Carnival of Financial Planning 08-27-2010

Best Personal Financial Planning and Personal Investment
Articles this Week from Personal Finance Blogs

Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #155 – August 27, 2010

Welcome to the August 27, 2010 Edition #155 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

Roshawn Watson presents Economists Blame ME for the Slow Recovery posted at Watson Inc, saying, “We are responsible with our money, yet instead of admiration (or even understanding), these efforts garner contempt as the frugal once again get the blame for dismal economic activity.”

Faith Allen presents How to Do Monthly Financial Budget Planning with Excel | eHow.com posted at FaithAllen, saying, “A monthly financial budget is so important because every person or household needs to be in charge of their own finances.”

Joe Plemon presents The Real Estate Bubble: What Happened and What Can We Learn From It? posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Understanding how the real estate bubble inflated and popped may help us spot other financial bubbles before they pop.”

Roshawn Watson presents Why Is Debt Really Decreasing? posted at Watson Inc, saying, “In the first quarter of 2008, our debt to disposable income peaked at a staggering 131%. This means for every dollar we earned, we spent $1.31. As of March, our debt as a share of our annual income is presently 122%. If you think this change indicates that we have collectively been so scarred by the “Great Recession” that we are now behaving fiscally responsible, think again. There is a surprising and sad reason why our debt has gone down. Hint, it has nothing to do with frugality.”

Craig Ford presents Start a Budget and Open the Door to a Debt Free Life posted at Money Help For Christians, saying, “A budget is the first step towards a debt free life.”

Mike @ Green Panda presents The $7.27 Mistake Plus Ways To Avoid It posted at Green Panda Treehouse, saying, “How to make the most out of your money when going out.”

Alex Foster presents 10 Reasons Why the Strength of the Dollar Matters posted at AF Capital Management, LLC, saying, “The pros and cons of a strong US Dollar.”

The Skilled Investor presents Save More Money posted at Personal Finance Strategy, saying, “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.”

Estate Planning

Jacob A. Irwin presents Creating A Will and Testament And Interesting Bequests From The Past posted at My Money Blog – Personal Finance and Investing, saying, “A look at a quick and free way to generate a personal will and several interesting bequests for how people through history have dictated that their estate’s funds should be utilized after they have passed on.”

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.

Kristine McKinley presents Questions to Ask When Looking for a Financial Planner posted at Beacon Financial Advisors – Kristine McKinley – Fee only financial planning – Lee’s Summit, Kansas City, Blue Springs, Independence, saying, “Many people hire financial planners to help them meet their financial goals. Whether you are a beginner investor with very little experience or whether you have a good knowledge and understanding of financial planning topics, a financial planner can be a valuable asset when planning for your financial goals.”

Sustainable Life Blog presents Prioritizing Goals? posted at Sustainable Life Blog, saying, “Wondering where to turn when starting to attack debt? Here’s a quick guide on how to help you prioritize your goals.”

Ryan @ MFN presents What to Do With an Enlistment Bonus posted at The Military Wallet, saying, “What should you use a large cash bonus for? Pay down debt, invest, spend?”

David presents 5 Rules To Establish Before Co-Signing posted at Credit Card Offers IQ, saying, “Don’t take co-signing lightly!”

Aaron presents The Difference Between A Signature and PIN Transaction posted at Prepaidcards123.

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.”

MoneyNing presents Money Matters, But Money Isn’t Everything posted at Money Ning, saying, “Money isn’t everything even though it matters a great deal!”

Larry Russell presents No Load Mutual Funds 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.

jim presents Review Your Credit Reports Every Year posted at Identity Theft Wall.

One Family presents Stock Portfolio and Watch List Updates for August 2010 posted at One Family’s Blog, saying, “An investment portfolio update targeted to generate income while beating inflation to support a financially independent frugal lifestyle.”

