Personal Finance By The Book » Blog Carnival

Yakezie Carnival Defined

Joe Plemon — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:21:46 +0000

Yakezie: The Yakezie is a personal finance and lifestyle blog network that strives to optimize reader’s personal finances and allow people to lead better lives.

Carnival: A traveling amusement show usually including rides, games, and sideshows.

Logically (or maybe not), by combining the definitions of Yakezie and Carnival, we can conclude that a Yakezie Carnival is “A traveling amusement show of personal finance and lifestyle blog posts, written to optimize readers’ personal finances and live better lives in a way that is just as fun as riding rides, playing games and seeing sideshows.”

Is this the sideshow you were thinking of?

OK. Maybe a stretch, but our Yakezie group does believe in having fun. I am sure that this collection of posts will not only enrich your lives, but help you celebrate life itself. To add to the carnival atmosphere, I am sprinkling in some snapshots my daughter took at a recent County Fair… ah, er, Carnival. Have fun, and don’t ride any rides immediately after downing a funnel cake.

Holiday Gift Card Guide | An Indispensible Guide on How to Get the Best Price on Christmas Gift Cards at Money Help for Christians. If you are even remotely considering buying gift cards as Christmas gifts, read Craig’s post. Discounts abound and he tells you where and how.

Will plug-in Cars Impact Oil Demand? at Beating the Index. Are you wondering if the increased production of Electronic Vehicles have an impact on your oil investment? This post answers your question with great clarity.

That's my grandson in the middle

Five Tips to Become More Productive With Google Apps at Invest It Wisely. Most of us use some Google apps, buy my hunch is that we are missing out on some great ones. Kevin succinctly explains these apps in a way that even I can understand.

Five Things You Shouldn’t Buy In Bulk at Money Crashers. Buying in bulk saves money. Right? Not always. Heather explains some bulk purchases to avoid.

Mutual Fund Facts: Funny or Merely Farcical? at the Millionaire Nurse Blog. Dr Dean gives us a refreshing look at mutual funds. No demonizing or doomsday predictions. Just the facts.

How I Budget in the Fun Stuff (While Still in Debt) at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff and written by Jeff at Sustainable Life Blog. Jeff shares great tips on how to make that fun stuff add to (not detract from) your debt reduction plan.

Why Do We Save Anyway? by Watson, Inc. Do you have trouble spending money on yourself even if you can afford it? Roshawn explores this phenomena and actually encourages us to loosen those purse strings in this post.

Passive Income; Fact or Fiction – Part 1 at Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance. Barb’s title is a great hook. What do you think: Fact or Fiction? I’m not gonna tell. Read it for yourself.

Mmmm. More Carnival Food

5 Ways to Save Money When Eating at Work at Money Reasons. Need ideas for keeping your meals at work reasonably inexpensive? MR shares great tips, and the comment thread adds more.

Downsizing Spurs New Business at Bucksome Boomer. Kay Lynn tells of some new business opportunities that have arisen because people are downsizing their houses. If you are thinking about downsizing or starting a new business with little start-up or overhead expense, this post is for you.

Payroll Tax Holiday – How Much Would It Save You? at Darwin’s Money. With Congress mulling over a payroll tax as a possible bipartisan stimulus measure, check out how much this would put back in your pocket each month!

That’s it for this week’s Yakezie Carnival! I hope you enjoyed the ride.

Next week’s Carnival will be hosted by Zack Younkin.

Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #158 – September 25, 2010

Joe Plemon — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 11:00:42 +0000

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

Welcome to the September 25, 2010 Edition #158 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

Joe Plemon presents Five Steps Toward Automating Your Way to Wealth posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Will power won’t get the job done, but automating your finances will. This post tells how.”

Lauren Mendel presents How the Rich Roll posted at Richly Reasonable, saying, “Sensationalism is entertaining. Perhaps that is why so many people cling to the images of millionaires spending beau coup bucks in outrageous ways and think that that is how the rich really behave. The truth is that high net-worth individuals do spend, save and accumulate their money differently than the average Joe and Joan, just not in the way that most people think.”

