Carnival of Financial Planning – Nov 5 Edition #164

by ABC editor

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

Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #164
– November 5,
2010

Welcome to the November 5, 2010 Edition #164 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

Arjun Rudra presents How To Think About The Economy With Noted Economist Paul Summerville posted at Investing Thesis, saying, “How To Think About The Economy With Noted Economist Paul Summerville”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Best Time To Buy Stuff: Discount Shopping On A Schedule posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Now that the holidays are happening again, make sure you’re ready to shop for discounts!”

The Skilled Investor presents�Save More posted at Personal Financial 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.”

Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog presents How To Cut Your Grocery Store Costs posted at The Canadian Finance Blog, saying, “22 tips on how to cut your grocery store costs, whether it’s before you leave home or while at the store.”

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.”

Estate Planning

Jeff Rose, CFP presents The �Someday File� for That Inevitable Day posted at Jeff Rose, saying, “Here are a few simple steps to make things easier on your descendants in a time of grieving.”

Financial Planning

FMF presents How to Become Wealthy posted at Free Money Finance,
saying, “There are three keys to becoming wealthy: growing your income,
saving as much as possible, and getting a good return on your
investments. This posts tells how you can use these three to become rich
over time.”

Roshawn Watson presents 7 Surprising Facts About Millionaires posted at Watson Inc,
saying, “Culturally, we are plagued by images of “bling this” and
“bedazzle that”; however, how many “artifacts of wealth” are truly held
by real millionaires?””

Ken presents Forms of Business: Limited Liability Company (LLC) posted at Spruce Up Your Finances, saying, “Discusses the advantages and disadvantages when establishing an LLC for your business.”

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.”

Frank Knight presents Asset Allocation Strategy posted at Best Personal Financial Planning Software,
saying, “When you are already there and invested in an asset class, you
are following a passive asset allocation strategy. Tactical asset
allocation strategy advocates suggest that you can anticipate the crowd,
but flow-of-funds studies show that almost all tactical asset
allocation fund flows are late money flows that chase performance after
valuations have already moved.”

The Financial Blogger presents A Day As A Financial Planner posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “A look at the work involved with being a financial planner.”

Larry Russell presents Best No
Load Mutual
Funds
posted
at Best 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.

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.

Financing a Home

Housing Reporter presents 10 Tips To Consider When Buying A Foreclosure posted at The Central Florida Real Estate Site,
saying, “If you�re shopping for a foreclosed house that you want to
flip, hold your breath until the urge passes. Your checkbook and credit
report will thank you. Why is it that people think that they can buy low
and yet others will agree to buy high? But if you�re looking for a home
to live in, or one to lease to others for years of positive cash flows,
buying a foreclosure might save you some money. Foreclosed homes
typically cost 10% to 15% less than comparable homes in the same
neighborhood, even after you�ve made all the needed repairs. Savings of
20% or more are not unheard of. Just follow our 10 Foreclosure Tips for
buying a foreclosure to make sure you get the best deal and avoid costly
pitfalls.”

Financing Education

Madison DuPaix presents Student Loans: Repayment Options posted at My Dollar Plan, saying, “If you have student loans and are wondering about repayment options, this is a must-read.”

freefrombroke presents Credit CARD Act and Its Affect on College Students posted at Free From Broke,
saying, “The CARD Act made some big changes to way college students can
get credit cards. I discuss in this article what students need to know
about the CARD Act.”

Praveen presents Is The Education Market The Next Credit Bubble? posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, “How educational loans appears to be a bubble like mortgages.”

Sustainable Life Blog presents How to Payoff your Nelnet Student Loan posted at Sustainable Life Blog, saying, “A step by step guide to help you pay off student loans held by Nelnet.”

Health Care

Jeff Rose, CFP presents Health Care Reform Measures In Effect Now posted at Jeff Rose,
saying, “Here are some of the changes from Health Care Reform that are
in effect right now and some that will be coming in 2014.”

MoneyNing presents 10 Hassle Reducing Tips for Dealing with Insurance on Medical Care posted at Money Ning, saying, “Who doesn’t want to save some money and time dealing with health insurance?”

