Happy Monday everyone! Welcome to the Ben Franklin edition of the Carnival of Retirement! There’s a lot of great writing and advice in this week’s selection, so bookmark this page and check back whenever you have more time available.
Moneycone @ Money Cone writes How this toolset became my best home improvement tool! – I want to share my joy on this low cost toolkit that has saved me numerous times! I usually don’t give tool tips, but check this out!
CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes 10 Jobs Requiring No Experience and How to Get Them – In today’s world landing a job has become more difficult. Not to fear – there are plenty of jobs requiring little to no experience! Read here for our list.
Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes 4 Cheap Ways to Lose Weight – Today I will be talking about four cheap ways to lose weight. With the New Year just around the corner, chances are you’ve been making that New Year’s Resolution list and have added lose weight to the top of the list.
Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Car Theft Prevention Tips – Few situations in life are more stressful and shocking than discovering that your car has been stolen. Not only is it emotionally taxing, it can be a real financial hassle to file insurance claims, pay deductibles, and shop for a new car. As a car owner it’s important to take proper precautions to minimize the risk of car theft.
Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes Post Christmas Sales: Is it a Saving Strategy – Simple easy ways that work to save money for next Christmas by shopping now!
IMB @ Investing Money writes The Contrarian Investor – Contrarian investors follow the premise that “consensus” opinion may be wrong and invest differently. Read to learn about contrarian investors.
Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes How To Turn Your House Into A Rental (And Get Higher Rents!) – Are you interested to learn how to turn your house into a rental? Maybe you are underwater and selling doesn’t make sense so you want to become a landlord?
Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes Surface 2 – The Best Buy With Mike – Mike has left Apple behind and is the proud owner of the Surface 2 tablet. He tells us a little about the switch. Wonder what he will do with his old iPad…
Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes How to Have an Indoor Garage Sale – How to have an indoor garage sale in the winter months and make money from it!
Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes Advice I Don’t Follow – As we start out a new year, I want to take an opportunity to mind-dump some money ideas that I’ve been having, and also confess about some advice I gave you that I don’t follow.
SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Your Financial Goal for 2014 – 2014 is coming up fast! Time to examine your year in spending and saving – and establishing goals for 2014, while you’re at it.
Corey @ 20s Finances writes My 2014 Financial Goals – 2013 was a year of change and progress for me and my wife. When I sat down to calculate the our net worth, I found that we were short of our ambitious 50% increase YTD goal, but not by much.
Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes 6 Things to Do with Your Money (If You Aren’t Already) – Here’s a short guide to things you should do with your money, including investing, saving, paying down debt, earning more money, and getting insurance.
Lindy @ Minting Nickels writes Controlling Your Finances More Effectively In The New Year – New Year is a time when most of us cast an eye to the future, after reflecting on the past.
Hank @ Money Q&A writes What’s Your New Year’s Resolution This Year? – The most popular New Years Resolutions are getting out of debt and losing weight. But, are we missing another important New Years Resolution?
Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Is Having Courtesy Overdraft Protection Worth It? – There are times when bounced charges occur due to overdraft mistakes. Some banks offer courtesy overdraft protection – but is it worth it? Read here.
Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes 5 Weird Ways to Make Extra Cash with Your Home – When it comes to making extra money I’m a huge fan of squeezing cash out of things you already do or already own. One of the most underutilized resources many of us have is our home. Our house doesn’t have to just be a place we live, but it can also be a cash generator.
Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes How to Take Advantage of What Your Community Has to Offer – Living in a community is a wonderful experience. To live to the fullest it is important to learn how to take advantage of what your community has to offer.
Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes How to Easily Save More Money This Year – We are almost one week into the New Year and I know that many of you have set goals to save more money this year. Luckily, if you are willing to make some minor revisions to your current financial situation you can do just that.
Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes 6 Money Moves You Should Always Seek Advice Before Making – Throughout a person’s life, there will be many difficult financial decisions that need to be made. Since making poor decisions can be very costly, receiving advice before making certain money moves would be a great option. There are six money moves in which you should always seek financial advice before making.
Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Do One Thing for a Healthier You – Starting a new year, why not do this one thing for a healthier you!
Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Was It Crazy to Buy These Bonds When I Did? – An example of bucking the usual Wall Street chorus of don’t-touch-a-long-term-bond-with-a-100-foot-pole.
Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Back on the Weight Watchers Online Wagon – I like to eat. And I really like to eat during the holidays.
Maria @ The Money Principle writes Choosing Your Trading Style – To be a successful tader one needs to find a trading style that suits him/her.
