Welcome to the March 2, 2012 Edition #226 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

Cash Flow Mantra presents Working on Improving Monthly Cash Flow posted at Cash Flow Mantra , saying, “It took me a while to realize the importance of cash flow, but now that I am trying to focus on this aspect of personal finance, I feel that I am beginning to turn the corner and will see marked improvements over the next several years. ”

Justin presents How to Keep Track of Your Bills posted at Budget Snob , saying, “A recent telecom survey stated that the average household now gets about 11 bills month. These bills include basic utilities, internet, cable services, and loan payments. Keeping track of all of these bills can be overwhelming for some families.”

David presents An Illustrated History of Wired Capital Markets posted at History of Wall Street , saying, ” Looking into the workings of modern securities markets is like looking under the hood of a Prius hybrid car. There are so many complex and obscure parts it’s hard to discern what’s going on. History repeats and informs in market technologies. From the days when front-running involved actual running to the “Victorian Internet era” brought on by telegraphy, we can learn a great deal from looking back at a simpler era. ”

Sandy presents Get Out of Debt in 2012: Cutting the Fat posted at Yes, I Am Cheap , saying, “Think back to the past two weeks. Where have you spent money from your entertainment or miscellaneous jar? Do you see the latest movies every week? Are you buying new clothes from the clearance sales? Lots and lots of mocha-choca-latta-ya-ya ( I had to slip that Lady Marmalade reference in there)? How often are you eating out?”

Estate Planning

Nick presents Oh, man, I can’t even die right! posted at Step Away from the Mall , saying, “Anyhow, up until recently I thought “dying” would be something I couldn’t screw up. I mean, there’s really only one result, right? But then I saw a post over at Yahoo! finance about how to die the right way and I scored a paltry 25% complete. According to the post, there are 8 steps to dying right.”

Financial Planning

Dannielle presents Ten Common Financial Problems posted at Odd Cents , saying, “If you think that you are alone with your financial problems, think again. This article lists ten common financial problems that are popular.”

Frank presents Best Index Fund posted at Individual Investment Strategies, saying, “Short-term mutual fund trading is a zero sum game played against other very well informed mutual fund traders and other securities market traders. On average, higher mutual fund turnover is far more likely to result in lower investment fund performance — instead of superior risk-adjusted performance.”

Larry presents ID theft protection posted at Personal Financial Planner, saying, “As a threat to your financial security, you should take the potential for identity theft very seriously. Identity theft sometimes entails a loss of your money, but whether or not you lose money, it can take a very large amount of your time to rectify.”

Franklin presents Traditional IRA and 401k Versus Roth IRA and Roth 401k Contributions posted at Retirement Planning , saying, ” Many taxpayers puzzle over whether to contribute to traditional versus Roth tax-advantaged retirement plans. For most people, contributions to traditional tax-advantaged plans will probably provide a higher net present value over their lifetimes. ”

Financing a Home

Paul Vachon presents The Hidden Costs of Owning a Home posted at The Frugal Toad , saying, “Owning a home has long been the American Dream. Has the American Dream become the American Nightmare? The Federal Reserve states that $7 Trillion, or more than half of home equity has been lost since 2006. The real costs or owning a home are much higher than you think.”

Shaun presents Smart Family Finance Mortgage Basics: Lifetime and Reverse Mortgages Explained posted at Smart Family Finance , saying, “While a lifetime mortgage is not right for everyone, it can be a viable alternative for retirees who want a larger fixed income for no additional monthly expense.”

Money Cone presents Why I Chose a 30 Year Mortgage Even Though I Could Pay It Off in 15 Years posted at Money Cone , saying, “Having lived debt-free, it would’ve made perfect sense to pay off the mortgage as soon as possible via a 15 year loan. But after careful consideration, I decided, I’ll choose a 30 year loan. Call me crazy, but hear me out.”

Financing Education

Craig Ford presents The Unpopular Truth About the Dangers of a Dave Ramsey Only Approach to Christian Finances posted at Money Help For Christians, saying, “Christians should consider paying attention to other financial authors as well.”

PFP presents Financial planning reading list posted at Independent Financial Planner , saying, ” When I work with clients to develop their customized lifetime financial and investment plans, they often ask what they should read to improve their financial literacy. ”

Charles Chua C K presents 10 Wise Quotes About Money posted at All About Living with Life.

YFS presents How To Get Rid of Your Student Loans Without Paying or Ruining Your Credit! posted at Your Finances Simplified , saying, “The only way I know that you can get rid of student loans is through the process of Permanent Disability Discharge, in which individuals get assistance in paying off the amount of their education loan. However, there is a strict guideline as to who can qualify…”

Income

Jester presents Make the Most of Your Pay Check posted at The Ultimate Juggle , saying, “If you want to make your paycheck stretch further every month, you don’t have to play the lottery and hope for the best. There are plenty of everyday things you can do!”