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.”

Khaleef @ KNS Financial presents How to Create a Budget – Evaluate Expenses posted at Faithful With A Few, saying, “Establishing goals and setting up a budget is not the end. You must now evaluate your spending to be sure that your money is working toward your goals!”

MoneyNing presents Money Mistakes That (Mostly) Women Make posted at Money Ning, saying, “Women are prone to make certain money mistakes more often than others.”

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.”

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.”

Mike @ Green Panda presents The Liquidity Trap: How The US Economy Will Come Back posted at Green Panda Treehouse.

Estate Planning

My Journey presents Please Don’t Use an Automated System to Draft Your Last Will and Testament posted at My Journey to Millions, saying, “Having your Will drafted by an automated online system could be disastrous to your estate plan”

Financial Planning

Intelligent Speculator presents Could Facebook avoid an IPO forever? posted at Intelligent Speculator.

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.

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.”

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

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.

One Family presents A Peek Into Our Roadmap to Financial Independence posted at One Family’s Blog, saying, “A look at relocating to a less expensive place as a way to achieve financial independence.”

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.”

Health Care

Ben presents Health Savings Account Guide posted at Money Smart Life.

Financing Education

Ryan @ MFN presents Can You Get a Montgomery GI Bill Refund? posted at The Military Wallet, saying, “The Montgomery GI Bill is usually a use it or lose it benefit. But some veterans may now be eligible to receive a refund on their MGIB.”

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.”

Health Care

Hank presents Health Care Reform And What It Means For You posted at Money Q&A, saying, “What do you need to know from the current health care reform in Washington?”

Income

Craig Ford presents How to Make Money Selling eBooks posted at Money Help For Christians, saying, “This post shares the steps I use to generate an online income by selling eBooks online.”

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 The Diversification Decision posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “How to deal with diversification with your investments.”

Super Saver presents Choosing Data Analysis over Emotion posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “Typically, I like discipline of relying on the data.”

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.”

MoneyNing presents Second Recession: Don’t Let Fear Take Over posted at Money Ning, saying, “Whatever the circumstances, allowing fear to creep in will only make the situation worst.”

FMF presents The Active versus Passive Decision posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “The case for why passive investing beats active investing.”

DGB presents Dividend Investing With Less Than $1,000 – Part 5; What To Look At When Buying Stocks posted at The Dividend Guy Blog.

Ryan @ CML presents What Are Stock Options? posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “A simple primer to better understand stock options and related terminology.”

Praveen presents Bought General Dynamics (GD) Today posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, “Analysis of General Dynamics stock”

Dan presents The 7 Deadly Sins of ETF Investing – Are You Guilty? posted at ETF Base, saying, “ETFs are better than mutual funds and stocks in many aspects, but there are several risks and downsides many investors are unaware of ranging from futures roll to how leveraged ETFs. Learn about the 7 Deadly Sins of ETFs.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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

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.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Investing For Beginners: Basic Steps To Start Investing posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Some starting points for first time investors.”

Writers Coin presents Investors with Babies Outperform Everybody Else posted at The Writer’s Coin, saying, “Want to become a better investor? Have a baby! Here are some tips that apply to both having a baby and investing your money.”

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.”

Barb Friedberg presents A Sneak Peak; Inside Barbara Friedberg’s Personal Portfolio-Part 1 posted at Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance, saying, “Get the basics of risk vs. return in this engaging article. Learn from my experience how to boost returns and manage risk.”

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.

Dividends4Life presents 12 Stocks Raising Their Dividends posted at Dividends Value, saying, “When it comes to selecting dividend stocks, one of the most important items to look for is consistency in raising dividends. Sure it is easy to increase dividends when the economy is booming and business is good, but to be consistent a company has to persevere and continue to increase dividends even during the tough times.”

Managing Debt

freefrombroke presents Buying Stuff on Credit is Expensive [Infographic] posted at Free From Broke, saying, “A revealing graphic showing how expensive your credit card debt can really be.”

