Carnival of Personal Finance #170 – Famous Last Sentences Edition

I thought quite hard about what could serve as a good theme for this edition of The Carnival of Personal Finance hosted here at The Personal Financier. I hope you’ll enjoy the theme I chose at the end.


With over (what seemed to be) one million submissions I can proudly say I enjoyed hosting the Carnival of Personal Finance which I’ve looked up to ever since I’ve started blogging. Have a great read!

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Editor’s Picks


#1 Don’t worry, these were rated AAA by all major rating agencies…
#2 I just got this great tip from a friend of a friend.
#3 I heard you can make a small fortune in option trading.
#4 I’ve got this system where I buy stocks that are in their 52 week lows…

Unreal blog shares his analysis of the goings-on in commodity markets in Commodity Prices – Who’s Holding the Cards? A good in-depth analysis of the various economic theories behind the recent turmoil in the commodities market and its effect on people's lives. The author also presents his personal view that it is the influx of institutional funds that caused the recent surge in prices. Prices have most certainly calmed down since recent, and as I wrote earlier this year – unjustified, highs. I enjoyed reading this article and deserves an editor’s Pick.

Pinyo @ Moolanomy presents Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Asset Allocation. My love and appreciation for in-depth posts should be well known by know and this post definitely deserves an editor’s Pick. Asset allocation is investment basics and is crucial in any personal finance education scheme.

Saving Advice offers 16 Arguments You Can Take to Your Boss on Why You Should be Allowed to Telecommute. Saving advice is often featured as editor’s Picks and the reason is obvious – Quality articles. This is a very good post about a painful subject which many of us experience. This post provides refreshing, creative and practical tips of dealing with this particular problem.


Investing


#5 I read this great book about technical analysis, you just have to look for the trend.
#6 Diversifying is for wimps. I say put all your eggs in one basket and watch it like a hawk.
#7 I’m investing for the long run. I made 0.5% just this week!




Can I Get Rich On A Salary takes a critical look at yet another Warren Buffet’s “10 Ways to Get Rich” article and directs us to what real value this particular article holds. I believe the most powerful message Warren Buffet is relaying is hard work. Can’t really get passed that.

Value Investing and Entrepreneurship discusses the best places to look for new stock ideas and details 5 interesting ways to get stock ideas from as the challenge of screening thousands of stocks is a daunting task. Personally I believe household investors should not invest in specific stocks but rather seek out good ETFs or mutual funds that cover an area whether it is an industry, geography or anything similar. Diversification is very important if you lack both the time and ability to really analyze specific stocks.

Praveen @ My simple trading system in Fannie Mae: Followup to Five Stock Picking Ideas complements my previous argument with a sort of back-test on stock picking ideas and recommendations. It’s short but contains a powerful point.

The Sun's Financial Diary is looking into small-caps in Is Small-Cap Making a Comeback? A pretty good analysis of small-cap investment tactics and its development in 2008.

Dividend Growth Investor provides a useful chart with useful information in 20 Top High Dividend Growth Stocks and characterizes the typical dividend aristocrats. Investing in high dividend stocks is another known recession investing tactic. I suggest you read this post.

Green Technology Investor offers several dual registered green stocks for your investment consideration in Going Green? Go Global!

Fix My Personal Finance shares his Five Tips in Finding a Scrupulous Insurance Agent and I ask: Is there such a thing?

New Money suggests buying the traditional recession proof industries in Economy Got Your Down? Buy Booze, Guns, Smokes, and Slots. A historically good tip but I can’t help but wonder what about a more responsible moral investing style. Money isn’t everything and I personally am against profiting off these industries.

Dividends4Life takes a look at the epic question of where can I find The Next Great Company?

Free from Broke had recently Re-Allocated And Re-Balanced his 401(k) Portfolio and shares the experience. Timely reviews are important, even in long term investing.

My Journey to Millions examines the worth of CDs and discusses Wamu's 5% 1 Year CD vs. Wamu's 3.75% savings account.


Economy and Finance


#8 I have this intuition into the market. I just know when it hit a low.
#9 The future is in emerging markets, my entire portfolio is made of BRIC (Brazil, Russia and China).

