Welcome to the June 4, 2010 Edition #144 of the Carnival of Financial Planning.

The Carnival of Financial Planning takes a long-term view of personal financial planning for individuals and families. We focus on efficient and sustainable personal financial planning practices that can lead to lifetime financial security.

This edition is arranged by subject heading, so that you can browse efficiently.

Enjoy!

Budgeting and Economics

KCLau presents KCLau's Money Tips , saying, "Results from a World Bank study entitled Global Purchasing Power Parities and Real Expenditures 2005 International Comparison Program spanning 2003 to 2008."

presents Global Spending: How People Spend their Money posted at, saying, "Results from a World Bank study entitled Global Purchasing Power Parities and Real Expenditures 2005 International Comparison Program spanning 2003 to 2008."

Roshawn Watson presents Savings Down, Spending Up but What Does it Mean? posted at Watson Inc, saying, "New data suggests that Americans are saving less and spending more, as the vicious economic cycle repeats itself once again. It appears that despite proclamations that our newly-embraced frugality reflected a permanent change in behavior, frugality for many was a passing fad induced by momentary fear rather than a substantive shift in consumer spending"

Super Saver presents Living on a Cash Basis was a Good Experience posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, "Living on a cash basis quickly taught me financial responsibility."

The Financial Blogger presents May Net Worth Update (+13.5%!!!!) posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, "with the recent sale of GLBL and the sale of our home, I am starting May with a big jump in terms of net worth."

The Financial Blogger presents Why The Loonie Is As Strong as a Bear? posted at The Financial Blogger, saying, "It has been more than a year that our Canadian Loonie has been beating on the greenback and we have now reached the moment when most economists predictions will become reality: the elusive state of parity between the Canadian and US dollar."

Learn Save Invest presents Home Buying Expenses posted at Learn Save Invest, saying, "Buying a home has more expenses than just your down payment. Here are some of the expenses you should plan to have cash to pay for."

The Skilled Investor presents Save More Money posted at Personal Finance Strategy, saying, "Budgeting and self-control in consumption is far more important than clever investing. Expenditure control and budgeting works, while "clever" investing usually is counter-productive."

Estate Planning

Jeff Rose, CFP presents How To Select a Guardian for Your Children posted at Jeff Rose.

FMF presents Using Life Insurance for Estate Planning posted at Free Money Finance, saying, "How to use life insurance as part of an overall estate plan."

Financial Planning

Beth Ziesenis presents Four Things to Do As Soon As You Lose Your Job posted at San Diego Law Today, saying, "If you’re on unemployment in San Diego and facing bills you can’t pay, you can be proactive about your finances to avoid the last-minute emergencies and scrambling that many of our clients face."

FMF presents The Eight Money Ratios, Part 4 posted at Free Money Finance, saying, "These money ratios can help you determine whether or not you're on track financially."

Dividend Tree presents Building Core Competency for Long Term Survival posted at Dividend Tree, saying, "whether it is running a business or individuals investment portfolio, it is important to build a core competency for long term sustainability. In my case, I focus on good quality companies that consistently pay or have potential to pay growing dividends over time."

Roshawn Watson presents Through the Looking Glass posted at Watson Inc, saying, "Do you really believe in a world of financial abundance? Could you ever have too much money? Could you ever even conceive of summering in the Hamptons for $35,000 per night? Pregnant in your answer is a revelation of your core belief system regarding money"

jim presents How Long Should I Keep Financial Documents? posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity

Joe Plemon presents Which Comes First: Earning or Saving? posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, "The number one financial principle is to live on less than you earn. Right? Or do you need to get those earnings up first? This post helps the reader think it through."

freefrombroke presents Credit Card Benefits posted at Free From Broke, saying, "If you use credit cards well you can find a great many benefits at your disposal!"

Charles Chua C K presents 10 Tips to Avoid Financial Crisis posted at All About Living with Life.

