2013-11-03



I hope everyone had a great Halloween and is surviving the post-candy letdown. This was the first year we were able to take our son out and he had a blast. He ran around in his little Nemo costume and marveled at all the other superheroes and creepy creatures surrounding him. It was a lot of fun.

Below is this week’s edition of Carnival of Retirement. If you’d like to submit to future editions you can do so here. Otherwise, enjoy the links!

Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes Worried about your Credit Score? 4 Ways to Make it Better – When looking to increase your credit score, there are a few easy steps to take. Once you educate yourself about what makes a good credit score (or why you have a bad one), it will be easier to get on your way to working towards a respectable score. When following these four tips, one can see their credit score rise drastically.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes The Minimalism-Personal Finance Connection – For years I didn’t want anything to do with minimalism. I love my stuff and I had no intention of getting rid of it all. Then I started down the rabbit hole.

Cindy @ MidLife Finance writes Helping Your Kid Through College – Another Approach – Don’t fund your children’s education until you’re sure that they’re taking it as seriously as you do.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Investing in ETFs for High Dividend Yields – ETFs are similar to mutual funds but offer several advantages. Read here for more information on investing in ETFs and its rising relevance.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Freelance Budgeting: How to Budget Your Self-Published Book – The publishing industry must make room for self publishing! What you need to categorize in order to put out and market your self-published book.

Rich @ Growing Money Smart writes The Power Of Realizing When You are Wrong, and Recovering – If you can master realizing when you are wrong, I think you can grow from it. Even the most intelligent of us make mistakes, but believing you are always right hurts your prospects in life.

Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes Should I Reveal My Net Worth? – Should I Reveal My Net Worth? offers tips on saving money every day.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes 5 Ways to Save Money on Braces – As someone who regularly gets to work with families to plan their finances and prepare for expenses like a child’s college education, I increasingly find m

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Opening Prices for Twitter Shares Announced – After months of speculation the prices have been set for the opening selection of Twitter shares. These have been announced as falling between $17 and $20 each. Many experts have seen this as a smart and cautious move by the social networking site.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Medicare – Turning 65 – Medicare – Turning 65 is a post from: Broke Professionals if you enjoy it, please visit us and subscribe to the Feed.

Dominique Brown @ YourFinancesSimplified writes Don’t Do As They Say? The Hidden Secret to Wealth – looking at all those rich people and wondering why they are rich and you are not. Is there some secret to wealth that these rich people know and use?

Corey @ 20s Finances writes How to Retire With Rental Properties – Many people doubt the power of real estate, but I prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s possible to retire with rental properties.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes My Parents versus Me – I have come to realize, as I was wrapping up my mother’s estate, that my parents probably were not the best money managers.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Salary Guides: a useful tool for employees and employers – Salary guides are useful tools for both emploees and employers; for now these are produced for ‘the professions’.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure – Did you know how easy it is to make extra cash by selling items you no longer use? Simple ways to make this happen.

Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes How to Handle Winning the Lottery or Any Financial Windfall – There are right ways and wrong ways to handle winning the lottery or getting a huge inheritance check. See the steps you should take if you’re the lucky one!

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Person-to-Person Loans – An overview of person-to-person loans which are also known as peer to peer or consumer loans. How they work for both the borrower and lender.

Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes How to Choose the Right Budgeting Software for You – You have a lot of options nowadays when it comes to choosing a budgeting software that can help your family (small or large) make the most of its income. There are free platforms like Mint that track and monitor your … Continue reading →How to Choose the Right Budgeting Software for You is a post from: Suburban Finance.

ETZ25 @ Entertainment Timez writes Thoughts on a Dividend Stream For Entertainment – I hash out my plan of attack for the future dividend stream for entertainment.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How To Survive Office Politics – Everyone in an office environment is most likely to experience office politics in some form or the other.

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes 3 Steps for Maxing Out Your Roth IRA in Record Time – If you hope to one day retire you need to start saving now. And a Roth IRA is a perfect place to stash those retirement savings. The withdrawals you take from your Roth IRA during retirement are tax free since the money you are contributing has already been taxed.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Getting The Job: How to Boost Your Resume – Your resume is the key to unlock the door to opportunity. In order to unlock the door you need the right key.

Lindy @ Minting Nickels writes Online Casino Taboos You Should Break – When in a difficult financial situation, there are some activities that are considered inappropriate – almost a ‘taboo’ – in the eyes of society.

Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes Freebies: 10 Ways to Get Free Stuff Online – Nothing’s better than free! Especially from the convenience of our computers. Read here for tips on where to find online freebies and get some free stuff!

Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes A New Spin On Gift Registries – Shopping With Sarah – Sarah has an inspired idea to share with all the girls (and the guys extra secure in their manliness). See how gift registries can prepare you for life!

Mrs. Accountability @ Out of Debt Again writes Trimming Daily or Impulse Habits – Do you kick off the day with a $2 cup of Joe? Or buy a $5 pack of cigarettes every day? Do you grab a pack of gum at the grocery store…

Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes How to Know if a Bank is Safe – Bank safety is essential. You should only trust you money with a bank or credit union that is insured by the FDIC or NCUA. Learn how to verify deposits.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Quick and Easy House Sales which are Also Cost Effective – In my experience the selling of a property is never a straightforward one, and as time drags on with no completion it starts to cause stress. This is not how it should be, as selling a property should be an exciting time in your life as it means that you are moving to somewhere new.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Essential Steps for Protecting Yourself in a Bankruptcy Proceeding – In this article are the steps to take to protect yourself in a bankruptcy proceeding.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Home Financial Education Tips For Raising Kids – This is a list of 4 ways that I’m teaching my kids how to handle and manage money. So far, it has been very successful.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes The Rough Patch: Loan Alternatives in Tricky Times – Times are tough now – it’s a good idea to look into loan alternatives, so what are your options? Read here for tips on how to find loan alternatives.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Can You Make Money Investing in Life Insurance? – I’ve recently heard quite a bit of chatter from “experts” that whole life insurance should be used as an investment vehicle. We sent our Penny Hoarder team out to investigate….

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes Three simple ways for a business to save money in 2014 – Every other day seems to bring news of a price hike for one essential expense or another, and this means most people are looking to make savings without cutting corners.   Careful budgeting is even more important for a business than it is for household expenditure.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Things To Remember When Setting Up Your Business – There are a few important things to remember when setting up your business. Some of the main ones are listed here to help you get started in setting up your business.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Young Gourd Finance: How to Diversify your Halloween Pumpkin Purchase – More of what your family sees in parking lots and markets is in the orange and green range. Of course, I’m talking about the pumpkin!

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Steps to Get Out of Debt – Getting out of debt is only a matter of a few steps, but that doesn’t make it easy.

Jacob @ AllPersonalFinance writes Building a brand for a small business – taking the right steps – The brand is a concept which defines all the thoughts, images, impressions and, generally, everything people see and hear about your certain product or your company, as a whole.

Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes How Sleeping Well Can Help Your Finances – Sleep is a very important aspect of our lives. Whether or not we have a good night’s sleep can determine our performance at work, our cognitive ability, and even the choices we make about food. Without a good night’s sleep, it’s difficult to focus and to stay motivated.

Tushar Mathur @ Everything Finance writes 5 Secrets of Successful Savers – Are you a saver or a spender? You might think the preference to be a saver or spender is hard wired from the time you’re born, but there are actually seve

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Breaking Into Business When You’re Broke – A guide for helping you get into businesswhen you have no money available to fund your business, including do-it-yourself, work from home, and crowdfunding.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Personal Finance Blogger Hell-Never achieving my financial goals – There is a blog that I read from time to time and have read for the past year or so. Each time I check out a post, I’m hoping and praying that things have begun to turn around for this blogger. They never seem to. About six months ago I began to notice something-they were still at the point where they had started when they had begun writing the blog a number of years ago.

Michael Kitces @ Nerd’s Eye View writes Using I Bonds To Hedge Inflation And Rising Rates In Your Portfolio – Just over 15 years ago, the US Treasury began to offer I Bonds – a unique form of bond that pays interest adjusted each year for inflation. In the face of potential rising inflation, I Bonds may be especially appealing, though, as they provide a principal guarantee that ensures their value will not decline, even if/when/as rates rise!

Michael Kitces @ Nerd’s Eye View writes Using I Bonds To Hedge Inflation And Rising Rates In Your Portfolio – Just over 15 years ago, the US Treasury began to offer I Bonds – a unique form of bond that pays interest adjusted each year for inflation. In the face of potential rising inflation, I Bonds may be especially appealing, though, as they provide a principal guarantee that ensures their value will not decline, even if/when/as rates rise!

