Best Personal Financial Planning and Personal Investment Articles this Week from Personal Finance Blogs
Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #141 – May 14, 2010
Welcome to the May 14, 2010 Edition #141 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 and Economics
KCLau presents Global Spending: How People Spend their Money posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “Results from a World Bank study entitled Global Purchasing Power Parities and Real Expenditures 2005 International Comparison Program spanning 2003 to 2008.”
Writers Coin presents I’m Having a Baby: Time to Freak Out posted at The Writer’s Coin, saying, “Expecting a baby is great—until you fire up your budget and try to find out where all the money is going to come from…”
The Financial Blogger presents Why The Loonie Is As Strong as a Bear? posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “It has been more than a year that our Canadian Loonie has been beating on the greenback and we have now reached the moment when most economists predictions will become reality: the elusive state of parity between the Canadian and US dollar.”
The Skilled Investor presents Saving Money posted at Personal Finance Decisions, saying, “The most dominant determinants of your long-term financial well-being are how much you earn, spend, budget, and save. Budgeting and self-control in consumption is far more important than clever investing. Expenditure control and budgeting works, while “clever” investing usually is counter-productive.”
Super Saver presents Living on a Cash Basis was a Good Experience posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “Living on a cash basis quickly taught me financial responsibility.”
Tom Tessin presents How to Plan a Frugal Vacation posted at FSC Blog, saying, “Vacations can be awfully expensive, but it’s only that way because you make it. Find out how you can save on your next vacation.”
Estate Planning
FMF presents Your Parents’ Estate Plan Part 2: What You Need to Know posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “Helping your parents through estate planning issues.”
Jeff Rose, CFP presents How To Select a Guardian for Your Children posted at Jeff Rose.
Financial Planning
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.”
FMF presents The Capital to Income Ratio posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “One measure to use to see if your net worth is as high as it should be.”
Everything Finance presents Time for some Financial Spring Cleaning! posted at Everything Finance.
Roshawn Watson presents Through the Looking Glass posted at Watson Inc, saying, “Do you really believe in a world of financial abundance? Could you ever have too much money? Could you ever even conceive of summering in the Hamptons for $35,000 per night? Pregnant in your answer is a revelation of your core belief system regarding money”
Super Saver presents Understand the Rules First Before Bending Them posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “Fundamental financial principles should be understood before considering complex financial products.”
jim presents How Long Should I Keep Financial Documents? posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
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!”
Frank Knight presents Roth IRAFinancial Software posted at Financial Freedom Plan, saying, “Whether to invest in a Roth IRA or Roth 401k versus their traditional retirement account alternatives is one of the most complex personal financial decisions. Roth accounts do not make sense financially for most people. They are a good deal, for a minority, but you need to do the analysis.”
Larry Russell presents Mutual Fund Load posted at Top Index Mutual Funds, saying, “Superior past performance has simply not been shown to be a reliable predictor of superior future performance. However, low costs can lead you to the best mutual funds.”
Roshawn Watson presents A Secret Weapon To Your Financial Plan posted at Watson Inc, saying, “Personal finances become personal when you realize that your finances affect so many other areas of your family lives, such as your health, your education, your safety, and your relationships. No wonder why Solomon proclaimed, “money answereth all things.”"
Financing a Home
Jeff Rose, CFP presents Choosing Between 30 Year Mortgage Rate Vs. 15 Year Mortgage Rates posted at Jeff Rose.
Craig Ford presents First Home Buyer Info | How To Know If You’re Ready to Buy posted at Money Help For Christians, saying, “This article includes important points for every first time home buyer to consider.”
Ryan @ MFN presents How to Apply for a VA Loan posted at Military Finance Network, saying, “A VA Loan is a great way to finance a home, but there are several steps you need to take before you can qualify for and obtain a VA Loan.”
Financing Education
MoneyNing presents How to Use a 529 Plan to Improve College Savings posted at Money Ning, saying, “A 529 plan can help your college savings tremendously. Check out how the government can help contribute!”
Everything Finance presents Why 529 plans are NOT the best choice for college savings posted at Everything Finance.