Madison DuPaix presents There’s No Such Thing as Bad Debt posted at My Dollar Plan, saying, “One of the biggest debates in personal finance revolves around “good” and “bad” debt. This article is really thought-provoking and encourages you to not define “good” and “bad” by the asset underlying the debt.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Chase Credit Cards: Review of Freedom, Slate & Sapphire posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “A look at some top credit cards from Chase and what they have to offer.”

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.”

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

Aaron presents 7 Things You Need To Know About Prepaid Cards posted at Prepaidcards123.

Tim Chen presents NerdWallet’s Best Rewards Card Roundup, Fall 2010 Edition posted at NerdWallet Blog – Credit Card Watch, saying, “At NerdWallet, we don’t believe that credit cards are one-size-fits-all. Here we break down some of our favorite rewards cards by lifestyle and category, so there’s something for all types.”

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.”

Jeff Weber presents Credit Counseling vs. 0% Balance Transfers posted at Smart Balance Transfers, saying, “This article discusses when people should stop using 0% balance transfer credit cards and start considering credit counseling as a means to escape credit card debt.”

Miscellaneous

Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog presents Purchase a Vacation Property in the US posted at The Canadian Finance Blog, saying, “The recent collapse in US home prices has provided an excellent opportunity for Canadians to purchase a vacation property in the US.”

Joe Plemon presents Three New Car Purchases to Steer Away From posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Sometimes a new car is exactly what you don’t need. This post gives three such times.”

nissim ziv presents What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment? Interview Question and Answer posted at Job Interview Guide, saying, “Why the interviewer will ask you about previous accomplishments? He may be asking about what you did in the past, but what he actually will want to clarify is what you can do for the company now (based on your experience and achievement, it is like- if you did it once, you can do it again.”

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.”

Retirement Planning

studenomist presents 5 Things You Need To Know About The 401K posted at studenomics.com.

Ryan @ CML presents Compare Traditional and Roth 401k posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “Does your company offer a Roth 401k plan? How do the benefits compare to your traditional 401k plan?”

Consumer Boomer presents Distribution Rules For Roth IRA posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, “The Roth IRA is an excellent tool to invest and save money toward retirement. Find out what unique benefits a Roth IRA offers.”

Jeff Rose, CFP presents 5 Financial Goals for Baby Boomers posted at Jeff Rose, saying, “For Baby Boomers, what financial goals should be most important, especially during these difficult economic times? Here are five smart financial goals for Baby Boomers.”

Jules Wells presents Retirement Planning Calculator-Retirement 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.”

Ryan @ MFN presents Roth IRA Rules posted at The Military Wallet, saying, “Rules for Roth IRAs, including who can contribute, contribution limits, withdrawal rules, and more.”

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.”

Jason presents Roth IRA Early Withdrawal Rules posted at The Roth IRA Guide, saying, “A major advantage to investing in a Roth IRA is that early withdrawals attract no penalties, so long as certain requirements are met. Further, Roth IRA rules allow individuals to withdraw the contributions they have made into the account at any time.”

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.”

Super Saver presents Why Work in Retirement posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “While working in retirement may sound like a contradiction of terms, I have found it beneficial to do so.”

Neal Frankle presents Retirement Lump Sum ? Your Best Choice? posted at Money Management Advice, saying, “Retirement Lump Sum …How To Decide If It’s Your Best Choice These days, a retirement lump sum isn’t as attractive as it used to be (when compared to an annuity payout).”

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.”

Hussein Sumar presents Top 5 Retirement Myths posted at Roth IRA, saying, “Planning for retirement is a topic that is not on the minds of many people because, well it is too boring. Some people would rather spend a 1 hour extra of their day in the gym working out or socializing than talking to a financial advisor about their retirement goals. In this article, we explore 5 myths that you should get out from your head in order to practically prepare for a smooth retirement. As life expectancy continues to rise (people are living longer), you have to plan at what age will you realistically be able to retire and how much of a nest egg you will need. Will you need $1 million, $2 million or more? Well it all depends on your lifestyle, your goals, your financial obligations and more.”

Risk Management and Insurance

The Financial Blogger presents A Few Tips To Protect Yourself Against Bonds Collapse posted at The Financial Blogger.