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey writes Reverse Mortgage – What Is It And Can It Help You? – What is a reverse mortgage and can it be a good financial tool for you?

Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes Pay your Bills to Save Money? Yes, you can – By implementing these tips you will actually save money while paying your bills and also save yourself quite a bit of time and stress as well.

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes College Life: On-Campus Dorms versus Commuting from Home – Now is the time to go through the pros and cons of each option so you can decide what would work best for you.

Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Your Fuel Economy Cheat Sheet – One of the most important influencing factors for gas mileage is the one that is completely different from automobile to automobile; the driver.

Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Are You Going to be Able to Retire Some Day? – According to financial services company HSBC, almost 20% of all Americans surveyed by them recently believe that they will never be able to retire and will keep working until the day they die.

Matt @ Budget Snob writes Rules to Protect your Passwords from being Hacked – Did you know that almost 75% of Americans have, at one point or another and a life, been the victims of an Internet crime?

Quizzle @ Quizzle Blog writes Credit Life Insurance – Why Term Life Insurance Is Better – Life insurance companies offer many different types of policies and riders for consumers. Credit life insurance, for example, is used to protect and cover loan repayments in case a borrower dies before full repayment. However, a traditional term life insurance offers all the advantages and more, with none of the disadvantages of credit life insurance. Learn why term life insurance is almost always a better form of coverage.

Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes 5 Things You Shouldn’t Look for in Your New Home – One of the most important aspects is to actually find the right house for you, something that can be exceedingly difficult for first-time buyers who do not have the experience of knowing exactly what they want.

Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Airline Fees That Might Actually Be Worth Paying For – While most people are loathe to pay anything extra when traveling by plane, especially considering that it is so darned expensive already, there are actually a few extras that might be worth paying for.

Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Create a 10 Year Plan for your Credit – One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to their credit is that they do not fully consider the future.

Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Five Steps to Help you Understand the Bond Market – One of the hardest things to understand for newcomers to the holy trinity of investing (cash, stocks and bonds) are the basic rules and the relatively intricate nuances that all three hold.

Andrea @ So Over This writes Couponing in College – Some students may grudgingly accept a life of surviving on three hours of sleep, booze, and ramen noodles, but if you are willing to be a little more frugal than your peers, you can live comfortably on the budget of a college student.

Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes The Best Car Price Negotiation Tips – The average person absolutely dreads purchasing a new car for one simple reason; negotiating for the price. Successfully negotiating an excellent price on a new car entails some research, commitment, the right attitude and more than a little bit of patience.

Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Can you Really Go Contract Free with your Smart Phone? – Today there are plenty of options that you can take advantage of once your current phone contract has expired.

Katie @ IRA Basics writes What Happens to Debt When You Die? – Now we do not want to sound morbid but it is a fact of life that none of us are getting any younger and one day we will meet our maker. But what happens if we meet an untimely end while we have still got debts outstanding?

Katie @ IRA Basics writes What Happens to Debt When You Die? – Now we do not want to sound morbid but it is a fact of life that none of us are getting any younger and one day we will meet our maker. But what happens if we meet an untimely end while we have still got debts outstanding?

Sam @ The New Business Blog writes Online Marketing Tips for the Entrepreneur – We put together a list of some excellent online marketing tips that every entrepreneur can use to build client lists, attract visitors to their websites and increase profits.

Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Cheap Places to Travel this Fall – With summer winding to an end, there is no better time to take advantage of cheap travel rates. Hotels, airlines, and other players in the travel industry are feeling the post-Summer slump and are looking for ways to encourage travel. Here are a few venues to explore when looking for some extra savings on your fall travels.

Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes Things You Didn’t Know About Fall Fashion – Are you heading to the mall this fall? Here are some very interesting facts about shopping habits this fall.

Buck @ Buck Inspire writes Missed Opportunities Are Not Losses Or Failures, Baby! – Last week in Las Vegas, I did more than just hotel hopping. Late one night or early one morning, depending on how you look at it, I moseyed up to a blackjack table. Since I am a high roller, the table minimum was five dollars.

Monica @ Monica On Money writes How To Negotiate Lower Prices On Anything – Sometimes asking for lower prices is not that easy and can even be a little intimidating. Keep reading to learn how to negotiate lower prices on anything!

Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Being Unemployed Sucks: What I Learned – For those of you who may not know, I attempted a career in the insurance and financial sales industry…and failed miserably. Although my intentions were good, I hated it.

Barbara Friedberg @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes 3 Simple Tips To Become A Successful Investor – Investing should be like watching grass grow or paint dry. If you want excitement, take $1,000 and go to Las Vegas.

Larry @ KrantCents writes Why No One Cares What You Think about Investment Plan (and How to Stop Being so Freaking Boring) – Extreme retirement is a term used by financial gurus and is a technique used to catch up when you have started saving at a later time in your life.

Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes Having the Poverty Mentality and How it Affects your Finances – It is basically the feeling you get of feeling poor even when your situation dictates otherwise. It is a strange feeling and one that has been causing me some stress lately. I do not know if anyone has ever had this feeling but it can be quite jarring.

Graham @ Moneystepper writes Real wages in the UK – how inflation is impacting your salary – Real wages in the UK – how inflation is impacting your salary

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Adopting Minimalist Principles to Save Money and Live Sustainability – Congratulations! You have just finished paying for a wedding, which means you just spent the equivalent of a home down payment or a year of college on a single day. Now that the wedding’s all taken care of, your major expenses are over, right?

Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Are These 3 Things Preventing You From Becoming Debt Free? – The journey to paying off debt can often be a long one. Depending on the amount of debt you have it could take months, or even years, to pay it back. And, paying off debt comes with its fair share of struggles.

Jason @ The Money Makers writes Healthcare.gov: Is this failure a warning of what’s to come? – The official launch of online registration for government healthcare has been rife with disastrous glitches from the very beginning.

FI Pilgrim @ FI Journey writes Enhance The Flavor Of Your Elephant – Financial independence is a big goal to shoot for, so how do you keep the road fun and interesting? Here are some ideas on how to enjoy your elephant.

Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes Make Your Money Grow Faster: Investing Better vs. Earning More – Whatever your particular financial goals, there is often a desire to find a way to make your money grow faster so that you can meet your goals along the timeline that fits your needs. So what’s the best way to do it? Well, I ran I little experiment comparing two options: investing better and earning more. Let’s find out which one is more effective.

Robert @ The College Investor writes Will ConocoPhillips Pay Off Your Student Loans? – ConocoPhillips is a major holding of not just “any investor,” but of Warren Buffett, considered by many to be the greatest ever. Worth over $50 billion, Buffett has invested heavily in ConocoPhillips through Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A), the holding company that he heads. Up more than 30% for 2013, the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway have been richly rewarded owning the stock of ConocoPhillips. A return like that could do much to pay off a student loan!

Robert @ Entrepreneurship Life writes Entrepreneurial Writers: Writing Good Ledes and Staying Creative – Often when I’m trying to turn out as much work as possible in a short time, I fall back on standard, informational ledes (aka introductory paragraphs or sentences), which can get kind of boring unless your writing standard basic news.

Robert @ Cult Of Money writes 4 Things You Need to Know About Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – Here’s a quick breakdown of the things you need to know about Fannie and Freddie.

JC @ Passive-Income-Pursuit writes 2013 Goals – 3rd Quarter Update – I’m a firm believer in setting measurable goals if you want to make a change in your life, especially when it comes to your finances. Setting goals allows you to see where you stand and lets you develop a plan on how to get to where you want to be. In this post I take a look at how I’ve progressed on my goals for 2013. Lots to like and still some left to achieve.

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes My Retirement Strategy for Tax-Free Income – I am maxing out my 401K, and maximizing tax efficiency of my investments. The goal is to get a tax deduction today, then rollover the money in a Roth IRA when I retire, while paying a lower amount of taxes in the process.

Justin @ Root of Good @ Root of Good writes Be Your Own Insurance Company – Justin at Root of Good explains how to take on a large number of small risks throughout one’s financial life in order to cut out wasteful spending on unnecessary insurance.

Adam @ Money Bulldog writes 4 of the Worst Investments You Could Make – Investments are indeed a big deal to most people, choosing the right ones early on can make a huge difference in your life.

Adam @ Money Rebound writes The Things Lying Around Your House That Are Worth Money – Making easy money by selling the cluttter in your house right now.