Amateur Asset Allocator with a surprising meta-post on Get Rich By Writing About How To Write About Getting Rich. Kind of reminds me of pyramid scams but in a good way.


Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck asks Where will the next bubble come from?

Are You Going To Be This Way the Rest of the Time I Know You? (Lucky I don’t charge by the letter) presents You’re going to give me $50,000 to do what? It’s just one of those titles you just need to read never mind what I have to say about it.

Value For Your Life offers to learn from her experience in My 3 Biggest Personal Finance Mistakes. Chances are you’ve already done this mistakes (I know I did) but in case you haven’t save yourselves the trouble and read this post.

The Passive Dad shares another refreshing alternative income idea in Alternative Income Idea: Stringing Tennis Rackets. Apparently there’s money to be had in the racket stringing business. Good luck!

Retire To India maps out Retirement milestones by Age which serves as a good road-map.

PennyJobs may be what I call a serial entrepreneur (in a good way) and he shares his experience of past initiatives in this series titled Businesses I’ve Tried and What I’ve Learned: Series Introduction.

InsureBlog discusses the concept of Over-the-Top Insurance and explains it to the laymen.
Finance ViewPoint offers Ten tips you should consider to protect your online financial transactions. A very good list on an important subject.

CrackingGold shares a different perspective on budgeting in Financially Wise and Married.

Uncommon Cents is standing for his in Sometimes Complaints Go Your Way.

Budgets are Sexy presents Today is going to be different, i just don't know how yet.


Career


#10 This stock may have disappointed me so far but I’m hanging on till the end.

The Wisdom Journal eases the guilt in Your Low Salary Isn't Really Your Fault a post with a twist I enjoyed reading.


Retired At 47 with a reality check in Forget About Doing what You Love. Say it isn’t so…

Free Money Finance discusses job perks in A Valuable Job Perk .

American Small Business News addresses the issue of recruiting in Recruiting the Right Team Members. Many researchers argue the recruiting process is basically looking for ourselves in others and recruiting similar individuals. I wonder how much theory can bend practice.


Frugality


#11 I’m telling you, this analyst really know what he’s talking about.
#12 I say we manage our own funds and save 2% a year on this fund manager of yours.



In Are You Throwing Money Away? Unused Expenses and Untapped Discounts blogger Prime Time Money discusses the saving potential behind routine expenditures which aren’t examined on a regular basis.

Canadian Dream: Free at 45 (it’s a global dream really) discusses eating for pennies. I’m a big fan of good food and it’s quite hard to come by, for pennies that is. It’s a good post though I believe eating cheaply usually means eating lower quality foods.

Blueprint for Financial Prosperity presents 6 Things More Expensive Because of Marketing in a very good post with a very important message. We can all easily think on many products we pay more for due to marketing. Fight the urge and take a peek at top and bottom supermarket shelves. You’d be surprised of what you find.

FiveCentNickel asks Is it Un-American to Ask for a Discount?

My Daily Dollars displays Her Frugal Pantry and nostalgically writes about stocking her pantry with the season’s fine harvest. Sound very romantic to me.

Our Fourpence Worth suggests Switching to Paperless Statements to Save Money, Time and the Planet. I think we’re all for this one. It’ll take the regulators a bit of time though and we do have to consider the entire population. Still, no reason to stop sending papers to those willing to make the switch.

Money Beagle presents Adventures In Insulating and suggests a do-it-yourself approach. For the ones brave enough this post is quite in-depth and well written.

FruGal presents Weddings and other peoples' money on the painful subject of weddings and their associated costs and emotions.

Simply Forties talks of the Eating Out dilemma and offers a solid strategy to dealing with it.


Money Management


#13 Work is for suckers. Passive income is what I’m talking about.
#14 Leverage. That’s the only way to really make it big.




Trent Hamm @ The Simple Dollar shares his personal finance products in response to the ever so common request of Please Recommend a Personal Finance Product to Me! "This is what I do" is one of my common answers to this question. The responsibility is simply too big.

I’ve Paid For This Twice Already shares the advantages of flexible spending accounts which are, apparently, a great tool to manage spending and enjoy tax benefits on certain expenses, a great and recommended read.

The Dough Roller offers An Easy Guide to Money Management with ten useful tips and tricks to manage our money.

