Well… it seems by accident I signed up for a ton of carnivals! If I included a link in a previous carnival and it was also submitted to the Carnival of Retirement I have removed it from today’s edition! Sorry!

I hope you enjoy these articles as they relate to your retirement!

Roger Wohlner @ The Chicago Financial Planner writes My Thoughts on PBS Frontline The Retirement Gamble – The PBS show Frontline recently aired an investigative documentary on the state of retirement savings and the problems with 401(k) and similar retirement plans. I watched this broadcast with great interest. Here are my reactions to what I saw

Michael @ Financial Ramblings writes Stock Market Predictions and Google Search Data – Can the volume of certain keyword searches on Google be used to predict the future? And, if so, is it possible to profit from such predictions by using them to guide your investing strategy? As it turns out, the answers appear to be yes and yes. Or at least that’s what the authors of a recent study would have you believe.

Arnel Ariate @ Money Soldiers writes What Makes You Shy Away from Stock Trading? – Here are some of the reasons that compel people to avoid stock trading. Though the stock market now spells good prospects for the companies as well as for the investors, yet most people prefer to stay away from it.

Robert @ The College Investor writes The Remarkable Power of Generosity – One thing that there is an infinite supply of is kindness. Some people (maybe those who work in an airport, or those who are asking for change on the street) never hear kind words. Kindness costs nothing, and can pay off in spades.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Compounding Calculations for the Lackadaisical Retirement Planner – This past year I’ve been focused on paying off debt. But, soon I’ll be able to hone-in on retirement savings. Using a simple compound return calculator (because the big retirement calculators scare me!), I’ve calculated some simple savings figures that are much more palatable for scared folks like myself.!

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Why You Should Be Skeptical of Financial “Rules of Thumb” – Rules of thumb are often used to make various financial decisions. While they can be helpful when it comes finding a starting point, rules of thumb should be approached with a degree of skepticism.

Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes Why Most of Your Assets Should Be in Index Funds – Given that professional investment managers typically don’t beat the market – in fact, they are usually behind – most of your assets should be in index funds.

Kevin @ Passiveincometoretire writes Could Someone Have a Life Insurance Policy On Me Without My Knowledge? – It is highly unlikely, but yes it is possible. Almost all circumstances, however, would prove fraudulent and today’s insurance companies are quite savvy when it comes to debunking such activity.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes Five Biggest Money Mistakes Couples Make – By avoiding these five common financial mistakes made by couples you can avoid most problems.

Jon @ Novel Investor writes Busting 5 Safe Investing Myths – There are a number of investing myths that lead investors astray all the time. Sometimes it’s sound advice that fails under specific circumstances. Other times it’s just plain wrong.

JP @ My Family Finances writes Alternative Ways to Invest Your Family’s Assets – If you find yourself looking for an alternative investment market or other opportunities to spread your risks, one of the options below might be a good fit for you.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Multi-Generational Living – Is a Next Generation Home for You? – Multi-generational living is becoming more popular these days as families look for ways to deal with the economy.

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Are We Taking the Wrong Retirement Risks? – This article examines how we should be using mental accounting to allocate our investments in our retirement portfolio.

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey writes How To Begin Saving For Retirement At An Older Age – This post describes several steps to increase the amount of money you are able to save before you retire. These steps may not be able to ensure that you have the amount of money you want by the time you reach retirement age, but you will increase your financial security to the point where you will not have to be afraid that you will never be able to retire.

If you want to submit to the Carnival of Retirement next week, sign up at Blogger Carnivals.

I guess I signed up to host a bunch of awesome carnivals in a short period of time! Hopefully you’re enjoying these great articles. If not, we’ll be back to a normal post on Monday. Have an awesome Sunday!

Michael @ Financial Ramblings writes Save Money by Re-Shopping Your Recurring Expenses – Do yourself a favor and periodically re-shop your recurring expenses. I’m talking here about all kinds of things: lawncare, TV service, your internet connection, insurance, pest control, etc. You never know what a new provider might be willing to do to win your business.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Everything Goes Trash Night – Bizarro Christmas Year 3 – Once a year, we have a trash night in my community where everything can be put out. Oddly, I’ve come to enjoy this day, and so far each year the stuff I toss out is better and better. I enjoy giving stuff to people who are opportunistic and clever!

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes Who receives your property when you die? – When you die, your property is often one of the biggest pieces of estate that gets passed on. Of course, if you’re a landlord, you likely own more than one property; such as your own residence and those you let out.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes Who’s Your Real “Head of Household”? – My husband’s name appears under “head of household” on our tax forms. But his actual role doesn’t exactly fit this title.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes How to Fund the Purchase of a Car – Despite being such an expensive investment of our money, cars have become a crucial part of our everyday lives.

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes The 80/20 Rule and Procrastination – The 80/20 Rule has been one of the most helpful concepts for my time and life management. Also called the Pareto Principle after the Italian economist, Pareto recognized that people in his society were divided into two group. The vital few were the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the trivial many, the bottom 80 percent.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Tax Deductions for Having a Baby – Your life changes dramatically when you have a baby. Your taxes change too.

KrantCents @ KrantCents writes Extreme Retirement Is Fool’s Gold! – The usual definition for extreme includes words like serious, hazardous, dangerous, highest degree, exceptional, severe, physical or mental risk or hardship. I realize that retirement as a goal may be worthwhile enough to take risks, but extreme may be too far.

Kevin @ 20smoney.com writes The Marshmallow Experiment and your Finances – While many people who possess large amounts of money are very smart, others are not necessarily but where able to be at the right place at the right time.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Sold! How We Got An Offer On Our House In Less Than 2 Weeks – Our house spent six months on the market in 2012; here’s how we managed to sell it in 2013 in less than two weeks!