Ryan @ MFN presents History of the GI Bill posted at Military Finance Network, saying, “A brief history of the GI Bill, one of the best ways for military veterans to pay for college.”
Health Care
Joe Plemon presents The New Health Care Bill: A Prescription for Diminished Health Care posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Yes, the health care bill passed. I predict the long term consequences will be poorer health care.”
Income
Mike @ Green Panda presents 10 Promising Sectors for the Next Decade posted at Green Panda Treehouse, saying, “Choosing your career at the age of 20 is not an easy thing.Which jobs will be paid well by employers for the next 10 years? Here are my top ten picks (in no particular order) of the best sectors”
jim presents Dividend Champions posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
Investing
Arjun Rudra presents A Primer On Investing In Mortgage Investment Corporations (MICs) In Canada posted at Investing Thesis, saying, “Not much is known about Mortgage Investment Corporations (MICs) owing to the fact that most of them private companies. This article will give you a primer on investing in MICs and show you how you can earn potential returns of between 7% and 12% annually.”
Four Pillars presents Use Your Cell Phone Apps To Manage Your Money posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, “Some cell phone apps to help track your finances”
Zach Scheidt presents First Solar Faces European Stimulus Concerns posted at ZachStocks, saying, “First Solar Inc. (FSLR) has noted previous strength in European markets. But with rising sovereign debt uncertainty, the stock will likely come under pressure and could lose a third of its market value.”
Praveen presents Lichello’s AIM System posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, “A look at Robert Lichello’s AIM stock investing system, which was popular in the 1970′s and then went out of style.”
Jessica Bosari presents Is Peer-to-Peer Lending Too Risky? | billeater.com posted at Billeater, saying, “A look at peer-to-peer lending, risks and rewards versus stocks and real estate.”
David Weliver presents How To Take Advantage of Rising Interest Rates posted at Money Under 30, saying, “Sooner or later, interest rates will start to creep up (whenever the economy gets around to a real recovery). So what does that mean for you? Here’s a look at how savvy savers can take advantage of impending rate hikes.”
Praveen presents Three Good Stocks Made More Attractive By The Recent Market Activity posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, “FINBLOG: Three stock picks made more attractive by the recent market drop.”
PT presents How to Invest: Would You Consider Single Stocks? posted at Prime Time Money, saying, “This post discussed single stocks and when you need to consider investing with single stocks.”
Frank Knight presents Municipal Bond Financial Software, posted at Personal Finance Software, saying, “Municipal bond investments and your state and federal marginal income tax rates: Some investors hold municipal bonds in an attempt to reduce their tax burden. This article discusses the relationships between tax-exempt municipal bonds, bond market returns, marginal tax rates, and investment asset tax location.”
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.”
Frank Vertin presents Best Index Funds posted at Noload Mutual Fund, saying, “Useful information on the top ten no load index funds that track the Standard and Poors 500 composite index in terms of lowest costs.”
Consumer Boomer presents How to Get a No Fee IRA with Lending Club posted at Consumer Boomer.
Mike @ Green Panda presents Asset Allocation Basis Part 1: Know Your Asset Classes posted at Green Panda Treehouse, saying, “You want to learn how to manage your asset allocation properly? You first need to know which kind of asset classes you can invest in! Today, I’ll first review the major asset class categories and in a second post, I’ll subdivide each of them, but let’s just start with a definition of asset class and asset allocation:”
Manshu presents India ETF List posted at OneMint, saying, “These ETFs will provide US investors long and short exposure to India.”
LearnSaveInvest presents Investing Advice For Regular People posted at Learn Save Invest, saying, “Many regular investors fall into the same traps over and over. Here is a list of traps to avoid, and how you can profit on your investments making good choices.”
Zach Scheidt presents Gold Stocks Back in Vogue posted at ZachStocks, saying, “Precious metals are responding to the crisis in Europe. Fiat currencies will likely be under pressure for some time which could mean a multi-year rally for gold, silver and other metals.”
