Canadian Personal Finance Blog

Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #128

To end this week, I host the Carnival of Financial Planning, which is edited by the Skilled Investor, hope you enjoy these interesting posts.

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

Welcome to the February 12, 2010 Edition #128 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

Happy Valentine’s Day (Big Cajun Man, Host)

Budgeting

Darwin presents How Much Could You Reduce Your Budget if You Get Laid Off? posted at Darwin’s Finance, saying, “In this economy, it’s important to perform an analysis of how much you could immediately cut from the family budget in the event of a layoff. We could cut over $1,000. How about you?”

Super Saver presents Living on a Cash Basis was a Good Experience posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “Living on a cash basis quickly taught me financial responsibility.”

Joe Plemon presents Budgeting Without Bean Counting…5 Great Tips posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Making a budget isn’t the problem; keeping it is. This post gives common sense hints on how to keep a budget for the long term.”

Four Pillars presents The Low Down on Zero Down Payment On A House posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, “Why it is not essential to have a large down payment for your house.”

SVB presents Money Management Software For The Desktop: YNAB 3 Review posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “We discuss a top notch budgeting tool.”

Estate Planning

Jeff Rose presents Inheriting Retirement Assets: What You Need to Know posted at Jeff Rose.

The Financial Blogger presents Estate Planning: 5 Reasons Why You Should Have A Professional Among Your Liquidators posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, “managing an estate is more complicated than simply writing a few checks! Fortunately, for those who can afford it, you can name a professional among your liquidators.”

Financial Planning

FMF presents The Two Financial Measures that Determine the Health of Your Finances (AKA Two Financial Measures to Track Your Finances) posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “The two financial measures you need to grow and track.”

Consumer Boomer presents Roth IRA Withdrawal Rules, Options, and Penalties posted a Consumer Boomer.

Roshawn Watson presents Thoughts on Escaping The Rat Race posted at Watson Inc, saying, “Do you yearn to be free…really free? What would you do if money was not a big limitation? Perhaps the primary reason for increasing your financial literacy is so you may indeed escape the rat race.”

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.”

Jeff Rose presents Unforeseen Consequences of the Roth IRA Conversion posted at Jeff Rose.

Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog presents Consider Your House And Career When Deciding Your Portfolio Diversification posted at The Canadian Finance Blog,
saying, “You have heard about the importance of a diversified portfolio to reduce the volatility. What many don’t consider is how their house and career could effect the diversification of their investments.”

Susan Saverton presents Investor Asset Allocation posted at Financial Planning Pasadena,
saying, “Set your personal investment asset allocation according to your personal tolerance for investment risk. Allocated percentages to asset classes would tend to slowly change with the years, and thus it is key to
decide correctly from the beginning.”

The Man of the Hour Big Cajun Man presents Personal Finance Resolutions for the New Year? posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Are Financial New Years resolutions a good idea? Yes, but make them achievable, don’t try to boil the ocean, just take small steps!”

Jeff Rose presents How to Choose The Best Financial Advisor/Planner for You posted at Jeff Rose.

Lakita presents How are the New Year Resolutions Coming? posted at Personal Finance Journey, saying, “Many of us start the year with new year resolutions that fall into the finance category. Like most resolutions, they are quickly
forgotten. Are you still in line with your resolutions? What steps are you taking to ensure you’ll meet your goals?”

Jasmine Hall presents 100 Important Personal Finance Posts for Women posted at Accounting Degree.com.

FMF presents Problems with Traditional Financial Planning posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “What’s wrong with much financial planning these days.”

Financing a Home

James Staine presents What is up with the new Good Faith Estimate? posted at Oregon Mortgage Blog, saying, “Visit the Oregon Mortgage Blog to know about the current trends concerning the good faith estimate.”

Roshawn Watson presents Is Bigger Better? Scaling Down The American Dream posted at Watson Inc,
saying, “Today’s post-crash buyers are not willing (nor able in some cases) to extend themselves like before, and the impact on the housing market is substantial.”

Alex Fotopoulos presents When to Refinance a Mortgage? posted at My Trader’s Journal, saying, “Some key points to consider when refinancing your home.”