Ben Luthi @ The Wealth Gospel writes Retire at 65? Bolshevik! – Waiting until 65 to retire is ridiculous. This post talks about expanding your horizons to see early retirement as a reachable goal

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes Getting a College Scholarship if Your Parents Can’t Pay – As if planning to leave home for the first time weren’t difficult enough, some students on their way to college have to figure out how to pay for it because their parents can’t. These students face another problem, too – a mountain of advice, some of it conflicting and contradictory, about the application process for scholarships.

John @ Frugal Rules writes http://www.frugalrules.com/how-to-start-investing-in-your-20s/ – A common excuse given by those in their 20s as to why they can’t invest is because they can’t afford to. However, there are ways to get started investing when you’re young and doing so will do wonders for your wealth building and giving yourself more time to grow your retirement portfolio.

saverspender @ Save. Spend. Splurge. writes My parents can’t continue to live their expensive lifestyle – My parents can’t continue to live their expensive lifestyle

Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes How Much Do You Need To Have In The Bank To Retire – It’s madness – utter madness. What’s so maddening? Those that understand what they need to do for something to happen the way that they very much want it to, but who are putting very little effort into finding out how they need to go about making it happen.

Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes How To Earn Easy Extra Dollar At Home – Running a business is not that an easy task. You have to think carefully that you will be handling a big responsibility though it is not that a big business. You waited for how many years to earn money and with that; you have to make sure that you will be spending your money in a sure and 100% assurance to earn more and will add an additional extra income.

Pauline @ Modest Money writes Crush Your Debt by Earning More – There is just so much flab that we can cut from our budgets. Earning more on the other hand is almost limitless, quickening our debt crushing process.

Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes Is FlexKom a Scam? – Is FlexKom setting you with success by limiting competition as a typical franchise does or are they just trying to encourage everyone and anyone to pay them money for a business opportunity that may not exist?

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Are You Prepared for an Emergency? – In the event of a much larger quake, it’s safe to say that services may not be available for many days which means we’d need enough supplies to get by for at least one week. Below is a list of items that should be in a convenient location (not buried in the garage):

Adam Kamerer @ Stop Worrying About Money writes 5 Christmas Gift Ideas For Friends and Family Who Struggle With Money – No one likes seeing family or friends struggle under mountains of debt and other financial woes. It is even worse when Christmas rolls around.

Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes From having £12 and a suit to buying a property in 6 months! – Ben Edgson, the owner of workfromhomeblog.net shared his experience from having £12 and a suit to buying a property in 6 months!

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes Managing a rental property from the distance – Do you own a rental property? Here are a few tips to keep your cool while managing your rental.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How to Exercise Your Brain – Most people have some idea about how to go about exercising their bodies but when asked about how to exercise your brain, they can be stumped. So, here are some great ideas to get that grey matter alert and functioning well.

Michelle @ Diversified Finances writes How To Become A Full-Time Freelancer Part 1 – Now that I have finally switched to full-time freelancing, I have received many e-mails from others asking how they too can freelance full-time.

Jon @ Novel Investor writes 401k Plan: The Definitive Guide – Everything you need to know about a 401k plan, the rules and limits, so you can take full advantage of this employer provided retirement tool.

Anton Ivanov @ Dreams Cash True writes Jemstep Review – A Leading Online Portfolio Manager – My Jemstep review looks at how this leading online portfolio manager service can help you create and maintain a great retirement portfolio.

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Tic Toc That’s The Sound Of Your Debt Clock – Debt isn’t all bad but recognizing that any money owed is debt and it’s a debt that needs to be paid back.

Edgar @ Degrees and Debt @ Degrees and Debt writes Jobs for college students on and off campus – The best jobs you can have while working your way through college, both on campus and off campus

Vanessa @ Vanessa’s Money writes The Great TFSA/IRA vs RRSP/401(k) Debate – I answer, once and for all, the great debate over which retirement vehicle is right for you!

Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes Optionshouse Review – Optionshouse has some dynamite pricing as an online brokerage, but the service is far from perfect. Come check out all the details in my review.

Vanessa @ Cash Cow Couple writes 25 Ways To Save Money on Groceries – Read this post if you want to dominate your monthly grocery bill.

Jefferson @ See Debt Run writes Why We Have Eight Different Savings Accounts And Are Considering Opening More – Savings accounts can serve as envelopes for you to hold your money when looking to meet your long term goals.

Image courtesy of oana roxana birtea / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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