Carnival of Retirement – 17th Edition

Kraig Mathias | April 30, 2012 | 37 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Carnival of Retirement! Here, you’ll find tips on personal finance and on preparing for retirement financially. If you want to submit a post for next week’s edition, please use this submission form. Next week’s edition will be hosted by Simple Finance Blog. Enjoy!

*Note: The links before are to articles written by other personal finance bloggers on their own blogs. They do not necessarily reflect my views or the views of this blog, Young, Cheap Living. Their presence on this post is NOT an endorsement of their views, their article or their blog by me or by Young, Cheap Living.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How does a Letter of Credit Differ from a Bank Guarantee? – In layma’s terms, a bank guarantee and a letter of credit may seem similar, but they are not. Here are the key differences and when to use them.

Timothy @ Wealth Artisan writes Mortgage Calculator – Mortgage Payment Calculator – From a simple monthly payment amount, to a full mortgage amortization schedule, use our mortgage payment calculator for your needs. It also graphs your mortgage!

harry campbell @ Your Personal Finance Pro writes Getting Away From Internet Job Searches: Networking Tips for Young Professionals – With unemployment at 8.2% as of March 2012, many Americans find themselves relying on the same unsuccessful job hunting tactics. Recent graduates are stuck looking for work in an extremely saturated job market where supply is high and demand is low. So what makes one candidate stand out from another?

vh @ Funny about Money writes Money Worries: I’ve Gotta Stay Away from the Computer – According to US News Money, annual income for US retirees is about $25,700. This post details what it’s like to try to cobble that much together from Social Security and employment income typically available to retirees.

Kanwal @ Simply Investing writes Is it Good When Companies Buy Back Their Own Shares? – Companies will sometimes buy back their own shares, but is this good or bad for you the shareholder? Generally it’s a good thing because in the long run it will result in an increase in the share price.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Should You Trust Your Financial Advisor? – Does your financial advisor have a fiduciary duty to act in your best interest? It depends on the type of advisor you are working with.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Is the Cash Method Helpful? – Is an all cash method of budgeting the best way to control your spending? Find out if the envelope method is right for you.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes How to Spend Less on Gas – How much gas are we using to drive to work, to school, to the store, and so on? Here are some tips on how you can deal with the high price of gas.

Kevin @ Thousandaire writes It’s All About Creating Income – Lots of people worry about saving millions of dollars. If you generate passive income, you won’t need so much in savings.

Steve @ Money Infant writes Happy Songkran from Thailand – No, I haven’t lost my mind. I know it isn’t New Year in most of the world, but here in Thailand it is.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card Review and a 2 Free Flights! – Earn up to two free flights with the Chase Southwest Rewards credit card! If you’re traveling soon, this card is one that you need now!

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes When Building a Dividend Portfolio Should the Dividend Pay Date Matter? – I was reviewing my income received the other day for my dividend account and after realizing it is way too low I had a quick thought…should it matter when dividends are paid by the companies I am investing in? Should the payment date of the dividend actually come into consideration when choosing individual dividend stocks to invest in?

Peter @ Bible Money Matters writes TD Ameritrade Review: Award Winning Online Brokerage – Over the past couple of years I’ve looked at, and reviewed, quite a few online brokers. There are a lot of pretty good ones out there, but even among all the good ones I’ve reviewed, TD Ameritrade stands out from the pack

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Build a Home Series – Floor Plan and The Lot – The first steps with our builder were to decide on the floor plan of our future home and to pick our lot. We had to pick our floor plan first.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes How Much House Do You Really Need? – Sometimes we just need to ask ourselves: How much house do I need? If you stay in your house almost all the time, then of course your needs would…

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes How to Make $500/week Cleaning out Foreclosures – Foreclosure cleaners often earn a whopping $500 to $2,500 per house that they clean. Here are a few tips on how to score these jobs…

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes Why I am Investing in Real Estate – Investing in real estate is not a easy commitment, but doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it. Find out why I am investing in real estate.

Andy Hough @ My Retirement Blog writes Average Retirement Savings by Age – A breakdown of how much different age groups have saved for retirement.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes What are the Best Days to Buy Specific Items – Did you know that you can save money just buy making purchases on a specific day of the week or month?

John @ Married (with Debt) writes Pay Off Debt Before Investing: Rule 9 – This is Rule 9 in my 10 Rules to Eliminate Debt and Change Your Life Should I pay off debt before investing? If you are asking this question, let me first say congratulations.

MMD @ MyMoneyDesign writes Before Retirement, Eliminate Your Biggest Expense – Have you ever considered the benefits of paying off your mortgage early as a way to save BIG during retirement and reduce the amount of income you’ll need? If you’ve got a lot of time between then and now, even better! Let’s crunch some numbers and see how much extra it would take to eliminate your mortgage payments altogether.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes The Average Returns to Expect on Mutual Funds – This Post was Originally published at The Average Returns to Expect on Mutual Funds on Start Investing MoneyWhen you are deciding on a vehicle for investing your money, mutual funds may come up in conversation more often than not. Because the risk is spread out, the investment is perceived as safer than gambling on individual stocks.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Saving Money By Doing Small Repairs Yourself – How I save money to spend on my kids by doing small repairs myself. If what you are trying to fix is old, it might be worth it to try fixing it yourself.