Larry Russell presents No Load Mutual Funds posted at Top Index Mutual Funds, saying, "Superior past performance has simply not been shown to be a reliable predictor of superior future performance. However, low costs can lead you to the best mutual funds."

Susan Howe presents Building a Personal Finance Library: 25 of the Best Books About Money posted at Get Rich Slowly, saying, "There are literally hundreds of books out there about the way you think about, and act with, your money. Here are some of them which could be considered essential to effectively handle your personal finances."

Frank Knight presents Roth IRAFinancial Software posted at Financial Freedom Plan, saying, "Whether to invest in a Roth IRA or Roth 401k versus their traditional retirement account alternatives is one of the most complex personal financial decisions. Roth accounts do not make sense financially for most people. They are a good deal, for a minority, but you need to do the analysis."

Financing a Home

Ryan @ MFN presents How to Apply for a VA Loan posted at Military Finance Network, saying, "A VA Loan is a great way to finance a home, but there are several steps you need to take before you can qualify for and obtain a VA Loan."

Financing Education

MoneyNing presents How to Use a 529 Plan to Improve College Savings posted at Money Ning, saying, "A 529 plan can help your college savings tremendously. Check out how the government can help contribute!"

Jessica Bosari presents When Your Child Needs a Financial Education After College | billeater.com posted at Billeater, saying, "Helping your college graduate manage finances after college."

Ryan @ MFN presents History of the GI Bill posted at Military Finance Network, saying, "A brief history of the GI Bill, one of the best ways for military veterans to pay for college."

Health Care

Joe Plemon presents The New Health Care Bill: A Prescription for Diminished Health Care posted at Personal Finance By The Book, saying, "Yes, the health care bill passed. I predict the long term consequences will be poorer health care."

Income

Control your Cash presents Goldman Sachs, and why should I give a damn? posted at Control Your Cash, saying, "Investment banking is intellectually challenging, risky, and should offer commensurate rewards. And when the bankers make the wrong decisions – charging too low a rate of interest, buying a security whose price then tailspins – they should eat the losses."

Mike @ Green Panda presents 10 Promising Sectors for the Next Decade posted at Green Panda Treehouse, saying, "Choosing your career at the age of 20 is not an easy thing.Which jobs will be paid well by employers for the next 10 years? Here are my top ten picks (in no particular order) of the best sectors"

jim presents Dividend Champions posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Investing

FMF presents Stop-Loss Orders Can Lose Money Quickly posted at Free Money Finance, saying, "Be careful using stop losses -- doing so can cost you!"

2 Cents presents Passive Investing and the Ostrich Effect posted at Balance Junkie, saying, "With the increasing popularity of passive investing, it's important that investors are careful not to fall victim to The Ostrich Effect."

Four Pillars presents Use Your Cell Phone Apps To Manage Your Money posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, "Some cell phone apps to help track your finances"

Tushar Mathur presents Can't Control the Markets? Try controlling the Costs posted at Everything Finance, saying, "As 2008 proved, the financial markets are prone to unpredictable periods of turbulence. That can make investing feel a bit like a roller-coaster ride. The disappointing results that many mutual funds posted in 2008 and at the outset of 2009 may have left you feeling concerned over your financial future. You're not alone."

Praveen presents Lichello's AIM System posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, "A look at Robert Lichello's AIM stock investing system, which was popular in the 1970's and then went out of style."

Silicon Valley Blogger presents OptionsXpress For Stock Investing and Options Trading posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "A look at a top broker for stock and options trading."

LearnSaveInvest presents Investing Advice For Regular People posted at Learn Save Invest, saying, "Many regular investors fall into the same traps over and over. Here is a list of traps to avoid, and how you can profit on your investments making good choices."

Tomas Escent presents Stock Trading Automation posted at Nerds on Wall Street

Zach Scheidt presents Express IPO Looks Good for a Bounce posted at ZachStocks, saying, "Express Inc. (EXPR) has traded down since its IPO earlier this month. The company is still primarily owned by a private equity firm who has a vested interest in making sure the stock price is stabilized.