Suba presents I Want To Quit My Job: Leaving Work Without Burning Bridges posted at Broke Professionals , saying, “The day I finally decided to quit my job was one of the most exhilarating – and terrifying. Here’s what I learned about giving two weeks notice.”

Investing

Dividend Growth Investor presents Does entry price matter to dividend investors? posted at Dividend Growth Investor, saying, “The reason for the lost decade in stocks is that many otherwise quality companies were overvalued in the early 2000s. For example Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) was trading at 29.30 times earnings in early 2000, whereas McDonald’s (MCD) traded at 26.90 times earnings. Even some of the best dividend stocks are not worth paying more than 20 times forward earnings.”

Marc Ryan presents Vanguard verdict: Canadian actively-managed mutual funds under perform indexes posted at IndependentInvestor.info, saying, “Every so often another study comes out casting a critical eye on the performance of the mutual fund industry, and Canada is no exception. The last study by Morningstar gave Canada a failing grade for mutual fund expense levels. Now Vanguard has published its own study, which finds that Canadian mutual funds have underperformed the indexes.”

Investor Junkie presents Is Buying a Franchise a Good Idea? posted at Investor Junkie , saying, “It is important to understand the pros and cons of buying a franchise.”

Teacher Man presents The Challenges Of Writing An eBook posted at My University Money , saying, “I reported about a month ago that I was pushing off from shore and beginning my quest to pen an eBook worthy of your collective attention. I believe I have made some great progress along the way, and learned many lessons, but I must admit that it has not come easily. Many financial bloggers have recently released eBooks and most have claimed it was pretty difficult – now I understand why.”

Janet presents Investment manager performance posted at Personal Investment Manager, saying, “The effort to find those few supposedly superior money managers willing to sell their services sufficiently cheaply is a costly, time consuming, and futile, “Where’s Waldo?,” searching exercise for the individual investor.”

PITR presents Investing Without Investment Experience posted at Passive Income To Retire , saying, “Investing your money can be one of the best ways to generate a passive income, depending on the type of investment which you choose to make. Many people believe that they will need to have significant experience in investing in order to generate a profit as an investor, but this is not necessarily the case.”

Tushar presents Could You Invest in a Business? posted at Start Investing Money , saying, “When we think about investments we often think about stocks, shares and different forms of bank accounts. But what about investing in a business? Could this prove to be one of the best ways to invest your money for a good return in the future? What type of business should you invest in?”

Luke presents Greek, China, and Europe News Prevents Stocks From Rising posted at Learn Bonds , saying, “US markets retreated on Wednesday as markets remain skeptical about Greece’s ability to stick to tough new measures imposed by EU leaders.”

Frank Pinter presents No Load Bond Funds posted at Lowest Cost Bond Funds, saying, “Investment research overwhelmingly shows that lower cost fixed income funds tend to yield higher bond investing returns.”

FMF presents Are Dividend Stocks Good Investments? posted at Free Money Finance , saying, “Here’s a piece from the Wall Street Journal that can be summarized as follows: Bonds (and other forms of income-generating investments) are yielding very low rates. As a result, Americans are plowing a ton of money in high-dividend stocks and mutual funds. While doing this can result in a better yield for those needing income, it also comes with extra risks (mainly, the underlying assets can lost their value.) In other words, a dividend-paying stock isn’t the same thing as a bond — in many different ways.”

Managing Credit and Debt

Mike presents When Does An Annual Fee Credit Card Make Sense? posted at Rewards Cards Canada , saying, “Annual fee credit cards typically have the best benefits and they can save you money on interest payments or help you earn more rewards points.”

Mike presents Use A Rewards Credit Card To Help Plan Your Wedding posted at Rewards Cards USA , saying, “One way to save money on your honeymoon is to pay for your wedding with a rewards credit card – but you don’t want to run up a huge credit card bill.”

Glen Craig presents Four Places Not to Use Your Credit Card posted at Free From Broke , saying, “Credit cards can be a great tool but there are some places you should just not use them. See four situations where you shouldn’t use your credit card.”

Miranda @ Financial Highway presents How to Improve Credit Score posted at Financial Highway , saying, “More and more, your credit score is being used to make judgments about your ability to handle your finances. If a low score seems to indicate that you are irresponsible, it will be difficult for you to take advantage of the best offers and loan terms in the world of finances. If your poor credit score is holding you back, here are some things you can do to boost your financial reputation. ”

MR presents Blaming Your Credit Card Debt On Your Spouse posted at Money Reasons , saying, “Do you blame your credit card problems on your spouse? Are you sure they are really the problem? My friend thought so too, but it was really him…”

Jeremy Waller presents How to Deal With Creditors When You Can’t Pay posted at Personal Finance Whiz , saying, “Despite the harsh lessons that were taught to us by the Great Recession, it seems that we haven’t quite gotten the message about the dangers of overleveraging!”

