Carnival of Personal Finance #253 (Demotivational Version)

Don’t tell Girl Ninja, but I’m losing my virginity today…to carnival hosting that is. I’m proud to anounce I am this weeks host of the Carnival of Personal Finance (pretty much the most awesomest carnival ever!). If you’re not familiar with a blog carnival, let me explain real quick. It’s essentially a way for a crapload of bloggers to submit there favorite articles. Today’s carnival is going to have the best PF posts of the last week. I hope you enjoy my super special demotivational version.

Oh, and real quick, it’s time for a little shameless self promotion. If you are new here you should subscribe to my blog (for free) and follow me on twitter, if you don’t I might punch an old woman in the face… you don’t want me to do that do you?

Ninja’s Picks….

Kevin from Financially Poor presents Why You Never Make Time To Start A Budget. This article points out two of the most common reasons people don’t budget their money. They are either afraid or lazy. Can I get an amen?

Len from Len Penzo dot Com presents Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline and Others: What’s the Best Travel Search Engine?. I wish I would have had access to this blog post before I did all my honeymoon research. You gotta read this article for an in depth look at travel bargain hunting!

Jason from One Money Design presents Do Females Have a Fear of Finances?. Why do so many women sometimes lack competence in money matters? It may boil down to two reasons: fear and nurturing feelings. (This ‘fear’ thing seems to be a common theme amongst money issues).

Ron from The Wisdom Journal presents 14 Reasons You’re Living On The Financial Edge. If you are feeling like you are on the verge of a financial meltdown, chances are it’s because of one (or more) of these issues. I’ll bet ya a $100 🙂

Budgeting

ElizabethG  from Modern Gal presents Stopping the Stuff Envy.

Jaime from Eventual Millionaire presents 3 Tips to Categorize Your Virtual Money, and says, “Now a days we only have virtual money, debit cards and bank account statements. How do we keep track of it all?”

Geoff from Car Negotiation Coach presents Financial Advice for First Time Car Buyers, and says, “If you’ve never owned a car before or are helping someone else through the process, here are a few things to consider as a first time car buyer before making the big purchase.”

Daniel from Sweating The Big Stuff presents Why I’m a Fan of Lifestyle Inflation, and says, “Thanks!”

Economy

David R. Lampsen from Personal Finance Analyst presents US Economic Recession History… This Isn’t Anything New… .

Frugality

Rob from Energy Saving Gadgets presents Save Energy by using Motion Sensing Light Adapters, and says, “Save Energy by using Motion Sensing Light Adapters”

Carrie from Carrie…On The Cheap presents Jamiroquai May Have Been On To Something, and says, “My takes on the latest Smart Phone craze – I’m not down with it and it kinda freaks me out!”

Paul Williams from Provident Planning presents How to Garden: When to Plant, and says, “Want to start gardening, but not sure when to plant? Use this article for a handy guide.”

Kyle from Insurance Article Resource presents How To Find Inexpensive Auto Insurance, and says, “How to use the power of the internet to find cheap auto insurance.”

Steven from Hundred Goals presents Livin’ Like a Drug Dealer, and says, “How to live like a drug dealer without dealing drugs!”

Simple Life in France presents Pinching Pennies, Indulging in Luxuries.

Kris from Cheap Healthy Good presents The 10 Cheapest, Healthiest Foods Money Can Buy, and says, “Thank you for hosting. Hope you dig the bananas.”

Investing

Michael Pruser from The Dough Roller presents 5 Alternatives to Online Savings Accounts, and says, “Thanks for the inclusion!”

Sun from The Sun’s Financial Diary presents Trading Stocks on the Go.

Madison from My Dollar Plan presents Can You Have a 401k and an IRA at the Same Time?.

Silicon Valley Blogger from The Digerati Life presents Transferring Your Brokerage Account? Switch Brokers With Ease, and says, “Discussion on dealing with stock brokers.”

Elle from Couple Money presents Finding a Retirement Planning Spreadsheet for You, and says, “One of the purposes many families turn to Microsoft Excel for is working out their retirement plan. Here are some templates that help you figure out how much money you’ll need when you retire.”

Dan from ETFBase presents Bond King Bill Gross Says Real Estate To Outperform. Here’s How to Play It., and says, “Bond King Gross Declares Real Estate to Beat Stocks and Bonds – How to Play It with High Yield REITs and ETFs”

MD from Passive Income Now presents Investment Property Management– Is It Worth The Cost?.

Jeremy from DINKS Finance presents Throwing Away Money, and says, “What do Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have in common? Other than being the two richest men in America; they love trash.”

