Best Personal Financial Planning and Personal Investment Articles this Week from Personal Finance Blogs
Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #125 – January 22, 2010
Welcome to the January 22, 2010 Edition #125 of the Carnival of Financial Planning.
The Carnival of Financial Planning takes a long-term view of personal financial planning for individuals and families. We focus on efficient and sustainable personal financial planning practices that can lead to lifetime financial security.
This edition is arranged by subject heading, so that you can browse efficiently.
Enjoy!
The Skilled Investor, Editor
Budgeting
Abigail Perry presents Should you correct others’ mistakes? posted at i pick up pennies, saying, “If a clerk makes a mistake in your favor, are you obligated to say something? How big does a mistake need to be before you say something?”
Four Pillars presents The Low Down on Zero Down Payment On A House posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, “Why it is not essential to have a large down payment for your house.”
Four Pillars presents Get Out Of Debt With YNAB – You Need A Budget Financial Software Review posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, “Indepth review of You Need a Budget software.”
Dorian Wales presents The Dangers of Excess Frugality – Budgeting and Balanced Living posted at The Personal Financier, saying, “A more balanced life and balanced goals will help achieve inner peace and acceptance that money is truly a means and not an end. This takes work and time. I suppose on cannot escape the slippery slope I’ve presented but understanding the need for balance early on will save considerable frustration and contribute to early happiness.”
Estate Planning
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.”
Jeff Rose presents Inheriting Retirement Assets: What You Need to Know posted at Jeff Rose.
Jeff Rose presents Do You Need a Power of Attorney? posted at Jeff Rose.
Financial Planning
Consumer Boomer presents Mistakes to Avoid in Financial Planning and Insurance for Boomers posted at Consumer Boomer.
Ben Dinsmore presents 6 Financial Tips for a Prosperous New Year posted at Trees Full of Money, saying, “Start the New Year off right by reviewing these 6 simple strategies for a prosperous 2010.”
Super Saver presents Strategies for Building Wealth and Retiring Early posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “Recently, I ran into a friend who also retired in his forties. We compared notes on what strategies enabled us to retire early. There seemed to be two recurrent themes.”
KCLau presents Tip-tip Kewangan Untuk Rakyat Malaysia posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “Book on Top Money Tips for Malaysians finalised”
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 Portfolio Asset Allocation posted at Financial Planner Pasadena, saying, “Set your personal investment asset allocation according to your personal tolerance for investment risk. Allocated percentages to asset classes would tend to slowly change with the years, and thus it is key to decide correctly from the beginning.”
Big Cajun Man presents Personal Finance Resolutions for the New Year? posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Are Financial New Years resolutions a good idea? Yes, but make them achievable, don’t try to boil the ocean, just take small steps!”
Roshawn Watson presents Thoughts on Escaping The Rat Race posted at Watson Inc, saying, “Do you yearn to be free…really free? What would you do if money was not a big limitation? Perhaps the primary reason for increasing your financial literacy is so you may indeed escape the rat race.”
Financing a Home
Alex Fotopoulos presents When to Refinance a Mortgage? posted at My Trader’s Journal, saying, “Some key points to consider when refinancing your home.”
Roshawn Watson presents Is Bigger Better? Scaling Down The American Dream posted at Watson Inc, saying, “Today’s post-crash buyers are not willing (nor able in some cases) to extend themselves like before, and the impact on the housing market is substantial.”
Financing Education
FMF presents Revisiting the Value of a College Degree posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “Is a college degree worth the cost? It is if you do it correctly.”
Divinelysmile presents The University Of The Future posted at Best Colleges Online.
Herbert Aitken presents Which College Majors Pay the Most? 25 Excellent Studies and Rankings posted at College Stats.org.
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
Patrick @ Military Money presents Open Enrollment Window Open for Some posted at Military Finance Network, saying, “Open enrollment is the only time of the year that many people are able to make changes to their health insurance elections. Make sure you take advantage of this time to select the best health care option for your needs.”
Shakira Dawn presents Top 50 Hospice Care Blogs posted at Nurses assistant, saying, “Hospice care, whether it takes place in the home or in a facility, is often marked with the idea of comfort, and being surrounded by loved ones.”