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Become a Product Tester for Free Swag – If you are not interested in medical studies. then below are some legitimate, non-compromising, product testing opportunities for you.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Organization is key to balancing family life with a career – It’s tough juggling family life with a career and sometimes the pressure of it all can make you feel unappreciated, even desperate. The frantic commute back and forward to work each day seems to take forever and the boss demands more and more of your time.

MMD @ My Money Design writes The Pension vs 401k – The 401k Did Not Kill Retirement – You can compare a pension vs 401k all you want, but the 401k didn’t kill retirement. There are still lots of great options for saving for retirement.

MMD @ IRA vs 401k Central writes Can I Borrow Against My 401k Plan? Not If You Can Help It – When people ask themselves Can I Borrow Against My 401k plan, they usually don’t realize how much damage they will cause their retirement savings in the long run. This post will show an example of how much money you would potentially lose.

Cash Flow Mantra @ Cash Flow Mantra writes You Get What You Pay For – Quality is often reflected in price. How many times have you tried to save money buying a cheaper item and had it break right away? You often end up spending more money replacing something multiple times where a more expensive initial purchase could have saved money in the long run

Jason @ Live Real Now writes I Accidentally Bought a Bus – We jumped into buying a bus with no real plan, but there are a few ways we could make our money back. I’m expecting a healthy profit on a pretty short timeline.

Ray @ Squirrelers writes Waterfront Living is Not Always Worth the Risks – Many people dream of living on the shoreline, with the ocean or some other body of water right there within a short distance away. Financially and otherwise, there are risks involved!

TTMK @ Tie the Money Knot writes Making Small Talk Valuable – Small talk can actually be profitable, as being friendly can pay dividends. This story is an example of how taking the time to get to know others can actually offer the side benefit of helping our finances.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes How Much Do You Need To Save To Retire 1 Day Early? – Do you want to retire earlier? Find out how much you need to save today to be on the golf course one day earlier.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Stuck in a Rut? How to Get Out of Unemployment – Stuck in the unemployment rut? We feel for you. That’s why we’ve provided some good, helpful tips on how to get out of unemployment. Read here to find out!

Walt @ My Wealth Desire writes How to Stop Overspending Money & The Ultimate Key to Create Wealth – Overspending Money is one of the hindrance in creating wealth and in living a prosperous life. Because of overspending, it limits your ability to save and invest your money into any investment vehicle. One thing is sure, you will never reach your financial goals or be able to create your wealth if you are continuously spending beyond your income.

Ryan @ Cash Money Life writes PayPal vs. Dwolla: Which is Right for You? – PayPal has been around a long time, but Dwolla has really low transaction rates – which should you choose? Here’s a comparison of the two!

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes The Good and Bad Sides of Coupons – Looking to save money? Maybe you’re big with coupons. We have some good news and bad news about coupons. Read here to learn about this common money saver.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes For Rent: Do’s and Don’ts of Renting Out Your Space – So you’ve decided to rent out your space! This can be a great income source if you do it right. Here are some do and don’t tips of renting out your space.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes How to Extend Your Cell Phone or Smartphone’s Package Almost for Free – Unlimited data, texting, and talking are a pipe dream for some, especially the unlimited data.

Matt Becker @ Mom and Dad Money writes Where Do Investment Returns Come From? – An understanding of where returns really come from is vital to forming a solid investment strategy.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes The Drug Of Buying ‘Stuff’ – The weather is warm and in the United States we are about to start enjoying some of the national pastimes of our country.

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes I Wasted Too Much Time on Boys – I am blinded by the fact that for most of my college career I spent WAY too much time on boys. Time I could have spent becoming better friends with the people I now wish I kept in touch with, or at least time I could have used to do school work, perform in more plays, or keep better track of my finances.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Butt Out! How I Successfully Quit Smoking – True confession time! I smoked cigarettes for over 20 years. Here’s my story and some tips for you if you are a smoker wanting to quit.

Nick @ A Young Pro writes The Biggest Financial Mistakes I’ve Made in My Career (So Far) – I’ve made a few mistakes in my career that have already cost me a lot of money. Read on to learn how you can avoid making them too.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Computers for kids: The Pros & Cons – Children see computers all around them. As soon as they start school they will use a computer in the classroom, and many toddlers are used to using tablets from their early days.

Paul @ The Frugal Toad writes Why Pay for Cable When You Can Use Free and Cheap Streaming Video? – With cable bills averaging over $50 and internet-TV combo packages costing over $100 you may be asking yourself is it time to ditch the cable. Before you make that decision you will need to make sure you have the right equipment and that your favorite programs are available. If you are a news junkie or a sports fan the options are limited however, if you want a good selection of TV Shows and movies you’ll want to look at these options.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How Much House Can You Afford – Most of the problems happening these days in the real estate market are mainly because of the homeowners outstretching their budgets to own the houses they really couldn’t afford but desired.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Yearly reviews are like getting a colonic. They suck. – It’s that time of year again when employees are brought into their direct supervisor’s office and given their yearly review. If they’re lucky, they would have been receiving feedback throughout the year and the review will be a series of good bad, good bad scenarios.

LaTisha @ Young Finances writes How to Save Like The Terminator – Saving money doesn’t have to hurt your wallet. The key to saving money and saving lots of it, is to make your savings automatic.

Grayson @ Debt RoundUp writes When I Would Rather Spend Than Save – Every since I started paying off my credit cards 4 years ago, I have leaned on the side of saving my money. I had wasted it away on credit card payments and I wanted to build my net worth. Each and every night, I would ask myself the simple question of “should I spend or should I save?”

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes Financial Rules Stay-At-Home Spouses Need to Know – If you are a stay-at-home parent you will want to make sure you are following a few basic rules.