Financing a Home

Jeff Rose, CFP presents Should You Upgrade to a Larger Home? posted at Jeff Rose, saying, “In many markets, home owners are looking at homes in the next price range up as good buys, since foreclosures and a slow market are resulting in good deals. But, as tempting as it is to upgrade to a larger home, is it really a good idea? Here are some things to consider before upgrading to a larger home:”

Rob presents 3 Things to Avoid When Buying a Home posted at Two Wise Acres, saying, “Avoid these 3 costly credit mistakes when buying or refinancing a home.”

Financing Education

mike presents 8 Things You Need to Know About Withdrawing Money From Your RESP Account posted at Mike, saying, “RESP withdrawal rules for Canadians.”

Ryan @ CML presents Where to Open a Coverdell ESA Plan posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “Coverdell ESAs are a college savings account that have great tax advantages. This info can help you find a great place to open your Coverdell ESA.”

Mark Macaluso presents 50 Financial Aid Posts Every Parent Should Read posted at Masters In Accounting, saying, “If you’re the parent of a sophomore or junior in high school, you know the trek down the road of financial planning for your child’s college career has already begun. Getting into college in the U.S. is more competitive than ever, whether you’re looking at Ivy League schools or top state universities. With that, the cost of tuition, residence and books are also rising, making financial aid a crucial step for many families.”

Health Care

Glory Scott presents Six Months Later: Top 10 Updates on Healthcare Reform and Implementation posted at Master Of Health Administration, saying, “The controversy surrounding healthcare reform was significant. This article discusses what has actually changed in the last six months.”

Income

Consumer Boomer presents 9 Quick Tips In Planning For a Job Loss posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, “No matter how secure you think your job is, how old you are, or how long you have been in your current position you should have a contingency plan for job loss”

MoneyNing presents 15 Ways to Earn Extra Money posted at Money Ning, saying, “There are lots of ways to make more money. Here are 15 to start you off.”

Investing

FMF presents Making the Most of Tax-Advantaged Accounts posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “One way to make your money work harder is to invest using tax-advantaged accounts.”

Dividend Tree presents Dividend Investing and Businesses with Moat posted at Dividend Tree, saying, “In general, companies with moats in their business are very good dividend growth providers. However, the opposite may not be true.”

Jeff Rose, CFP presents Teaching Yourself How to Invest in a Downward Economy posted at Jeff Rose, saying, “Teaching yourself to invest in a downward economy is about un-learning bad lessons you might have absorbed.Panicked investors tend to irrationally dump valuable securities during down markets, creating opportunities for savvier investors.”

Consumer Boomer presents What You need to Know about Stock Market Volatility posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, “Basing your long-term investment decisions on the panic of the current moment can be detrimental. Over time, stock market volatility usually smooths out. If you can make a levelheaded plan and stick to it, you are more likely to see success in your portfolio.”

Intelligent Speculator presents Of course Amazon (AMZN) results are terrible!! Blame Apple (AAPL) posted at Intelligent Speculator, saying, “Amazon isn’t doing so well with the iPad now out in the market.”

freefrombroke presents Why Invest In Stocks posted at Free From Broke, saying, “Stocks certainly get their press don’t they? But these days the press isn’t always good. Still, stocks are a great place to put long-term investing money.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Want To Day Trade? Try Paper Trading First posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Thanks!”

2 Cents presents Why the Economy Most Certainly IS Relevant to Investing posted at Balance Junkie, saying, “This article offers a rebuttal to a recent post claiming that the economy is irrelevant to investing.”

Alexander presents Big GE And Its Big Dividend posted at Dividend Stocks, saying, “One of America’s oldest and most prestigious companies has become an accidental high yielder. See why GE’s dividend makes it a stock to watch.”

Zach Scheidt presents Solar Selloff Close To Exhaustion? posted at ZachStocks, saying, “Solar stocks are off sharply due to Euro-Zone concerns. Trina Solar could end up being an exceptional value if earnings remain somewhat stable and management is able to calm investor fears.”