Dr. Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse Blog writes Coffee or Tea? – What is your pleasure, coffee or tea? Is one better for you than the other?

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes Are You Spending Too Much on Business Expenses?

MR @ Money Reasons writes Fixing Your Garage Door Opener By DIY – These are the steps I followed to replace my craftman garage door gears that were shredded. This particular repair cost me $25 vs around $200 for a repairman.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Regulate the people, not the banks! – Read why it is not the institution that the government need to go after, but those few selfish individuals in the company!

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Why Do Banks Sell Mortgages? – Sometimes I use my blog as a medium to rant about the funny things people do with their money; but other times I tackle common questions that I receive from readers or overhear when I’m wondering the golf course streets. One common question/comment I’ve gotten recently has been around mortgages.

101 Centavos @ 101 Centavos writes To Peak Oil or Not To Peak Oil? – The world is running out of oil… so might as well buy a few shares in the companies that make it and move it around.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Our House On The Market: Month Two – Two months in to having our house on the market, and still no offers. I’m anxious to slash our asking price and reduce allowances we’ve made for closing costs.

Kacie @ Sense to Save writes Our plan for maxing out our IRAs this year – We’re automatically contributing some money to our IRAs, but to max them both out we’ll need to take additional steps. Having a plan for our future windfalls will help us reach our goal.

Shaun @ Smart Family Finance writes Should Families Pay Off All Their Loans: No, Debt is Not Bad and It is Not Always Riskier than Cash – I’m sorry, but if you think debt is bad; you are wrong! Debt can be good, sometimes it is even essential.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes Who I Have Not Become – At some point in life, we all dream of becoming someone else, someone different from who we are now. We have certain aspirations and hopes. Sometimes we live up to our dreams. Sometimes they remain just that … dreams.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes 5 Tips to Save Money on Your Grocery Bill – If you are looking to save money, you might want to consider these tips to reduce your expenses with your grocery bill.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Revisiting The Buffett Rule – I previously wrote about how I was against The Buffett Rule, raising taxes on the rich to help balance the budget.

Jackie @ MoneyCrush writes Why “Invest in What You Know” is Bad Advice – When you’re just dipping your toes into the world of investing, a common suggestion is to “invest in what you know”. But that doesn’t make it good advice. In fact, invest in what you know is actually bad advice. Here’s why.

KT @ Personal Finance Journey writes Some Smart Ways to Use an Unexpected Windfall – As a child, you may have played the game of LIFE and enjoyed those moments you get an unexpected windfall. The same can happen in real life. A few years ago, many Americans got an unexpected windfall when President Bush offered a tax rebate to a majority of U.S. citizens.

Busy Exec @ The “Busy Executive” Money Blog writes Taking Advantage of your Employer’s 401K Plan – It goes without saying that the 401k is one of your greatest wealth-building vehicles if available. To not take advantage, is pure craziness.

Jeffrey @ Money Spruce writes How to Be an Entrepreneur – The following is a guest post. Answering the question “How to Be an Entrepreneur” is a a somewhat complicated one. There’s really no simple way to answer it. The first thing I will tell you: being an entrepreneur is easy, but being a successful entrepreneur is not. Here’s a few simple steps to think about.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Why are Home Foreclosures Picking Up in 2012? – Find out why foreclosure rates are increasing in 2012. Will you be next?

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Only Certain Home Improvement Projects Will Pay You Back – Most of your home improvement projects and remodeling projects are not going to make you money and will unfortunately not translate dollar for dollar in new home equity.

Sicorra @ Tackling Our Debt writes Easy Ways to Reduce Your Daily Living Expenses – If you suddenly find yourself short on cash, implementing some or all of these suggestions could definitely help you get through some rough financial times.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes The 3 M’s of Success – The 3 M’s of Success is the thirteenth in a series of articles to help you reach your goal.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Environmental Reward Program Update – Earth Day/Week is here, and I thought I would take the opportunity to update you on the reward point programs I introduced about a year ago.

Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes Personal Capital Review – Investment Centric Version of Mint.com – As I’ve discussed in my mint.com review, I think Mint is great for budgeting, but poor when used for investment planning. It appears Mint is targeting people just starting out with their finances (Generation Y and Z). As I mentioned, I wished for a web 2.0 app that focused more on investing: retirement, asset allocation, and taxes. I recently discovered Personal Capital, and it appears has answered most of my wishes.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes The Basics of Permanent Life Insurance – Understanding life insurance is one of the many challenges that young adults face these days. Between all of the confusing terms and the many options, it can become quite overwhelming. While you may be tempted to ignore this and see how long you can go without getting life insurance, it may be in your best interest to get life insurance now, while your young.

