Carnival of Investing

Welcome to this week's edition of the Carnival of Investing.

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.

With that said, here we go:

• How to Invest with only $100 - A better article on how to invest when you only have $100.

• The Top 25 Money Tips of All Time, Part 4 - In five of the top 25 money tips of all time, the focus is on investing. Consider these five tips when developing your long term plan.

• When being bad pays - Want a recession-proof fund? Some advisers say then you should bank on bad habits.

• A Buck, A Yen, A Mark or A Pound - Devaluation of currency is not uncommon in other countries, but so far has been moderate in the U.S (in part because the dollar is the world’s currency). I recently discussed this in an article titled Speculating on the Future of the Dollar. But given our massive debt, budget deficit and trade deficit, a significant drop of the dollar against other world currencies (and corresponding increase in inflation as all types of imports become more expensive) becomes a possibility. How can you protect your portfolio from a significant slide in the dollar?

• Choosing and buying a bond fund - Describes the decision process I went through to invest in Loomis Sayles Bond Fund (LSBRX).

• Real Estate: Making Money with the Purchase Price - As the real estate market comes back down to earth, the concept of fast returns involving home purchases becomes less likely. The immediate future of real estate still offers the average American plenty of opportunity, but purchases require a bit more discretion in a tighter market.

• Market Down? Don't Be Dramatic - Why not to get all hot and bothered about market fluctuations when you're a young investor.

• California Dreamin’ - The folks at Strategic Marketing Associates released an optimistic forecast for the semiconductor industry. At the Semicon West trade show in San Francisco they predicted semi equipment sales would rise 19 percent this year (which is probably about right) followed by a 10 percent increase in 2007, bringing the sales back to their historic peak. We think the second part is simply California Dreamin’.

• Volatility: A Regular Investor's Best Friend - Emotions: buy for too much, sell for too little, and pay transaction costs both ways. It's a recipe for tanking investments.

• Intro to Investing in Precious and Base Metals - There are two types of metals for investment: precious metals as opposed to base metals. Here are some ways to invest in metals.

• Another look at the ProShares inverse ETFs - This post reviews the recently launched ProShares inverse ETFs and why they are appropriate for inverstors willing to make a longer term directional bet. 

• Technical Analysis Review: The Golden Cross - An introduction to one of the principles of technical analysis. 

• Excess choice and model building - Trading is never easy, but it can be a bit more manageable with well-designed, efficient models.

• 3 Unchaneable rules in Forex Market - 3 simple tips of Forex Market.

• Finding The ‘Boring’ In Attractive Stocks - You can sometimes make more money if you look at the companies supporting flash-bang startups.

• Want to Simplify Your IRA? Some Retirement Fund Options - Target date retirement funds are a great ira investment for beginners or those that want to put the money in and forget about it.

• Do You Have A Fun Money Account? - Asks if other investors set aside a certain part of their portfolio for more  actively-managed investments.  A Roth IRA is suggested to avoid tax issues.

• Mutual Fund Management Fees: How much is too much? - How much difference do mutual fund fees really make? Over time, it can be dramatic.

• The home equity debate - The world over there are hundreds of property owners sat on real estate that has risen significantly in value as a result of the past property boom era. Many have re-financed and borrowed against their increased home equity to buy another ‘investment’ property, refurbish their home or buy high ticket consumer goods. There are those that have prospered, but many have fallen on stony ground as a result of rising mortgage interest rates. So what are your reasons for taking money out of your home?

• How to work out if you're better off renting or buying a place to live - It's a decision we all face sooner or later: Should I rent or buy? We all need a roof over our heads - somewhere to have some privacy and bring up a family. If you're at that point in your life, pull out a piece of paper and a calculator. I'm going to show you which factors to consider when making the choice.

Thanks for visiting the Carnival of Investing!