Mighty Bargain Hunter

Welcome to the Carnival of Personal Finance

April 20th, 2009 | by mbhunter |

It’s always enjoyable to host and see people’s submissions for the Carnival of Personal Finance.  I always learn something new.

It’s hard to believe that this is Carnival #201.  It continues to get more popular.

We’re in the second half of Financial Literacy Month.  Have you seen my series on getting back to basics?  If you enjoyed that, you might also enjoy subscribing to my feed or following me on Twitter.

Anyway, here are this week’s included posts, categorized for your viewing pleasure.  I hope you learn something new, too!  Next week, FIRE Finance is on the slab.  Have a great week!

Money Management

• The Paycheck Chronicles gives ten good ways to shop safely online. The Internet’s a great place to find deals, but be smart!
• Wealth Pilgrim asks, “Who will spend your beneficiary’s money?” Just setting up a trust isn’t enough.  He explain what else is necessary.
• Uh oh!  Moneymonk is mad at Suze Orman! Whatever did she do to you, Moneymonk?
• Quest for Four Pillars has some sources for free tax filing software for (Canadian) students and low-income folks. “Canadian deadline is Apr 30 so it’s still applicable,” he says.
• Suburban Dollar has a bread-and-butter tutorial on  budgeting and knowing your spending. Good checklist of spending categories  there.
• Bargaineering (or, the blog formerly known as Blueprint for Financial Prosperity) discusses the government’s Making Home Affordable Mortgage Refinance & Modification Program.
• Sound Money Matters runs through  the dos and don’ts of combining finances after the wedding. (Combining our finances was something I did without thinking because it was what my parents had done, and it worked out all right for us, but it just as easily could have backfired.)
• Personal Finance Start-Up Blog chats about high-interest rate checking accounts. (And about the Braves.)
• American Consumer News advises proceeding with caution when adult kids want to return home.
• Ask Mr Credit Card responds to some readers’ comments about his take on Suze Orman’s advice.
• Free From Broke advises discussing your finances before tying the knot so that money doesn’t ruin the marriage.  (And I’ll add keep discussing it after tying the knot, too!)
• Cash Money Life says to give generously, even (especially?) during rough times.
• Beating Broke contends that personal finance is a life skill.
• Five Cent Nickel hosts a guest post containing lessons learned on a shuttle ride at the car dealer.

Frugality

• Free Money Finance highlights Nicolas Cage as “one more example that you CAN spend it all no matter how much you make.”
• Christian Personal Finance lists six things you can buy that will pay for themselves in a year.  (One of them surprised me.)
• 6Bubbles runs through a few questions to ask when deciding whether to buy that sale item or not.
• And Art of the Coupon, hot on their heels, outlines five questions to ask before any purchase.
• What’s frugal, and what’s just cheap? My Findependence Day delves into this topic.
• Fine-Tuned Finances weighs options on whether to fix that old computer or buy a new one.
• Fiscal Fizzle (great name!) runs through seven ways to stop eating out from killing your budget.
• Christian Money Mountain suspects gas prices are on the way up again and gives some mileage-improving tips.
• Almost Frugal goes back to the frugal basics and talks about controlling spending.
• Budgets are Sexy wonders if coupon lovers are treated differently by employees.  (If I even suspected that a business didn’t like me using a coupon, I’d probably never go back.)
• Penny For My Thoughts discusses menstrual cups as a recession beater. (This is beyond my experience, of course.)
• Savings Toolbox asks how efficient CF bulbs are.  (Apparently efficient enough to pay for themselves in a year.)
• PayLessForFood explains why now is the perfect time to try store-brand products.

Saving

• Million Dollar Journey recommends banking your raises.  (Very sound advice.)
• Finance for Physicians outlines some moving tips specific to new physicians that can save money and hassle.
• My Life ROI gives some ideas on what to do with all of that extra money. (Fortunate position to be in, no?)
• Erik Folgate describes some automation and subaccount magic you can do with your ING savings account.
• Automatic Finances reinforces this by giving five reasons you should be automating your savings.
• PennyJobs wonders if  a depression is inevitable.  (Love the smoking analogy in this post.)

Finance

• Always the Planner explains what financial security means to her. (I understand the save-too-much thing.)
• Good Financial Cents outlines seven questions to ask your financial planner.
• InsureBlog advises looking into DI PDQ ASAP, because “all the great finance tips in the world can’t help you if you lose your income.”
• Pecuniarities challenges us: “If  you’ve never fallen off a horse, you just haven’t ridden enough.” (Try to brace yourself for the falls, though!  This isn’t an excuse to file for bankruptcy!)
• Out of Debt Again predicts that your check should get bigger in April, and explains why.
• Green Panda Treehouse shares tips on saving money on health insurance, doctor visits, and prescriptions.
• Deposit Accounts brings a gardening analogy to bear on the concept of reducing debt and increasing saving.

