We're now into round two of Free Money Finance March Madness (if you wonder what's going on in these posts, see my article announcing March Madness and/or click on my March Madness category link and scroll down to read all the posts involved in this subject.)
I've listed each "game" (one post versus another) in segments along with the wording provided by the author when the post was submitted. I've also listed a keyword(s) after each post title to make it easy to vote (as a made-up example, you can just comment: Game 1 - Saving; Game 2 - Investing, etc.) Be sure to comment which one you like the best out of each set of two -- you will help determine the winner! Criteria for the best article is somewhat subjective, but you can use these factors as a guide: 1) practicality of the post 2) how interesting/provocative/unique it is, 3) the "personal-ness" of it and 4) its impact on net worth.
Here are today's games:
GAME 13
- A Story About Banks; They Are Not In The Real Estate Business (Banks) - This is the story of two men who had their dreams: one wanted to make money from his own farm and the other wanted to make money from the others through lending. By reading this story, you will understand how banks got into so much troubles.
VERSUS
- Don't Blindly Invest In A 401k (Blindly) - There is so much "cookie-cutter" financial advice floating around that many of us have stopped using our own God-given creativity and brain when it comes to making decisions. Blindly investing in a 401k is just one example of following the herd, but that doesn't mean it's advice that is the best choice for your individual situation. Buyer beware!
GAME 14
- What the Volitile Market Tells Us About Ourselves (Market) - I think this is a great blog - even I have to say so myself. I like it because it provides a realistic assessment of the economic situation at the time which is not pie in the sky or chicken little and it hopefully helped readers get their feet on the ground and realize that their emotions were the greatest financial obstacle they face.
VERSUS
- How often should I contribute to my Roth IRA? (Roth) - It's a post noting how simple it is to fully fund an IRA account. The commenters and I discuss the best way to fund a retirement account (incrementally vs. lump sum), and consider the benefits of dollar cost average, both in terms of financial returns and psychological motivation.
#13--Blindly
#14--Market
Posted by: Susan | March 11, 2009 at 07:00 AM
banks
market
Posted by: Walter | March 11, 2009 at 08:51 AM
#13-Banks
#14-Market
Posted by: Pierre Cantin | March 11, 2009 at 08:52 AM
Banks
Roth
Posted by: Zachary Scheidt | March 11, 2009 at 08:52 AM
my votes:
13: Banks
14: Roth
Posted by: Sophie | March 11, 2009 at 08:54 AM
Banks
Market
Posted by: Cathie | March 11, 2009 at 08:56 AM
banks
market
Posted by: Neal Frankle | March 11, 2009 at 09:20 AM
Banks
Market
Posted by: joe | March 11, 2009 at 09:27 AM
Banks
Roth
Posted by: Rezurekt | March 11, 2009 at 09:30 AM
banks
roth
Posted by: CB | March 11, 2009 at 09:41 AM
banks
roth
Posted by: katie | March 11, 2009 at 09:50 AM
Game 13: Banks
Game 14: Market
Posted by: Aron | March 11, 2009 at 10:27 AM
banks
market
Posted by: Praveen Puri | March 11, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Banks
Market
Posted by: Mrs Pillars | March 11, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Blindly
Roth
Posted by: tom | March 11, 2009 at 11:34 AM
Blindly
Roth
Posted by: Petitedov | March 11, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Roth
Posted by: Oldwindways | March 11, 2009 at 01:22 PM
Banks
Markets
Posted by: The Wild Investor | March 11, 2009 at 02:18 PM
Blindly
Market
Posted by: Colin | March 11, 2009 at 02:51 PM
banks
Posted by: cm | March 11, 2009 at 03:50 PM
banks
Posted by: Patricia | March 11, 2009 at 03:53 PM
banks
market
Posted by: CD Rates Blog | March 11, 2009 at 05:07 PM
banks
roth
Posted by: Josee | March 11, 2009 at 05:13 PM
banks
Posted by: Joel | March 12, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Blindly
Roth
Posted by: Sarah | March 12, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Roth
Posted by: Rashida | March 12, 2009 at 02:44 PM
These games are now over. The winners are:
Game 13: Banks
Game 14: Market
Thanks to everyone for voting. Another set of games is out this morning -- be sure to vote!
Posted by: FMF | March 13, 2009 at 08:53 AM
13-Banks
14-Market
Posted by: CanadianFinance | March 16, 2009 at 11:19 AM