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Financially Savvy Teen Budgets Her Money Using The Cash Envelope System – At just 17 years old Eva is well on her way to becoming financially independent because she is investing in building her knowledge up about personal financial literacy. Teens today really do need a kick-start like Eva has gotten from her parents from a young age. Now she budgets her money using the envelope system. Enjoy this inspiring story as it brings upon you strength, a desire and a passion to see the children of tomorrow succeed.

Nivene @ It’s Economic writes The True Cost of Being a Mom – Being a mom isn’t cheap — and it’s only gotten more expensive over the years! Take a look back at the cost of being a mom in the 1950s compared to today.

Adam @ Money Rebound writes Don’t Worry about What Others Have or What They Think – Making big financial changes can be tough, especially if you focus on what others have or think. Find out why you should focus on yourself and not others.

Abbie @ Finance Junkie writes Saving On Your Weekly Budget – Although you believe you are being clever with your shopping budget, are you doing everything you can to save money?

Glen @ Monster Piggy Bank @ Monster Piggy Bank writes Do You Trust Your Partner With Money? – A post about trusting your partner with money and making financial decisions.

PK @ Don’t Quit Your Day Job… writes May 8, 2013: The Actual All-Time Closing High in the S&P 500 – Factoring in inflation and dividend reinvestment, we didn’t actually see a gain in the S&P 500 until this week – the closing price on May 8, 2013 was an all time high.

Philip @ PT Money writes Virtual Assistant: A Job Worth Your Time? – Becoming a virtual assistant can be a great job and has many benefits. Read to find out if you’d be a good fit for this job and where to start looking.

JC @ Passive-Income-Pursuit writes Stock Valuation Method – Dividend Discount Model – Continuing on with my series on stock valuation methods, I take a closer look at the Gordon Growth Model and Dividend Discount Model. Being a dividend growth investor, this is one of my favorite valuation techniques from a pure dividend value standpoint. There’s even free calculators you can use to run your own analyses.

Bob @ Christian Personal Finance writes How to open an Etsy Store – If you haven’t heard of Etsy, well basically is it a website that allows you to create a simple storefront to sell your crafts, homemade items, vintage items, or a lot more. It has exploded in growth over the last few years…

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Do You Have to be Lucky to Beat the Market? – This article examines how to differentiate roles of luck and skill in investing in the stock market and why a highly skilled investor populace makes you rely more on luck.

John @ All Things Finance writes Investing for Beginners | Newbie Mistakes to Watch Out For – Newbie investors are likely to make some mistakes when starting out. Here are five of the most common ones.

Todd @ Fearless Men writes How Much To Spend On An Engagement Ring – There’s too many opinions on how much to spend on an engagement ring.I’ve heard that a gentleman should spend 2-4 months salary on an engagement ring. How true is that?

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey writes When Disaster Strikes: The Importance of an Emergency Fund – One of the most important things you can do is save money in an emergency fund. This post describes just how important saving for an emergency fund really is using real-life examples.

Welcome to the 387th Festival of Frugality. Here are some interesting posts from around the web that can help your finances. Let’s get to some of the best submissions from this week!

Martin presents How Do You Survive Financially in a Large City Without Losing Your Pants? posted at Studenomics. He says “How do you get by without going broke?”

Philip presents PTM 031 – How to Make Money on Craigslist Reselling Washers and Dryers with Mr. Craigslist Hustle posted at PT Money. He says “After being laid off, LaJuan Stoxstill-Diggs found a way to earn money on Craigslist. Listen to his advice on how to get started in this podcast.”

Michael presents Save Money by Re-Shopping Your Recurring Expenses posted at Financial Ramblings. He says “Do yourself a favor and periodically re-shop your recurring expenses. I’m talking here about all kinds of things: lawncare, TV service, your internet connection, insurance, pest control, etc. You never know what a new provider might be willing to do to win your business.”

Emily presents Money Management Systems Visualized posted at Evolving Personal Finance. She says “Visual representations of four basic money management systems couples use.”

Amanda presents 10 Free Smartphone Apps to Save You Money posted at My Dollar Plan. She says “Some great tips for making your smartphone bill pay off!”

Glen Craig presents 25 Ideas For Your Income Tax Refund posted at Free From Broke. He says “Many get a sizable income tax refund. Don’t let it go to waste. Here are 25 suggestions for your income tax refund.”

Megan Russell presents Essential Financial Advice for College Graduates posted at Marotta On Money. She says “As the wife of a 2013 college graduate and a 2012 college graduate myself, I can boldly say this was the most helpful advice given to me.”

Neal Frankle presents How I Won My Credit Bureau Dispute Fast posted at Wealth Pilgrim. He says ” If you have a credit bureau dispute it can drive you nuts. You probably didn’t do anything wrong but the bureau reports that you did. You show proof that they made a mistake yet they do nothing to correct the error. It’s like you are talking to a wall. Besides frustrating the heck out of you, mistakes like these can really be costly…”

Tori presents Saving Money On Weddings: If It Sounds Too Good To Be True… posted at Money Life and More. She says ” I was so proud of myself for saving lots of money and getting a fabulous wedding dress! About 3 weeks after placing my order my dress arrived at my future mother in law’s house! Deep in my gut I could tell something was not quite right when she called and told me it had arrived, but in a small box…..”

Harry Campbell presents Writing Off Moving Costs During Tax Time posted at Your PF Pro. He says “The IRS provides a lot of deductions for hard working Americans like us but a lot of people are unaware of them or maybe scared of an audit. I say bring it on, as long as you have the receipts and proof to back it all up, you should take advantage of every deduction available out there. The ‘moving expenses’ deduction is one of the more valuable ones since it’s above the line, meaning you don’t have to itemize to take advantage of it.”