The Skilled Investor presents Market Timing posted at Investment Portfolio Management, saying, “Stay invested always in the securities markets to earn risk premiums. You must have your money invested and at risk to get risk premium returns. Jumping out and in or “timing the markets” doesn’t work. Professionals and amateurs are both really lousy at market timing.”
Dividends4Life presents How Often Should A Stock Pay And Raise Dividends? posted at Dividends Value, saying, “In the U.S. and Canada, most companies pay dividends quarterly. In other parts of the world, it is not uncommon for companies to pay an annual or a semi-annual dividend. That is not to say that North American companies sometimes choose not to pay quarterly dividends. Though I prefer quarterly dividends, there is something more important than frequency…”
Silicon Valley Blogger presents OptionsHouse Review: Low Commission Broker posted at The Digerati Life
Tomas Escent presents Automated Stock Trading posted at Nerds on Wall Street, saying, “A little artificial intelligence goes a long way on Wall Street. If you give someone a program, you will frustrate them for a day; if you teach them how to program, you will frustrate them for a lifetime.”
Super Saver presents Securities I Won’t Buy posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “One reason I like investing in publicly traded securities is there is relatively low effort for the transaction or maintaining the investment. However, in the past year, I’ve learned there are “high maintenance” publicly traded securities, which typically fall into the category of partnerships.”
Dividends4Life presents 14 Stocks Building Wealth Through Higher Dividends posted at Dividends Value, saying, “Some say your home is your greatest wealth building asset. Others would say your income is your greatest wealth building asset. So, what is your greatest wealth building asset? Everyone is born with it. Few realize its importance until they lose most of it. The asset is so priceless it can’t be bought. Your most valuable wealth building asset is…”
Mike Piper presents Index Funds and ETFs: Get the Ticker Right posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, “Index funds and ETFs often have almost identical names, so be careful to get the right ticker symbol!”
Managing Debt
Silicon Valley Blogger presents Best Student Credit Cards For College Students posted at The Digerati Life.
The Smarter Wallet presents Are Debt Counseling Services The Way To Debt Relief? posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, “On debt counseling services.”
Hussein Sumar presents How to Negotiate Debt Obligations with Creditors posted at Debt Consolidation, saying, “If creditors do not receive on time payments from you, they will often report your delinquency status to the major Credit Bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). But what if you are willing to make payments to the creditors, but not the full amount they are asking for? For example, you have $15,000 of credit card debt and your minimum monthly payment is $375. However, you can only afford to pay $200 a month at the moment. How do you negotiate with your creditors so as to get the payment terms to your advantage and get negative items deleted off your credit report? That is the purpose of this article.”
Big Cajun Man presents Do You Have a Financial GPS? posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Do you need a financial GPS?”
Ryan @ CML presents Difference Between PrePaid and Secured Credit Cards posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “Prepaid and secured credit cards are great options for people who don’t have good credit.”
Jeff Rose, CFP presents Simple ways to improve your debt management skills posted at Jeff Rose, saying, “With the economy finally out of recession, it’s never been more important to take a look at your financial situation and ‘tweak’ what you can to improve your debt management skills”
Ryan @ CML presents Best Zero Percent Balance Transfer Credit Cards posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “Manage your debt by transferring a high interest credit card bill to a 0% interest credit card.”
Miscellaneous
Joe Plemon presents How to Ensure That You Will Never Be a Millionaire: Eight Great Tips posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “A satirical look at those who want to avoid wealth.”
nissim ziv presents What Do Employers Look For in a Resume & What Do They Really Want? posted at Job Interview Guide, saying, “There are several things that you should keep in mind while looking for a job that might work positively for you and just one of them is the employers and their mindset.”
Pasadena Financial Planner presents Mutual Fund Investment Performance posted at Top Mutual Fund, saying, “Compares Vanguard’s actively managed mutual funds and Vanguard’s passively managed index mutual funds. Vanguard investors should read and understand this study.”
Craig Ford presents Refund Airline Tickets | How Do You Get Your Money Back? posted at Help Me Travel Cheap, saying, “How to get your money back when an airline drops the price.”
Retirement Planning
Madison DuPaix presents Roth IRA Conversion Guide posted at My Dollar Plan.
