Welcome to the 382nd edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance!
As my wife and I headed north to visit family in Pennsylvania this past weekend, there was a progressive change in the color of the leaves on the trees. We started out nice and green in Washington, DC. and as we made our way north, the beauty of fall began to show.
If the cooler temperatures this past weekend didn’t get you in the fall mood, I thought sharing some amazing fall pictures with you might force you into it. If you live in an area where you can get out and see nature at it’s best, you better check out the colors before this wonderful window of opportunity closes!
Just like these amazing pictures, there were some amazing personal finance articles this past week. Please be sure to click on through to each site and show your support!
My Favorite Articles
Mrs PoP from Planting Our Pennies presents How Much Does Your Family Know About Your Money?, and says, “With Mrs. PoP’s mom scheduled for a visit, the PoPs look at how much their respective families know about their financial picture and find very different views.”
Pauline from Reach Financial Independence presents Why Buying the Most Expensive Motorcycle on Ebay Saved Me Money, and says, “After looking for the perfect motorcycle for a five month trip around Europe, I decided to buy the most expensive one, and ended up saving money.”
Bret from Hope to Prosper presents Why Adult Kids are Not Moving Out, and says, “It’s no big secret that kids are living with their parents longer and many are moving back home. Since I have two adult children living at home, I have become somewhat of an expert on this subject. Here are my observations.”
The Best of the Rest
Kim from Eyes on the Dollar presents Rental Property Series: How Much Did it Cost?, and says, “This post is the final one in a series that followed our progress in purchasing and renovating our first investment property.”
Timothy Mobley from Timothy Mobley’s Blog presents What Do Diets and Budgets Have In Common?
Danielle from Saving Without A Budget presents Are All Credit Cards Bad News?, and says, “Learn how credit cards vary and pick the best one.”
Matt from Budget SNOB presents Building a Better Budget, and says, “A good budget is the foundation for a solid financial future.”
Jay from Daily Fuel Economy Tip presents Store Credit Cards: Pros and Cons, and says, “Are those retail credit cards right for you?”
Sam from The New Business Blog presents 10 Important Steps When Starting a Small Business, and says, “Do you qualify to start a small business?”
Edward Antrobus from Edward Antrobus presents Frugal Hack: Reusing Water Bottles, and says, “Bottled water is bad for your wallet and for the environment too. But you don’t need to buy reusable water bottles when you can reuse existing ones. Here’s how to do it safely.”
D4L from Dividend Growth Stocks presents 10 Dividend Stocks That Gave Me A 20%+ Annualized Return, and says, “Looking through my portfolio, I found several stocks that have performed well over many years, and I expect them to continue to do so. Below is a list of stocks that have provided me with an annualized 20%+ return since I first bought them through the end of September 2012…”
Money Thinker from Money Thinking presents Four Financial Aid Boosters, and says, “Money Thinker shares some thoughts on getting financial aid from her own experience with going to college three times.”
Money Walks from Money Walks presents Life Insurance Facts, and says, “Life insurance is something that we don’t like to think about, but we all should have. Money Walks talks about some life insurance facts that everyone should know.”
Pfblogger from Personal Cents presents 6 Random Money Tips, and says, “Want some free advice on money? Pfblogger shares six random tips that she’s learned over the years that she’s been “out on her own.”
Jack from Money Saving Ethics presents A Quick Guide to Mortgages for First-Time Buyers, and says, “Make the best choice when choosing a mortgage.”
Amy from Money Mishaps presents Top 5 Home Insurance Myths, and says, “Learn 5 common myths related to regular home insurance.”
Daniel from Make Money Make Cents presents How to Save Money on the Daily Essentials, and says, “There are essentials we use everyday. Why not save money on them?”
Lily from Paying Debt Down presents Debt is like Quicksand, and says, “Be smart, don’t fall into a debt trap.”
Karl Marrion from WiseStockBuyer presents The Power of Dividend Reinvestment, and says, “Are you reinvesting your dividends? It can make a massive difference over time.”
Miss T. from Prairie Eco Thrifter presents Which Bill Payments to Prioritize When You Are Broke, and says, “Good money management technique is what you need to get the bills paid. You have to learn to prioritize which bills should be paid first and which ones to set aside temporarily until you have enough cash to cover for everything that is needed. The best way to prioritize your expenses is by looking at your immediate needs and the immediate needs of the family to get a better grasp of which ones to pay first.”
Liana Arnold from Card Hub Blog presents More Issuers Found Guilty of Deceptive Credit Card Practices, Find Out How to Avoid Becoming a Victim, and says, “Want to build your wealth? Try not letting it be taken from you to begin with. The CFPB is giving credit card holders a bit of a hand in helping them reclaim money spent on services and benefits they did not knowingly purchase or agree to.”
David from Young Adult Money presents Why Outsourcing Will Only Increase Over Time, and says, “Outsourcing will continue to increase over the next decade primarily because of increasing technological capabilities.”