Mr.CBB presents Junk to Funk: Some Woman Down The Road Left Me With Hardwood posted at Canadian Budget Binder. He says “It’s not everyday I come across a money maker in the streets for free but when I do see it I jump on it. Often a simple DIY project can yield you savings in your budget or profits to your bank account if you can sell it. Watch me turn junk into funk and save!”

Sean presents 5 Popular Craigslist Scams to Watch Out For posted at One Smart Dollar. He says “Craigslist can be a great place to buy and sell items however it also comes with risks. Here are some of the biggest Craigslist scams to watch out for.”

John S presents The Cost of a Bad Credit Score posted at Frugal Rules. He says “A credit score can be used to determine many things from rates on loans to eligibility for certain jobs. By protecting your credit score you can help yourself potentially save a good amount of money over time.”

Miss T. presents Save Money: Buy These 7 Items Used posted at Prairie Eco Thrifter. She says “Before you buy new, consider whether or not you can save money — and the earth — by purchasing the following items used…”

Everything Finance presents Use Pinterest to Save Money posted at Everything Finance Blog. They say “Think of Pinterest like a giant search engine that can help you save money in more ways than you can ever imagine. If you’re not on Pinterest, you’re missing out and probably spending more money than you need to.”

Penny Thots presents More Frugal Substitutes posted at Penny Thots. They say “In December, I wrote an article about some good substitutes that will save you money and also allow you to control the amount and type of product that goes into them. Today I thought I’d share a few more.”

Little House presents Free and Cheap Summer Activities posted at Little House in the Valley. They say “Staying within my budget, ie. cheap, free, or really inexpensive, here’s a list of my favorite summer activities…”

Kyle presents Ebay Surprise: Making Extra Money with Other People’s Stuff posted at The Penny Hoarder. He says “I love spending money. I would eagerly waste my hard-earned money on clothes, bag, shoes, makeup and more. After years of this unfortunate habit, I reached a point where I couldn’t deal with the guilt. I could’ve saved enough for a house by now or at least a nice condo.”

Wayne presents Don’t Panic: Controlling Your Fear During Financial Emergencies posted at Young Family Finance. He says “Financial issues weighing you down? It happens. Here are tips on how to keep your calm and control your fear in these financial emergencies.”

Maria presents 5 Ways to Make Money before you Start University posted at The Money Principle. She says “Going off to university is expensive; if you make money and set up a ‘university nest egg’ before you start you will find it much less financially stressful.”

Tushar presents Why Stock Market Investing Isn’t Gambling? posted at Start Investing Money. He says ” If you are looking to be entertained, gambling online will probably be better than stock investing. You can click here to experience an online casino site, and get the chance to win, or lose, big money.”

Corey presents Preparing for Next Year’s Taxes posted at 20s Finances. He says “For most of us, income taxes are a major annoyance, but the overall stress or frustration is usually unnecessary.”

SFB presents How College Students Can Save Money posted at Simple Finance Blog. They say “While paying off student loans and college tuition continue to be financial burdens on most college students, saving money seems to be almost impossible in todays world of temptations.”

Debt Guru presents 10 Mistakes to Avoid Right Out of College posted at Debt Free Blog. They say “Just graduated from college? Congratulations! Now the real battle starts. Read here for tips on avoiding these common money mistakes post-graduation.”

Amanda L Grossman presents How to Reap High Happiness ROI posted at Frugal Confessions. She says “Many of us have learned over the years that physical things do not make us happy.”

Hank presents This Week’s Podcast with Adam Shepard the author of One Year Lived posted at Money Q&A. He says “Adam Shepard shows us in his new book, -One Year Lived- that you do not have to give up on your bucket list and your dreams. I talked to him on our podcast, Your Money Your Choices, this week about bucket lists.”

MR presents How Much Money Is a Lot of Money? posted at Money Reasons. He says “Money has changed meaning to me as I grow older. Read some of my funny history around how I viewed money, and what a lot of money is to me today.”

Jester presents Spring Cleaning: How to get rid of clutter posted at The Ultimate Juggle. They say “It is quite amazing how quickly clutter can grow around the home. Those old, unwanted things just seem to multiply, taking up the already limited living space you have. That’s the problem when clutter builds up. When it comes to getting out that feather duster, the simple task of cleaning becomes torturous.”

That’s it for this Festival of Frugality! Which piece was your favorite?

Welcome to the 403rd edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. It has been a busy weekend at my house and there were some great submissions this week so let’s get straight to the editor’s picks!

FMF from Free Money Finance presents The Many College-Related Decisions, and says, “College is on my mind a lot these days. Several of my friends have kids in college or just entering, and my own children are a few years away from going to college. There are a lot more decisions then you might think.”

Harry Campbell from Your PF Pro presents Does it Make Financial Sense to Move In With Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend?, and says, “Whether it’s after a few months or a few years, after a certain point in every relationship you’ll probably consider moving in together. It’s a natural progression in most couples’ relationship and at this point, you’ll have to weigh the positives and negatives. You will save on gas driving to each other’s houses, save on food cooking together, save on utilities, etc. Financially, it sounds like a great move but is it the best thing for your relationship?”

Philip from PT Money presents Business Ideas that Work Usually Scale Efficiently, and says, “If you’re considering beginning a new business or growing one you already have, it’s important to consider the scale of it. PT breaks down what “scale” is and how to analyze your business idea in light of it.

Career

Mike from The Financial Blogger presents Expenses Breakdown, How Can You Make Money without Working Hard, and says, “A total insider’s look at my blog-related expenses.”

Nicole from Grumpy Rumblings presents What is financial independence?, and says, “Nicole and Maggie discuss definition(s) of financial independence.”

