Welcome to this post-Christmas Carnival of Financial Planning. This is where you can find the best articles in personal finance, saving, budgeting, investing, and more!
Check out the articles below if you want to know what’s going on in the finance world this week!
BUDGETING AND ECONOMICS
CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Business Blues: What Not To Do When Starting a Business – Many people have dreamed of owning their own business, but it’s easy to fail. Here are a few things that should not be done when starting a new business.
Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes How to stay inspired as a freelance writer – Are you a freelance writer? Do you think you have trouble in writing sometimes? Here are some good tips on how do you keep things fresh as a freelance writer.
Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes How I Cashed in 162,000 Points For a Free Hawaiian Vacation – Some people probably think I’m crazy for holding 22 credit cards in my wallet but I have a good reason for doing so. Ok, I don’t really have them all in my wallet, I keep them in a little box in my drawer but you get the point. The reason that I love signing up for credit cards though is because of the amazing tax-free sign up bonuses.
May @ Messy Money writes Do You Have a Dysfunctional Relationship with Money? – I have always wondered why my siblings and I have such different approaches, attitudes and dysfunctions where money is concerned. We were all born to the same parents and lived in the same household, so why are we so different? I suspect that birth order, gender and individual differences have played a role, but I am not convinced that is the whole story.
Lisa Park @ Secrets 2 Save writes My secrets to save on a vacation – Travel can be very expensive, especially when you are going with your family and if your family is big. I know I have been there. But travel is so much fun and I want to do it so often. In this article I share with you some of the best tips I have gathered over a period of time by travelling on a budget. If you also have some tips, I would love to hear them
saverspender @ Save. Spend. Splurge. writes What it costs to buy a home versus renting one – What it costs to buy a home versus renting one
Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Popular Mechanics magazine puts the smack down on fuel saving gadgets – Popular Mechanics is one of the best magazines on the market for not only learning about new gadgets and gizmos but also getting the lowdown on what works and, more importantly, what does not.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes If you haven’t started thinking about your year-end finances, now’s the time to get started – As we move towards the end of the year it is definitely time to start thinking about your year-end financial planning. Things like taxes, open enrollment options at work and reassessing your overall financial plan should be done before January.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Practically Guarantee a Loan Application Approval with These 5 Steps – Getting your loan approved is not as easy as it used to be. Lenders across the UK, and the world, have become much more strict since the financial crisis, and loan applicants must work harder than ever before if they want their loan application to be approved.
Katie @ IRA Basics writes Benefits of a Budget – Budget. It is a dreaded word, not one that instills ideas of grandeur and immense fun. It is also a word that’s often neglected, an idea that most of us would rather not think about.
Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes How to spot a good mortgage broker from a bad one – How can you decide if a mortgage broker is a good one or a bad one? The best way is to learn the answers to these questions.
Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes Where’s the Best Place to Store Your Emergency Funds? – One of the most commonly heard rules of thumb in the financial world is that every person should keep at least 6 to 12 months worth of expenses in an “emergency fund.”
Monica @ Monica On Money writes Which Flooring Is the Best Financial Decision? – It is time for new flooring. What is best? Hardwood, Tile, or Carpet?
Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes Finding Ways NOT to Worry about Money – I have been on a mission to try and redefine myself again. I know that seems cliche but since things changed a few months ago, I have been trying to decide what would make me feel really happy at this time while finding what I want to do.
Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes 5 Common Options for Getting Out of Debt – There is no one size fits all for debt pay off. If you are just starting out on your debt pay off journey here are some common options for getting out of debt.
Jason @ The Money Makers writes Olivia Wilde is Having a Baby: What are the first-month expenses? – Olivia Wilde recently announced her pregnancy with fiance Jason Sudeikis as she is due with her first child in the coming year. Although the couple have declined to reveal their due date, they likely are expecting to set aside a budget for their baby, even with their high incomes.