Broke Grad Student shares his tips for college students in Broke Grad's Financial Tips for College Students. Some of these can’t help you avoid becoming a broke grad student ;>

Single Guy Money provides yet another reason for an emergency fund. Success orient planning holds nasty surprises, I suggest: always be prepared.

Miss Thrifty is lucky enough to have lived both in the UK and the USA and presents her analysis of the frugal options each offer in Frugality Wars: UK vs. USA, Round One! It’s always an eye opening experience reading about other countries.

My Dollar Plan offers Her Advice for Sarah Palin

Not the Jet Set presents a lovely post titled Forget Dave, Are YOU Bad at Math?

MoneyMonk discusses the Biggest Complaints of not getting ahead. Naturally, some of my budget busters are on the list as well.

BrokeFamily (oh my!) discusses Why Paying Bills Electronically Is Good for the Environment.

Aspiring Entrepreneur tells of his Path To Financial Freedom. Follow the yellow brick road.

Money answer guy shares his answers on Planning for Unexpected Expenses. My personal favorite is to set up another line in each budget to include true unforeseeable expenditures (I’ve writted a post on the matter). If they occur you’ve got funds, if not you’ve got more money for your emergency fund.

Think Your Way To Wealth asks The Peril of Living Paycheck to Paycheck- Are You One Step Awayfrom Financial Disaster?


Saving


#15 The government will never let that bank fall.
#16 I’m telling you their business model will conquer the world.

Fire Finance presents Save Your Wallet With These Penny Hacks addressing the well known issue of small chance and inflating wallets, a real fun read.

Everyday Finance demonstrates how Investment Related Expense Reduction Saves Thousands in the Long Run. Easing a bit on the buy/sell activity does wonders. I’m not so keen about the manage it yourself tip though.

Tough Money Love suggests thinking small and local for or high interest checking and savings, a good discussion in favor of community banks’ deposit interest rates vs. internet banks. Online checking accounts at community banks can provide better interest rates than the popular Internet banks. The fine print is something I would definitely look into though.

Saving to Invest shares Ten Car Buying Tips to Getting a Great Deal, some are unconventional but real life experience teaches otherwise. I say think out of the box, and if it is at all possible, go for a scooter!

No Debt Plan wonders whether Should We Shift Some Emergency Fund Money to CDs?

Personal Finance Analyst shares my disdain for SUV’s in Automakers Attempt to Mollify My Gripe About SUVs with Incentives. I really don’t think anyone can make the case for SUV’s…

Tight Fisted Miser shares His Plan to Retire in 50. We all aspire to get there but recently I’ve been having doubts. It seems the more active you are in your work and the more you exercise your brain and body the better your condition is in old age. Maybe we were meant to work till the end?

Almost Frugal asks How Do You Take Your Hundreds? An interesting proxy to saving.

My Money Blog shares money saving tips in Saving Money on My Electric Bill.

Online Savings Blog tells How Laziness and Stupidity Cost Me $60 Today. This actually happened to me once when I accidently assumed my flight was departing from Newark while it actually departed from JFK. Needless to say a taxi cost me $100 dollars. I still remember the frustration that night.

Money Funk discusses Small Changes, Big Saving and calls for the elimination of individual bottled water. They do add up.


Real Estate


#17 My job is recession proof.
#18 Eat and drink for tomorrow we die.

Dan Melson @ Searchlight Crusade discusses Personal Loans For A Real Estate Down Payment, a thorough in-depth look into the subject. A must read for anyone considering his down payment options.

Personal Finance Blog by MoneyNing urges us to Not make renter's insurance your last thought! Managing risks is not only for corporations. Insurance is one of the ways to smoothen our financial planning out in case of catastrophes. A good point by David @ MoneyNing.

My Two Dollars now owns Part Of $5.4 Trillion In Mortgages Now with the recent bail-out of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. I don’t believe we’ll get to see a dime out of it so don’t have high hopes. The limits of capitalism have been analyzed to great extent during the past weeks, even here on The Personal Financier. I believe the government had little choice in the matter.

Tallahassee Real Estate Blog with some home sale advice in This Sign Is Up - Is Your Home Sold?