Miss T. from Prairie Eco Thrifter presents How to Impress Your Boss (Without Giving Up Your Work/Life Balance), and says, “Here’s some ideas on how to impress your boss without sacrificing your life.”

vh from Funny about Money presents Do We Have More Expenses Than Our Parents Did?, and says, “When I started to look into this question, I was surprised at what I learned.”

PK from Don’t Quit Your Day Job… presents Auditing CBO Estimates: A History of Outlay Projections Since 1976, and says, “The CBO is tasked with estimating the economic impact of changing or repealing laws. Here is our compendium of CBO estimates about Government spending.”

Jon from Novel Investor presents Annual European Bailout Returns, and says, “Once again, Europe has taken the center stage in the global economy. This time the bailout involves Cyprus.”

Investing

Matt Bell from Sound Mind Investing presents The Dismal State of Retirement Preparedness, and says, “Don’t shoot the messenger, but too many of today’s workers are doing too little to prepare for retirement.”

Jacob from My Personal Finance Journey presents What are Your Options for Tax-Advantaged Non-Retirement Savings and Investments?, and says, “This post reviews the tax-advantaged savings options on the market today, covering both the advantages and disadvantages of each.”

Investor Junkie from Investor Junkie presents What Is Modern Portfolio Theory?, and says, “A basic understanding of MPT can be helpful to you, since your retirement plan, and other investing efforts are likely based, to some degree, around MPT.”

Dividend Growth Investor from Dividend Growth Investor presents Are these high yield dividends sustainable?, and says, “The companies profiled in this article boast very high dividend yields. My analysis shows that their yields are unsustainable, and that their dividends are at high risk of being cut.”

D4L from Dividend Growth Stocks presents Free Cash Flow Payout vs. Dividend Payout, and says, “I am a firm believer in keeping things simple. However, you can simplify things to the point they no longer have value. In my opinion, a lot of the commonly used financial metrics can be very misleading unless you understand what is behind them. I would put EBIT, EBITDA and Dividend Payout in this category. As an investor in dividend growth stocks, I see Dividend Payout used a lot, so let’s take a closer look…”

Taxes

Jason Hull from Hull Financial Planning presents The Best Part of Paying Taxes Isn’t Getting a Refund, and says, “This article examines why, despite the claims of a Visa prepaid debit card, the best part of paying taxes isn’t getting a refund and why people who claim ZOMG YOU’RE GIVING THE GOVERNMENT AN INTEREST-FREE LOAN are focused on the unimportant aspects of personal finance.”

Michael from Financial Ramblings presents Filing Taxes Late? Request an Income Tax Filing Extension, and says, “If you’re not going to make the filing deadline, do yourself a favor and request an extension. Even if you can’t pay, the penalties for underpayment are less the penalties for not filing.”

Michael Kitces from Nerd’s Eye View presents Income Thresholds For Medicare Part B And Part D Premiums – An Indirect Marginal Tax?, and says, “Since 2007, higher-income individuals and couples have been required to pay an additional income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) on their Medicare Part B premiums; a similar rule took effect in 2011 for Medicare Part D premiums. The ultimate impact can potentially be significant; the premium increases effectively equate to an “indirect tax” in the form of a higher burden on higher income levels, which means that the income thresholds for Medicare Part B and D premiums should itself be treated as an extra “tax bracket”! ”

Jules Wilson from Faithful With a Few presents A New Perspective on Our Tax Return, and says, “We recently got our tax return and it was a different experience than in the past. We just recently have been trying to get a handle on our finances, so we approached this with a lot more care than in the past. I am going to share what we would have done in the past with the money we got back, and then I will share what we changed this year.”

Liana from Card Hub Blog presents Common Tax Scams & Tips for Avoiding Fraud, and says, “With Tax Day fast approaching, we’re all aware that our personal finances will be under the microscope for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, not everyone parsing our private information will have the requisite authority to do so, as the history of tax fraud is just as long as that of taxes.”

Pete from Intelligent Speculator presents What % Of Your Income Are You Saving Away?, and says, “Do you ever think about how much money you’re putting away?”

Matt Bell from Sound Mind Investing presents The Dismal State of Retirement Preparedness, and says, “Don’t shoot the messenger, but too many of today’s workers are doing too little to prepare for retirement.”

Frugality

Kristen from My Dollar Plan presents How to Save Money on Easter Celebrations, and says, “The trouble with holidays, including Easter, is that as great as they are, they usually mean you are spending more money than you normally would. Here are some tips on how to avoid that!”

MFIJ from My Journey to Financial Independence presents Insourcing vs Outsourcing, and says, “Outsourcing has been practiced by corporations for years. Outsourcing is also practiced by regular people when they pay others to do things for them. On the flip side, much of the FIRE (financial independence/early retirement) community advocates the opposite, insourcing. They make the very valid point that you can save lots of money by doing things yourself. It just so happens that I know quite a bit about both approaches.”

DPF from Digital Personal Finance presents Customer Loyalty Cards are Great!, and says, “Sometimes, there can be a win-win for a business and a consumer. Customer loyalty cards can be a great example of this. As a consumer, I find that they can provide nice savings for very little time and effort, as we discuss in this post”

Ray from Squirrelers presents TV Commercials Glorifying Materialism, and says, “Frugality is often praised as being responsible behavior within personal finance circles. However, in mainstream media, this isn’t always the case – as we discuss here.”

Debt

Lance from Money Life and More presents Is Paying Down Debt An All Or Nothing Mentality? No Thanks!, and says, “Paying down debt is a challenging task for many people. It isn’t likely that someone magically ended up with massive amounts of debt overnight. Normally it takes time to accumulate a large debt load and over that time people develop some habits that just don’t work well with practical money management.”

Money Management

eemusings from NZ Muse presents Paycheque frequency – what’s your preference?, and says, “After years of switching between different pay frequencies, I’m confident I can swing anything.”