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.”

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)”

Jim & Martha presents Is Vacation Trip Cancellation Insurance Worth It? posted at Wanderlust Journey.

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

Jeff Rose, CFP presents College Money Saving Tips For Every Tight Budgeted Family posted at Jeff Rose, saying, “There are a number of things that you can do to bring down the cost of college. Here are a few money saving tips.”

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

Taxes

Jeff Rose, CFP presents Tax Deductions When Looking for a New Job posted at Jeff Rose, saying, “Some costs of a job hunt may be tax deductible when you file your income tax return. Read this article to find out what those tax dedctible costs are.”

Darwin presents Apparently, Americans DO Care About “The Rich” – Half Support Tax Cuts for “Top 2%” posted at Darwin’s Money, saying, “Contrary to what you may hear in the press, fully half of Americans are actually concerned about cutting taxes solely on the top 2%. Here’s why.”

Jason @ Redeeming Riches presents 8 Exceptions to the 10% Penalty for an Early IRA Withdrawal posted at Redeeming Riches, saying, “Uncle Sam would love for you to hand him an extra 10% on your withdrawals. Read how you can withdraw from your IRA without penalty!”

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.”

Mike Piper presents Deducting an IRA Loss (Roth or Traditional) posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, “Under what circumstances can an investor deduct a loss in an IRA?”

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Tax Cut Tomfoolery posted at Mad Kane’s Political Madness, saying, “Commentary and three-verse limerick about the Bush tax cuts and whether they should be renewed.”

Tax Debt Help presents Be Cognizant of Federal Gift Tax Law posted at Tax Debt Help.

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.”

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.

Technorati tags: carnival of financial planning, blog carnival.

Best of Money Carnival #66

Joe Plemon — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:01:07 +0000

I want to thank each of you who submitted posts for this week’s Best of Money Carnival. The fact that you put so much effort into your submittal made me feel all the more determined to give serious consideration to each of you. Unfortunately, only ten could be selected, so…after much internal dialogue, here are my choices:

10. Furloughs Causing Bankruptcy: How Many Americans Live Too Close For Comfort? by Amanda at Frugal Confessions.

Amanda shares how some furloughed employees are declaring bankruptcy by blaming the furlough. Maybe the real problem is that they are not living within their means. Hmmm.

9. What is a Secured Credit Card? at Free From Broke.

I like this one because it is a common sense way for those with poor credit scores to learn responsibility while rebuilding that score.

8. Oh, You’ll pay! Interest that is. at Richly Reasonable.

Lauren writes to put some healthy fear of interest in our veins. The sentence that endeared this post to me (when speaking in terms of how “interest” is no longer looked upon with trepidation), is “I’m not talking in terms of “how interesting;” unless Hannibal Lector is saying it.

7. My Comcast Saga Continues at Free Money Finance.

Read of FMF’s ongoing battle with Comcast and learn some great do’s and don’ts on negotiating for a better rate on rental services.

6. How to Get Hired & Get the Job You Want by Volunteering at the Digerati Life.

Mrs. Accountability writes a guest post sharing two real life examples of an overlooked way to get a great job: volunteering.

5. Money Mistakes that (Mostly) Women Make by Vered at Money Ning.

While this one is written primarily for women, you guys shouldn’t automatically pass. There are some good tips for you too.

4. Perfect Example As To Why You Must Have an Emergency Fund at Enemy of Debt.

Brad couldn’t help but eavesdrop while waiting at Sears to get some tires for his car. What he heard is a motivator for an emergency fund, albeit a negative one.

3. 10 Practical Ways to Make a Living Online at Cash Campfire.

Christina doesn’t simply tabulate a list of ideas; she explains them along with giving helpful links for each and every one. I read this post thinking, “This is really going to help some people.”

2. Would You Rather Do What You Love, Or Be Paid More? at Financial Highway.

How many of us have struggled with the dilemma of either getting paid a lot do something we hate or accepting less pay for doing what we love? Miranda helps us weigh the advantages of each.