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes Risky Investments – High Return – Investing with great risks gives you a bigger potential return. You won’t always avoid mistakes, but you will learn from them.

Jeremy Waller @ Personal Finance Whiz writes Top Personal Finance Posts Of The Week – Wal-Mart Bribery Scandal Edition – Wal-Mart, one of the largest companies in the world, has just found itself in the middle of a massive bribery scandal. Allegedly, bribes totaling more than $24 million were paid to Mexican officials to speed up the permitting process to open new stores.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Vancouver Personal Finance – A couple of weeks ago, TeacHer Finance wrote a post asking whether or not personal finance advice should depend on geography. I say YES.

Van Beek @ Stock Trend Investing writes Growth Investing vs. Value Investing – When it comes to investing in stocks, there are two major styles of investing: growth investing and value investing. There has been an intense debate as to which investment style yields the best returns and what style of investing suits investors. Let us first understand the two styles and then compare the two approaches.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Where to Save Your Retirement Investing Contributions – Welcome to the 3rd week of my ‘Understanding Retirement Planning & Investing’ series! If you’ve missed the first two posts be sure to check them out! Everything You Need to Know About a Roth IRA & Why to Start One.

Brent Pittman @ On Target Coaching writes Run Your Own Personal Finance Race – Each runner in this personal finance race is unique, so the training methods and running styles will differ slightly, but there are some common core running principals you have to adhere to. Find out what works for you and hit the track.

FG @ Financial God writes Cars Are the Mass-Transit Solution of the Future – As you sit in traffic on your way to work, you might find it hard to believe, but one day, that congested highway will be part of the mass-transit wave of the future.

Boomer @ Boomer & Echo writes Preparing For Retirement: Some Thoughts On Turning 50 – There are plenty of reasons why people put off planning for their retirement. The future has a way of arriving faster than we ever thought. No matter how well you are doing today, making sure you have the financial resources you will need for a secure future takes careful planning.

YFS @ Your Finances Simplified writes The Benefits of Giving to Charitable Institutions – They say that giving and helping others can offer people more satisfaction than acquiring material things. For centuries different individuals, even the most wealthy ones, have found a sense of fulfillment in giving, and indeed it is in the act…

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes The Finances of Addiction – It seems like just about everybody is addicted to something. Do you know how expensive additions are?

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Green Tip #240 – Rain Barrel – The 240th Green Tip: Use a Rain Barrel to collect rain water and reduce your water usage costs.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Top 5 Mortgage Mistakes – Learn about the top five mortgage mistakes that you can make when buying a new house or condo.

Princess P @ Portfolio Princess writes Smart, Savvy, And On A Budget – Sometimes sticking to a budget is no easy task, but there are ways to make saving money easy by following these simple budgeting tips.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes 10 Signs You Need Help With Money – One thing is certain with money is that it’s never too late to make a turn around and admit that you need help with money.

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes How to Start with Managing Personal Finance – Most critical and hardest barrier to managing personal finance is getting started. A guide to help you get going with the first few baby steps towards better management of your personal finance.

SB @ Finance Product Reviews writes Everbank Review – A Bank Which Pledges Yeild – Not often we come across banks who has rate pledges, EverBank announces at its home site that the rates for its account holders would remain in top territory. Read moe in this review.

Jefferson @ See Debt Run writes The Garden of Seedin’ – We plant a backyard garden, discussing strategies to make the garden help for himself. We talk about using seeds vs. the pre-sprouted plants.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Think Twice Before Borrowing from Your 401k – Some people talk about a 401(k) loan like it’s an easy option. But there is a lot of risk and borrowing from your 401k is something you need to carefully consider.

Ken Faulkenberry @ AAAMP Blog writes What is a Mutual Fund Expense Ratio and How Does it Affect Performance? – The mutual fund expense ratio lowers mutual fund performance enough that investors should consider the benefits of investing in stocks and ETFs, but NOT mutual funds.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Building Up Your Financial Literacy – A look at how people can build up their financial knowledge and help protect themselves from bad information.

Michael Kitces @ Nerd’s Eye View writes The Asymmetric Value of Delaying Social Security Benefits As The Ultimate Hedge – Delaying Social Security benefits produces an asymmetric result, where the retiree only risks a little by delaying, but stands to gain far more in the long run. And the results are even better where the retiree lives dramatically past life expectancy, experiences high inflation, and/or gets unfavorable portfolio returns – which are, in fact, three of the greatest risks to almost every retiree. As a result, the reality is that delaying Social Security benefits may actually be one of the best trip

J.P. @ Novel Investor writes Book Review: Millionaire Teacher – Financial education is a big key to successful investing and the Millionaire Teacher is a great place for novice investors to start on that journey.

Tags: Financial Independence, Motivation, Personal Finance Lessons, Saving for Retirement, Saving Money