Lynn from Wallet Blog presents Getting Paid as a Caregiver Without Jeopardizing Medicaid Eligibility, and says, “The most recent figures show that 48.9 million people in the U.S. have served as adult caregivers, with 86% of them providing for a relative in need. Not only do these people have to contend with the myriad difficult and thankless tasks associated with caregiving, but most also have to work outside jobs in order to pay the bills. In all, more than 70% of caregivers effectively work two jobs.

Money Beagle from Money Beagle presents Don’t Ever Ask An NFL General Manager For Money Advice, and says, “Even though they manage a lot of money, you shouldn’t bother looking to NFL general managers for advice. Find out why.”

Green Panda from Green Panda Treehouse presents The Retire Early Movement Has Hit UFC, and says, “A look at the mainstream spread of the early retirement movement.”

TTMK from Tie the Money Knot presents Getting Gifts and Financial Help From In-Laws, and says, “It’s often nice to treat friends and family to dinner, or maybe to a thoughful gift. When it comes to in-laws, some can be quite willing to spend on their child and his/her spouse. We discuss in this post the concept of considering boundaries and possible strings attached when accepting such gifts.”

Real Estate

Charles from Wallet Hub presents Mortgage Insurance (PMI and MIP): What it is, How Much it Costs, and How to Avoid it, and says, “While there are several types of mortgage insurance, the types that everybody complains about are private mortgage insurance (PMI) on conventional loans and Mortgage Insurance Premiums (MIP) on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans – and most borrowers don’t have any choice when it comes to PMI.”

Saving

Gary from Gajizmo presents Best Ways To Save Money, and says, “Saving money isn’t easy. There is really only so much you can cut from your budget, but knowing how to save money and finding creative ways to meet your financial goals can make all the difference between a fully-funded retirement and living on just social security and government subsidies. Here are some in-depth methods of reviewing your spending and finding savings, including everyday tips that will transform your lifestyle and develop healthier habits.”

Welcome to the Finance Carnival for Young Adults! This week it was my turn to host. I’d like to thanks 20′s Finances for putting this carnival together. The articles below can definitely help out young adults with their finances.

Robert @ The College Investor writes 4 Ways to Interpret A Changing Dividend Policy – Dividends are more than just cash paid out to shareholders. They are also a way for companies to signal a message to shareholders. Remember, there are times when dividends matter and when they don’t, but you need to know how to interpret a change to the dividend policy.

Robert @ Kids Ain’t Cheap writes Dismissing The Notion That Kids Are Overly Expensive – These are a few of the areas that, in my opinion, continue to get over estimated and parents can make up substantial savings.

Roger Wohlner @ The Chicago Financial Planner writes The Ameriprise 401(k) Lawsuit – What Does it Mean to You? – A lawsuit brought by a group of current and former employees of financial services firm Ameriprise has been allowed to proceed. The main issue is that Ameriprise offered a number of its proprietary mutual funds as options in the plan; these funds were allegedly expensive compared to other non-proprietary options that could have been utilized. Further it is alleged that these funds paid revenue sharing and other fees to Ameriprise and several of its subsidiaries.

Jeff Rose @ Good Financial Cents writes How A Cushy Job Can Be Your Ticket To Financial Freedom – Are you bored with your job? Are you tired of what you do on a day to day basis? If your current job pays decently well and you are so good at your job that you have a decent amount of free time to relax, why not put that free time towards your own financial independence?

Michael @ Financial Ramblings writes Thirteen Ways I Use Evernote to Make My Financial Life Easier – Over the past few years, Evernote has evolved into my “goto” place for storing and retrieving all kinds of information. And yes, I even use it to help streamline certain aspects of our finances.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes You’re So Vain—You Probably Think This Post Is About You – Is it being vain to spend so much money on making yourself look or feel better? Where should the line be drawn? What if these little (or large) changes make somebody feel more confident, is that a bad thing?

Jen @ PF Carny writes Steps to Determine If You Are Ready to Open Your Own Business – If you are working for “the man” at a 9 to 5 job, you may dream of nothing more than venturing out on your own and being your own boss. This is the true American dream, and in this age of the Internet, it has become a reality for many people.

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes How to Stay One Paycheck Ahead of the Game – Stop living paycheck to paycheck. Use this approach to break this habit.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes My Student Loans are like Godzilla-trying to ruin my life! – I have some student loans. Enough that up until a few years ago I would lose sleep over it because I couldn’t wrap my head around two things: how could I have been so oblivious and stupid!? The other was: how am I going to get out of this mess? My loans were like Godzilla

Mary Rhodes @ Fine Tune Finances writes 4 dumb reasons why people take a loan out – Loans if you’re responsible can be really beneficial to your finances, however there are times when getting a loan is probably not the smartest thing you can do.

John @ WILD about Finance writes Are Big Companies TOO Big to care? – Small shops and independents are going out of business at an alarming rate, so with a future of ‘big businesses’ looking like the future, we ask do they really care?

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Should You Pay off Your Mortgage Early? – The dream of many homeowners is to let out an exhalation of breath and cheer at the same time they send the last check into the mortgage company well before their 15 or 30 year loan ends.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Roth vs. Traditional IRA: Have The Rules Changed? – While the Roth IRA rules haven’t changed, the permanent tax changes should make us think about what we think is common knowledge.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes I Could have Used these Free Online Dating Sites in My Early Twenties – Whether you are in a small town, a large city, or somewhere in between, meeting people is hard to do.