Income

Jason @ Redeeming Riches presents 9 Tips to Help You Create Passive Income for Life posted at Redeeming Riches,
saying, “Who doesn’t want to create a little extra cash? Of course, we
all do. Here are some tips to help you start creating extra income.”

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

passive family income presents Passive Income via Covered Call Investing posted at Passive Family Income,
saying, “Many stocks pay a dividend. Many do not. But there is a way to
make all stocks pay 12 *extra* dividends per year (even those that
already pay dividends).”

2 Cents presents What Would Make Me Invest in the Stock Market? posted at Balance Junkie,
saying, “Having been out of the markets for a while, I recently
answered a reader’s question on what it would take to get us back in
again.”

The Financial Blogger presents The First Time Is Always The Worst posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “A tale of an investment gone wrong the first time.

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.”

Intelligent Speculator presents Including international exposure in your investments posted at Intelligent Speculator, saying, “An interesting situation involving international risk.”

Michael Pruser presents Should You Hire an Investment Specialist? posted at The Dough Roller

Linder presents Investing Your Money posted at Financial Advice,
saying, “Where to invest your money in 2011? One of the most important
questions that everyone wishes they had the answer too is where to
invest their money. You have a lot of options that you will want to
consider.”

Ryan @ CML presents 6 Options Trading Basics Every Investor Should Know posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “These are some basic stock options strategies that every options trader should know.”

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.”

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.”

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

Doug Warshauer presents The Little Book of Common Sense Investing Book Review, Part I posted at Doug Warshauer Blog,
saying, “The first part of my five-part review of John Bogle’s The
Little Book of Common Sense Investing. Evaluates the basic idea of the
book: that investors should choose indexed mutual funds over actively
managed mutual funds because of low costs and infrequent trading.”

Intelligent Speculator presents Why I do not use intra-day stops posted at Intelligent Speculator, saying, “My rationale is explained in the article.”

The Skilled Investor presents Stock Market
Timing
posted at Personal Investment 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.”

Steve Alexander presents CSG Systems – Intec Acquisition A Transformational Move – MagicDiligence posted at MagicDiligence – Optimizing Joel Greenblatts Value Stock Strategy,
saying, “CSG Systems is a provider of outsourced billing and customer
management services for North American cable and satellite companies.
The recent acquisition of Intec billing gives the firm a wider industry
and geographic customer base.”

Sam presents NEW !! The Best Stocks to Buy, the Winners This Year posted at Surfer Sam and Friends,
saying, “Thanks for including my article. Here’s an excerpt…

Bypass all the hype and noise you hear about the best stocks to buy. Go
right to the facts. Here are the stocks of this year’s winners, stocks
with the highest price appreciation. These winning companies have
already delivered great returns, and may continue their winning ways.
These returns are an important way to forecast a stock’s future
performance. If you want to find the best stocks to buy, start with this
table. Of course, past performance is not a guarantee of future
performance. But the numbers show you how much money these stocks made
for investors who bought them. Check them out.”

Frank Knight presents Muni
Bond
Financial�Software,�posted
at Best Financial Planning 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.”

James Fowlkes presents Put Your Investing on Autopilot posted at JamesFowlkes.com, saying, “If you have never invested money and you do not know how to start, there is no reason to feel intimidated.
It is actually very easy, but there are several steps to make sure things go smoothly.”

Arjun Rudra presents A Guide To Investing In Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) With Dennis Mitchell, CFA Of The Sentry REIT Fund posted at Investing Thesis, saying, “A Guide To Investing In Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) With Dennis Mitchell, CFA Of The Sentry REIT Fund”

Consumer Boomer presents How to Build a CD Ladder For Maximizing Return posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, “When you ladder your CD investments, you can maximize the potential earnings. Here’s how.”

Dividends4Life presents 16 Dividend Stocks Growing Future Yield posted at Dividends Value,
saying, “In the southern U.S. where I live, there has been some
controversy over harvesting forests of hardwoods and reseeding them with
pines. Growing hardwoods is very similar to investing in dividend
stocks. What you plant or invest in today will not yield much for years
to come. That is not to say progress is not seen. It is just slow and
deliberate.”

Mike Piper presents 401(k) or IRA? What to Do If Your 401(k) Stinks posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, “If your 401k has high fees and expensive funds, should you contribute to it or to an IRA?”

