Carnival of Retirement

Happy Monday! Look, another carnival! Don’t you feel like it’s Carnival time?

(I will be posting a real post soon, I promise!)

clown

Steve @ Canadian Personal Finance writes Why are Canadian tax dollars are paying for the Bachelor reality show? – Did you know that your tax dollars help pay for a dating service for a CFL football player? Is this the best use of this money? I mean have you seen the Price is Right get government funding or shows like The Amazing Race get sponsorship from the government?

Lance @ Money Life and More writes 2013 401(k), IRA and Retirement Plan Contribution Limits – Great news! The IRS has announced their new retirement plan contribution limits for 2013 and they actually increased this year! If you already max out your retirement accounts you can contribute a bit more this year.

Pete @ Intelligent Speculator writes Passive Income Targets – November 2012 – What are your passive income goals? We look at ours.

Rohit @ The Money Mail writes Ideas are nothing without execution – What has been holding you back from implementing your ideas? Lets explsore the barriers to execution

Michael @ Financial Ramblings writes http://www.financialramblings.com/archives/can-you-choose-your-own-hsa-provider/ – While many employers offer an HSA, you should be aware that you’re free to choose your own provider if you wish. There are advantages and disadvantages to doing so, however, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the details.

Shilpan @ Street Smart Finance writes Why Do You Want to Become Rich – Have you ever entertained thoughts of striking a big jackpot to become rich and famous overnight? We all have. I purchased a Powerball lottery ticket last week. As usual, I didn’t win and the jackpot now is over $250 million.

Sam @ http://creditcardselect.com writes What is the Fiscal Cliff and How Will it Affect You? – The fiscal cliff is one of today’s most talked about financial topics. Learn about the fiscal cliff and how it could affect your finances in 2013.

Savvy Scot @ The Savvy Scot writes On Presents, Presence and Happiness – Savvyscot discusses the evolution of giving and why getting a present is not all that it is cracked up to be in comparison with what else is on offer this Christmas.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Non-Refundable Hotel Reservations – As a self-proclaimed travel novice, I’d never heard of non-refundable hotel reservations – until now. Let me just say, I’m pissed off about the whole situation. Here’s my story:

Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes Skip Black Friday, Double up on the Gift Cards Freebies Instead – I say skip Black Friday. Hit up Cyber Monday from your couch before work if possible. Look at the deals that no one is talking about… the gift card freebies.

Roger Wohlner @ The Chicago Financial Planner writes Mutual Fund Expenses Where Real Holiday Savings Can be Found – As I write this its Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year. Where to save a few dollars on this item or that has been the focus of many news stories and discussion. While we all like to save money on the things we buy, these savings are “chump change†compared with the savings opportunities available by reducing your expenses on the mutual fund and ETFs in which you invest. Here are 5 tips for reducing your investing costs for mutual funds and ETFs. for retirement, c

Bryan @ Gajizmo.com writes What Is Whole Life Insurance? – Considering your family’s year-end finances? Contemplating buying life insurance, and want to know more about whole life insurance, one of the most popular types in the market? Learn about its features, investment options, rates, tax advantages, and pros and cons.

harry campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes Employee Benefits: Do You Have the Option to Purchase Additional Vacation Days – A lot of people are talking about employee benefits right now. They are deciding which medical plan to choose(the answer should be HSA!), reviewing their investment choices and maybe even increasing their 401k contribution. But I’m here to talk about a different type of benefit today: vacation days. You might not think of purchasing vacation as a benefit since it’s akin to taking unpaid time off. But there are some financial and even mental/spiritual benefits to purchasing extra vacation

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes 6 Things To Do ‘Before’ You Get Divorced – Divorce is never an easy thing to go through no matter what time in life this may happen to you.

Veronica Hill @ Pelican on Money writes Secret Formula for Living Comfortably – Is there such a thing as a secret formula to comfortable living? Find out!

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes 28 IDEAS FOR CHEAP HOLIDAY FUN – Cheap winter fun ideas. Save money creatively. Crafts, hikes, parties and more.

JP @ My Family Finances writes Yakezie Carnival:The End of Black Friday Edition – For years, Black Friday has brought the crazy out in people. I mean standing out in the middle of the night in arctic temperatures brand of crazy. At the end of the ice-cold, wait-till-midnight-to-shop hysteria is an expensive piece of electronic equipment discounted by $100.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Why Your Budget Should be Flexible – Find out why budgeting is a fluid thing. Keeping to strict of goals or limitations can be a bad thing. Here’s why.

ETZ25 @ Entertainment Timez writes iPad mini versus iPod Touch – iPad mini is the clear winner in the purchasing decision between an iPad mini and an iPod Touch.