And now (drum roll please) my choice for the top Best of Money Carnival post is…

1. How I Run My Home Based Business at Christian PF.

Bob, in his relaxed writing style, shares everything involved in running a home based business, from Time Management to Business Structure to Incorporating to Banking, Software and Day to Day operations. As the title suggests, Bob doesn’t tell us what to do; simply what he does. But because of his success, one pays attention. Everyone who runs a home based business should bookmark this post.

Congratulations on being my top pick!

Carnival of Money Stories 2 Bob Gibson 1968 Season Edition

Joe Plemon — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:58:56 +0000

Welcome to the February 22, 2010 edition of Carnival of Money Stories 2. Thank you for all of your great writing!

After the severe winter most of you have experienced, it is nice to realize that baseball season will soon be upon us. Major leaguers are already in spring training, and, as a baseball nut, I am starting to get the fever. If you don’t know or care who Bob Gibson is, I understand. But the baseball aficionados among us might just appreciate some of the details of Gibson’s historic 1968 season.

Gibson’s numbers make the case for one of the greatest seasons ever produced by a starting pitcher. His 1.12 ERA for the St. Louis Cardinals ranks as the lowest figure in a season not played in the Deadball era. At a time when complete games were dwindling, Gibson completed 28 of his 34 starts, 13 of them for shutouts.

OK. Here we go with your Carnival of Money Stories:

Editor’s Picks

Jason @ Redeeming Riches presents How You Can Control Your Money: The Lesson of the $100 Bill posted at Redeeming Riches. This guest post, written by Brent Ropelato fromPersonalFinanceManagementSoftware.com, is indeed a story from about 30 years ago. ”What”, you may ask, “could have happened 30 years ago that is still memorable today?” This lesson of the $100 bill is not only memorable, it is useful.

DR presents Are Discount Health Plans a Scam? posted at The Dough Roller. DR tells us to make sure you know what you are buying, and with some discount health plans, it is hard to tell.

Debt Hawk presents It’s Not About Me – It’s About God – The Purpose Driven Life Day 1 posted at The Debt Hawk saying “Do you often ask yourself what you want out of life? What are your life goals? What career you want to pursue? I know I ask myself these questions all the time. Well, the first day of The Purpose Driven Life turns these questions on their head.”

Jeff Rose presents Warning Signs You Need to Fire Your Financial Advisor posted at Jeff Rose. Does your Financial Advisor explain clearly how he is paid? Does he put it in writing? This may be a warning sign. Jeff gives several other tips of exactly what you should expect from your advisor and why you might need to fire him.

Kristia presents When Snowpocalypse Causes Water Damage, Are You Prepared? posted at Family Balance Sheet saying, “Mother Nature can be so cruel, but Thank Goodness for Emergency Funds”. Kristia is a great story teller…she hooked me with her title and opening line.

“It was just so hard to beat him,” recalled Cubs slugger and fellow Hall of Famer Billy Williams. “One year, Roberto Clemente hit a line drive that hit him right in the shin. He pitched another five, six innings to finish the game, then it turned out he had a broken leg.

Credit

jim presents How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Julie Sherrier presents The credit card fraud detection conundrum posted at Taking Charge.

FIRE Finance presents Annual Fee Introduced for Citi Cash Returns Credit Card posted at FIRE Finance, saying “As the credit market tightens due to new regulations, we feel more banks might follow Citibank’s act of adding annual fees to erstwhile free cards. More so for “deadbeat” customers like us who pay off their balance every month”.

MDP presents New Credit Card Laws to Protect Consumers Begin posted at My Dollar Plan.

From June 2 through July 30, 1968, Gibson put on the greatest two-month display of pitching in baseball history. In a stretch of 99 innings, he gave up just TWO RUNS. One scored on a wild pitch and the other on a bloop double which was fair by inches. Those were the only things standing between Gibby and ten straight shutouts.

Housing

Peak Personal Finance presents 3 Things to Ask Yourself When You Refinance posted at Peak Personal Finance, saying “Remember these tips if you are thinking of refinancing”.