Tomas Escent presents�Stock
Trader Automation
posted at Nerds on Wall Street

Super Saver presents Buying Stocks After the Mid-Term Elections posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “I’ve decided hold off making any large equity purchases until after the November 2, 2010 midterm elections.”

Managing Debt

Jeff Rose, CFP presents How Does Your Net Worth Compare posted at Consumer Boomer,
saying, “Your personal net worth is useful to measure your financial
progress. Here’s how knowing your networth can help you.”

Joe Plemon presents How to Avoid Christmas Debt Without Becoming a Grinch � 12 Great Tips posted at Personal Finance By The Book,
saying, “Piling up debt in order to celebrate the birth of Christ
doesn’t add up. These tips will help your Christmas season be a true
celebration.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents How To Apply For A Loan At A Peer To Peer Lender posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “For those interested in borrowing, perhaps a p2p lender can help?”

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

David presents Credit Score Myths You Should Know About posted at Credit Card Offers IQ.

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.”

Ryan @ CML presents What is a Good Credit Score? posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “Do you know the credit score range most lenders consider to be a good credit score?”

Ted Connolly presents 5 Biggest Myths About Filing For Bankruptcy posted at The Road Out of Debt

Mike @ Green Panda presents Four Reasons Why YOU Are Broke posted at Green Panda Treehouse, saying, “It�s now time that you take full accountability for your finances.”

CardWisdom presents Minimize Credit Card Interest on Holiday Purchases posted at Card Wisdom,
saying, “Taking on new credit card debt during the holidays can be
costly. But if you must use a credit card, get one with a 0% rate and
create a plan to pay off this debt before a higher interest rate kicks
in.”

CreditShout Kevin presents Dealing With Credit Card Debt From a Spouse posted at CreditShout, saying, “Getting married can be a joyous time however dealing with newfound debt can be another story.”

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

Miscellaneous

nissim ziv presents Job Interview Success Tips: How to Succeed in an Interview? posted at Job Interview Guide,
saying, “Going for an interview can be scary or even an overwhelming
task for many of us. But it does not have to be like this. There are
some tips and pointers if followed that can help any candidate
tremendously. Give your upcoming job interview the importance it
deserves and prepare well.”

Joe Plemon presents My Car Needs an Engine. Should I Sell it, Fix it or Junk it? posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “What do you do when your beloved car needs an engine: sell it, fix it or junk it? This post explores the options.”

Pasadena Financial Planner
presents�Vanguard’s
Investment Performance
posted at Top Mutual Funds,
saying, “Compares Vanguard’s actively managed
mutual funds and Vanguard’s
passively managed index mutual funds. Vanguard investors should read
and understand this study.”

Sun presents Your To Do List For Open Enrollment posted at The Sun�s Financial Diary.

MoneyNing presents Can You Be Rich and Miserable? posted at Money Ning,
saying, “It is easy to feel miserable no matter how much money you
have, but do you get more upset when you see someone who has a load of
money but can’t find happiness?”

Retirement Planning

Pat @ DNW presents Where Will Your Retirement Income Come From? posted at Do Not Wait, saying, “Planning for your future retirement income.”

FMF presents Seven Rules for an Enjoyable Retirement posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “Just as important as saving for retirement is making sure you enjoy that time. This post tells how to do so.”

The Financial Blogger presents Where Will Your Retirement Income Come From? posted at Do Not Wait, saying, “For most mere mortals, the question that begs to be asked is: where will your retirement income come from?”

Walter W. Fouse presents Top Ten�Large Cap Core Mutual Funds posted at Best No Load Funds,
saying, “This table of low cost top 10 S&P 500 mutual funds has
been organized with the lowest cost index fund first. Nevertheless, each
of these S & P 500 index funds is among the least costly on the
market.”

Darren presents SIMPLE IRA � Rules, Contribution Limits, & Benefits posted at MORE than Finances,
saying, “The SIMPLE IRA is a retirement plan for small companies. Let’s
take a look at how it works, its rules, contribution limits, benefits,
and more.”

Frank Knight presents�Roth
IRA Conversion
Financial Planning Software posted at My 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.