FMF presents The Basics of Asset Allocation posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “One key to making your investment return as high as possible is to set and manage your asset allocation appropriately.”

The Financial Blogger presents Best 50 Canadian Dividend Stocks posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “With the plethora of dividend stocks out there, here are the best 50 canadian dividend stock picks.”

Frank Vertin presents Top Index Funds posted at Noload Mutual Fund, saying, “Top ten no load index funds that track the Standard and Poors 500 composite index in terms of lowest costs.

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.”

Tomas Escent presents Stock Trading Automation posted at Nerds on Wall Street

Steve Alexander presents Gainful Employment Rules Ignore Demographic Realities – MagicDiligence posted at MagicDiligence – Optimizing Joel Greenblatts Value Stock Strategy, saying, “Gainful employment rules recently proposed by the Department of Education are intended to weed out the poor actors in for-profit education. But the DoE’s own data suggests they will just limit educational opportunities for low-income students.”

Super Saver presents Investment Focus – Dividend Paying Stocks posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “As we move money back into the stock market, one area of focus will be large cap, dividend paying stocks.”

Super Saver presents Faith in our Long Term Future posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “I still believe it is right to have faith in the historical long term returns of the stock market.”

Praveen presents Caveat Emptor: If An Investment or Opportunity Appears Too Good To Be True, Beware! posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, “Beware of investment opportunities that seem to be too good to be true.”

Dividends4Life presents 8 Dividend Stock Delivering Good News posted at Dividends Value, saying, “If you closely follow the daily financial news as presented by the mainstream media, it is easy become jaded and start believing that there isn’t any good news out there. Don’t be confused by the noise. There are still many great companies committed to generating superior returns and rewarding their shareholder by increasing cash dividends.”

The Skilled Investor presents Market Timing posted at Investment Portfolio Management, saying, “Always stay invested 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.”

Mike Piper presents TIPS vs. Nominal Treasury Bonds posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, “When does it make sense to use inflation-protected bonds, and when does it make sense to use the traditional nominal Treasury bonds?”

Tushar Mathur
presents Can’t Control the Markets? Try controlling the Costs posted at Everything Finance, saying, “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 may have left you feeling concerned over your financial future. You’re not alone.”

Managing Debt

Silicon Valley Blogger presents No Credit Credit Cards: Are Prepaid or Secured Cards The Way To Go? posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “One way to build up credit is by using secured cards or prepaid debit cards.”

The Smarter Wallet presents Are Debt Counseling Services The Way To Debt Relief? posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, “On debt counseling services.”

Learn Save Invest presents 5 Steps To Debt Reduction posted at Learn Save Invest, saying, “Here are 5 tips you need to master in order to reduce your debts.”

Tim Chen presents Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review | Is the 25k Point Bonus Worth It? posted at NerdWallet Blog – Credit Card Watch, saying, “Chase is now offering the Sapphire Preferred credit card in addition to the normal Chase Sapphire card. The main difference is that Sapphire Preferred has an $85 annual fee (waived the first year), while Sapphire does not. What’s the catch? Is it worth it?”

Big Cajun Man presents Found Money Trap posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Found money should go on debt no matter what!”

Miscellaneous

Joe Plemon presents How to Partner Without Creating a Partnership posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Not all partnerships are bad, but these two wanted a way to partner without actually forming a partnership. This post tells their progress to date.”

Joe Plemon presents Should You File That Insurance Claim? posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “There are times when filing a legitimate claim can earn you a penalty from your insurance company.”

nissim ziv presents How Do You Handle Pressure and Stress? Interview Question/Answer posted at Job Interview Guide, saying, “A typical interview is a mixed bag of queries. Some questions may be related to your work experience, while others might be related to how you carry your day to work, and yet others might be related to whether you would be able to cope and handle the stress of a routine working day.”