Income
FMF presents How to Get a Raise or Promotion posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “Details on how to get a raise and a promotion.”
April presents 9 Sneaky Expenses That Eat Away at Your Income posted at Get Rich Slowly, saying, “Figuring your real hourly wage is an awesome tool when trying to compare two income opportunities that aren’t similar to begin with.”
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.”
Evolution Of Wealth presents Diversifying Your Income Streams posted at Evolution of Wealth, saying, “An immediate annuity can be a great tool to provide guaranteed income throughout retirement. The key is that annuitization should not be your only stream of income. It should be used to diversify your income streams and relied upon for it’s guarantees while you combat inflation with your other investments.”
Investing
ABC presents Index Funds vs ETFs posted at ABCs of Investing, saying, “An explanation of index funds and etfs and a comparison of the two investment products.”
20smoney presents Boost Your “Yield” By Writing Covered Calls posted at 20s Money, saying, “A look at how you can boost your return on a position by writing covered calls. In this post, I include a generic example as well as some specific trades I’ve executed.”
jim presents The S&P500 Dividend Aristocrats posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
Silicon Valley Blogger presents Online Discount Brokers: SmartMoney Broker Survey posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “We cover the discount brokers that made the latest SmartMoney broker survey.”
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.”
Larry Russell presents Top 10 No Load Funds posted at Best No Load Mutual Funds, saying, “Don’t bother to frantically move your assets from one mutual fund to another or from one ETF to another. Investment research has repeatedly showing academic studies that performance chasing is a bad strategy the most ofter will yield inferior returns.”
Praveen presents Just Bought Hyatt Hotels (H) posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, “About Hyatt’s recent IPO and why its a good stock.
Curt presents What is the Likelihood of Hyperinflation in 2010, 2011 or 2012? Part 1: Why is Inflation So Hard to Stop and So Easy to Start? posted at PennyJobs.com.
Alex Fotopoulos presents Gold Chart (GLD) ? More Room to Fall posted at Chart Analysis, saying, “Alex posted a chart of the Gold ETF, GLD, this week and shows how much farther it could fall before finding support.”
jim presents Your Take: How Do You Evaluate Brokers? posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
Zach Scheidt presents 2010 ZachStocks Recommendations posted at ZachStocks, saying, “2010 should offer investors both opportunity and risk. Here are four investments which should generate healthy gains in the coming year.”
Marc Ryan presents 2009: the good, the bad and the ugly of the past year (and even decade) posted at IndependentInvestor.info, saying, “What a memorable year! In this, the second and last of our year-end 2009 commentaries we review the many highlights of the year for a self-investor in three categories: the good, the bad and the rest. In particular, how did the crisis affect investor behavior? Were you in panic mode in March at the absolute bottom of one of the worst markets on record? Instead of trying to forget the beginning of 2009, it would be preferable to remember both the ups and downs of the year, and draw a few lessons for the future. And let’s not forget the conduct of our governments and regulatory agencies during the crisis, which left much to be desired”
Dividend Growth Investor presents 2010’s Top Dividend Plays posted at Dividend Growth Investor, saying, “The reason for the selection of these stocks is that each of them paid an above average yield and was trading at attractive valuations. Another reason was that the dividend was well covered from cash flows for all stocks.”
The DIV-Net presents McCormick and Company – Stock Analysis for Dividend Growth Portfolio posted at The DIV-Net.
Zach Scheidt presents Salesforce.com Shocks Market With Debt Offering posted at ZachStocks, saying, “Salesforce.com (CRM) is issuing $500 million dollars in convertible notes. The dilution to shareholders could drive the stock down and with CRM’s lofty multiple, the risk looks to be very high.”
jim presents Where Dividend Stocks Fit in Your Portfolio posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
The Financial Blogger presents Note to Myself: Key Points to Investing During a Bear Market Part1: Remember High Yield Bonds posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “This is what I am doing with the recent market crunch of 2008. Some people generated amazing returns by taking little risk. Here’s how they did it.”
20smoney presents Is The Stock Market Bottom Still To Come? posted at 20s Money, saying, “A look at possible theories why we may have much further to fall in the stock market.”
