Need Health Insurance ? Get Free Quotes Online

In this day and age, it is wise to safeguard your future. You never know what will happen to you even in the next few minutes. You might bump into a car and be disabled. Or discover that the reason why you have been feeling extremely thirsty and you have been urinating quite frequently is because of diabetes. Or that the weight loss you noticed in the past months is actually symptom of the early stages of cancer. No one wants to get sick but it may happen. It is best that when a disease or illness does strike, you are prepared for it. Companies that offer free health insurance quotes are out there to find and will get you on the road to choosing a good health insurance.

Free health insurance quotes makes it easy to choose from plans and policies that will best suit your needs. Admit it, you may be earning money right now, money that is probably enough for your household needs plus a little extra but imagine if you get sick and suddenly you need to be confined in a hospital and the doctor orders numerous diagnostic tests and laboratory procedures that cost an arm and leg? Add to that the steep price of most prescription drugs. As you recover and go home but the expenses may not end there. You will probably be given expensive medications and you will be instructed to follow up on a regular basis and undergo examinations every now and then. How will you able to afford all these while maintaining the quality of life for your family? You really should start paying attention to all free health insurance quote right about now.




In browsing free health insurance quotes offered, it is important to know beforehand what you are looking for. You should consider when looking at a free health insurance quote what are you and your family needs. The length of time required to pay the plan is also an important consideration in free health insurance quote. Some health insurances offer several years of payment, some even extending until the day the insured dies.

Free health insurance quotes should also include the mode of payment offered by the company so you will know if you can pay the plan being offered. You should also find out if the free health insurance quote you are seriously considering would allow you to choose your own doctors and hospital or be restricted to only their network of health care professionals.

There are also free health insurance quotes that offer group health insurance. These are different from individual health insurance quotes in the sense that they offer insurance for the group rather than individual, so they are not customized and everyone enrolled in the group gets the same benefits. This type of free health insurance quote is normally less expensive and does not require extensive screening. Individual free health insurance quotes usually states that an applicant will undergo extensive medical screening. Should you pick this type of free health insurance quote, the company will want a detailed medical background check, focusing on the past diseases that you may or may not have.

Since the quotes are free of charge, relax, take your time and find the best health insurance for you!

Suze Orman (has a show on CNBC), suggests the following websites for free insurance quotes:

Select Quote
(800) 343-1985
www.selectquote.com

InsuranceQuoteService
(800) 972-1104
www.iquote.com

Term-Quote
(800) 444-8376
www.termquote.com

Master Quote
(800) 337-5433
www.masterquote.com

LifeRates of America
(800) 457-2837

Quotesmith
(800) 556-9393
www.quotesmith.com

InsWeb
(800) 871-5075
www.insweb.com

AccuQuote
(800) 442-9899
www.accuquote.com

DirectQuote
(800) 845-3853
www.directquote.com


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Trying out Paid Per Post

As I'm constantly looking for money making opportunities, I recently came across a concept of writing reviews of websites on your blog and getting paid for it. So I thought, why not give the "get paid to blog" idea a try.

So by doing some quick research it became clear to me that "Pay Per Post" is the biggest out there and they have literally thousands of opportunities to choose from.

As this blog "Everything Finance" is a Personal Finance resource where I try to make the finance jargon a little easier to understand, it is important that I, suddenly, don't start blogging about Cooking and Food Recipes :)

So when I signed up with "Pay Per Post" and got approved, I started looking at the opportunities available to me and was happy to see that there were quite a few finance related topics that I could blog about.




If this idea appeals to you, please check them out. They do have some rules and regulations and not all blogs get accepted, but if you have any questions about Pay Per Post, please check out their Frequently Asked Questions. I sure it will help you.

In the next few days I should have my first finance related blog review.
Now, I too am a Postie !





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2 Steps to eliminating Credit Card Debt

So you have decided to go for credit card debt elimination and are wondering on what the methods for credit card debt elimination are. As they say, let’s take the bull by its horns and lay it all flat on the ground. There are generally 2 recommendations that are most common for credit card debt elimination: controlling the expenditures and consolidating debt. Let’s check both of these credit card debt elimination recommendations and check the list of things that you can do for achieving credit card debt elimination using these recommendations:

1. Control your urge to spend
The first thing to do for credit card debt elimination is to control your expenditures. Here we are talking about the payments you make using your credit card. Remember that the main reason being your getting into credit card debt is uncontrolled expenditures using your credit card. So if you are really serious about credit card debt elimination, this is one thing that will help in credit card debt elimination by preventing accumulation of further debt. Here is what you can do to control your expenditures:




a. You need to stay away from attractive offers that are put-up by various shops and stores. Don’t buy anything that you don’t really-really need. After all you are looking for credit card debt elimination not supplementation.

b. Leave your credit card at home. If you really-really need something, then you can fetch your credit card from your house. This will prevent you from yielding to the too-attractive-to-resist sale offers (that are actually there all the year round). This credit card debt elimination technique, again, works on the principal of ‘prevention is better than cure’. This will prevent unplanned expenses from happening.

c. Prepare a monthly budget and stick to it. This is really a very important credit card debt elimination measure. This budget will form the basis of your credit card debt elimination plan. So if you deviate from your budget, your credit card debt elimination plan will go for a toss.