Khaleef @ KNS Financial presents 401k Advice � Stop Passing Up Free Money! posted at Faithful With A Few,
saying, “Many people struggle with retirement planning, often paying
thousands of dollars in fees in order to get sound advice. However, a
recent study has shown that many of these people are neglecting the
easiest way to get free money for their retirement.”

Larry Russell presents�Roth
IRA Conversion
posted at Personal 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.”

Ryan @ MFN presents How to Take a Thrift Savings Plan Loan posted at The Military Wallet,
saying, “The Thrift Savings Plan is similar to a 401k, but for
government workers and military members. The rules for loans are similar
to 401k loans.”

Mike @ Green Panda presents Retirement Planning When You are in your 20s posted at Green Panda Treehouse,
saying, “We should all consider retirement planning as soon as
possible. Ideally, your retirement plan should start as early as you
when you land your first job� while still in school.”

Super Saver presents Retiree Financial Lessons from the Recession posted at My Wealth Builder,
saying, “Although I wish this recession had not happened, I am glad
that it happened early in our retirement, while we were better able to
meet the financial challenges. Also, we learned the following lessons,
which I’m sure will continue to help us through out our retirement
years.”

Jules Wells presents�Retirement Planning CalculatorRetirement
Savings Software
,
posted at Retirement Income 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.”

Risk Management and Insurance

FIRE Getters presents Direct Deposit to Bank Account – Handle With Care! posted at FIRE Finance,
saying, “”First of all let’s try this pop quiz:
Can anyone take out money from your bank account without your
permission?
You must be thinking “”How on earth can that can be?”” The next thought
might be “”Are these folks crazy?”” Ahh…m, please read on to find out
the truth!””

Consumer Boomer presents Term Life Quotes posted at Consumer Boomer,
saying, “When you purchase an insurance policy it is important to know
exactly what you are buying. Here is some important information about
Term Life quotes.”

Susan Howe presents 10 Ways to Avoid Getting Scammed by Your Life Insurance posted at The Budget Life Blog, saying, “Here are 10 steps you can take to avoid being scammed by your life insurance.”

Super Saver presents Why My Car Insurance Premium is Really Low posted at My Wealth Builder,
saying, “I pay $267 a year for my car insurance. There are two types of
reasons for my insurance being low: situational factors and price
discounts.”

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)”

Susan Howe presents Can You Really Be Murdered for Insurance Money? posted at Insure,
saying, “Although murder-for-life-insurance plots in movies typically
end with the culprit being marched off to prison, real-life incidents
are not often black and white.”

Jules Wells presents Investment Risk Tolerance Questionnaire Financial Planning Software,
posted at Financial Answers saying, “There is a way for you to get a much better assessment of your
risk tolerance than you would from a simple conservative versus
aggressive financial industry investor questionnaire.”

Savings

Ryan @ MFN presents 2010 Veteran�s Day Free Meals and Discounts posted at The Military Wallet,
saying, “This is a list of current free meals and discounts for
military veterans – a great way to show your Patriotism and save some
money!”

The Financial Blogger presents October Net Worth Statement $151,019 (-0.62%) posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “A net worth update for the past month.”

Lauren Mendel presents Recent Financial Experiences – New Places to Save posted at Richly Reasonable – Successes and failures, all in the name of living reasonably.,
saying, “Since May we’ve made a couple of big purchases and taken a
couple of trips for which we’ve found some groovy new ways to save.
Singularly the savings were pretty impressive, but all together, I look
like a budgeting superhero.”

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

Taxes

Super Saver presents Qualifying for Money Giveaways from the Government posted at My Wealth Builder,
saying, “Since retiring in October 2007, our taxable income is much
lower. We now qualify for a number of tax credits that we weren’t
eligible for in the past.”

David de Souza presents What Everybody Ought To Know About Capital Gains Tax posted at UK Tax Blog, saying, “Guide to what Capital Gains Tax is and how it works”

Financial Freedom presents Roth
IRA
Financial
Software
, posted at 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.”

Paul Williams presents Did You Host a Sales Party or Product Party? Don’t File a Negligent Tax Return! posted at Provident Planning, saying, “Yep, that’s right. Women everywhere are probably filing negligent tax returns!”

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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