Aussie Investor presents Best Shares To Buy In 2010 posted at Australian Investing, saying, “Buying shares over the past couple of years has certainly been a hair-raising experience for most of us. It’s been an extraordinary roller coaster ride. So how do we restore our investment portfolios back to their former glory? In this post, the author offers some tips to help you find the best shares to buy for 2010.”
Dividends4Life presents 6 Dividend Stocks Increasing Their Yield posted at Dividends Value, saying, “Just as picking fruit from a mango tree does not harm it, living off dividends does not damage the investment’s ability to produce future results. A portfolio of dividend investments will not only provide income in retirement, but can be passed to your children who can continue to reap the benefits.”
Mike Piper presents How to Choose ETFs for Your Portfolio posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, “Tips for selecting which ETFs to include in a low-cost, diversified portfolio.”
The Skilled Investor presents Best Investment Strategies posted at Personal Financial Investments, saying, “Investment costs which are clearly measured, like fees deducted on your monthly investment statement. Most investors are no aware of opportunity costs that arise from sub-optimal investing practices. Opportunity costs like these are much greater than more costs and investment fees that show up on their statements.”
Tomas Escent presents Investment Portfolio Trading posted at Nerds on Wall Street, saying, “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Wired Markets. In this funny financial book, there are no robots parking your car millions of times, however, right now in milliseconds robots trade millions of shares.”
MoneyNing presents How to Get Your Wife to Invest posted at Money Ning, saying, “Talk and discuss. Learn how to get your significant other to invest!”
Jules Wells presents Simple Investing posted at Personal Financial Planning Software, saying, “Investing often seems almost unfathomly complex, however your best investment strategy will tend to be a simple and straightforward investing strategy.”
Frank Vertin presents Index Stock Fund posted at Best Index Funds, saying, “When you buy an S & P 500 index mutual fund through a broker or investment advisor you can increase substantially your purchasing costs, while you drive up your recurring annual expenses through asset management and other fees. Financial advisors most often will not recommend to buy index mutual funds with very low fees.No load, low cost index mutual funds don’t pay financial brokers and advisors nearly as well as front loaded, high fee, active mutual funds.”
Super Saver presents Schwab ETFs – Commission Free for Schwab Clients posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “It’s now cost effective to purchase as little as one share, since there is no commission charge.”
Tabitha Mcivers presents Ultimate Guide To Agricultural ETFs: Agriculture ETF Investing 101 posted at ETFdb.
Managing Debt
Joe Plemon presents Is There Such a Thing as Good Debt? posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Joe examines different types of debt to determine which, if any, can be considered “good”.”
The Smarter Wallet presents How 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards Can Save You Money posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, “How balance transfer cards can save you money if used appropriately!”
Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents How to Get a Free Credit Report From AnnualCreditReport.com posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “How to get a copy of your free credit report from annualcreditreport.com, the only official website to receive your free credit report.”
Miscellaneous
Evolution Of Wealth presents Don’t be Buridan’s Ass posted at Evolution of Wealth, saying, “It is easy for us to not commit to a decision. Have you ever considered the consequences of inaction? What is it costing you not to do something? It’s not as easy to see but it might very well have a huge affect on your financial future.”
Frank Knight presents Stop Identity Theft posted at Best Financial Planning Software, saying, “You need to be proactive and take easy steps to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft. Identity theft is increasing dramatically and it takes a huge amount of time to clean up the mess once you get hit with identity theft.”
Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents How to Get Your Free FICO Credit Score posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “Tips on how to get a free copy of your FICO Credit Score, and how to avoid getting charged without your knowledge.”
Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog presents New Year’s Resolutions For Your Personal Finances posted at The Canadian Finance Blog, saying, “While we all hope to have our personal finances in order all year long, a new year can give us a fresh start to change some of the areas that need improvement.”
Susan Saverton presents Personal Finance Plan posted at Family Financial Planning, saying, “You need a system that is efficient with respect to your time and your costs, when to develop, implement, and track a personal investment plan.”
nissim ziv presents Online: Career Assessment Test : Top Career Assessment Tool in the Market posted at Job Interview Guide, saying, “The purpose of a professional career assessment is to have a clear written career vision – a career aspiration and a better understanding of how you operate.”