2. Debt Consolidation
Debt consolidation or moving from high APR credit cards to a low APR one is generally the first step (the first reactive step) for credit card debt elimination. Here are a few things that you need to do:

a. Do not go for the first balance offer you come across. Analyze various offers and choose the one that best suits you. This will be an important thing on you credit card debt elimination plan. Initial APR, Initial APR period and standard Apr, all need to be considered.

b. Read the fine print on the balance transfer offer and check the terms and conditions on these. These might affect your overall credit card debt elimination plan.

c. Compare other benefits e.g. rebates, reward points, etc, before you actually decide to go for one of the offers.

Credit card debt elimination is about proper planning and discipline. So make your credit card debt elimination plan and stick to it.



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Best Kept secrets of financial planning

Some nice points made by a columnist at Yahoo Finance. I extracted the 6 points that she has mentioned and put it in here. Hope you find them useful.

The Six Best-Kept Money Secrets
by Laura Rowley

1. Understand what you can control, and what you can't.

"Too many investors spend time trying to predict what the market will do, where interest rates will go, or which fund manager will have the best year -- things that, ultimately, they have no control over," says Fran Kinniry, principal in Vanguard's Investment Counseling and Research Department.

"Meanwhile, they're not focused on the things they can control, such as keeping their investment costs down; maintaining a proper, balanced, tax-efficient portfolio; and taking maximum advantage of savings opportunities, such as an employer match in a 401(k)," Kinniry says. "Understanding and acting on the things you can control is the best way to prepare for long-term investment success."

2. You know more than you think.




"Don't believe you can't learn enough to be a savvy investor," says Karen Sheridan, founder of Money Mystique Asset Management in Lake Oswego, Ore. "You know more than you think you know. [Financial services company] State Street had an ad in the New York Times that actually compared investing to brain surgery. It says, ‘No one ever said investing was easy. Make one false move and you could start hemorrhaging money.' Ads like these are unconscionable."

3. Moonlight when you're young, and invest the income.

"Take on a second source of income and direct that income exclusively toward an investment vehicle," says Robert Manning, director of the Center for Consumer Finances at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and author of "Credit Card Nation: The Consequences of America's Addiction to Credit."

Whether it's freelance data-entry work or waiting tables once a week, invest the extra cash rather than spending it, or even paying off debt. "It's a step up psychologically to make yourself part of investor class rather than the debtor class," Manning says. "It's a huge opportunity to demonstrate that you're taking control of your financial life, even though you're not making much money."

4. Take a small step toward big success.

"Sometimes, clients are overwhelmed with financial tasks and expect perfection of themselves," says Candace Bahr, managing partner at Bahr Investment Group. "They may get ‘stuck' for months or even years, and ignore their financial lives."

Bahr says that even the smallest step can make a difference. "If someone spends just 15 minutes a day on their financial well-being, in the course of a year they'll have spent over two full work weeks improving their financial life. That's got to help!" Bahr suggests other small steps on her Money Clubs web site.

5. Consider a tax-managed fund.

The average equity mutual fund lost 1.8 percent a year to taxes over a 10-year period ending Dec. 31, 2005, according to a study conducted by Morningstar. Sound small? It's actually a difference of nearly 20 percent in terms of total annual return. Over the long haul, losing 20 percent of your gain each year to taxes can translate into a loss of tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

One solution: tax-managed funds. "These funds come in various permutations -- and not all are good -- but they can be immensely useful tools for investors," says Christine Benz, Morningstar's Director of Mutual Fund Analysis.

Such funds, which come in many investment categories, employ a variety of tax-reduction techniques to avoid making income or capital-gains payouts, helping the investor keep a bigger portion of his or her return. (Don't choose these funds within a tax-advantaged vehicle like a 401(k).)

For higher-income savers who max out their company retirement plans, there aren't many other ways to shield investments from taxes. Individual Retirement Account contributions limits are low (or an investor's income may make him ineligible to contribute to a Roth IRA).

For an investor who wants to build an ultra-low-maintenance portfolio composed exclusively of tax-managed funds, Benz recommends Vanguard Tax-Managed Capital Appreciation (VMCAX), Vanguard Tax-Managed International (VTMGX), one of the firm's municipal-bond funds, and a municipal money market fund.

6. Don't shift your assets to your minor child.

"The Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) is the newest four-letter word," says Joe Hurley, founder and CEO of Savingforcollege.com. "A small investment fund in your child's or grandchild's name is probably fine -- you may save some taxes by shifting the investment income onto your child's tax return. But put too much money into the UTMA and you are asking for trouble."

The potential savings are limited now that the kiddie tax has been expanded to children under the age of 18 (the cut-off used to be age 14). Even if the child's account stays below the $1,700 income threshold for triggering the tax, earnings beyond $850 require the headache of filing a federal income tax return.