Beating Broke @ Beating Broke writes Investing Made Simple – Investing made Simple is an excellent book. It’s short, which makes it an easy read, and the writing style is light, without all the technical investing jargon that’s typical to an investing book.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Spending Money Isn’t Bad – spending money gets a bad rap. Read why I don’t think spending money is a bad thing.

Rich @ Growing Money Smart writes The Correct Ways To Become Wealthy? – These are the ways to become wealthy that I have learned lately. I’m now living these very techniques.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Freakin’ Menus – Have you ever looked at a menu and become paralyzed? In the same way, have you ever contemplated investing, but didn’t because of the overwhelming options?

Peter @ Bible Money Matters writes Take Care of Your Health Now to Grow and Preserve Your Wealth – Sure, money may be tight and we may think it is cheaper to grab a burger from the dollar menu, but have you thought of the effect of that choice as you make it over and over? Beyond the health implications, you could also be robbing your future self of wealth. Think that is overly dramatic? Consider the financial ways poor health can affect you:

Super Saver @ My Wealth Builder writes Letting Go of Work in Retirement – Since retiring, I’ve gone trough three stages of letting go of work.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Clues to Score a Home Below Its List Price – If you’re willing to broaden your search and look past your initial impression of a home, you’ll be able to identify these opportunities and score the best home for your money.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Are You Pretending To Be Rich? – You might be -pretending to be rich- if you do the following things that I write about in this article!

Derek Knight @ Freeat33 writes How to Combat Inflation on Your Retirement Income – You can rest easy in retirement if you use these simple tactics to beat the inflation monster.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes My Daughter’s Fortune Gives Me Peace of Mind – A fortune cookie from a local Chinese restaurant had me praying for financial security for my children.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes The Lengths We Go To For Free Money: The $10 Survey – We’ve all seen the offers to take surveys for money – but when one online survey took far too long, I questioned my motivations for the free money.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes How To Switch On To Energy Savings – Let’s face it. Times are hard for everyone. That is an absolute and undisputed fact as the world recession continues to bite despite reports that the financial tide is slowly turning.

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes Consider All Your Options Before Relocating – There are many factors involved with relocating to a new city that should be considered if you hope to avoid the negative impact of debt, isolation and depression.

Jenny @ TLIQ123 writes What Is Term Life Insurance? – Considering life insurance but unsure about the different types of policies? We focus on detailed explanations of the top term life policies, their features, and who should look into them.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes 10 Must-Have Mobile Apps for Holiday Shopping – Today I will be taking about 10 Must-Have Mobile Apps for Holiday Shopping. A recent survey show that 82 perfect of online shoppers will use shopping apps to save on Holiday gifts this year. They are trying to right to find right apps can be a challenge.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes Quick Pay Day Loans – What do you think? – Want a chance to comment on Pay Day Loans? Personal Finance Journey asks for opinions from readers, industry experts and users to comment and share their opinion.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Average Tuition Increase Rates: Why High Projections are WRONG – Statistics show tuition increased 4-7% each year in the past 10 years. While that is high, find out why it won’t continue at this rate.

Joe Cassandra @ 7Minute Entrepreneur writes 2 Intelligent Ways to Invest $100 – Everyone doesn’t have a lot of money to invest, but with just a $100, even the beginners can invest financially and in themselves!

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes Don’t be drastic on the plastic this Christmas time – With the possible exception of your summer holiday, chances are that Christmas is your most expensive time of the year.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Frugal Family Christmas Activities – Enjoy a glimpse into our frugal family Christmas activities. These activities is why Christmas is my favorite time of the year.

Josh Thompson @ Becoming Your Own Bank writes Bank on Yourself – Why does bank on yourself sound too good to be true?

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes Cripes. Nearly Our Entire Family Emergency Savings Got Gobbled Up – We just depleted our emergency fund, and thank goodness. If we didn’t have one we’d be hurting. Read more on how my Emergency fund got gobbled up!

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Vacations during debt repayment-A good or bad idea? – I am currently in the process of repaying my debt. I am getting closer and closer to paying off a couple of credit cards and taking items out of a storage unit (long story). So, in the midst of this why on earth would I take a vacation?

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Book Review – Get Rich, Stay Rich, Pass It On – Do you want to be rich? That’s probably a silly question; most people out there (to say nothing of all the people who read this blog) want to be rich.

Weasel @ Wealthy Weasel writes Should You Worry About Identity Theft? – Identity theft is a big risk, but is it all it’s made out to be? Those you trust might be those you should trust the least.

Bill @ Budgets Are Awesome writes Why you should refinance a car loan – Refinancing is not just for mortgages. See how you can save money by refinancing a car loan at a much lower rate.