Super Saver presents Why We Chose a 30 Year Mortgage posted at My Wealth Builder.

With a 1.12 ERA, one wonders how Gibson managed to lose 9 games that year. Five of those losses were 1-0 scores, one of which was a no-hitter by Gaylord Perry.

Investing

Craig Ford presents 5 Steps To Retirement Planning For Young Adults posted at Money Help For Christians saying, “This post gives some practical suggestions to young adults on how to plan for a distant retirement. Enjoy!”

The Financial Blogger presents Getting Ready for Another Purchase! posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, ”I should compare buying websites to buying a property. Some do it because they fell in love with the prospect, we try to buy the best valued property at the right price. You need to look at everything under the roof and aviod getting impressed by some fancy decorations!”

Intelligent Speculator presents Closing 2 trades and a look back on the two remaining live ones posted at Intelligent Speculator saying “It is now time to close 2 trades, one that went badly and the other which went better than I could have hoped. I will start with the good one!”.

Jim presents Introduction to Budgeting Personal Finance posted at Budgeting Personal Finance.

Austin Morgan presents How to Avoid My 3 Novice Investment Mistakes posted at Foreigner’s Finances, saying “What I learned from my first investing experience including 3 mistakes I made and how you can avoid them in your investing life.

The Investor presents Financial advisers: Swindlers and leeches posted at Monevator, saying “A friend of mine asked me to check over the financial advice he’d received from a professional. To say I was shocked by the plan he’d been advised is an understatement”.

Gibson was never knocked out of the box during the season, completing 28 of 34 starts and being pinch-hit for late in the other six, as he averaged 8.96 innings per start.

Other

Peak Personal Finance presents Don’t Forget These Home Office Tax Deductions posted at Peak Personal Finance, saying “Be sure to take as many of these as you can!”

MatthewPaulson presents How to Comparison Shop and Save posted at Fine Tuned Finances.

PT presents Fun, Frugal, Family and Friends Outings posted at PT Money.

FMF presents FMF Reader Asks for a Discount and Saves $1,200 a Year! posted at Free Money Finance saying, “A story from a readr about how she saved money simply by asking for a discount.”

Billeater presents Foreclosure: Should you walk away from your home? posted at Billeater.

The Smarter Wallet presents Don’t Get Ripped Off! Watch Out For These Consumer Dangers posted at The Smarter Wallet saying “Watch out for scams! I share my stories on dealing with scams.”

Bucksome presents Close Encounters of the Pothole Kind posted at Buck$omeboomer’s Financial Path to Retirement, saying “The importance of sinking and emergency funds are brought home in what started out as a routine trip to the grocery store.”

Gibson’s 1968 season was so successful that his performance is widely cited in Major League Baseball’s decision to lower the pitcher’s mound by five inches in 1969 from 15 inches to 10 inches. The change had only a slight effect on him; he went 20-13 that year, with a 2.18 ERA, 4 shutouts and 28 complete games.

Shopping

BWL presents Updating Your Wardrobe On A Budget posted at Christian Personal Finance saying “These are some tips and tricks for updating your budget when you don’t have much cash to spend!”

Mrs. Accountability presents Happy Valentine’s Day posted at Out of Debt Again, saying “My hubby may or may not have been kicked out of a jewelry store for being a cheapskate. You decide”.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Bed, Bath and Beyond Coupons Never Expire! posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Here’s my personal experience with dealing with Bed Bath and Beyond coupons.”

Nicole presents New Laptop: Paid for in Cash, Of Course posted at Rainy-Day Saver saying, “Article is about my experience in buying a laptop, and debating whether a warranty is a necessary purchase when buying electronics. Thanks for your consideration!”

Money Hacks Carnival- By the Book Edition

Joe Plemon — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:38:47 +0000

photo credit: khrawlings

Welcome to the August 12, 2009 edition of Money Hacks Carnival. Since this might be your first time visiting this blog, I thought I would make the the theme fitting to the blog’s message: By the “book”. The Holy book that is. There were tons of great entries this week, so be sure to check them out.