"You might devise a strategy using tax-efficient mutual funds that keeps the kiddie tax at bay," says Hurley. "But the capital gains at some point come home to roost, and the tax hit may happen at the wrong time." Moreover, investments in a child's name are counted heavily against financial aid eligibility.

Most importantly, a parent loses custodial control over a UTMA when the child reaches age 18 or 21. "You don't have to look too hard to find parents who have regretted their children's decisions regarding the use of such newfound ‘wealth,'" Hurley says.

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Is Bank of America giving wrong advice ?

Here's what happened.
I went to a Bank of America location to inquire about mortgage rates. I started talking to a Financial consultant there, about what kind of a rate can I get for a 30 year fixed loan, given that my credit score is 790 and I pay off my credit card bills in full each month.
She started by asking me how much of a credit limit do I have on my credit cards. I told her that my 3 credit cards combined, I have $30000 at my disposal. She then said that to get a better interest rate I should close one or 2 credit card accounts...something about debt to income ratio !!

Everywhere I have read that stop using credit cards but never close credit card accounts!!

Am I wrong here ??

So, to find out more I posed this question to the fine bloggers at the Money Blog Network.

Jeremey at Generation X Finance had this to say:
"They clearly don't understand what a debt-to-income ratio is, since that is how much debt you actually have and are making payments on, relative to your income.
It certainly would not be to your benefit to close an account that has a long history, as credit history does make up a sizable portion of your credit score.
I could see if someone had about 15 credit cards and over $150,000 of available credit may benefit from slimming down the number of cards a bit, but since you already have a high score and a relatively low amount of available credit, there shouldn't be any reason to close a card for a better mortgage rate in your situation."

This is what I thought too, but then Mrs. Micah at Mrs. Micah: Finance and Life had this to say:
"Debt-to-income ratio may not be the right phrase, but this is a normal part of getting a mortgage. I think she meant possible debt-to-income.
It's the amount of credit available that some lenders find worrying. They're taking a risk on you. So if they agree to give you a $100,000 loan but you can also take on another $30,000 of debt, that makes them nervous that you will. Maybe to furnish your new house.
You're a bigger risk than the same person with only $10,000 of available credit. So you'd have a slightly higher interest rate.
In most cases your debt-to-credit ratio is very important. But mortgages are the only time (I know of) when having plain old available credit can hurt you.
Don't close the card but maybe get the credit limits lowered a bit? Perhaps by $5000/card. Tell them it's because you're trying to get a mortgage. This may allow you to get it raised again after the mortgage goes through.
If your annual income is $200,000 or more, this probably wouldn't matter. In theory, such people could handle a mortgage and $30k of credit card debt. I'm not sure how low you can get before it does start to matter. "

So, who is right ??


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Get paid to Digg and Stumble !

Some one sent me an invite to this website called Subvert and Profit that pays you if you StumbleUpon or Digg their articles, posts and news etc. I joined yesterday and till now they had 3 tasks for me and each paid 50 cents. So in one day, till now, I have made $1.50. I think thats pretty good.

They pay you bi-weekly via PayPal, that works out great.

Update:
I have now made about 15 dollars... and going strong!

If you are interested go to Subvert and Profit

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Shopping at Costco...the frugal way !!

Source: BluntMoney.com

Make a list. We keep a piece of paper stuck to the fridge, and whenever we run low on things, we add them to the list. This list is for anything that you could buy at either a grocery store or a warehouse store like Costco.

Do some window shopping. If you’re just starting out, go to each store with the list and write down the unit prices on the items you buy regularly. Get out your calculator & compare. If you’ve got old grocery receipts laying around the house, you can save time on this step by taking the list to Costco & comparing, although your comparisons won’t be as accurate because of the differences in sizes. This takes a little time, but you only have to do it once! And the savings will be significant over time. Don’t buy ANYTHING during this step!

Evaluate. Look at the items that are cheaper per unit at Costco and decide if they are things that could be frozen or stored for long periods (such as meats, breads, or toilet paper). If they’re things that you won’t eat before they will go bad, knock them off your Costco list. We don’t buy fruits or vegetables there, for example, unless we are willing to freeze them.

Divide the list into two categories: things to buy at the regular grocery store, and things to buy at Costco. With experience you’ll know which items are always cheaper at Costco, which are a better buy at the grocery store, and which could be a better deal at either depending on sales and coupons. If you’re not used to shopping at both stores, use the comparison information you got during the window shopping step.

Fill up. Eat a full lunch or dinner, including dessert, before a trip to Costco. (Do this before getting regular groceries as well for that matter.)

Get started. Take your Costco list with you & head to Costco, leaving your spouse or children at home (unless they don’t usually ask for additional items when you shop).

Walk straight to the back of the store. Do NOT pass Go (electronics, books, DVDs, gadgets, and that giant stack of cool things you’ll see as soon as you walk in). Go directly to the back of the store. It only takes about 2 minutes of discipline to do this, and chances are you’ll have saved the cost of your $50 annual membership right there. Just concentrate on not running the other shoppers over or on people watching, and you’ll be too busy to notice the latest & greatest things you don’t need and didn’t intend to buy.