Kanwal @ Simply Investing writes Don’t Have Any Money To Start Investing? – I sometimes hear from folks that they would like to start investing but don’t have any money right now. It’s true that it takes money to make money, however you might be able to invest in dividend stocks without requiring any new money.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes My Cup of Tea and the Big Picture – I am a micromanager and a workaholic – but rather than increasing my efficiency at work, these attributes are keeping me from seeing the big picture.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes 6 Mental Money Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them – A guide to the mistakes that we make with money, and some suggestions on how they can be avoided to maximize our level of money in the future.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Life’s Priorities – Take a New Look Regularly – I’ve been writing here for almost 3 years and have found a common thread in my money posts – I seem to change my financial priorities every few months, lol.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes 3 Step Easy Debt Reduction Diet – Find out simple ways to reduce your debt. Start with stop looking for an easy way out.

Ray @ Squirrelers writes 3 Reasons to Hire a Pro to Do Your Taxes – It can be tempting to do things on our own instead of hiring a professional, and often it can be smart. When it comes to taxes, however, it can often be a good use of time and money to hire a pro – as this post discusses.

DPF @ Digital Personal Finance writes 3 Types of Income – The type of income we rely on can change over the course of our life. While we may start by leaning on earned income, it’s not what we hope to rely on later in life, as this post discussed.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Become a Guinea Pig in the Name of Passive Income – Unlike lab rats, which are unscrupulously enlisted, human participation is coerced through financial incentive. Find out if it is worth it.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes Say No to Gym Memberships: How to Get a Great Workout for Free – Can’t afford gym memberships. Here are a few ideas to get a great workout for free, from building your own equipment to workout tips

Bryan @ Gajizmo writes House Poor – How Much Home Can I Afford? – Don’t be “house poor” – it’s a common mistake and one of the simplest things people do to avoid destroying their personal finances. A mortgage is probably an American family’s largest monthly expense, and it likely won’t be paid off anytime soon, so purchasing a home you can afford and still have money left over to invest is essential to your ability to build wealth and a retirement nest egg.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes The One Car Family – How We Make it Work – In this day and age, where 3 car garages seem to be the norm, how is it possible that a family of two adults, a toddler, and two dogs make it with just one car?

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes How Much Do You REALLY Pay in Taxes? – I worked on a special project last month. As we went through the month, tracking our spending, doing our budget, I added in a special category for taxes

krantcents @ KrantCents writes Rental Property Investing Tips – I love rental property! Where else can you leverage your investment for thirty (30) years at a low interest rate and have someone else pay for it? Real estate and rental property are not risk-free; however it is one way to accumulate wealth! It starts with savings and how you invest your money.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes Make Your Own Diet-Meal Program to Save Money – Today I will talk on how to make your own diet-meal program to save money. Now that is February how are your resolutions going? I know many people still wanna lose weight and save money. But sometimes it’s impossible to do both at the same time.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Investing Money: How Much is Enough? – Experts often advise to invest 10-20% of your income. Find out how much you should invest and how it affects your future.

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes How To Avoid Your Own Personal Financial Cliff – How to be prepared for all kinds of eventualities even if the going is good for you at the moment and there is a big wad of cash in your bank account.

MMD @ My Money Design writes How to Invest a Million Dollars and Why You’ll Need to Know How Someday – If you think you know how to invest a million dollars by putting it in stocks and bonds, you could be doing yourself a big disservice. Here’s another way..

Edgar @ Degrees and Debt writes Who Doesn’t Like Freebies? – Collection of ways to get freebies!

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Pros and Cons of Self Employment – Find out if self employment is right for you. There are positives and negatives to each.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Are You Saving Enough For Retirement In Your 401k? Probably Not!! – There are a few rules of thumb that you can look at to find out how much money you need to save in your 401k for retirement, but we are simply not saving enough for retirement.

John @ Fearless Men writes 5 Shopping Strategies for Online Savings – Shopping online has been the craze the past few years. Every retail store better have an online presence if they want to keep up with their competitors. But what do we, the shoppers, need to know so we don’t get scammed into spending our heard earned money?

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Another View of the Simple Retirement Plan – Planning for retirement doesn’t take a rocket scientist. It just takes commitment and utilizing the tools that are available to everyone.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes The Truth About Tax Deductions – Now that tax season is upon us, many look for ways to reduce their taxes (hopefully most of you took advantage of some deductions before the end of the year).

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Why I Want to Help Others Live Debt Free – People live with debt like it’s no big deal. I write so that others can know how and why to live debt free.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Can You Base a Business Idea on Your Hobby? – Everyone has at least one hobby they do when they’re feeling bored or want to take their mind off other things such as work. However, did you know that you could be able to turn almost any hobby or special skill you have into a job or perhaps a business? This infographic will show you.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How to Get Your Budget to Balance – Here are a few tips on how to get your budget to balance.

Kyle @ My University Money writes More Money for Beer and Textbooks – If you are about to begin your post-secondary journey, are currently trying to navigate those bumpy waters, or know someone that is, More Money for Beer and Textbooks is the cure for massive student debt, credit card bills that grow larger by the month, and the stress that accompanies financial worries.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes Creativity Can Make You Debt-Free – Easy unique and out of the box ways to get rid of debt. We give easy workable tips on how to pay off debt creatively.

John @ Married (with Debt) writes Married… and Almost Out of Debt – When my husband and I tied the knot, we were $55k in debt. By the end of our newlywed phase, it was nearly $200k. Here’s how we got out of debt… almost.

Wealth Effect Blogger @ Your Wealth Effect writes 8 Investment Lessons from the Recent Grammy Awards – If you read too many personal finance blogs you start to see investment lessons in random places such as the recent Grammy Awards.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Dealing with debt: frugality is not the answer – When coping with financial trouble many people resort to frugality; here I argue that increasing one’s income and not simply frugality is the answer.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Penny Stocks Could Cost You a Pretty Penny – Okay so the title is designed to catch your eye. But if you are thinking about investing in penny stocks it is worth realizing you could lose a lot of money in doing so.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Barack Obama Is a Genius – We Should Raise The Minimum Wage – In the State of Union Address on Tuesday, President Barack Obama revealed a master plan that will guide our country over the next 4 years and – hopefully – leave a lasting legacy.