Jim from Bargaineering presents 120 Rule vs. Target Retirement Funds.

Craig Ford from Money Help For Christians presents Roth IRA For Kids | Can Kids Open A Roth?, and says, “Introduces the rules regarding kids and Roth IRAs.”

D4L from Dividends Value presents Four Dividend Stocks Stepping Up In The Downturn, and says, “I have often heard that a person’s character is determined by how they behave when no one else is looking and during difficult times. In much the same way, we can learn a lot about a company’s management when they face adversity. One metric I look at closely during a downturn is cash generation relative to earnings.”

Dividend Growth Investor presents 16 Quality Dividend Stocks for the long run , and says, “These investment ideas are only the beginning blocks of a sustainable dividend portfolio. investors should strive to maintain a dividend portfolio consisting of at least 30 individual securities representative of as many sectors as possible.”

Olivia from Independent Beginnings presents Why a Target Retirement Fund May Be Right for You, and says, “See why a target retirement fund may be right for you!”

Other

Helen from Science and Money presents “John Hancock Lie Insurance”, and says, “A bad ad from my insurance company inadvertently smears their business partner.”

Jenn from Paying Myself presents Making Sure I Can Pay “The Man”, and says, “My first Carnival submission – please be kind! 🙂 I’m not sure what the category for this post would be! Something along the lines of business/self-employment income/planning/saving/etc. It is about how I make sure I have enough money set aside to contribute to all the government programs that normally your employer does for you, but I have to do for myself now that I’m my own employer.”

Mr. TML from Tough Money Love presents My Life as a Volunteer Tax Preparer – Season Finale, and says, “Tax day arrives and the life-lesson stories of our senior taxpayers continue ”

Bret from Hope to Prosper presents Bank Troubles in the News, and says, “There is a plethora of exciting stories in the news this week. The common theme is that banks are in the cross-hairs of regulators, who have finally started to pull the trigger.”

Miss Bankrupt presents Facebook, Free Gift Cards and Identity Theft.

VH from Funny about Money presents How Middle-Class Are You?, and says, “This is a guest post from Crystal of Budgeting in the Fun Stuff: A Personal Financial Blog about the Next Financial Step.”

Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance presents Do You Need a Rolex Watch?, and says, “Do You Need a Rolex Watch – Is actually a post about enjoying the process of setting goals, determining your values, living within your means. Remember to live your life as you work towards a better future.”

J. Money from Budgets Are Sexy presents Touching Money Has Always Made Me Feel Better 😉, and says, “My take on the latest buzz about how handling money makes you feel better!”

Austin from Foreigner’s Finances presents My Curriculum For Money Education in High School, and says, “What I think money education should look like in America’s high schools; including specific courses and topics. ”

Real Estate

Craig/FFB from Free From Broke presents Costs In Buying A Home Besides Your Mortgage, and says, “Your mortgage and property taxes aren’t the only expenses you need to consider when buying a home.”

Adam from Magical Penny presents Your House Is Not An Investment, and says, “Too many people concentrate on putting all their money in a house -it’s real, goes up in value and seems ‘normal’ -however there’s a few pitfalls that need to be noted, and having a house is no substitute for saving for retirement using other asset classes”

Single Guy Money presents Buying Another Investment Property…Hopefully.

Arjun Rudra from Investing Thesis presents 10 Benefits Of Mortgage Insurance.

Money Management

Mrs. Not Made of Money from Not Made of Money presents Protecting Yourself When You Bank Online, and says, “Thanks for considering my article for the carnival!”

Kyle C. from Suburban Dollar presents Yor retirement is a tree not a garden.

Mr. GoTo from Go To Retirement presents College Selection Time – The Student Loan Factor, and says, “The time to consider the impact of student loans is before the college selection is made.”

The Smarter Wallet presents Life Insurance 101, and says, “Thanks!”

Danielle from The Frugal Lawyer presents The Cost of Being Me, Part II, and says, “After a rant on how much I was forced to spend on health care, I took a close look at when I felt the best (considering my health problems) and made a big purchase. Even though I spent the money, I know investing in my health was the way to go. Treadmill has already been installed.”

Revanche from A Gai Shan Life presents Personal finance wrecks gaming.

Doctor S from Finance Your Life presents What Not To Do Before Marriage: Lie About Your Finances, and says, “Anytime you are about to get married, you want to do whatever you can to get off to a great start with your spouse. One thing I would highly recommend NOT doing… lying about your finances. Lucky for me, the wedding is still on!”

Credit

David from Credit Card Offers IQ presents Debit vs. Credit–Which is Right for You?, and says, “This article examines the pros and cons of using a debit card vs. a credit card for purchases.”