Kathleen @ Frugal Portland writes My ideal working situation – What does a workday look like in an ideal world? My ideal working situation turns out to be not so far from my real life.
Adam @ Money Rebound writes Who Are the Richest People in History? – Meet some of the wealthiest people whom have ever walked the face of the earth.
GenY @ Gen Y Finances writes Do you want to help the world but can’t give money? – This is a personal finance blog where we can be real about money. Even though you are on a budget, it does not mean that you can’t help others. You may not be able to financially help others, but you can help them in other days, which usually go a lot further.
CAREER AND INCOME
SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Budgeting in Your Happiness – Don’t let the rigidness of budgeting get you down! It can be fun, we promise. Use these tips to include some enjoyment into your financial plan.
Nicole @ How to Avoid a Cashtastrophe writes Mixed Money Emotions – Do you have mixed money emotions? I think a lot of people do. Personally, I have an internal struggle with money on and off all the time.
Ben Luthi @ The Wealth Gospel writes My Love Hate Relationship With Sports – I used to love sports, but as I’ve started to think about what I want in life, I’ve realized how much of a waste of time and money they are
Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Body Language in the Workplace – What do you think about body language in the workplace? Read this post to find out what Mitchell Pauly thinks.
Michelle @ Diversified Finances writes Should You Hire a Virtual Assistant? – In the past few weeks, I have had three people specifically ask me whether or not they should hire help for their business. Two were fellow bloggers in the personal finance niche, and one was a client that I recently had a meeting with.
Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes Free Ways To Make Money Online – Most of the new comers who want to start online work didn’t know much about job and most of them also have no resources to spend and start their work. So people want to start their work for free and earn sufficient money. So some of the ways to start and earn income without spending money initially are as fallows.
DEBT AND CREDIT
Mrs. Accountability @ Out of Debt Again writes Should Students Get a Credit Card for University? – We hope students learn a financial eduction by the time they get to college, so it begs to question if a student should get a credit card for university?
Taylor @ Motive Finance writes Is it Possible to Buy a Car with No Down Payment? – No one likes to plunk a load of hard-earned cash at one time, especially for something like a down payment that doesn’t seem to offer much in the way of a benefit. However, you might be surprised how important a down payment is to you, not just the dealer, when you’re buying a car.
Stu @ Poor Student writes Creating a Plan to Pay Back Your Student Loans – When you leave college you might find that the good times feel like you left them behind. The one thing you didn’t leave behind? Your student loans. You need a plan to tackle them as soon as you are done college, otherwise you’ll be drowning in debt for years to come.
INVESTING AND SAVING
Jacob @ AllPersonalFinance writes Money Saving Lessons You Must Know – The earlier you actually start to save, the better for your personal finances. There are a few lucky ones taught and raised in ways that they learn the value of saving money at an early age but for the rest of us, saving has become a struggle. Credit cards also tend to encourage and cultivate.
Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes Cheap or Free Ways to Get Together With Friends – There’s nothing like catching up with friends to boost your mood, especially with ones that you haven’t seen in some time. It tends to be a knee-jerk reaction when it comes to meeting with friends to suggest a meal.
Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Money and Children: How to Say No to the Gimmes and I Wants – Are “gimme!” and “I want” too familiar? Children like toys, but you can’t buy them all. Here are steps you can take to avoid buying all your children want.
Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes 5 Ways To Save Money On Groceries This Christmas Season – Is your grocery budget busting at the seams this holiday season? Here are 5 ways to save money on groceries all year long.
Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Making Realistic Financial Resolutions – Read how we should all be making realistic financial resolutions. Why create a defeating situation where you are bound to disappoint.
Tushar Mathur @ Everything Finance writes 3 Ways to Get Your Financial House in Order for 2014 – If you’ve already crossed off “lose weight” from your New Year’s Resolution and are looking more toward finally getting control of your finances, then you’
Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Financial Abuse: Keeping Track of Your Elderly’s Financial Well-Being – Financial abuse is one of the fastest growing crimes. Unfortunately, your elderly are common targets. Read here to learn how to prevent this abuse.