Super Saver presents Why We Chose a 30 Year Mortgage posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “A 30 year mortgage provided more flexibility in payments than a 15 year mortgage, which benefited us during the financial crisis of 08/09.”

Financing Education

Praveen presents Will
Education Follow the Housing Bust? posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, “Tips for students to avoid excessive loans and debt”

Mike presents Is Law School Worth The Cost? posted at The Frugal Law Student, saying, “With the soaring cost of law school tuition, does it still make sense to go to law school?”

Health Care

Zach Scheidt presents Wound Care Technology Offers Growing Profits posted at ZachStocks,
saying, “Kinetic Concepts has a unique wound care treatment which is patent protected. With a stable revenue base and increasing global footprint, the company should see its stock price rise rapidly in the coming months.”

Patrick @ Military Money presents Open
Enrollment Window Open for Some posted at Military Finance Network,
saying, “Open enrollment is the only time of the year that many people are able to make changes to their health insurance elections. Make sure you take advantage of this time to select the best health care option for your needs.”

Income

Dividend Tree presents Three
Companies with Sustainable Dividends posted at Dividend Tree,
saying, “Even in soft economic environment, there are companies out there that are continuing to increase dividends for their shareholders. While dividend increase is good, it is more critical to make sure we
understand that companies can sustain their dividends.”

Lisa Taylor presents 100 Best Twitter Feeds to Follow for International Business posted at Online Degree.

Investing

RJ Weiss presents The Dangers of Market Timing posted at Genyweath.com, saying, “This article looks at the dangers of trying to time the market. Is it worth the risk?”

Dividend Growth Investor presents Universal Corporation (UVV) Dividend Stock Analysis posted at Dividend Growth Investor, saying, “Overall Universal Corporation does appear to be attractively valued, trading at a P/E of 9, yielding 3.90% and having an adequately covered dividend. The main problem for the company is the slow earnings
growth, and concentration in the tobacco industry, which comes with its own inherent risks.”

Intelligent Speculator presents New leveraged ETF’s to suffer from less erosion? posted at Intelligent Speculator,
saying, “volatility can have an important impact on the return of the ETF and as time goes by, the return will not be correlated as much with the underlying index it is intended to track.”

Jeff Rose presents How Much Does it Take to Open/Start a Roth IRA? posted at Jeff Rose.

ABC presents What Are Money Market Mutual Funds posted at ABCs of Investing, saying, “A brief explanation of money market mutual funds.”

GLBL presents Investing Baby Steps #1: Know Who You Are posted at Gather Little By Little,
saying, “So the very first step before starting to invest is to determine your investor profile. I would suggest you meet a financial advisor so he can help you understand the questions and provide additional information regarding the market.”

Zach Scheidt presents Salesforce.com Shocks Market With Debt Offering posted at ZachStocks,
saying, “Salesforce.com (CRM) is issuing $500 million dollars in convertible notes. The dilution to shareholders could drive the stock down and with CRM’s lofty multiple, the risk looks to be very high.”

Alan Johnson presents Market Timing Manipulation posted at The Reasoned Investor.

jim presents The S&P500 Dividend Aristocrats posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

The Skilled Investor presents Best Investment Strategy posted at Personal Finance Investments,
saying, “Investment costs which are clearly measured, like fees deducted on your monthly investment
statement. Most investors are no aware of opportunity costs that arise from sub-optimal investing practices. Opportunity costs like these are much greater than more costs and  investment fees that show up on their
statements.”

Alex Fotopoulos presents Gold Chart (GLD) ? More Room to Fall posted at Chart Analysis, saying, “Alex posted a chart of the Gold ETF, GLD, this week and shows how much farther it could fall before finding support.”

Zach Scheidt presents 2010 ZachStocks Recommendations posted at ZachStocks, saying, “2010 should offer investors both opportunity and risk. Here are four investments which should generate healthy gains in the coming
year.”

Tushar Mathur
presents Can’t Control the Markets? Try controlling the Costs posted at Everything Finance, saying, “As 2008 proved, 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 that many mutual funds posted in 2008 and at the outset of 2009 may have left you feeling concerned over your financial future. You’re not alone.”

Praveen presents Just Bought Hyatt Hotels (H) posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, “About Hyatt’s recent IPO and why its a good stock.