Liana presents How can stay at home parents get credit cards? posted at Card Hub , saying, “Can a stay-at-home spouses still build credit under their own name since the Federal Reserve’s new rules went into effect? Not to worry, there are still several options available for building and maintaining your credit score!”

Miscellaneous

Jason presents Pros and Cons of Online Banks posted at Work Save Live , saying, “What is an Online Bank? An online bank is much of what it sounds like. It is a bank in most terms that we classify the ‘normal’ banks that you access and utilize online.”

DJL presents Financial Nerds Gone Wild – Global Markets in Distress posted at Nerds on Wall Street , saying, ” Stock markets are almost perfectly transparent, with full information available to all, and the best electronic clearing and settlement in history. These technologies were omitted in building the skyscraper of cards (“house of cards” seems too mild) out of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), credit default swaps (CDSs), synthetic collateralized debt obligations (SCDOs), and the rest. ”

A Blinkin presents Fat Wallet Tuesday posted at Funancials , saying, “Happy Mardi Gras to all! For those who aren’t familiar with this raging holiday, Mardi Gras is french for Fat Tuesday. Excluding the exchange of beads, there is a lesson to be learned here! Fat Tuesday refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer before the ritual fasting of Lent.”

Dana presents The Best Tips for Automating Your Finances posted at Not Made of Money , saying, “The most common area for people to struggle in their lives is with their finances. Remembering to pay bills on time, putting paychecks in the bank and keeping everything running smoothly can be impossible with the responsibilities present in everyday life. Unordered finances lead to bounced check fees, overdraft fees, late fees and other problems”

TSI presents Where’s Waldo? – The illusion of superior professional mutual fund manager performance. posted at Skilled Investor Blog , saying, ” If investment mutual fund managers were truly skilled at beating the market, then you would expect mutual fund manager performance prowess to persist over time. Unfortunately, the evidence indicates that superior past professional performance among mutual fund managers tends not to persist. Past superior mutual fund performance is simply not a predictor of future superior mutual fund performance. ”

Ashley presents How Does Your “Money Style” Affect Your Life posted at Money Talks Coaching , saying, “What is your money style? According to Wife.org there are 3 basic money styles; hoarder, avoider, or splurger. If you dont know what your money style is you can take the quiz over on Wife.org. I dont even need to take the quiz. I know Im a hoarder. What are you? Think about your money style”

Kyle presents How to Save More Money & Play the Lottery for Free posted at The Penny Hoarder , saying, “My significant other and I rarely have disagreements over our finances, but the one spending habit that we disagree on is whether to play the lottery. I know it’s only a few bucks a week, but it irks me to throw money at what I believe is a waste.”

Wayne presents Creative Ways to Save on Your Wedding posted at Young Family Finance , saying, “Need creative ways to save money on your wedding? Here are a few ways that everyone needs to know as they prepare for their wedding day.”

Crystal presents Our Meeting with a Tax Lawyer posted at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff , saying, “As I have mentioned, Mr. BFS and I really didn’t know how we were going to proceed tax-wise now. So we scheduled a one-on-one meeting with a tax lawyer.”

Retirement Planning

Echo presents What’s Your Findependence Day? posted at Boomer & Echo , saying, “Findependence Day is a fictional personal finance story following the lives of a young debt-ridden couple’s long journey to financial independence.”

Daniel presents The Ideal Amount of Savings at Age 30 posted at Sweating the Big Stuff , saying, “I would like to live comfortably in retirement. Just how much do I need to save by age 30 to never have to save another penny for retirement?”

MMD presents Is It Time to Change Up My Retirement Portfolio? posted at MyMoneyDesign , saying, “With the current economic prosperity, my retirement portfolio is almost back up to pre-Recession levels. Is it time to change my portfolio to a safer asset allocation and lock into my earnings while I can?”

FMF presents How to Pick a Great Retirement Spot posted at Free Money Finance , saying, “Retirement Planning US News lists 10 tips for selecting an ideal retirement spot as follows: Affordable housing Lower taxes Better weather Recreation and culture Job or volunteer opportunities Proximity to healthcare Convenient transportation Amenities for seniors Near family and friends Stay close to home”

Whitney presents Retirement Savings Worksheets posted at Retirement Savings, saying, “While personal wealth should measure current financial investments and other salable assets, it should also measure your ability to sustain your household budget, build up your investment portfolio, and weather potential financial risk and misfortune across your lifetime.”

Ryan presents Avoid These Investments that Don’t Keep Pace with Inflation posted at Early Retirement Investments , saying, “If you invest in investments that don’t keep pace with inflation, you are investing in a vehicle that is a money loser than a money winner!”

