on the tradeoff between job satisfaction and student loans!

[Matt SF]

Thanks for hosting FMF!

[J. Money]

Very cool - thx for hosting!

[Valencio]

Excellent collection.. A hot cuppa and lazy snowy afternoon to read em all.. :D

[Dividends4Life]

Thanks for hosting and including my post "Financial Crisis: Can You Spare A Dime For My Wealthy Friend?".

Best Wishes,
D4L

[Emily Gerson]

Thanks for taking on the hosting duties, and for including my item, "My first collections letter." Lots of good reading here, and good financial advice, too!

[George]

Thank you for including my article, "Value Investors on Twitter." Great carnival as always.

[scordo.com]

Grazie! Thanks for hosting the carnival and including my "Interview with a Practical Entrepreneur" entry! Lots of good content out there, it's a great time to be in need of personal finance info...

Best,
Scordo

[Flexo]

Thanks very much for hosting!

[My Journey]

Thanks for hosting!

[Chance]

Thanks for including my YNAB Pro Review! And thanks for hosting; it's a lot of work, and you did a great job!

[Darwin]

Hey, thanks for the inclusion; this is a great bunch this week!

[Cathy @ Chief Family Officer]

Thank you for hosting and including my article!

[thomas]

Nice. look forward to reading these.

[She of the Sea]

Thank you for hosting. It must be a lot of work. I've really been enjoying them all!