Larry Russell presents  No Load Stock Funds posted at Best No Load Mutual Funds, saying, “Don’t bother to frantically move your assets from one mutual fund to another or from one ETF to another. Investment research has
repeatedly showing academic studies that performance chasing is a bad strategy the most ofter will yield inferior returns.”

Jules Wells presents Simple Personal Investments posted at Personal Finance Software,
saying, “Investing often seems almost unfathomly complex, however your best investment strategy will tend to be a simple and straightforward investing strategy.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Zecco Review: Want Free Online Trading? posted at The Digerati Life,

Intelligent Speculator presents Yahoo (YHOO)…the next AOL(AOL)? posted at Intelligent Speculator,
saying, “Then, think of Yahoo Finance, which used to be the ultimate financial resource. It was a great property to generate advertising revenues and seemed far ahead of any competitors. But look at the website from a few years ago and you will hardly notice any improvements in today’s version.”

Sun presents Fidelity Reduces Trading Commission and Offers Commission-Free iShare ETFs posted at The Sun’s Financial Diary.

Hoven Keith presents Ultimate Guide To Biotech ETFs posted at ETFdb, saying, “ETF investors looking to gain exposure to the biotech sector have a number of options to consider–five to be exact. While there are
some similarities between these funds, there are also some significant differences that result in unique risk and return profiles and diverging returns. In this article, we profile each of the ETF options, highlighting the pros and cons of each.”

MoneyEnergy presents What Are Stock Certificates Still Good For? posted at MoneyEnergy,
saying, “Stock certificates are definitely on the way out, but there are still a few important cases in which you’ll need and/or want to have them.”

Super Saver presents Schwab ETFs – Commission Free for Schwab Clients posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “It’s now cost effective to purchase as little as one share, since there is no commission charge.”

Mike Piper presents What Can Past Performance Tell Us? posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, “A look at what we can–and can’t–learn from looking at a fund’s past performance.”

Tomas Escent presents Automated Ivestment Trading posted at Nerds on Wall Street,
saying, “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Wired Markets. In this funny financial book, there are no robots parking your
car millions of times, however, right now in milliseconds robots trade millions of shares.”

Frank Vertin presents Stock Index Funds posted at S&P 500 Funds,
saying, “When you buy an S & P 500 index mutual fund through a broker or investment advisor you can increase substantially your purchasing costs, while you drive up your recurring annual expenses through asset management and other fees. Financial advisors most often will not recommend to buy index mutual funds with very low fees.No
load, low cost index mutual funds don’t pay financial brokers and advisors nearly as well as front loaded, high fee, active mutual funds.”

Dividends4Life presents 16 Dividend Stocks Aspiring To Be A Champion posted at Dividends Value,
saying, “There are winners and there are champions in every walk of life. The difference is subtle, but very real. A champion is driven for success and will not let anything stand in its way. Some dividend stocks can be classified as champions.”

Mike Piper presents Index Funds vs. Active Mutual Funds posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, “The actively managed mutual fund industry has a compelling sales pitch. The problem? It’s not really true.”

FMF presents Anyone Buy Physical Assets? posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “A lively discussion on the pros and cons associated with investing in gold, silver, land, and the like.”

healthylivinggal presents Solar ETFs: Bright Future Or Headed For A Burnout? posted at ETFdb.

Managing Debt

Joel Ohman presents Want a Retail Credit Card? You Better Make Enough Money… posted at Credit Card Chaser, saying, “Looking to apply for a retail credit card? Things just got a little harder…”

Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents Comparing Debt Consolidation, Debt Management and Debt Settlement posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “There are three main types of debt relief agencies, those that deal in debt consolidation, debt management and debt settlement. This article covers what you need to know about all three.”

GLBL presents Which debt do you hate the most? posted at Gather Little By Little, saying, “Do you know the debt that bothers me the most? It is our car loan. We still owe around $11,000 and we are paying right around 9% in
interest.”

Our Astounding Host presents Do You Have a Financial GPS? posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Do you need a financial GPS?”

The Smarter Wallet presents Do Debt Consolidation Programs Work? Reviewing Debt Consolidation Care posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, “On debt management and debt consolidation.”

The Dough Roller presents List of Free Prepaid Credit Cards posted at The Dough Roller.