Don @ Money Reasons writes Tick, Tick, Boom: Insuring the Most Explosive Jobs – Do you need job insurance, is your job dangerous? Don’t you think it might be a consideration that you should take heed of?
Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes How to Save Money When You’re Living Paycheck to Paycheck – I know… I know… For a lot of our readers, the thought of saving money when you’re living paycheck to paycheck is a joke.
IMB @ Investing Money writes Investing in Water – We need water to live, our bodies are 70% water. Without water we die. What else is water important for? Well, just about everything.
Hank @ Money Q&A writes Five Tips For Frugal Living To Live Comfortably – Here are five tips on living a frugal life, frugal living, and pinching the most amount of pennies possible. You can save quite a bit of money, enjoy frugal living, and still live a comfortable life.
Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Intermediatae-Term Bonds – When interest rates are uncertain, an intermediate-term bond can be a balanced solution for investors.
Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes Why your mindset is more important than strategies when reaching financial independence – This is a guest post from Simon Cave. When people try to reach financial independence they tend to overlook strategies. Strategy only represents 20% of your outcome while mindset is 80% part of your success.
Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes Finding a Job That Allows You to be Mobile – “My recent vacation to Hawaii reinforced two things: I love to travel and I really enjoy what I do working online. 90% of my 5 day trip was spent doing normal Hawaii stuff: hiking, visiting local landmarks and relaxing. But the other 10% of the time, I was busy responding to comments on my blog, dealing with advertisers and working on new articles. ”
Dee @ Color Me Frugal writes 8 Ways to Save Money in the Shower – Start your day right- save money in the shower! Discover 8 innovative ways to save water, money, time, and natural resources.
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes Want to make smarter money decisions? Use these tips from Economist Noreena Hertz – Noreena Hertz advises people in power, including presidents, prime ministers and CEOs, about international debt and globalization. She also wants to help people like you and I make better financial decisions.
Chad @ The Stock Market and I writes Too Much Diversification? – Individual investors are getting a new investment group to utilize for an added level of diversification. The problem is: you might not want to use it. Alternative investments are making their way into mainstream with some notable changes catered to the smaller investor. They are meant to imitate the much more complex investments of hedge funds
John @ Frugal Rules writes Betterment Review: A New Investing Option to Consider – Investing in the stock market is vital to building wealth and with the variety of options available of where to invest it can be confusing. Choosing a good brokerage that has good offering and low fees can be a great way to help grow your retirement portfolio and get your investing on the right foot.
RISK MANAGEMENT AND INSURANCE
Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes When Whole Life Insurance Actually Makes Sense – Most people believe term life insurance is a better option than whole life insurance. But there are times when it makes sense to buy whole life insurance.
REAL ESTATE AND PROPERTY
Dominique Brown @ YourFinancesSimplified writes 5 Tricks Retailers Use to Make You Overspend – We overspend because we don’t know the tricks retailers employ to cajole us into buying more than we need or things we don’t need at all!
Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes Roth 401K versus Traditional 401K – I was able to increase my deduction number. This has enabled me to increase my retirement plan contributions. Roth 401K versus Traditional 401K.
Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes It Will Probably Be Forever Until We Buy a House – Buying a house is one of those complicated, awesome, and scary life events that I love thinking about.
RETIREMENT AND TAXATION
Justin @ Root of Good writes Running Out Of Money In Early Retirement – Depleting all your assets during early retirement is a common fear for those seeking financial independence. Here are five reasons why it’s unlikely you’ll run out of money and four tips to avoid depleting your investment portfolio in early retirement.
Which article was your favorite last week?
Carnival of Financial Planning Christmas 2013 is a post from: The College Investor. Please check out the site at http://thecollegeinvestor.com or follow him on Twitter @CollegeInvestin. Thanks!