Editor’s Picks

Wojciech Kulicki presents Should I Buy a New Car? posted at Fiscal Fizzle. If you are contemplating this same decision, head on over to this blog to help with your dilemma.

Jeff Rose presents Changing Careers? How To Become a Certified Financial Planner posted at Good Financial Cents, saying, “Interested in a career as a Certified Financial Planner? Here’s what you to need to know with commentary from other CFP’s and their experiences.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents How To Improve Your Credit Score: A 6 Step Plan posted at The Digerati Life. We all could use a little improvement on our credit score.

Matt Jabs presents Grocery Hacks – How To Save Money on Groceries posted at Debt Free Adventure!, saying, “This is the story of how we reduced our grocery budget from $400/month down to less than $250/month! The other night we sat down — together — and compiled this list of 20 ways we have successfully reduced our grocery bill over the last 7 months.

PT presents Clean Finances, Clean Mind posted at Prime Time Money.

Career

Alvina Lopez presents 100 Best Personal Finance Blogs for Recent College Grads – Online Degree Programs.org: Top Online Degrees posted at Online Degree Programs.org.

FMF presents Your Job, Your Investments, and Total Diversification posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “Diversifying your job.”

jim presents What To Do When You’re On Furlough posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

The Happy Rock presents Daycare Dilemma – One Year Later posted at The Happy Rock, saying, “By DD @ The Happy Rock”

photo credit: Missional Volunteer

Debt & Credit

Raj Patel presents Consumer Bankruptcy Peak… Debt and Employment Related posted at DebtGoal.

Ray presents Citi Card Private Pass Rewards posted at Money Blue Book.

The Dough Roller presents AccountNow Prepaid Visa and MasterCard posted at The Dough Roller, saying, “Review of the AccountNow prepaid credit card.”

BrandonLaughridge presents Credit Scores: How Important Are They? posted at Mortgage Loan Place Blog, saying, “Learn how to improve your credit score and why it matters.”

Credit Shout presents All About Credit Card Minimum Payments posted at CreditShout.

Economy

Wenchypoo presents Cash-for-Clunkers Amounts ot Money Laundering posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket.

Madison presents Cash for Clunkers posted at My Dollar Plan.

Peter presents Cash For Clunkers Gets A $2 Billion Cash Infusion And Rises From The Dead.. For Now posted at Bible Money Matters, saying, “The Cash For Clunkers program has risen from the dead to kill old cars once again!”

Banker Saver presents TARP Bailout Funds: How Have Banks Used Taxpayers’ Money? posted at Banker Saver.

Kyle presents Bank Failures by the Numbers posted at Suburban Dollar» Suburban Dollar: Personal Finance Blog from a Suburbanite’s Perspective, saying, “A look at the bank failures over the last two years.”

photo credit: David Masters

Frugality & Saving Money

Chris Holdheide presents 10 Finances You Should Change Immediatly When You Get Laid Off posted at stumbleforward.com, saying, “Do you have a plan in place in case you would get laid off.”

Joanne presents Organizing From The Inside Out posted at Simply Saving.

KCLau presents I achieved financial freedom at 38 posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “This post is contributed by WaiYin, a reader whom I admire very much because she achieved financial freedom at age 38! Here, she shares how she did it.”

Aryn presents Save Money on Your Wedding: DIY Wedding Invitations posted at Sound Money Matters, saying, “The more you can DIY, the more you’ll save on your wedding.”

Ben Dinsmore presents Disadvantages of the Cash for Clunkers Program posted at Trees Full of Money, saying, “My fear is the Cash for Clunkers program is causing thousands of families around the country to purchase a vehicle they have no business buying no matter how large the incentive is.”

My Cool Mommy presents Got $200.00? Take an end of summer trip! posted at MyCoolMommy.

Mr Credit Card presents Walgreens Online Savings ? Get 5% Off posted at Ask Mr Credit Card.

Miss Bankrupt presents Analysis of Kindergarten School Supplies posted at Miss Bankrupt.