FIRE Getters presents Early Retirement Case Study – Sandy Aldridge and Dale Lugenbehl posted at FIRE Finance, saying, “.. Sandy Aldridge and Dale Lugenbehl who retired early (at ages 48 and 47 respectively) more than a dozen years ago to their eight-acre farm in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Though they did not have high paying jobs, their conscious choice and laser focus on leading a simple life with meaningful pursuits in a harmonious relationship with nature allowed them to kick the rat race early. Their philosophy was “living more simply so that others may simply live.”"
MoneyNing presents Before Your Roth IRA Conversion: Have You Considered Taxes? posted at Money Ning, saying, “Beware of the several tax concerns of you convert to a Roth IRA.”
Wise Bread presents Why Roth IRAs Are Ideal for Young Professionals posted at Wisebread.
Jules Wells presents Retirement Calculator-Retirement Savings Software, posted at Retirement Financial Planning, saying, “This article helps you understand the trade-offs between traditional and Roth tax-advantaged retirement plan contributions, including Roth 401k and IRA retirement plans. It helps with the 2010 Roth conversion decision.”
The Financial Blogger presents Freedom 75 posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “Life is full of irony! While my retirement goal is to stop being part of the rat race by 35, we see more and more people working pass the normal age of retirement of 65. I must admit that most of us will define themselves according to our job: Hello Mike, nice to meet you, tell me, what are you doing in life? A) I am me. B) I am a father. C) I am a passionate man who loves watching hockey, playing golf, blogging, play soccer with my son and making pony tails to my little girl, and.. and.. bla blab D) I am a financial planner / web entrepreneur I can tell that most people will answer. So if we define ourselves according to our job, what do we become if we quit working?”
Learn Save Invest presents 4 Retirement Planning Mistakes posted at Learn Save Invest, saying, “4 of the deadly mistakes people make when planning for retirement, and how you can avoid them.”
Jeff Rose, CFP presents DB(k) Pension Plan Rules. Is it the New 401k? posted at Jeff Rose.
Larry Russell presents Roth IRA Conversions posted at Best Financial Planning Software, saying, “Trying to decide about a traditional IRA to Roth IRA conversion without first having a comprehensive lifetime financial plan in place makes absolutely no sense. Without such a plan, you cannot figure out whether or not you are likely to achieve the tax savings in retirement that would warrant paying higher taxes now.”
Risk Management and Insurance
FMF presents What Should Life Insurance Cover? posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “What your insurance should cover.”
Consumer Boomer presents When Life Insurance for Seniors Might Be a Good Idea posted at Consumer Boomer.
Ryan @ CML presents Term Life Insurance Vs Whole Life Insurance posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “Explaining the difference between term life insurance and whole life insurance, and tips on when it might be a good time to select either one.
Consumer Boomer presents eHealthInsurance Review: Health Insurance for the Self-Employed posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, “When it comes to planning for retirement, the one thing that can wipe you out in a hurry is the rising cost of health insurance.”
freefrombroke presents Term VS Whole Life Insurance – What Do The Numbers Show? posted at Free From Broke, saying, “Many “experts” say that term life insurance is better than whole life insurance, but running the numbers shows that its not always the case.”"
Savings
KCLau presents Are You Rich in Internal Assets? posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “pay attention to the internal assets”
Taxes
David de Souza presents Claiming Back Overpaid Tax From the Inland Revenue posted at UK Tax Blog, saying, “A step by step guide on claiming overpayments of tax from the government.”
Financial Freedom Plan presents Roth IRA ConversionFinancial Software, posted at My Financial Freedom, saying, “The Roth tax optimization puzzle for asset conversions, as well as for annual Roth contributions during working years, is one of the most complex decisions that the ridiculously complex US taxation and retirement planning system forces upon individuals.
Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog presents Make Sure It’s Deductible Book Review posted at The Canadian Finance Blog, saying, “Make Sure It’s Deductible points out business expenses that you can write off, including how the home office portion of your housing expenses may also be deductible.”
Four Pillars presents How Long Before I Get My Income Tax Refund? posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, “A guideline for how long you have to wait for a tax refund.”
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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