John from Wallet Blog presents Could Your Wish Actually Be Your Bank’s Command?, and says, “Looking for a new checking account? Wouldn’t you like first to understand the fine print about the service? Pew Charitable Trusts has recommended a new model for disclosure, and banks are listening.”
TTMK from Tie the Money Knot presents To Stay at Home or Work: Tips on How to Discuss and Plan, and says, “When deciding on whether or not to stay at home or work, people need to be sure that they are on the same page with their spouse. These tips can help with effectively discussing and planning this major joint decision.”
Ray from Squirrelers presents 5 Ways to Stop Overspending on Eating Out at Restaurants, and says, “Many of us, myself included, tend to spend more than we should on eating at restaurants. This post shares ways to help stop excess spending, which will help our finances and maybe our health too!”
Teacher Man from My University Money presents Spending Money On Campus Food, and says, “It’s just that it’s so easy not to make lunch in the morning, and then at night there are so many other things to do. Hey, it’s just going to happen this one time anyway right?”
Young from Young and Thrifty presents Should You Invest In Apple?, and says, “I love Apple and have pretty large exposure to it. Now some of you who’ve been around here for a while might be scratching their heads. After all, how can a guy that has an ETF eBook sign up on the right hand side of his blog suggest a specific stock to buy?”
Robert from The College Investor presents What Was Your Best Investing Day Ever?, and says, “I think it is always fun to share awesome investing stories, and I wanted to share mine. There aren’t a lot of great deals right now, so I’ve been spending most of my time reminiscing over past trades that have worked out well. Here is the story of my best trade ever (it’s actually two trades), and then I’d love to hear your best investments or trades ever!”
Jeff Rose from Good Financial Cents presents 7 Ways To Find Free Money And Unclaimed Property Online, and says, “Who doesn’t get excited about finding a treasure? Especially, if it’s free money! Whether it’s finding a $20 bill in the parking lot of the mall or an old bond that your grandparents bought you, it’s always a nice treat to add some cash to your wallet and get free money.”
Jacob from My Personal Finance Journey presents How Much of Your Net Worth Should be Sitting in Cash or Low-Interest Savings Accounts?, and says, “Even though your net worth is a pretty simple equation, exactly what is the breakdown of those assets? Is there a magic ratio you need to follow? Like everything else in personal finance, the answer really depends on your situation. This article compares some polar opposite situations, and asks what percentage of your net worth do you feel should be held in very liquid accounts.”
CF from The Outlier Model presents 5 Questions to Ask When Buying a Condo, and says, “There are a lot more things to think about when you’re buying a place, rather than renting. Here are just a few things to consider if you’re living in the city and thinking of getting a condo.”
Big Cajun Man from The Canadian Personal Finance Site presents Why You Need to Consider Lifestyle in Your Retirement Planning, and says, “How do you want to live your retirement can be as important as if you have enough money to do it.”
Don from My Dollar Plan presents Why Do Gas Prices Rise and Fall?, and says, “Ever wonder what causes the move in gas prices?”
Miranda from Financial Highway presents How to Make Money, and says, “Even the best of times, one of the most common questions asked is, “How to make money fast?” While an increase in income can ease the way things work in your personal economy, it won’t necessarily solve all your problems. You will still need a plan for the wise management of your financial resources.”
Darnell from Excess Return presents The Risk and Rewards of Investing in Gold, and says, “With the recent rally in gold prices investors are wondering “should I invest in gold?” Investing in gold may have its rewards, but there are also risks.”
PK from Don’t Quit Your Day Job… presents The Relationship Between Mortgage Rates and Home Prices, and says, “I’ve actually heard it alot: “low mortgage rates means higher prices”. Well, does it? I start to answer the question here… although I’ll need to go back and revise it later, I think!”
Eric from Narrow Bridge Finance presents Wealth and Taxes in America, and says, “There has been a lot of talk lately about rich people vs. poor people. In the height of the political season, fingers are being pointed, people are being accused, and even Fortune magazine took time to ask if it is still okay to be rich today in America.”
FMF from Free Money Finance presents Update on My Real Estate Efforts, and says, “It’s been a while since I told you I was working towards becoming a landlord and shared my process for finding a suitable rental property. You might think that my lack of posting on the subject means I haven’t been doing much, but actually there’s been a lot going on. Here are the highlights.”
Philip from PT Money Personal Finance presents Forget Prince Charming, Let’s Save Our Own Financial Lives, and says, “Optimism about your financial future is fine, but you still have to actually take some action to make that happen.”
Matt Bell from Sound Mind Investing presents How NOT to Handle Sudden Wealth, and says, “Vince Young is only the latest of many millionaire athletes who got into financial trouble. His playbook offers several key lessons for anyone who may one day receive a sudden infusion of cash.”
Money Beagle from Money Beagle presents Little Feet Cost Big Money, and says, “Amazing how shoes for little feet cost so much!”