Retirement Planning
FMF presents Six Mistakes to Avoid When Converting to a Roth IRA posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “In 2010 high income earners can convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. But they need to be sure and avoid these mistakes.”
Jeremy presents Think Twice Before Doing a Roth IRA Conversion if You Are Using Account Assets to Pay the Taxes Due posted at Generation X Finance.
Jeff Rose presents Required Minimum Distributions Resume for 2010 posted at Jeff Rose.
Bucksome presents What’s Your Number? posted at Buck$ome Boomer’s Journey to Retirement, saying, “How to figure out the nest egg needed for retirement.”
Abdulrasool Sumar presents What is a 401k Plan? History of 401k Plans & Annual Developments Timeline from 1978 – 2003 posted at 401k, saying, “As at 2003, total estimated number of 401k plans in America was 438,000 with assets totaling $1.9 trillion & 42.4 million active participants.”
Top Stock Mutual Funds presents Stock Mutual Funds posted at Top Index Funds, saying, “This article discusses the 10 ten very low cost stock index mutual funds that track the Standard and Poors 500 large capitalization stock index.”
Super Saver presents Roth IRA: To Convert or Not to Convert posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “Since anybody will be able to convert funds from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, in 2010, a question is whether is it makes financial sense to do a conversion or not.”
Frank Knight presents Roth Retirement Accounts posted at Financial Planner Software, saying, “One of the most complex personal financial decisions is whether to invest in a Roth IRA or Roth 401k versus their traditional retirement account alternatives. For most people, Roth accounts do not make sense financially. For a minority, they are a good deal, but you need sophisticated financial planner software to do the analysis for yourself.”
Craig Ford presents Should Retirement Be The Goal of Life? posted at Money Help For Christians, saying, “This post helps you establish and evaluate your retirement goals.”
lifestyles presents How 15 Rent Houses Can Retire You Faster than a $1 Million 401k posted at Lifestyles Unlimited Real Estate Investing and Mentoring, saying, “Referencing the 5 year plan and 5 ways real estate investing makes you money, Brian Lee compares 15 rent houses to a $1 million 401k. He makes an excellent case for real estate investing as the best vehicle for financial freedom.”
Risk Management and Insurance
Consumer Boomer presents Is a Variable Life Insurance Policy the Best Investment for You? posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, “Variable universal life insurance shouldn’t be overlooked or dismissed. Why are there such conflicting opinions over variable universal life insurance policies?.”
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.”
Savings
Paul Kamp presents Should the FDIC Limit Bank Interest Rates? posted at Don’t Quit Your Day Job – Personal Finance, Economics and Investing, saying, “If you happen to have a savings account at a bank considered under-capitalized – prepare for your savings rate to decrease. New FDIC rules make the interest rate limit 75 basis points over the nationwide average. How will this change the savings climate? Read to find out.”
MoneyNing presents How to Deal with Frugal Naysayers posted at Money Ning, saying, “There’s a better way to deal with all the naysayers.”
jim presents Consider Moving Your Money to Local Banks posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
KCLau presents Are You Rich in Internal Assets? posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “pay attention to the internal assets”
Taxes
Jeff Rose presents Tax Information Checklist: Get Ready to File Before The Deadline posted at Jeff Rose.
David de Souza presents Tax Rebate Scam Emails Continue – Beware - posted at UK Tax Blog, saying, “Beware of a new round of scam Emails being sent to people warning of unreported income. Whatever you do, do not press on any links within these Emails.”
Roshawn Watson presents Will the “Fat Tax” Come to a State Near You? posted at Watson Inc, saying, “Perhaps residents of Alabama have one more reason to make weight loss a top New Year’s resolution: their wallets. Alabama’s controversial “fat tax” may revolutionize how we think about health.”
Peter presents 10 Year End Tax Deductions And Credits That You Can Claim In 2009 posted at Bible Money Matters, saying, “Here is a list of 10 year end tax deductions that you can take to lower your tax bill.”
PT presents Tax Preparation Checklist posted at Prime Time Money.
Jeff Rose presents Roth IRA Rules For Minors. Your Kids Guide to Tax Free Money posted at Jeff Rose.
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Financial Planning using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
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