Patrick @ Money Saving Deals presents Chase Bank $150 Coupon Code for New Chase Checking Account posted at Cash Money Life Deals, saying, “Get a $150 sign up bonus with Chase Bank Checking Account.”

d. ninja presents Bill Splitting 101 posted at Punch Debt In The Face, saying, “Dont be caught at lunch with a douche bag!”

Income

Joe Plemon presents Is a College Degree Necessary For Success? posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Besides, being billionaires, what do Richard Branson, Bill Gates and Michael Dell have in common? None graduated from college. What attributes helped them succeed and can help you succeed?”

ChristianPF presents How to make money writing for Hubpages posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “These are the steps I have taken to begin generating a little passive income with Hubpages…”

photo credit: MattLake

Investing

TIE presents Willingness, Ability, and Need posted at The Incidental Economist, saying, “We’ve all heard the mantra: “invest according to your willingness, ability, and need.” What do these terms really mean. I explain in the most recent installment of my 8-post series on investment planning.”

Barry presents Does It Make Sense To Use Home Equity To Invest? posted at Associate Money.

Roger presents Reading Online Stock Data posted at The Amateur Financier.

Dividends4Life presents Has The Insurance Industry Finally Turned The Corner? posted at Dividends Value, saying, “Not many companies fortunes are as closely tied to the stock market as those in the insurance industry. When the market is climbing, insurers will often soar beyond the market, and will fall harder when the market declines. With the market upturn is now a good time to consider insurance companies?”

Mike Piper presents Low-Cost, Socially Responsible Mutual Funds posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, “An attempt to construct a low-cost, diversified portfolio using “socially responsible” mutual funds.”

Investing School presents What is Net Working Capital? posted at Investing School, saying, “Net working capital is one of the most important asset to have.”

Manshu presents Green ETF List posted at OneMint.

Darwin presents How do Stock Options Work? Trade Calls and Puts – Part 1 posted at Darwin’s Finance, saying, “Everything you need to know about how stock options work – from generating income to pure speculation, with examples and resources included.”

Dividend Growth Investor presents TradeKing $50 Promotion posted at Dividend Growth Investor, saying, “TradeKing, which is one of the leading online discount brokers in the US is offering a $50 sign-up bonus for new customer accounts. If you receive a referral code, simply open an account by August 31, fund the account with $1000 and make a trade. Both accounts would get $50 deposits.”

The Smarter Wallet presents Trend Analysis For The US Dollar Index and Crude Oil Market posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, “Great carnival!”

Tom Drake presents How Long Will It Take To Double My Money? The Rule Of 72 posted at The Canadian Finance Blog, saying, “The Rule of 72 is a simple calculation to determine how long it will take to double your money at a specific interest rate.”

Jae Jun presents Stock Analysis and valuation of a Cheap Stock posted at Old School Value, saying, “Discussions on the business of a company called Mastech and why it is so cheap along with the intrinsic value estimate. A potential safe 300% stock.”

Investing Toolkit presents Why Should I Start Investing? posted at Investing Toolkit, saying, “Thank you!”

Stock Trading Brokers presents Investing Basics – Work With an Online Broker For The Right Reasons posted at Stock Trading Brokers, saying, “Remember to know why you are using an online broker.”

Other

Matthew Paulson presents Build Up a Reserve Fund Before Anything Else posted at American Banking News.

Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents Is Your Car Eligible for the Cash For Clunkers Program? posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “There is a lot of confusion regarding which vehicles are eligible for the $3,500 to $4,500 voucher for the Cash for Clunkers program.”

Jason presents When Investing, Stick to What You Know posted at Automatic Finances.

RC presents When is it OK to Hide Money-or Keep a Money Secret- from Your Husband or Wife? posted at Think Your Way to Wealth.

MoneyNing presents 401k, Traditional IRA and Roth IRA Savings Not The Same posted at Money Ning, saying, “When you plan for retirement, do you really look into the tax situation and how it will affect your account balances?”

J. Savings presents Product Research Web 2.0 – Using Social Media to Become a Smart Buyer posted at Budgets are Sexy., saying, “Being thrifty is not only about counting pennies – it is more about developing a smart spending strategy!”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of money hacks carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.