Pasadena Financial Planner
presents Vanguard 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.”

Mike @ Green Panda presents Stop Waiting For The Big Idea posted at Green Panda Treehouse, saying, “Just thinking about the next big thing might just be a complete waste of time. Take that step towards your goals.”

Joe Plemon presents This Family Paid Cash For Their Car; You Can Too! posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “A story about some friends who are excited about paying cash for their car. Turns out they are doing lots of things right.”

Retirement Planning

Jeff Rose, CFP presents Taking The Lump Sum Option On Your Pension: Should or Shouldn’t You? posted at Jeff Rose, saying, “Soon-to-be retirees have some major decisions to make regarding how their retirement funds will be distributed once they are no longer in the workforce.”

Consumer Boomer presents ETFs VS Mutual Funds-Choosing The Best Investment for Retirement posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, “Mutual funds do have their limits and can be costly in overhead. Investors looking for other options for their monies may want to consider ETFs.”

PT presents A Secure, Tax-Advantaged Retirement Tool: Discover Bank’s IRA CD posted at Prime Time Money, saying, “This unique certificate of deposit product from Discover Bank gives you financial security (FDIC insured) and is inside of an IRA, making it tax-advantaged.”

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.”

Bucksome presents Are Younger Generations Better Prepared than Boomers for Retirement? posted at Buck$ome Boomer’s Journey to Retirement, saying, “Since baby boomers grew up expecting pensions and good times, are younger generations more prepared to save for retirement?”

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.”

Neal Frankle presents Best Investments for Retirement Income posted at Wealth Pilgrim: Money Management Advice, Financial Stess Management, Addiction Recovery Plan & Resources, saying, “If you’re looking for the best investments for retirement income, you’re not alone. With interest rates so low, lots of folks are asking themselves the same question.”

Risk Management and Insurance

Big Cajun Man presents Self Insured Company Disability Plans posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Sometimes insurance is not as safe as you might think (in Canada at least)”

Savings

Ryan @ MFN presents Military Savings Deposit Program (SDP) posted at The Military Wallet, saying, “The Savings Deposit Program is a government sponsored savings account that guarantees 10% return on interest for deployed military members.”

Madison DuPaix presents Money Market Accounts vs Savings Accounts posted at My Dollar Plan, saying, “This is a great breakdown of two different short-term savings vehicles.”

Joe Plemon presents You CAN Afford That Baby – Ten Money Saving Tips posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “I want to assure you that you can afford to bring that baby into this world even if you aren’t sitting on a huge nest egg. These ten tips will help.”

Susan Howe presents 16 Ways to Eat Healthy While Keeping it Cheap posted at Get Rich Slowly, saying, “Here are sixteen ways to eat more healthy while keeping it cheap.”

KCLau presents Are You Rich in Internal Assets? posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “pay attention to the internal assets”

Taxes

Paul Williams presents Can’t Pay Taxes Owed? How to Settle or Resolve Taxes Due posted at Provident Planning, saying, “What are your options when you can’t pay the taxes you owe? This article outlines the choices you have and helps you determine which ones you may qualify for.”

Hussein Sumar presents Tax
Saving Tips for IRA Investors – After Tax Contributions (Basis), Income in Respect of Descendent, 10% Excess Tax & Substantially Equal Periodic Payments (SEPPs) posted at Roth IRA, saying, “Thousands of IRA investors miss out on important tax benefits each year because they are not familiar with the Tax Act and laws. Others make crucial errors when filing their tax returns. For instance, IRA investors may pay taxes on monies that should have been tax free or pay excise taxes on IRA distributions when these distributions should be free of tax. Our aim in this article is to highlight some IRA tax laws and how you can benefit from them.”

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.”

Intelligent Speculator presents Please do not let the Bush tax cuts expire posted at Intelligent Speculator, saying, “It may be easier to take the popular position and have the Bush tax cuts expire, but I personally think otherwise.”

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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