Buy the bulkiest & heaviest things first. In our store these are on the left side of the back wall: dog food, cat food, toilet paper, laundry detergents, etc. Turn around and hit the meat & bread sections next. Your cart will be so heavy at this point that you won’t have much interest in browsing. (It’s hard to browse while pushing 80 to 100 lbs of things — you’ve got to really concentrate on steering your cart & keeping it moving.) Check your list to see if there’s anything on it that you’ve missed, and go straight to those individual items. If you don’t find them in their usual spot, ask someone where they have moved to instead of searching for them yourself. The less items you see in the store, the better. If you do see something along the way that seems appealing, tell yourself that if it’s on your list NEXT time, THEN you will get it. After all, you didn’t know you “needed” it until you saw it, so chances are that you really don’t. You’ll likely forget about it as soon as you get home. Finally, head up to the pharmacy area and pick up any prescriptions, healthcare & eye care items that are on your list. In our store these are right next to the checkout, so make that your final stop.

Escape. Top up on gas, and head home to unload.*

We do this about once a month, and usually spend between $80-$120 there — on a VERY full cartload of items that would cost us significantly more at the regular grocery store. And we rarely have anything in our cart that wasn’t on the list when we walked in. The things we buy don’t spoil, get used up, and they’re things that we use every day and would have bought anyway. This cuts our normal grocery store trip down to about $80-$100 every four weeks, with a $10 once-a-week trip thrown in during the remaining weeks to pick up perishables.

(*Don’t forget about Costco’s other services as well, such as photo processing or recommending Realtors, etc.)

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# 5 Edition: Carnival of Everything Finance

Welcome to the October 15, 2007 edition of carnival of everything finance.

We had over 80 really good articles submitted for this edition.
Editor favorites have "*" on them.

Earning Money

David B. Bohl presents The End of the 40 - Hour Work Week : Slow Down Fast Today!posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "“Three of the four traditional pillars of work—the living wage, long-term relationships with loyal employers, and government- or company-provided pensions—have already gone the way of the dinosaurs, leaving only the 40-hour workweek.”"

*David presents How Much Money do Americans Make? posted at Worldwide Success.

Raymond presents Get a Higher Interest Rate for The Idle Cash In Your Brokerage Account | Money Blue Book posted at Money Blue Book.

Joy Miller presents Online MBA - Top 25 Best Buys posted at Online College Blog, saying, "Online MBA - Top 25 Best Buys: Find out which Online MBA programs have the lowest tuition costs."

Jimmy Atkinson presents 25 Ways to Earn More and Work Less posted at Ask the Advisor.

Michael@TSM presents Fall TSM Travel Writing Contest: Win $125! posted at Traveling Stories Magazine.

Everything Else Finance

*nickel presents Mobile Money: Five Tips For Managing Your Finances on the Go posted at fivecentnickel.com

Tracy Coenen presents Bank of America cheating 80-year-old woman out of her money posted at FRAUDfiles.

*paidtwice presents Surveys For Fun and Pocket Change | I've Paid For This Twice Already... posted at I've Paid For This Twice Already..., saying, "A plethora of free survey sites to make you some extra cash :)"

Logan Flatt, CFA presents How to Get Ahead In America (2nd of a 12-Part Series) posted at PowerWealth.com, saying, "If there is one refusal that has been central to my financial success in America, I would say this is it."

Wanda Grindstaff presents Wealth and Freedom - Get Clear on What they Really Mean! posted at Creating Abundant Lifestyles.

Jason Elder presents Personal Loans With Bankruptcy posted at A Bankruptcy Lawyer's Blog, saying, "Here I discuss a few things you may not know when dismissing personal loans in your bankruptcy"

Danogo presents The Ultimate Band Guide to Building a Myspace Music Community posted at Danogo.com - Discover. Inspiring . Media, saying, "Teaches people how to make money online in their spare time by selling songs and music on myspace."

Aaron Wakling presents Credit Checks - What They Are And What You Need To Know posted at The Credit & Credit Card Blog, saying, "Credit checks involve sensitive personal data. Therefore, many people are concerned about precisely who they’ve entrusted with their records. Fortunately, the Fair Credit Reporting Act has established unambiguous rules governing credit checks."

*Dhawal presents The Fundas of Funds posted at After-Grad.com.

karyn presents Stop Saving for College! posted at Finance 123, saying, "Don't save for your children's college until your own retirement is secure. This post will explain why this is important."