Michael from So You Think You Can Save presents 9 Ways To Save On Your Grocery Bill, and says, “Food is a big expense, but here are some tips to make it a little less costly.”
Gen Y from Gen Y Finance Journey presents Gift Giving Tips, and says, “Whether you give because you like seeing the smiles on peoples’ faces or because you feel obligated to, we can all agree that giving gifts on a budget is tough work. This post gives you some ideas for frugal gift-giving tailored to specific holidays and occasions.”
John Schmoll from Frugal Rules presents Find Financial Safety With an Emergency Fund, and says, “The key to an emergency fund is having peace of mind. In today’s economic climate an Emergency Fund can help many if they’re faced with a true emergency.”
Nicole from Nicole and Maggie: Grumpy Rumblings of the Half Tenured presents Ask the Grumpies: 403(b) vs. Roth, and says, “The Grumpies discuss the pros and cons of an employer account that doesn’t match vs. an IRA. Which should reader Leah choose?”
Revanche from A Gai Shan Life presents Hemilaminectomy: A Doggle’s Tale, and says, “We don’t have kids yet, so our recently-injured dog is currently our “infant going on toddler” equivalent teaching us what it’s like to care for an invalid and nearly helpless “baby” (with opinions) around the clock. He’s not a child replacement, but he’s a beloved family member nonetheless and the time, energy and costs associated are certainly enlightening.”
Glen Craig from Free From Broke presents The Difference Between a Hard Credit Pull and a Soft Credit Pull, and says, “Your credit is accessed in one of two ways – a hard credit pull or a soft credit pull. It’s important to know the difference. See what they are and how they affect your credit score.”
Glen from Credit Card Smarts presents Credit Card Fees: Eroding Your Wealth, and says, “Don’t look now but there may be a quite a few credit card fees slowly eroding your wealth. See what these fees are to make sure your money is eroding under your nose.”
Sean Smarty from Grow Money presents Could You Benefit from an Annuity?
Roger Wohlner from The Chicago Financial Planner presents Employee Benefits Open Enrollment – Make Good Choices, and says, “Fall is typically open enrollment season for many companies. Your employee benefits package can add up to a significant percentage of your overall compensation. Be sure to make good, informed choices to maximize your benefits for you and your family.”
Harry Sit from The Finance Buff presents How to Save $4,000 in Your Graduation Year – Part 2: Insurance, and says, “Tips for new college graduates to save money on insurance.”
Lance from Money Life and More presents Carnival Cruise Price Protection Saved Me $160, and says, “We knew we wanted to go on our first cruise this year so we planned extremely far in advance. We had to get our time off from work approved and plan it around some other events in our lives. In order to book the Early Saver Fare you must book 3+ months in advance.”
Michael from Financial Ramblings presents How to Become a Professional Tax Preparer, and says, “Ever thought about moonlighting as a paid tax preparer? This post outlines how to become one.”
Michael Kitces from Nerd’s Eye View presents Does The DALBAR Study Grossly Overstate The Behavior Gap?, and says, “It is an accepted belief that retail investors, swayed by a barrage of financial news and information, and the wiring in their own brains, tend to systematically buy at market peaks and sell at market lows, resulting in returns that are far lower than what could have been achieved by simply buying and holding. Yet a deeper look at the (in)famous DALBAR study reveals that in reality, investors are actually better “market timers” than a passive dollar-cost-averaging approach!”
Roshawn Watson from Watson Inc presents Is Social Mobility Fact or Fiction?, and says, “Social mobility data may forever change your view of the importance of wealth to your future. This article explores whether opportunities for social mobility for the masses are fact or fiction and the role wealth has in your advancement”
Mike from The Financial Blogger presents Getting Over 3500 Visitors For Our New Authority Site, and says, “How to build up a brand new source of income.”
Mike from Experiglot presents Is Being Self-Employed Right For You?, and says, “Should you re-consider working on your own?”
Div Guy from The Dividend Guy Blog presents Best Online Trading, and says, “How you can start trading online today and the tools to use.”
Green Panda from Green Panda Treehouse presents Where Do You Stand Financially?, and says, “How are your finances looking?”
Pierre from Intelligent Speculator presents 5 Tips for Investing in Real Estate, and says, “What you need to know before you get involved in real estate.”
Shawna from Money Misfit presents K-Cups – Financially Stupid or Stupid Awesome?
Jason Price from One Money Design presents The Entertainment Book: Good Deal?, and says, “If you eat out or do a lot of shopping, the Entertainment Book might be a good deal.”
mbhunter from Mighty Bargain Hunter presents Four Bargains If You Have a lot of Spare Cash, and says, “Some of the better deals available are the ones for people who can lay down the cash. High debt-to-income ratio need not apply …”
photos by: amintirivizuale & dada2005, Coconino National Forest, Base Camp Baker, Kaibab National Forest, ra_hurd, Srikanth. M