TWA's Real Estate Investing School shares 20 Real Estate Investing Tips to Becoming a More Profitable Real Estate Investor. An extensive list of tips indeed we can all use to understand realestate investors a bit better.

Transcendental Success presents Sell the Farm For a Profit and analyzes an interesting scenario we can all learn from.

Brunette on a Budget offers Tips to beat foreclosure in a very relevant post.

Personal Finance Start-Up Blog looks into The Process of Purchasing a New Construction Condo. First of all congratulations! And good luck. A very good post for those considering this option.

Happiness is Better teaches us How to Be a Master Flipper. It’s a full time job if you’re up to it.

Small Business Blog looks into reverse mortgages in Inside the Reverse Mortgage: Is It Right for You? I’m really not a big fan of this instrument. Like all loans, credits etc. their too expensive and too “capital eroding”. As a last resort it is an option to consider.

Liberta – Freedom discusses a home as an expanse (sounds familiar?) in Is my House an Investment? I highly disagree with “house as an expense” claim and have proved it wrong myself. It does have some true elements which you can read about in this post.


Credit and Debt


#19 All we need is to find one promising property.




Money Smart Life tackles a sensitive issue in Paying Down Debt In Your Marriage. I couldn’t agree more with the point being made. Marriage is challenging enough.

Taking Charge experienced a lesson he’ll never forget and shares it with us in Sting of garnishment from years ago still lingers. The call for more personal finance education in high-schools has never been more justified. I guess it simply contradicts with more powerful interests…

Smart Money Daily discusses how Motivating Visuals Help Payoff Credit Card Debt. I like this line of thinking and have pursued it before though I took more in the direction of graphs and charts. Visuals are very powerful imageries and can really help with our personal finance efforts.

Accumulating Money points out What to Watch out for in Home Equity Loans.

Money Under 30 answers the question of joint mortgages in His Credit's Good, Hers Isn't: Can You Get a Mortgage Anyway?

The Better Credit Blog points out the 6 Most Common Credit Myths. I’m always for myth busters. These are quite important if you’ve never taken the time to research these myths yourself.

Ask Mr. Credit Card discusses why Credit Cards Are Excellent Financial Tools. I’m a big fan of credit cards as a tool and that’s the key.

The Smarter Wallet asks Why Not Use Credit Cards To Reduce Your Mortgage? I can think of a few good reasons why not but I’d give this post a chance at convincing you otherwise.

Green Panda Treehouse presents The Stigma of Debt Is Gone, But Not The Sting asking the question of whether having debt is ok?

Rookie Finances takes a look into the Office and money combining the show and principles of debt management into one post. I just love Steve Carr.

The Financial Wellness Project tells of living credit card free. Remember credit cards are tools. The problem is behavioral and should be dealt with accordingly.


Budgeting


#20 It just can’t get any lower than this…

Never too early, Sound Money Matters claims It’s Time to Set Your Christmas Budget and reviews all the necessary aspects to budgeting for Christmas. The holiday season does indeed pose a true budgeting challenge. As always the secret is discipline.

In Debt Because I Like Nice Things (really cute name) warns of high heating prices in High Heating Prices Expected: Do You Have a Plan? You got the heads-up, don’t say you weren’t warned.

Living Well on Less present Their method for meal planning which really organizes the process for the less experienced ones of us. It’s a bit time consuming but I think it’s worth it both for better nutrition and paying less.

The Credit Beacon discusses How to Avoid Ugly Money Problems or Recover from Them and maps out the basics of budgeting and their ability to solve money problems.

Realm of Prosperity shares his (or her) grocery budgeting process in Setting Up The Grocery Budget For The Semester.


Taxes


The Financial Blogger demonstrates How Having a Company Can Make More Money Through Tax Management. This is a good post and a good generic idea in to implement in most countries. You should look into country specific circumstances deeply before making the move but all in all you should be able to benefit from it.

The Wandering Tax Pro discuses Tax Amnesty and suggests easing penalties on debts to facilitate more payments. It’s a good idea which is already implemented in many countries. The cost however comes in the form of lower payment morals.

That's it for this edition of The Carnival of Personal Finance. Next week's edition will be hosted @ Sound Money Matters. Be sure to check it out.

Images by: kjd, theamericanroadside, daniel y. go, swanksalot, ktpupp