Risk Management and Insurance

Sarah presents Lifetime trade-offs between investment portfolio risk and investment returns posted at Do-It-Yourself Financial Planning , saying, ” When making personal finance and retirement planning decisions, individuals must confront the dilemma that, historically, more conservative portfolio investments have yielded substantially lower investment returns than the returns that riskier investments have delivered. With either lower or higher risk-adjusted market return strategies, you simply cannot have your financial cake and you eat it too. ”

John Bartal presents Why do I need a private disability insurance plan; wouldn’t Social Security cover me? posted at Insurance Providers, saying, “While Social Security does offer disabled people, and their families, benefits, it can be a long process before you are able to claim disability through Social Security. More than that, even if you are able to get the disability benefits early, they still do not go into effect for at least six months.”

Savings

Miss T. presents How to Make Your Own Compost posted at Prairie Eco Thrifter , saying, “Compost is possibly the most efficient and useful way of disposing of household waste; nearly 40% of this waste is compostable. Compost is then be used on the garden as an organic and valuable fertilizer and soil improver. If this same waste goes into landfill, it becomes toxic and gives off greenhouse gases. Make use of this wonderful garden asset like us by learning how to make your own compost.”

Amanda L Grossman presents A Frugal Date for Long Distance and Near Distance Couples posted at Frugal Confessions. , saying, “Most of my relationship with Paul has been long distance. We met in Japan in our 20s, fell madly in love, and spent the next several years traversing the globe”

TSI presents Personal earnings, expenditures, and savings determine wealth posted at The Skilled Investor , saying, ” How much you earn, spend, budget, and save are by far the most dominant determinants of your long-term financial well-being. Self-control in your financial decision-making regarding budgeting and consumption is far more important than clever investing. ”

FIRE Finance presents Smart Refrigeration Lowers Electricity Bill posted at FIRE Finance , saying, “Tips on smart refrigeration will help you to cut down your electricity bill …”

Steve presents 9 Ways to Make Savings Automatic posted at Brip Blap , saying, “How can you make saving a habit? It’s a trick question – you don’t have to make it a habit, you have to make it automatic. If you make your savings automatic, you never have to work on developing the habit. The habit will grow naturally once you see how easy it is.”

Boomer presents How To Save Money On Groceries posted at Boomer & Echo , saying, “I’m determined to save money on groceries by cutting at least 25% off our monthly grocery bill: Here’s how we’ll do it:”

Taxes

Super Saver presents Where’s My Refund? posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “Despite getting a refund this year, I have not filed and therefore know why I haven’t received a refund. However, for many that have filed, their refunds have been delayed.”

Paul Tabbet presents Retirement Software posted at Tax Planning Worksheets, saying, “Retirement planning software should automate the development of lifetime projections that incorporate tax laws and rules associated with tax-advantaged retirement investment incentive programs such as traditional IRA, Roth, 401k, 403b, SEP, Keogh, and other retirement plans.”

John presents Do You Have to Pay Taxes on Your Rewards? posted at Wallet Blog , saying, “2012 tax season has arrived, and with it, the big question that Citi brought forward when it issued 1099′s to its customers — Are rewards and incentives taxable or not?”

Jeffrey presents Tax Hack: Use Premium Features of Turbo Tax For Free and Save posted at Money Spruce , saying, “Turbo Tax has many premium features that you can use for free while calculating your refund. Follow these steps to use Turbo Tax without paying a thing.”

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.

Related posts:

1. Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #158 – September 25, 2010
2. Carnival of Money Stories 2 Bob Gibson 1968 Season Edition
3. Money Hacks Carnival- By the Book Edition

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.

Related posts:

1. Yakezie Challenge / Weekly Roundup
2. Best of Money Carnival #66
3. Money Hacks Carnival- By the Book Edition

Related posts:

1. Best Personal Financial Planning and Personal Investment Articles this Week from Personal Finance Blogs Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #226 – March 2, 2012
2. Carnival of Money Stories 2 Bob Gibson 1968 Season Edition
3. Money Hacks Carnival- By the Book Edition

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!

Related posts:

1. Money Hacks Carnival- By the Book Edition
2. Carnival of Money Stories 2 Bob Gibson 1968 Season Edition
3. Yakezie Carnival Defined

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!”

Related posts:

1. Money Hacks Carnival- By the Book Edition
2. Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #158 – September 25, 2010
3. Best Personal Financial Planning and Personal Investment Articles this Week from Personal Finance Blogs Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #226 – March 2, 2012

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.

Related posts:

1. Carnival of Money Stories 2 Bob Gibson 1968 Season Edition
2. Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #158 – September 25, 2010
3. Best Personal Financial Planning and Personal Investment Articles this Week from Personal Finance Blogs Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #226 – March 2, 2012