CF @ The Outlier Model writes Choosing NOT to participate in my employee stock plan – Sometimes taking advantage of all your employee benefits isn’t in your best interest…yet. I chose not to enroll in my employee stock plan until my budget could accommodate it.

Barbara @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes How to Find the Best Loan – What to Look for in a Lender - How to find lender. Cut borrowing costs.

L Bee @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes When Does Personal Finance Stop Being Personal and Start Being Stupid? – Personal finance is personal-How many freaking times have you seen that cliché of a line in PF blogs?

Andrew @ Student-Finance writes What is Centrelink? – A great article for Australian Students. helps them understand the welfare benefits payments that The Australian Government provides to help Students get through University.

Miranda @ Excess Return writes 3 Investing Fees You Shouldn’t Be Paying – As an investor, the goal is to obtain the best possible return. Unfortunately, there are a number of items that can erode your returns. Taxes, inflation, and fees all reduce your real returns from your portfolio. While there is only so much you can do about paying taxes and offsetting the ravages of inflation, there might be a little more you can do about paying fees.

John S @ Frugal Rules writes 4 Reasons Why Having an Investment Plan Will Save Your Butt – Investing in the stock market can be difficult for many, especially if they have no plan in place. An investment plan can help guide your investing decisions so you’re working smarter and not harder, which will in turn help your long term investing approach.

Jules Wilson @ Faithful With a Few writes 10 Ideas For a Home Business – Home Business Ideas can oftentimes lead to scams. Here’s how you can use your own skills, knowledge, and experience to earn money from home!

Jules Wilson @ Fat Guy,Skinny Wallet writes Lessons Learned from New Insurance Cards – Were your Health Insurance Cards Stolen? If so, read this post to find out exactly what you need to do and what you have to be careful of!

Nick @ A Young Pro writes The Value of Real Networking – You read a lot of posts these days about how to improve your LinkedIn profile or how to use social media to network. This is not one of those posts. This post discusses the value of real networking with real people.

Jon @ Novel Investor writes The Evolution Of Index Investing – What once was a simple comparison tool, the market index has evolved into the complex index investing strategy we have today.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes Understanding The Child Tax Credit – t’s tax time so you are going to want to make sure you fully understand the child tax credit to maximize your tax savings.

Mrs. PoP @ Planting Our Pennies writes An Addition To Our Edible Equity – After meeting with our new financial planner, Mrs. PoP figures out that some of the PoP’s retirement equity is a bit more accessible (ie. edible!) than previously assumed.

Deacon @ Well Kept Wallet writes How to Create a Budget – I had someone ask me recently, “How do I put together a budget?” It dawned on me that budgeting is not a straight forward process. It does take some explaining as well as trial and error to start to get the hang of it.

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes My Secret For Paying off $30K In Student Loan Debt – When I finished graduate school I owed $30,304.87 in student loan debt. Curious about how I got myself into and out of that mess?

Grayson @ Debt RoundUp writes Want to Save Money? Here Are 13 Ways! – We all think about saving money, but have we thought how easy it really is. Here are 13 things that you can save you money and they are easy to do.

Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes A Crazy Computer Purchase – There are several reasons why I don’t want to buy a computer at this time. There’s really never a good time to buy a computer and be future-proofed, but this is a particularly poor time. Maybe for back to school or Black Friday this year, you’ll start seeing cheaper prices on several components hit the stores.

Peter @ Bible Money Matters writes Smarterbucks Review: A Program to Help You Pay Down Student Loan Debt Faster – SmarterBucks is a new reward program that has a very specific use for the rewards–to pay down student loan debt.

Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes How We Handled $32,000 in Student Loans – Almost eleven years ago I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and $15K in debt. I was lucky to only have this much in loans as my parents for some and I had paid cash for two years myself by working summers in high school.

Alexis @ FITnancials writes 10 Tips For When Eating Out – I often get asked what foods I eat when I dine out. Sometimes I like to treat myself, but on the days I don’t treat myself I usually stick to a few rules. Here are some tips to stay on the healthier side while dining out.

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Can You Ever Get Back From the Frugal Tipping Point? – The millionaire in a trailer who refuses to turn the heater above 65 degrees. At what point is frugality too much, particularly when you have made it and have enough in the bank to ensure you won’t become a cat food connoisseur?

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Free Money Is Everywhere, If You Know Where to Look – After years of being a Penny Hoarder, one remarkable thing I have discovered is that free money is everywhere. Yes, you may need to jump through some hoops to get that free money, but so what? It is free money!

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes What’s Distance Worth? – Los Angeles has become a sprawling metropolis that is completely car-dependent because affordable homes in decent neighborhoods are in the boonies. So what is distance worth? Is it worth moving 15-20 miles away to become car dependent, spend an hour or more commuting for the nicer, less expensive house? Or do I settle for a fixer-upper in a shabbier, older neighborhood but ride my bike more often?

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes What’s an Impulse Purchase? – How do you define “impulse purchase?” Does it have to do with the amount of time spent considering it, the amount of money on the line, or something else?

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey @ My Personal Finance Journey writes Getting Your Security Deposit Back after Renting an Apartment – When it comes to security deposits, you need to protect yourself as a tenant in order to receive the maximum security deposit when you move out. Here are the lessons one writer learned over the years when it comes to getting your landlord to refund your deposit promptly.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Is the YOLO (You Only Live Once) Mentality Dangerous for Your Finances? – You Only Live Once (YOLO) sounds great until you have to pay your bills later on. Don’t get fooled by the YOLO mentality.

Wow… that was a ton of links to great articles! I hope you found a couple you wanted to read! Have a great day