Jerry presents I have $100,000,000,000 and yet I can’t retire posted at The Politics of Debt, saying, "The value of the dollar, your work, your money and everything else"

*Roshawn Watson presents Two Financial Questions You SHOULD Ask Your Friends posted at Watson Inc, saying, "Strife over money has severed many good relationships. When it comes to discussing finances, avoidance is understandably our medicine of choice, especially when friends are involved. However, perhaps avoidance is not the best strategy"

Joy Miller presents Cornell University offers 19 online programs posted at Online College Blog, saying, "If you are looking for a way to increase your knowledge and improve your resume, you may want to consider Cornell University. Promising “Ivy League Excellence, Online Convenience,” Cornell University has the “most comprehensive, online professional and executive development curriculum offered by any top-20 university in the United States” (eCornell, 2007)."

blue skelton presents wesabe posted at News Syndicated, saying, "Chat, chill pay the bills. Wesabe. Geezeo. Mint. They sound more like spices than financial tools. But don't let the odd labels turn you off. These sites are revolutionizing computer-based money management"

Raymond presents Thinking of Having a Baby? Reserve That Domain Name Before It’s Too Late posted at Money Blue Book, saying, "Not sure what category this would go under, but I think it's an issue that should be part of one's life plans."

Abel Cheng presents Teaching Kids About Money and Finances: An Interview posted at Parent Wonder.

Kim Staudenraus presents What Is The Definition of Rich? posted at Kim Staudenraus . com, saying, "What really makes us wealthy"

Kurt Brouwer presents $57.9 Trillion -- American Net Worth posted at Fundmastery Blog, saying, "American net worth just hit $57.9 trillion."

*Kevin Surbaugh presents What Did My Parents Teach Me About Money posted at Becoming & Staying Debt Free.

KCLau presents Build your Financial Dream House with a Financial Consultant posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "Architects design and build real houses. Similarly, financial planners design and build your financial house."

Brian Thibault presents Top 100 Luxury Blogs posted at International Listings Blog, saying, "Top 100 Luxury Blogs"

James presents Payday Loan Tips and Tricks posted at Payday Loan Cheapskate.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents SCHIP Haiku posted at Mad Kane's Political Madness.

Steve Faber presents - Types of Student Loans – How to Compare Student Loans posted at DebtBlog.

S. Palmer presents The richer get richer while the poor get poorer posted at Mystic Eye.

Jon presents Teaching Children About Money posted at Smart Money Daily, saying, "My wife and I had always planned to teach our daughter about money at a very early age, and by the time she’s in middle school (or late elementary, even) we want her to be making most, if not all, of her financial decisions on her own."

The Happy Rock presents Book Review : The Quiet Millionaire by Brett Wilder posted at The Happy Rock, saying, "Book Review of the Quiet Millionaire"

David presents What are Venture Capitalists looking for? posted at Gaizer.com, saying, "Seed Financing: Here, venture capitalists fund entrepreneurs in the idea stage, when a company has not yet produced a product or service and is building its management team. You should expect to receive capital under $50,000."

mariette presents No Time For Retirement Planning? posted at The Boulevard to Retirement.

Shadox presents Price Gouging is a Good Thing posted at Money and Such, saying, "It's really popular to complain about price gouging these days. Here is why price gouging is a good thing."

Raymond presents Prevent Your Frequent Flyer Miles From Expiring posted at Money Blue Book.

*Larry Russell presents Avoiding financial advisor and investment counselor frauds and scams - Overview posted at THE SKILLED INVESTOR Blog, saying, "The best way to avoid being defrauded or scammed by a financial or investment advisor is to investigate carefully several different advisers before hiring one of them. If you carefully choose a financial adviser or investment counselor, you have a far greater chance of finding one who is objective, competent, and ethical. This could help you to avoid significant problems in the future."


Mr Credit Card presents Toy R Us Credit Card Review posted at Ask Mr Credit Card's Blog.

Investing

Jimmy Atkinson presents A Beginner's Guide to Investing in Art posted at Ask the Advisor.

Raymond presents I've Been Receiving A Lot of Investment Spam posted at Money Blue Book.

*WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com presents Balanced Mutual Funds should be illegal posted at WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com, saying, "Save money on mutual fund management fees by creting your own balanced portfolio with a blend of pure mandates."

The Dividend Guy presents Top 8 Other Ways to Save Money on Your Investments posted at The Dividend Guy Blog.

Larry Russell presents Understand the confusing securities market motion picture posted at THE SKILLED INVESTOR Blog, saying, "Securities markets are usually very quick to adjust prices to reflect new information. However, this price adjustment process may take longer and be more volatile, if the new information is ambiguous."

*Shawn Edwards presents The Investments That You Know About, but Choose to Ignore | Desty Online posted at Desty Online.

David presents Analyzing the Deal, What are Investors looking for? posted at Gaizer.com, saying, "When investors evaluate the opportunity you present, they will look at the following factors"Dax Desai presents How to Decide whether to Invest for Growth vs Income posted at Dax Desai, saying, "Choosing to invest for growth vs income"

Bentley Humphreys presents How to invest in real estate in a market downturn -- real estate diversification posted at boozwatt.com, saying, "There's money to be made no matterwhat the condition of the real estate market is. Here's how."

Pinyo Bhulipongsanon presents Changing My 401k Asset Allocation posted at Moolanomy, saying, "Discussion about reallocating assets in my 401k to add bonds position to the portfolio."