David presents Low Interest Credit Cards posted at Credit Card Offers IQ.

Keith Morris presents 2010 Financial Planning: Check Your Credit Report posted at LifeTuner,
saying, “If 2010 is the year you have vowed to get your financial house in order, a great place to start is with your credit report.”

Miscellaneous

Joe Plemon presents Tax Refund? How You Should Use It and Why You Should Lose It posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, “Everyone getting a tax refund needs to plan what to do with the money before getting their hands on it. Better yet, plan not to get a tax refund next year.”

MoneyNing presents No One Became Wealthy Worrying for Others posted at Money Ning, saying, “No one knows everyone else’s situation so why try to worry about their finances?”

Frank Knight presents Prevent Identity Theft posted at Best Personal Finance Software, saying, “You need to be proactive and take easy steps to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft. Identity theft is increasing
dramatically and it takes a huge amount of time to clean up the mess once you get hit with identity theft.”

The Smarter Wallet presents Check Your Credit Score From Credit Reporting Agencies posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, “How you can check your credit score.”

Susan Saverton presents Personal Financial Plan posted at Family Finance Planning,saying, “You need a system that is efficient with respect to your time and your costs, when to develop, implement, and track a personal investment plan.”

Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents How to Get Your Free FICO Credit Score posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “Tips on how to get a free copy of your FICO Credit Score, and how to avoid getting charged without your knowledge.”

nissim ziv presents Career Transitions: What Are Your Mental Resources? posted at Job Interview Guide,
saying, “Career transition sounds promising to those who feel that their current career doesn’t seem to fulfill their desires – their career aspirations. Though many people decide making a career transition, not so many can
make it.”

Retirement Planning

ABC presents Roth IRA Contribution Limits For 2010 posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, “2010 Roth IRA contribution limits.”

Stock Mutual Funds presents Top Stock Mutual Funds posted at Low Cost Index Funds, saying, “This article discusses the 10 ten very low cost stock index mutual funds that track the Standard and Poors 500 large capitalization
stock index.”

Frank Knight presents Roth IRA Accounts posted at Financial Planning Software,
saying, “One of the most complex personal financial decisions is whether to invest in a Roth IRA or Roth 401k versus their traditional retirement account alternatives. For most people, Roth accounts do not
make sense financially. For a minority, they are a good deal, but you need sophisticated financial planner software to do the analysis for yourself.”

Risk Management and Insurance

Consumer Boomer presents Should You Annuitize with an Immediate Annuity? posted at Consumer Boomer.

Jeff Rose presents How to Buy Affordable Term Life Insurance posted at Jeff Rose.

Rysterlin presents Beneficiaries Unclaimed Life Insurance Policies posted at Florida’s Insurance Blog – Locals Helping Locals Understand Risk, saying, “It is a sad and painful experience losing a loved one. What if
there is Life insurance floating around somewhere that will help ease some of the burden?”

Savings

Ray @ Financial Highway presents Frugal Valentines Day Gift Ideas posted at Financial Highway, saying, “Valentines day does not have to break you bank, here are some fun and frugal ideas to celebrate valentines day.”

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

Taxes

FMF presents Two Tax Credits that Could Save You a Bundle posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “Two tax credits that could save you a good amount if you qualify.”

Peak Personal Finance presents Tax Time: Home Related Tax Breaks posted at Peak Personal Finance, saying, “Don’t overlook these tax benefits of home ownership.”

Consumer Boomer presents 2010 Tax Law Changes posted at Consumer Boomer.

jim presents How Does the IRS Pick Tax Returns to Audit? posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents How to Organize Your Tax Documents posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “Tips on how to manage your tax documents to make it quicker and easier to fill out and file your taxes.”

Matt Jabs presents Turbotax – Prepare Taxes Online – Free eFile posted at Debt Free Adventure!, saying, “A personal review of TurboTax Online to let readers know how I file my taxes and which software I trust for my own returns. Included is a brief history of how I have filed my taxes over the years and what I use now.”

jim presents How to Report Tax Fraud & Tax Cheats posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

FIRE Getters presents Taxes – Donating An Old Car May Not Be Deductible posted at FIRE Finance.

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.

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