Mr. Credit Card from Ask Mr. Credit Card presents Confraria Studio HandBag – Amex Platinum Concierge Gets Mrs Credit Card Her 13th Anniversary Present.

Eric from Narrow Bridge presents Four Reasons to Shred Those Credit Card Convenience Checks!, and says, “We all get those credit card convenience checks in the mail every once in a while (or more). Here is a list of reasons to put them straight into the shredder.”

PT from PT Money presents Credit Card Cash Advance: Bad Financial Move or Good Emergency Plan? , and says, “find out why credit card cash advances are a poor choice for most situations.”

Jeff Rose from Good Financial Cents presents Secured Credit Cards: Navigating the Minefield & Building Back Your Credit, and says, “Secured credit cards are a necessary evil for those wishing to re-build credit after a financial calamity, like bankruptcy, job loss, or marrying the wrong person. They represent some of the worst credit card deals you’ve ever seen, but they are often times a vital stepping stone on the way to rebuilding credit.”

Simon Zhen from Realm of Prosperity presents How Closing Your Old Credit Cards Really Affects Your Credit Score.

Reviews

Credit Card Detectives presents First Responders Financial Rewards Visa.

Darren from MORE than Finances presents Work Less, Live More By Bob Clyatt | Book Review, and says, “What would you do if you could retire a decade or two earlier? How would you spend all the free time that you gain?”

Debt

Nicole from Rainy-Day Saver presents Your Financial Metamorphosis: Change Is Possible, and says, “Thanks for hosting, Ninja!”

FMF from Free Money Finance presents Seven Steps to Get Out of Debt, and says, “Simple, proven steps to get anyone out of debt.”

Career

Tech Guy from Technical Certifications presents 3 Reasons You Should Get a Certification.

Bob from ChristianPF Blog presents Work LESS To Get MORE Done!, and says, “An inspiring article to help us make better use of our time and energy. The truth is sometimes you can actually get a lot more done by working less!”

Ryan from Cash Money Life presents 5 Amazing Career Tips, and says, “These 5 tips will help you set a stable career path and grow your career to new heights.”

Wealth Pilgrim presents Networking with People – How a Shy Guy Mastered It, and says, “Networking with people was impossible for me until I uncovered these 3 steps. Now, I have more opportunities to work with great people than I can take advantage of.”

Taxes

Darwin from Darwin’s Finance presents Should I Use the Energy Tax Credit for a New Central Air Unit?, and says, “With a lucrative $1500 energy tax credit available through 2010, here’s my assessment of whether or not to install a new Central Air Unit – pros and cons.”

Junior Boomer from Consumer Boomer presents Can’t Pay Your Taxes? How About An IRS Installment Loan?, and says, “Every year thousands of individuals are left owing the IRS taxes they cannot pay when they complete their tax return.”

Pkamp3 from Don’t Quit Your Day Job presents “Tax Freedom Day!”, and says, “The day of the year when the average person in America finishes earning enough to pay taxes in a year has receded since 2007… but is still pretty depressing. Let DQYDJ be your guide to Tax Freedom Day!”

FIRE Finance presents Short on Tax Money – File an Extension or Pay in installments!, and says, “What if you don’t have enough money to pay your taxes?”

Finance

Jason from Live Real, Now presents How Banks Work.

Tim Chen from NerdWallet Credit Card Watch presents Best Credit Card for International Travel, and says, “NerdWallet takes a look at foreign transaction fees charged by credit card issuers, and recommends the best way for world travelers to save money.”

Kyle from Amateur Asset Allocator presents Roth IRA Fees, and says, “IRA fees will drag on your returns as surely as taxes. Here are some common fees and how to avoid them ”

Brenda Pike from Pragmatic Environmentalism presents Socially Responsible Banking with Wainwright, and says, “I first became aware of Wainwright when I worked in their Accounts Payable Department for a summer during college. I actually got to cut the checks to the charities. I’ve been a loyal customer ever since. It’s not often that a bank is so engaged in their local community and so interested in making the world a better place. I want to encourage that as much as possible with my patronage.”

Saving

Blogging Banks from Blogging Banks presents $100 Checking Bonus at Chase , and says, “Chase continues its strategy of offering cash bonuses to new clients that open a checking account by May 28, 2010. Check below for offer details: ”

Adam from RabbitFunds presents 12 Finance and Money Saving iPhone apps you should consider, and says, “A selection of 12 of the best money saving and personal finance iPhone apps.”

** Be sure to check out all the posts because they are definitely worth your time. Be sure to check back tomorrow for regular posting 🙂 **