*plonkee presents my least bad and least good financial decisions posted at plonkee money, saying, "What to do, and what not to do. Learn from my mistakes."

WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com presents An Advanced Investment Strategy: "The Option Straddle" posted at WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com, saying, "An advanced strategy employed using simultaneous call and put options to take advantage of price movements (in either direction) of a stock on pending material news."

Kurt Brouwer presents Chuck Jaffe ? MarketWatch Column on Financial Advisers posted at Fundmastery Blog, saying, "Working with a financial adviser is covered in this post"

Real Estate & Mortgage

Sam presents How to Save on a Home Mortgage Loan, Mortgage Refinancing, Second Mortgage Loan. posted at Surfer Sam and Friends, saying, "How to Save Money on a Home Mortgage Loan.

John Crenshaw presents Pay Off Mortgage, Lose Tax Deduction? posted at Truthful Lending dot Com.


Phil B. presents Is it Time to Purchase Bank Foreclosed Properties? « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, "With the increased number of mortgage defaults and decreased real estate values, it may be time to purchase an investment property soon. Exactly how soon is a debatable question, but many experts are guesstimating between the end of 2008 and first quarter of 2009."

Raymond presents The National Association of Realtor's Wacky Predictions posted at Money Blue Book.

Matthew Paulson presents Why the Real Estate Market Slowdown is great for Consumers posted at Getting Green.

Tim presents California HECM Activity Down posted at Reverse Mortgage Information.

Joshua Dorkin presents Buyer Beware: You Don’t Have to Use the Mortgage and Title Companies Affiliated with your Real Estate Broker. Make Sure You Shop Around! posted at Real Estate Investing For Real.

Dan Melson presents Wanting a More Expensive Property Than You Can Really Afford posted at Searchlight Crusade.

*mariette presents Getting/Refinancing a Mortgage in a Brave New World posted at The Boulevard to Retirement.

Raymond presents Good News For Vulture Investors - The Real Estate Market Continues to Crumble posted at Money Blue Book.

Saving Money

Nadege presents Financially stAble posted at Financially stAble, saying, "The blog submission is from my September 20th post titled How to save like the wealthy."

Frugal Panda presents 57 Creative Ideas to Save Money As a Pet Owner posted at Frugal Panda.

*Raymond presents The 3,000 Mile Oil Change Myth - Save Your Money posted at Money Blue Book.

Moneywalks presents Overcome your worst fear: Learn How to Save posted at moneywalks.

Save Money presents Step Five to getting Rid of Debt posted at How I Save Money.net.

*ChristianPF presents Do I need an Emergency Fund? posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, "How an emergency fund can make or break you financially."

Super Saver presents Time To Plan for 2007 IRA Contributions posted at My Wealth Builder.

David B. Bohl presents Money is Time: What?s Your Time Worth? posted at Slow Down Fast Today!, saying, "You probably think I just said, “Time is money,” but what I actually said was, “money is time.” They amount to the same thing, really, in some ways. But when you really stop to analyze the idea that money is time, wow. What a concept."

Shopping

Raymond presents Get Cash Back When You Shop Online posted at Money Blue Book.

Ruth Mitchell presents Having it all through Creative Consumerism posted at Buy Outside the Box, saying, "Take this site and shop it!"

*ISPF presents "I'm Bored. I'll Go Shopping" posted at Grad Money Matters.

Spending Wisely

FIRE Getters presents Rebuild Credit Score After Bankruptcy - Part 1 posted at FIRE Finance.

Kenneth presents LETS, Timebanks and other means of exchange | InvestorBlogger posted at InvestorBlogger, saying, "I thought this was interesting because of its potential to create alternative wealth for those without traditional wealth..."


Chris Kakaras presents How to Budget with an Irregular Income posted at ChrisKakaras.com.

*Beth Dargis presents Simplifying Halloween posted at My Simpler Life.

Stocks

TheMonthlyPick presents Trading stocks vs buying and holding posted at The Monthly Pick, saying, "Opinion article about investing in the stock market and frequency of trades. References one study from Haas professors and quotes a report from Berkshire Hathaway"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of everything finance using our carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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22 ways to build an emergency fund

One of the most important things to have is an emergency fund.
If, for any reason, your income stops, your emergency fund should be able to carry you for at least 6-8 months.

Courtesy of Bankrate.com, below is a list of very good tips to build and maintain an emergency fund.

1. Start saving something today. It doesn't have to be a large sum. Even on a tight budget, a small amount adds up over time. Depending on the size of your family, skipping a meal out each week could result in a savings deposit of $160 per month.

2. Treat saving as a bill. Consider having the amount transferred automatically from your checking account or paycheck. Pay your account every month or every two weeks.

3. Open a Christmas savings club. You may be able to set up an automatic deposit to come directly from your paycheck. You don't think about spending the money you never see. When holidays arrive, you'll have the funds to enjoy.

4. Get an envelope, cookie jar, coffee can or whatever you like and set aside the same amount every week. The trick: Don't count it, don't spend it!