Investing

• Triaging My Way To Financial Success (yes, he’s in healthcare!) shows how to determine a master portfolio allocation.
• ABCs of Investing gives a brief description of investment policy statements.
• FIRE Finance visits an old friend:  the Rule of 72.
• Dividends Value analyzes Nucor Corporation and Caterpillar in the context of the recession and how they responded to it.
• Money Ning discusses the impact of costs on mutual fund returns.
• Darwin’s Finance (survival of the fiscally fittest?) wonders if Advanta high-yield notes are worth the risk.
• Stock Trading To Go is skeptical of bear market rallies.
• Dividend Growth Investor presents some covered call option strategies for hedging against losses.
• Chief Family Officer suggests a way to avoid getting killed by one rotten investment.
• Financial Highway gives an insider view on advisor conflict of interest.
• Generation X Finance is wary of trying to time the market.
• Go To Retirement discusses the risks and benefits of owning gold for retirement.
• Prime Time Money talks on the topic of tax-deferred and tax-free retirement plans.
• Modern Gal wonders how various markets will hold up under inflation.
• The Sun’s Financial Diary has a discount broker comparison.
• IntelligentSpeculator has an, ummmm, unusual investment opportunity.  (”I take it you’re not Capt. Crunch, sir?”)

Reviews

• The Smarter Wallet reviews Microsoft Money and discusses a bunch of the features of the program.
• The Digerati Life show whether TradeKing measures up to the competition.
• Harvesting Dollars wonders if the Bank On Yourself strategy is for real.
• Personal Finance Software Reviews reviews NeoBudget.
• Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck would have liked a little more out of UPromise.  (What do you think?  I haven’t gotten much money out of UPromise, but it’s a cash-back program, so I’m not too worried.)

Budgeting

• Paying For Retirement explain why he uses Mint.com for his tracking.
• Man Vs.  Debt just doesn’t get the concept of married with separate finances.
• Studenomics has some experience with making sure that budgeting works and shares.

Credit and Debt

• Sense to Save characterizes charging her honeymoon was a big financial blunder.  (Perhaps, but I wouldn’t be beating myself up too much on this one.  At least she doesn’t regret the honeymoon.)
• Taking Charge recommends a physical reminder to think before swiping that credit card.
• CreditCardAssist observes the sentiment turning against credit cards.

Real Estate

• Erica Douglass has some talk on investing in real estate.
• Funny about Money wonders if real estate: is looking up.
• Apply For Credit discusses whether avoiding payments on your mortgage is a good idea. (I hadn’t heard of this as a strategy, but the conclusion seems right.)
• Growing Money posts an update on their Philadelphia rental property.
• Stop Foreclosure Blog has ten fatal mistakes homeowners make.
• Canadian Finance Blog presents a cheaper way to buy timeshares.
• First Recession sees an interesting silver lining to the economy: It’s a renter’s market.

The Economy and Career

• Weakonomics gives an overview of the Massachusetts economy.
• PlinkPlink can talk the recession talk complete with buzzwords.  Can you?
• Passive Family Income outlines the benefits of home-based jobs.
• The Personal Financier gets all deep and stuff, and explores the irony of human nature.
• Money Beagle asks if the Sunday paper is going extinct.
• Tough Money Love questions whether the billions in aid to the states are doing any good.
• Kids & Money has a quickie on summer jobs for kids.

Taxes

• Yielding Wealth likes getting back as little as possible on her tax return.
• Uh-oh:  Steadfast Finances reports that local governments are starting to charge for accident response. (We’re going to see more of this, I think.)
• Greener Pastures observes that state budget shortfalls mean higher taxes.
• The Happy Rock does a gross-income retrospective.
• M is for Money explains tax write-offs for 401(k) losses.
• My Dollar Plan answers some last-minute tax questions.

Other

• Money Young asks: “Are you living for today or tomorrow?”
• Keep My Dollar presents eight ways to keep your car running well.  Maintaining a vehicle properly will make it cost less.
• Amateur Asset Allocator is keeping the recession in perspective.
• Stumble Forward sheds light on five flags that you might be looking at a scam.
• My Journey to Millions gives some tips for planning for a child with special needs.
• The Strump is finally getting a will.
• Poorer Than You shows how to file the free application for federal student aid without parental information.
• Not strictly personal finance but I love this guy’s enthusiasm:  Punch Debt In The Face does successful blogging, BTTF style. This guy does money rap for hire, too.

Questions tagged credit-card at Cash Commons:

• Anybody have sucesss with 0% Balance Transfers on Credit Cards?
• When entering credit card information on a website, does the billing address have to be correct?
• Two of my credit cards got hit with fraudulent charges the same day. What gives?