Cindy @ MidLife Finance writes Simple Ways To Start Now – And Get Ahead In 2014 – Try one or more of these basic tasks, and you’ll have a headstart on making 2014 an even better year than before.
Don @ Money Reasons writes Disappointing 2013 Stock Portfolio Performance But Promising New Start – Read about my disappointing 2013 stock performance, and what I did wrong and also what I got right.
Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes How to Invest in Dividend Stocks for as Little as $10 – Dividend stocks are an important part of an investment portfolio. Start investing in dividend stocks with Direct Stock Purchase Plans, partial shares, etc.
Dominique Brown @ YourFinancesSimplified writes Target’s Credit Card Debacle: How Concerned Should You Be? – either Target’s point of sale terminals (the gizmos the cashier uses to swipe credit cards) were hacked or the information was intercepted…
Minimalist @ Minimalist Finance writes 3 Places to Invest Your Money in 2014 – 3 Places to Invest Your Money in 2014 has been published on Minimalist FinanceMany people, as part of their New Years resolution, vow to invest more in 2014.
JP @ My Family Finances writes Small Business ‘To Do’ List for 2014 – Growing your small business should maximize money and time. Owners must also consider the impact of expansion on liability and taxes, among other factors.
Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes The Truth About Buying a Home After a Short Sale or Foreclosure – If you lost a home to a short sale or foreclosure in the past, you may be curious to know how that affects your chances of purchasing a home in the future.
Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Are IPOs Worth Investing In? (Or, Things You Should Know About IPOs) – IPOs – otherwise known in long form as initial public offerings – have really hit the headlines in recent times. The ill fated Facebook launch is well known by many, along with the far more successful Twitter IPO of recent times.
Tushar Mathur @ Everything Finance writes 4 Things I Want To Accomplish in 2014 – It’s always fun to set some goals when the new year is off to a fresh start, so here’s what I want to accomplish in 2014.
Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes What If You Were Down 27%? – The Dow Jones industrial average (DJIA) rose 72.37 points, or 0.4%, to 16,576.66 on the last trading day of 2013.
Mario @ Debt BLAG writes Should I move my emergency fund to Bitcoin? – I briefly introduce what Bitcoin is, ask whether it makes sense to keep my rainy day fund in Bitcoin, and decide that no, it does not.
Daisy @ When Life Give You Lemons writes How to Pick the Brain of Successful People – Learning from successful people is a great way to expand your own knowledge and level of success. Learn some tips from When Life Gives You Lemons about picking the brain of sucessful people.
Daisy @ Suburban Finance writes 4 Easy Ways to Make Passive Income 2014 – There are many ways of making passive income, but coming up with passive income ideas can be difficult, because there are mental blocks to earning passively. I’m giving you four easy and fun ways to make passive income in 2014
Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes How to Start Saving Money (Even if you’re always broke) – Each month our debt was growing, so how could I save 10% of nothing or $50 we didn’t have? I couldn’t, so I had to come up with another solution to be able to save money even though we were beyond broke.
PFC @ PF Carny writes The Starter Emergency Fund – Sure most people would agree that keeping money set aside in case of emergency is a wise idea. But not everybody has the money or interest needed to have a fully funded emergency fund.
Alice @ Hurricanes, Panties & Dollars writes The pterodactyl retirement plan – An interesting conversation, a plan to trap a pterodactyl and waking back up in the real world. Plus a fun, catchy video and perhaps a little talk about retirement.
Dee @ Color Me Frugal writes Talking to Your Partner About Money – It’s so important to be able to talk to your mate about money. Check out these tips on how to accomplish this task without sacrificing your relationship.
Marvin @ Brick By Brick Investing writes How To Manage Your Thrift Savings Plan – A detailed look at how anyone can manage their Thrift Savings Plan like a stock market professional.
Chad @ The Stock Market and I writes Dividends: The Gift That Keeps on Giving – After posting a terrific year in 2013, 2014 looks to be even better for shareholders who are looking for dividend payouts.
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes It’s time to stop trying to keep up with the Joneses – More than likely you have heard the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” more than a few times in your life. What it refers to is the phenomenon of using your neighbors as a standard for which to compare your own life and material goods.
Oscar @ Money is the Root writes These 10 Mutual Funds have Outdone College Costs over the last 10 Years – Even if you might have paid a hefty commission upfront (and of course taxes along the way) the following 10 mutual funds that we’re going to show you have outpaced the average rise in public college tuition costs over the last 10 years.
Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Don’t let the Fuelshark take a bite out of your wallet – Today we have a quick little blog about a new gadget that has been seen on the market recently called the Fuelshark.
Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes The Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying a New-Build Home – If you are a first-time home buyer, one of the first decisions to make will be whether you want a brand new home or one that has already been lived in for some time.
Stu @ Poor Student writes 3 Reasons Why It’s Crucial That Students Meal Plan – Meal planning can save a ton of money and time, both of which are crucial for a student. Here are three reasons why it’s absolutely imperative that students meal plan.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes The Good news about your Credit Score – Whether it is the interest you pay on your mortgage, your ability to get a car loan or being able to get a credit card with an excellent APR, your credit score, and making sure that it is a good one, is vital.
Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes What happens when Art Buyers get Buyer’s Remorse? – Many people invest in artwork as, in most cases, it steadily goes up in value over time. The fact is however that even the most avid art collectors can sometimes have a change of heart and, when it happens, usually it is the gallery or auction house that takes the brunt of the canceled purchase or broken deal.
Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Little-known Facts about Social Security Benefits – Many Americans truly have no idea how Social Security works besides the very basic information.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Prepare yourself for Small Business Success in 2014 – as a small business owner, preparing yourself for success is something that should never stop. The thing is, there’s really not much of a difference between the end of one year and the beginning of the next.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Prepare yourself for Small Business Success in 2014 – as a small business owner, preparing yourself for success is something that should never stop. The thing is, there’s really not much of a difference between the end of one year and the beginning of the next.
Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Should you keep your Mutual Funds? – If you own a lot of mutual funds this next bit of news is not going to exactly make your day. The fact is, the vast majority of them underperform the average return of the stock market.
Andrea @ So Over This writes A New Year Brings New Beginnings – It is officially 2014, and with that comes a sobering hangover from the holiday binge spending! Sure we read the how-to tips on saving money during the holidays, but do we actually follow them?
Andrea @ So Over This writes A New Year Brings New Beginnings – It is officially 2014, and with that comes a sobering hangover from the holiday binge spending! Sure we read the how-to tips on saving money during the holidays, but do we actually follow them?
Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Social Security and Part-time Income. What you should know – These days more Americans than ever before are going to be working past the traditional age of retirement. A recent Wells Fargo study of 1000 middle-class Americans showed that nearly 34% of them believe that they’re going to have to work until they reach the tender age of 80 years old.
Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Top 2014 Money-Saving Tips – With 2013 coming to a close many people are looking towards 2014 and finally becoming financially independent. The fact is however that while 34% of us set financial goals, only 8% of us actually reach them, at least according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology that was done by the University of Scranton.
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.
Sam @ The New Business Blog writes How to Build a Brand People will Adore – Many people outside of marketing think of a brand as sort of this false cover that is given to a product or service in order to con them into buying something that they do not actually want or, even worse, do not need.
Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes The Perks of Living in the Suburbs – More and more people are moving are looking to move out of the city core, find out The Perks of Living in the Suburbs.
Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes The Joys of Freelancing – Some of us look at the new year as the time who make resolutions about joining the gym, while others (like me!) audit the projects that I have going on at the time, and see what is working and what is not.
Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes Insuring Your First Home – Are you looking to buy your first home in the near future? If so, then congratulations are certainly in order! Being a first-time home owner can be an extremely rewarding experience.
Aaron @ Aaron Hung writes Gift Cards – What’s not to like? – Many people have a negative opinion about Gift Cards. They call them the lazy option and say that they are much too impersonal or that they will just be put aside and forgotten in the sock drawer.
Monica @ Monica On Money writes How I Saved $6718 On Home Renovations – As my readers know, I have been searching for a better flooring option. But the problem is that home renovations are expensive!
Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Quit Your Job: How to Know When it’s Time – If you have been working steadily at your regular 9-5 and your side hustle, you are probably beginning to fantasize about the day you quit your job.
Nicole @ How to Avoid a Cashtastrophe writes 3 Types of Insurance You Must Have – Insurance is something that many people fail to get, and never see the importance of until it’s too late. There are many types of insurance that are absolutely crucial for you to have.
Larry @ KrantCents writes My 2014 New Year’s Resolutions – My 2014 New Year’s Resolutions will be different! Normally, I do not make New Year’s Resolutions because I do not believe in them. Why wait for a particular date to resolve or promise to make changes?
Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes How to Quickly Write an eBook for Your Blog – Having an eBook on your blog is a great way for you to boost your email sign ups and also your credibility. I am always much more apt to sign up for someone’s email list if I am getting a free bonus.
Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes What’s the difference between debt settlement and debt consolidation – What’s the difference between debt settlement and debt consolidation? Debt settlement and debt consolidation are not the same thing.
Graham @ Moneystepper writes Salary changes over time – by sector in the UK – Salary changes over time: how salaries have changed since 2000 in different UK sectors. Not surprisingly, its the bankers who have done the best!
Jason @ The Money Makers writes John Kerry’s Wife Hospitalized: Can You Afford Health Insurance? – Even as a growing number of analysts are questioning the details of Obamacare, the sudden hospitalization of Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of former senator and current U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, provides additional fodder to the ongoing healthcare debate.
Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Would You Use an Alternative Currency? – One of the first rules of investing is that you need to have a degree of diversity in your assets. That way, if something goes wrong with one asset class, you will have another asset available to pick up the slack. But how does that work if most of your assets are denominated in a specific currency?
David @ Financial Nerd writes Is the US a banana republic? – The United States is not different than a Banana Republic
Adam @ Money Rebound writes Is Leaving Your Kids a Fortune a Good Thing? – Teaching your kids how to appreciate money, especially money through inhertance.
Richard Adams @ Frugality Magazine writes How To Become Debt Free: Getting Motivated To Pay Off Debt – When it comes to the question of how to become debt free, I believe that motivation is one of the biggest keys to success. But if it’s so important, what can we do to motivate ourselves over the long term?
Irfan@BeingInvestor @ Being Investor writes Best Stock Investing Tips – The stock market can be a bloody place for unseasoned investors. But knowing the ins and outs can reap great benefits. The stock market is perfect for those who seek to build wealth in the short or long term.
Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes How To Start Preparing For Retirement In Your Twenties – However, the reform has been established to put more responsibility on the individual to make adequate preparations for later life by making only basic funds available on the state pension. Therefore, it’s a good idea to start thinking about what savings to make as early on as possible.
Dollar @ Easy Extra Dollar writes Affiliate Marketing – Earning Money Through Work From Home – Working from home or home-based work is one of the most popular ways in making money since loads of opportunities are also offer to those who are willing to spend their time in performing the tasks required by the clients.
Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes Use the Saver’s Credit to Turbocharge Your Retirement Savings – What if there was a way to make saving for retirement a little more affordable? What if we could actually get some of the money we put away for retirement back in the form of cold, hard cash? Well you can. It’s a little known tax credit called the saver’s credit and it can be a huge financial boon for the people who can use it.
Justin @ Root of Good writes Dividend Investing – Find out how Root of Good earned $22,300 in dividends during 2013. Learn how you can focus on dividends in your own portfolio, and why dividends are important for Root of Good’s early retirement. You can even earn fat dividends with these suggested low cost index funds.
Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes Pay As You Earn Student Loan Repayment Plan – The cost of your payments is recalculated annually, and you must provide your loan servicer with updated information about your income and family size each year. If you do not submit this data, you will no longer be eligible for lower payments or interest benefits.
Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Seniors–Keep Your Allocations – What YOU need in YOUR asset allocation model may well be very different from financial advisors’ generic recommendations.
Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Breaking a Habitual Cycle – A while ago, I verbalized a financial habit through a conversation that made me realize I had a cycle I needed to change. But that first step was verbalization.
Lisa E. @ Lisa Vs. The Loans writes 14 Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2014 – Looking to improve your money situation this year? Don’t miss out on these 14 ways to improve your finances in 2014!
GYF @ Gaming Your Finances writes Net Worth Update: $750,364 – Wow! What a year. A net worth increase of $130,413. The Gaming Your Finances household details their current financial net worth of over $750k.
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Have High Investment Costs? Try These Quality Choices – High investment costs are often overlooked. However, net returns that reflect management expenses and trading costs should also be considered.
GD @ MCI123 writes Lapse In Car Insurance – A lapse in car insurance can be devastating when your goal is to save money and lower your rates. It doesn’t just cost you your loyalty discount, but results in penalties, fines, and huge liabilities. Check out our guide to avoiding a lapse in car insurance coverage.
Glen @ Glennalicious.org writes How To Make A Career Change – Making a career change at any age can be especially stressful and financially difficult. If you are planning on taking your career in a new direction, starting your own business, or want to advance faster, learn about the steps you need to take beforehand to ensure your future success.
Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes When Should You Hire a Cleaning Lady? – Now that I’m back working my day job, I have a lot less free time in my life. I generally work online for 2-3 hours a night after work and that severely cuts into my TV watching and forces me to be a lot more efficient when it comes to managing my time. So the last thing I want to do at the end of the night is spend my time scrubbing toilets or vacuuming my apartment. It’s a tough predicament for me since I do like a clean house but I don’t like cleaning all that much. I’m not a neat
Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes When Should You Hire a Cleaning Lady? – Now that I’m back working my day job, I have a lot less free time in my life. I generally work online for 2-3 hours a night after work and that severely cuts into my TV watching and forces me to be a lot more efficient when it comes to managing my time. So the last thing I want to do at the end of the night is spend my time scrubbing toilets or vacuuming my apartment. It’s a tough predicament for me since I do like a clean house but I don’t like cleaning all that much. I’m not a neat
Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes Should You Follow Your Passion? – When I was little I used to always hear, “you can be anything you want when you grow up.” But as time went by and I grew older, it seemed like there was actually less and less that I could be. I’ve always had an interest in business and finance but my degree in aerospace engineering almost precludes me now from working in those fields. It’s tough to pick a major when you’re only 18, and that’s probably one of the reasons why so many college freshmen go in undeclared. But after a
John @ Frugal Rules writes Retirement Planning Tip for the Self-Employed: Don’t Make My Mistake – Retirement planning when you’re self-employed can be easily overlooked when you’re busy managing your business. However, this can cause a worse problem as you’re also losing out on a 401k match. With some appropriate planning and selection of the appropriate retirement vehicle you can set yourself up for success and grow your retirement portfolio at the same time. Just make sure that the option you select is the one that’ll benefit you from both a retirement and a taxation perspective.
Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes How To Use Mint.com To Improve Your Finances – The Mint Manual – Mint.com is a website that I highly recommend. I’m sure most of you have heard of Mint (there are over 10 million users!). In case you haven’t, Mint.com is a website that allows you to better manage your finances.
GMM @ Grad Money Matters writes Are you being scammed? – As someone who makes money online, I often see money-making scams. I see them in comments on blog (I don’t approve those!), comments on forums, e-mails, and so on.
Brian @ Debt Discipline writes My Parent’s Financial Story – A post that tell the story of my parent’s financial history and what I learned from them.
Jim @ Critical Financial writes 7 Reasons Texas Is The Nation’s Leader In Business AND Population Growth – Both the population and the economy of the state of Texas have been growing much faster than the US economy in general.
Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes How I found money making opportunities at my full-time job – This is a guest posts from Liz of Budgetingformore.com who will talk about how she took advantage of her day job’s perks on money making opportunities.
Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes How I found money making opportunities at my full-time job – This is a guest posts from Liz of Budgetingformore.com who will talk about how she took advantage of her day job’s perks on money making opportunities.
Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes Relationships in early retirement – How the relationships affect when you choose an early retirement? Only a handful of my closest friends really understand my journey and how and why I got to where I am today.
Pauline @ Savvy Scot writes New year financial boot camp: Challenge your council tax banding – Today we will continue our New Year financial boot camp. And now let’s tackle another living expense, your council tax. Are you paying too much for your tax banding?
Mark Ross @ Money Saving Dude writes 25 Easy Ways To Save Money On Food Without Going On A Diet – Are you looking for ways to save money on food without reducing your food intake? If you are, then these money saving tips are perfect for you.
Paul @ The Frugal Toad @ The Frugal Toad writes Resolutions for the New Year That Will Build Wealth – The new year is a perfect time to reflect upon the past year and resolve to make improvements in not only personal areas of your life but your financial matters as well. Here are several examples of how small changes can result in large savings.
Jon @ Novel Investor writes Low Volatility ETF: Is There A Better Alternative? – Low volatility funds are a recent, popular addition to the ETF space. But is a low volatility ETF actually worth it? Or is there a better alternative?
KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Want to be wealthy? Are you planting the right seeds to grow your wealth? – Want to be wealthy? Are you planting the right seeds to grow your wealth?
Mr.CBB @ canadian budget binder writes What type of bank should you stash your cash in? – Deciding where to open a bank account, invest your money or apply for a mortgage can be an overwhelming process with more than the traditional banking options available.
Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes Travel Rewards – If you are looking to travel on the cheap, take advantage of the travel hacking opportunities!
Joshua Rodriguez @ CNA Finance writes Are There Any Alternatives To Secured Credit Cards? – Secured credit cards are touted as the best way to add positive marks to your credit report and improve your credit scores, but are there any alternatives? In this post, Joshua talks about why secured credit cards help and possible alternatives to look into.
Gabe @ Taxes 101 writes CPA advice – Here are some tips and ideas to save money on taxes before April 15