5. Empty your pockets -- or your purse -- at the end of the night. Put all the change into a jar. Not only will you feel lighter, but your spare change adds up a lot faster than you think.

6. When you leave the house in the morning, don't carry anything smaller than a $5 bill. When you get change, don't spend the singles. At the end of the day, put any dollar bills in your jar.

7. You go to lunch and tip the waitress 15 percent to 20 percent (ten if you're a cheapskate). Put an equal amount aside for yourself, and your "tips" will add up quickly.

8. Get "cash back" from your debit card at the checkout counter by rounding up to an even amount. Slip the small amount -- $1, $2, $5 -- into your savings jar. You'll forget about a buck here and there.

9. Just paid off a big debt such as a car loan or child's tuition? Keep making the payments -- this time to yourself.

10. If you recently switched phone companies or discovered a flat-rate plan that's saving you money every month, put that cash aside in your savings jar.

11. Electric or water bill lighter than you expected this month? Save the difference.

12. Use those shopping membership cards that print your "savings" at the bottom of your receipt to help you save. Give the savings back to yourself by slipping that money in your savings jar.

13. Getting a tax refund next year? Either put the check directly in your savings account or cash it and stash it.

14. If you have the discipline to use a credit card and pay off the bill every month, use one that promises a cash reward and bank the money.

15. Give up cigarettes -- or even cut your habit by half -- and put that money in the savings drawer. If you drop a pack-a-day habit by half, you could easily bank well over $100 in a couple of months.

16. Put a jar on top of the washer and put in a quarter -- or two -- every time you throw a load in the washer or dryer. Get your finances in order while you clean.

17. When you return your movies on time, pay yourself the late fee. If you rent a movie or two every week, you'll be surprised how quickly that $1.50 to $4 can add up.

18. Trying to lose weight this season? Each time you go without dessert -- or that mid-afternoon candy bar break -- put the cost of your forgone goody into your savings jar.

19. Pop a quarter in a jar by the phone every time you dial a long-distance number. Bonus money: Shop your calling plan and find a better deal. Put the savings into the phone jar each month, too.

20. Try investing your savings in a certificate of deposit or an interest-bearing money market and watch it grow!

21. Buy U.S. savings bonds. Bonds yield more interest than the money earns in the jar.

22. Involve the whole family in saving. Plan a treat for everyone when you reach the savings goal. Make it something everyone will look forward to, but inexpensive, such as a day at the zoo, museum or beach.

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Try to avoid these Investing Mistakes

Along the way, you may make a few investing mistakes, however there are big mistakes that you absolutely must avoid if you are to be a successful investor. For instance, the biggest investing mistake that you could ever make is to not invest at all, or to put off investing until later. Make your money work for you – even if all you can spare is $20 a week to invest!

While not investing at all or putting off investing until later are big mistakes, investing before you are in the financial position to do so is another big mistake. Get your current financial situation in order first, and then start investing. Get your credit cleaned up, pay off high interest loans and credit cards, and put at least three months of living expenses in savings. Once this is done, you are ready to start letting your money work for you.

Don’t invest to get rich quick. That is the riskiest type of investing that there is, and you will more than likely lose. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it! Instead, invest for the long term, and have the patience to weather the storms and allow your money to grow. Only invest for the short term when you know you will need the money in a short amount of time, and then stick with safe investments, such as certificates of deposit.

Don’t put all of your eggs into one basket. Scatter it around various types of investments for the best returns. Also, don’t move your money around too much. Let it ride. Pick your investments carefully, invest your money, and allow it to grow – don’t panic if the stock drops a few dollars. If the stock is a stable stock, it will go back up.

A common mistake that a lot of people make is thinking that their investments in collectibles will really pay off. Again, if this were true, everyone would do it. Don’t count on your Coke collection or your book collection to pay for your retirement years! Count on investments made with cold hard cash instead.

Related Links:
* Investing Strategy for building your Nest Egg
* How to choose Funds in your 401K
* Keeping Cash Under My Mattress..makes sense !
* Financial Planner: Do I need one ?



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Do you want to be a Quiet Millionaire ?

Its been a while since I read a good Personal Finance book, because I usually get most of my personal finance advice from the Internet. So when I was asked to review, The Quiet Millionaire, I was like, do I really have to read about Personal Finance ?

But I'm glad I did because this book goes way beyond savings accounts, IRAs, 401ks etc. It helps you understand the important financial goals that a normal family has to accomplish and also guides you in the right direction. Imagine my surprise, when, after reading the book, I realized that I did not know how to reduce taxes effectively as well as have any idea about how to start a successful business.

Now, in this book, Brett Wilder stresses a lot on hiring a Fee -Only Financial Adviser, who will guide you in the right direction throughout your financial life, but I don't know if I'm ready for that...Yet.






The Quite Millionaire, is written by Brett Wilder, who is a Certified Financial Planner® with over forty years of professional experience as a personal and business financial adviser. He founded the Financial Management Group, Inc. (FMG) in 1989, a fee-only financial management and investment advisory firm.