Connor @ Cash Cabana writes Ways to Invest in Gold and Silver – Investing in gold and silver is a good way to hedge your portfolio. I explain the three ways of investing in gold and silver.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Put Your Budget on a Diet: Save Money by Living Medium – You have to understand that downsizing doesn’t mean going without. It doesn’t mean that you have to wear sack cloth and douse yourself in ashes every morning. What it does mean is that you take some of the things you have and sell them, pay off some of the debt you owe, and find ways to live within your means that won’t leave you feeling like you’ve stepped off the cruise ship right onto a dingy.

Maltier @ BryanMaltier.com writes How To Save With Cheap Car Insurance Quotes – Reviewing your car insurance policy at the end of the year to see if you can lower your premiums and save next year? Learn about the discounts I get, average premiums in your state, and tips to get cheap rates.

Teacher Man @ My University Money writes Prepare for the Job Hunt Before You Graduate – Graduation will be here before you know it and you’ll start your job hunt. Whether you’re a senior, junior, sophomore or even a freshman, now is time to begin preparing for that day. Don’t put it off until your final semester, or even until your senior year.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes Dividend Income – November 2012 – I have been readjusting my RESP investments since I dumped all my mutual funds. I wrote a few posts over RESP and most recently I have shared my RESP strategy. The recent market drops are also providing me with an opportunity to take some profits and add to others – that’s how I rebalance my stocks. Usually one sector will stay up while others are down.

Young @ Young And Thrifty writes How Much House Do You Really Need? – As a fairly lazy dude who isn’t a big fun of seeing his Saturdays spent doing housecleaning (and yes ladies, I am a modern man and do my fair share), all I could see in a large house was endless dusting and vacuuming.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Why you should dump your savings accounts for savings bonds – A number of factors have to come together to make replacing your online savings account with a TreasuryDirect account, not only a good financial decision, but a practical one.

Ken Faulkenberry @ Arbor Investment Planner writes This is the Biggest Risk of Investing – The biggest risk of investing is losing your principal. This may seem intuitive, yet few investors have a risk management plan. Let’s get started.

Gary @ Gajizmo.com writes How Can I Improve My Credit Score? – As the economy and housing market improves, banks may start lending more money to consumers, and that means your credit score is an important factor. Learn how to get a higher credit score with simple, everyday personal finance tips.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Passive Income Selling Tickets – While highly unorthodox, I have stumbled across another potential source of passive income. While not purely passive, it is pretty close to it. The other day I was looking to buy sports tickets for me and another person. I really wanted to go to the game, but I couldn’t believe how early the tickets were The post Passive Income Selling Tickets appeared first on .

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Waste Not Want Not: Uses for Old T-Shirts – My husband has a thing for t-shirts. Just like my beloved scrapbooks, he looks past the armpit holes, faded colors, and crackling insignias and instead sees

Maria @ The Money Principle writes How to Save Money for Care Home Fees – We do eventually get old and we do get to a situation where we need care. This article offers some ideas about how to save for the care home fees.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes 4 Tips for Teaching Your Child to Live More Sustainably – One day, a couple of years ago, as my son and I headed home from whatever appointment we had, we saw someone toss a can out the window.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes I Had Multiple Careers and You Should Too! – Multiple careers are better than one! Imagine you were a milkman, elevator operator, switchboard operator and typist; you would be out of work! I remember attending my children’s college orientation when the university chancellor said “we are not training you for a specific job, but for multiple careers”.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes What is a Short Term Loan? – A short term loan was originally designed to lend a small amount of cash to consumers with the collateral being a check.

James @ Free in Ten Years writes December challenge: Save Hot Water – In December I’m going to only shower with cold water in a crazy attempt to reduce my hot water consumption. I’m not sure I’ll last more than a single say, but it will save a heap of water and electricity.

Rod @ ROD Blog writes Plastic Jungle Review : Buy gift cards for cheap – Is Plastic Jungle the best place to buy gift cards for cheap or get rid of a gift card you will never use? What are the benefits of Plastic Jungle?

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes Should You Consider Credit Card Consolidation? – Read my take on whether you should consider credit card consolidation.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Maximizing Your Experiences (without Breaking the Bank) – It has been nearly two years since my wife and I were struggling to make ends meet.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Important Investing Principles – Learn about several important investing principles that can help you compete with experienced investors.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Get the Most Back – Benjamin Franklin once said that there are only two things in life that are certain- death and taxes. To many people, the thought of paying their taxes at the end of the year is a mind-numbing, heartbreaking prospect.

FMF @ Free Money Finance writes Creative Life Planning Solutions For Retirement, Part 1 – Creative life planning solutions for retirement.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes 10 Tips for Home Made Meals and a Fatter Wallet – Here are ten tips to make more meals at home and reduce your food bill each month and free up the money for other things in your life!

Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes Gambling Vs. Investing in Stocks – When it comes to the stock market, there’s a fine line between gambling and investing. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the two apart. Both strategies attempt to make money in the market and the differences can be so subtle as to go unnoticed.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Saving Money on Your Home Security System – Lately I’ve been considering investing in a home security system for my home, and I’ve been researching some of my options for doing it. I want to be secure, but I also want to feel like I got a good deal.

TDB @ Tax Deduction Blog writes What to do if you miss the tax filing deadline? – IRS is one of most feared organization. What will happen if you miss the deadline to file for federal taxes? What can you do about it? Read more.

Joe @ Midlife Finance writes Ten Tips for Getting There & Back Safely – There is always the possibility that Something Will Happen on the way there — or back. Here are ten things you can do ahead of time that will help you travel easier.

Steve @ Ready To Quit My Job! writes Why You NEED to Quit Your Job RIGHT NOW! – The days are gone forever where you went to college, got a job that was not personally rewarding, worked at the same place for 40 years, retired and then got bored, depressed and finally died. You NEED to QUIT YOUR JOB, and start living life on your own terms.

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Why dividend investors should never touch principal – As an income investor I focus on dividend stocks which regularly raise distributions. This ensures that my income keeps its purchasing power over time.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Eat healthily and live well for less – Unless you’ve got a supersonic metabolism, chances are you are going to spend some portion of your life watching your waistline. Everyone wants to look good and feel fit, but with bad foods often tasting so good and being readily available keeping svelte is never easy.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Debt Free, Now What? – This is my financial progress since I’ve become debt free. I also share the wealth accumulation strategies that I am currently using!

Marie @ Family Money Values writes Have You Ever Tested Your Estate Plan? – By the time you retire, no doubt you have set up at least some of your estate planning documents, perhaps you have a will or even a trust – but have you ever tested them to make sure they will work the way you intend them to?

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes I Don’t Just Want a Nest Egg… I Want Nest Chickens – My husband grew up on his grandpa’s farm. From this experience we have several grandpa-isms in our house. One of them is I don’t count my eggs…

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Personal Loans Aren�t Always Bad Debt – On other finance blogs I often hear people talk about personal loans as some evil thing that should be avoided at all costs. While there are definitely times when you should be avoiding borrowing money, you should not discount the potential to manage your finances with a personal loan.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes The Top 5 Things To Protect a Company’s Staff – In the wake of natural disasters that seem have hit the United States over the last few years, it is important for companies of all sizes to look at ways that they can protect their staff, as well as ensure continuity of their businesses. Here are the top five ways that every business can protect their staff

Michael Kitces @ Nerd’s Eye View writes Why Being Invested In Bonds At Today’s Rates May Be Entirely Rational After All – As money continues flowing from stocks to bonds – despite sky-high bond prices and their associated ultra-low interest rates – there is increasing concern that investors may soon be blind-sided by at best a savage bond bear market, and at worst a bond bubble that pops. But are investors really buying into bonds because they’re bullish on bonds, or because they’re bearish on stocks with few appealing alternatives?

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Continuing a Free but AWESOME Christmas Tradition! – Have you ever remembered something super cool and can’t believe you ever forgot about it? That happened to me last week. I really love my Christmas card tree!

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes How an Internship Abroad Helped Shape My Career Path – Most internships don’t have a profound effect on the future, but mine helped propel me to choose my future career and the way I think.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes How I Would Have Retired Early – Retiring early may be difficult to do, but it is certainly possible. Find out how many have accomplished this feat in record time.

Jeff Rose @ Good Financial Cents writes Average Retirement Age – The average retirement age in the USA has steadily increased over the years.

John @ Frugal Rules writes 5 Frugal Ways to Start Investing Now – Investing in the stock market can be intimidating for many, but it does not have to be. With a little education and setting a plan you can invest in the stock market and not have to spend lots of money doing it.

Kevin @ The Insurance Expert writes Best, Cheap Car Insurance Quotes – Car insurance is mandatory in the United States and most people don’t understand their coverage or how to get lower rates. With the help an expert, we discuss the factors that affect premiums and how you can get cheap auto insurance.

Gen Y @ Gen Y Finance Journey writes Running Outside Will Get You to Retirement Faster – Which is more important: saving money or increasing your income? They’re both important, but only one will put you on the road to retirement.

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes How to Tell If Your Means Are Just Not Enough – I explore some external and internal indicators that your salary isn’t enough to live on.

Jefferson @ See Debt Run writes In 2013, We’re Trying a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) For Health Care Expenses – A flexible spending account can save you money be allowing for you to pay with tax free dollars.