According to Brett, the quiet millionaire's life has a purposeful direction, and it is pointed in the direction of a planned, charted course. The quiet millionaire does not live just for today, drifting aimlessly, being consumed by life's daily activities, or mistakenly thinking that tomorrow will take care of itself. Rather, the quiet millionaire does give thought about tomorrow and knowingly commits to funding goals and objectives and to being protected against that stormy day. A financial course is carefully mapped out to assure arrival at specified destinations in life. The quiet millionaire is intelligent and mindful about how to have financial independence and security in order to flow with the happy currents of the life he or she chooses to pursue.

The Quiet Millionaire is a hardcover with 422 pages. The publisher is FMG Publishing, Inc.

The chapters are very well laid out that effectively describe the financial story of a quiet millionaire. See for yourself.

What Is Important about Money to You?

The Financial Management Review ™

How to Have a Positive Cash Flow

Do You Own the Right Assets?

Are You an Intelligent Borrower?

Are You Paying Too Much Tax?

How to Be an Investment Winner

How to Get Maximum Results from Employer Stock Options and Other Key Employee Compensation Programs

Are You Prepared and Insured to Financially Survive Life's Risks?

Will Costly Health Care Wipe You Out?

Follow the Quiet Millionaire's Path to Successful Business Ownership

College Part I: How to Manage the College Experience Successfully

College Part II: How to Make College Affordable

Retirement Part I: How to Quit Working as a Quiet Millionaire ™ and Not Run out of Money

Retirement Part II: How to Maximize Retirement Assets and Transfer Estate Wealth

After each chapter, Brett gives a very good summary of all the important concepts introduced in that chapter.

And last, but not least, the planning tools used by the Quiet Millionaire are available for download at the Quiet Millionaire website. Please check it out.

I strongly recommend reading this book.




Related Links:
* Saving for Kids College Education
* When did you start taking better care of your Finances
* Investing Strategy for building your Nest Egg
* Financial Planner: Do I need one ?
* 25 Rules to Grow Rich by


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Buying a New Construction Home: Do I need a realtor ?

Do I need a Realtor ?

So you have decided to buy a new construction home and now you are wondering whether to hire a Realtor or not. You do need a Realtor, but not right now.


Looking for a new Home Community

You can look online for the communities in your area that are building new homes...and there wont be many..since you are buying a new home or new home construction, you really don't need a Realtor at this point.
http://www.inest.com
http://www.move.com

Visit the actual home sites

Go to the sales center of these new home communities and get information on floor plans and lot sizes etc. At this point, if they ask you whether you are working with a Realtor, say YES. But don't give out any names at this point.

Finalize the community and floor plan

Go through all the floor plans that a community is offering and make your decision. Always go to an actual home of the floor plan to get the best idea. Also if your community doesn't have a home you are looking for, see if that builder is building another communities nearby. They might have a house with the floor plan you are looking for.

Look for a Realtor

So you have decided on the community you want to live in and the floor plan you would like to see in your house. Now is the time to look for a Realtor, but let them know that you have already chosen everything and they really don't have much work to do, so they need to give you a cut of the Realtor commission. They should be willing to give you at least 1/2 of what they will make for the sale. Shop around and get the best deal.
In this way, the Realtor gets free money and so do you.

Realtor can still help

Even though you have done all the work of selecting the home, the Realtor can still help in choosing the plot, selecting the upgrades, negotiating the deal etc.
Also, most important, don't let the Realtor try to change your mind in any way.
Let him/her know that your decision is final and also make it clear that you will not increase your budget for any reason. The Realtor will try to move you to a builder that pays them more commission.

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Save Money by Spending Wisely !

Have you ever noticed that the things you buy every week at the grocery and hardware stores go up a few cents between shopping trips? Not by much…just by a little each week but they continue to creep up and up.

All it takes for the price to jump up by a lot is a little hiccup in the world wide market, note the price of gasoline as it relates to world affairs.

There is a way that we can keep these price increases from impacting our personal finances so much and that is by buying in quantity and finding the best possible prices for the things we use and will continue to use everyday… things that will keep just as well on the shelves in our homes as it does on the shelves at the grocery store or hardware store.

For instance, dog food and cat food costs about 10% less when bought by the case than it does when bought at the single can price and if you wait for close out prices you save a lot more than that.

Set aside some space in your home and make a list of things that you use regularly which will not spoil. Any grain or grain products will need to be stored in airtight containers that rats can’t get into so keep that in mind.

Then set out to find the best prices you can get on quantity purchases of such things as bathroom items and dry and canned food.

You will be surprised at how much you can save by buying a twenty pound bag of rice as opposed to a one pound bag but don’t forget that it must be kept in a rat proof container.

You can buy some clothing items such as men’s socks and underwear because those styles don’t change, avoid buying children’s and women’s clothing, those styles change and sizes change too drastically.

Try to acquire and keep a two year supply of these items and you can save hundreds of dollars.

Related Links
*Shopping at Costco...the frugal way !!
*Easy Ways to Save Money
*For the Frugal Mind: Cheapest days to shop


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