Consumer Boomer presents How to Invest When Interest Rates Expected to Rise posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, "What goes down, must come up-eventually. Short term interest rates have been at historic lows for quite sometime, so itâ€™s expected that rates should go up soon."

Dividend Tree presents Dividend Investing and Businesses with Moat posted at Dividend Tree, saying, "In general, companies with moats in their business are very good dividend growth providers. However, the opposite may not be true."

Michael Pruser presents Defining the Terms of the Stock Market posted at The Dough Roller, saying, "A beginners dictionary to investing in the stock market."

Mike @ Green Panda presents Asset Allocation Basis Part 1: Know Your Asset Classes posted at Green Panda Treehouse, saying, "You want to learn how to manage your asset allocation properly? You first need to know which kind of asset classes you can invest in! Today, Iâ€™ll first review the major asset class categories and in a second post, I will subdivide each of them, but let us just start with a definition of asset class and asset allocation:"

Frank Vertin presents Top Index Funds posted at Noload Mutual Fund, saying, "Top ten no load index funds that track the Standard and Poors 500 composite index in terms of lowest costs."

Frank Knight presents Municipal Bond Financial Software, posted at Personal Finance Software, saying, "Municipal bond investments and your state and federal marginal income tax rates: Some investors hold municipal bonds in an attempt to reduce their tax burden. This article discusses the relationships between tax-exempt municipal bonds, bond market returns, marginal tax rates, and investment asset tax location."

The Investor presents Getting an investment income from investment trusts posted at Monevator.com, saying, "Collective investment vehicles that generate an income from high-quality dividend paying stocks are the best way to grow an income for the long-term."

Steve Alexander presents Valuing Stocks: Multiple-Based Valuations - MagicDiligence posted at MagicDiligence - Optimizing Joel Greenblatts Value Stock Strategy, saying, "In this second article of a mini-series on stock valuation, we will take a look at using standard multiples like price-to-earnings, price-to-book, and price-to-sales to determine a "reasonable price" for a stock."

Zach Scheidt presents Solar Selloff Close To Exhaustion? posted at ZachStocks, saying, "Solar stocks are off sharply due to Euro-Zone concerns. Trina Solar could end up being an exceptional value if earnings remain somewhat stable and management is able to calm investor fears."

Praveen presents Three Good Stocks Made More Attractive By The Recent Market Activity posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, "Three stock picks made more attractive by the recent market drop."

The Skilled Investor presents Market Timing posted at Investment Portfolio Management, saying, "Always stay invested to earn risk premiums. You must have your money invested and at risk to get risk premium returns. Jumping out and in or "timing the markets" doesn't work."

Dividends4Life presents 9 Stocks Not Missing Their Opportunity To Raise Dividends posted at Dividends Value, saying, "At some point in the future will we look back at our actions today and refer to them as our greatest missed opportunity? A successful dividend growth strategy takes time. Unfortunately, many income investors don’t have the luxury of time on their side and must focus on high-yield investments to meet current expenses. These high-yield investments are often accompanied by high-risk."

Managing Debt

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Peer To Peer Lending: Lend Money And Invest posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "A discussion on peer to peer lending, a new way to borrow money and to invest in debt instruments."

Big Cajun Man presents Do You Have a Financial GPS? posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, "Do you need a financial GPS?"

The Smarter Wallet presents Are Debt Counseling Services The Way To Debt Relief? posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, "On debt counseling services."

LearnSaveInvest presents Pay Off Credit Card Debt Fast posted at Learn Save Invest, saying, "Credit card debt is hard to pay off fast. Here are 5 tips that will help you slash your credit card debt, and be debt free from now on."

Miscellaneous

nissim ziv presents How to Create a Resume from Scratch posted at Job Interview Guide, saying, "This article provides a step by step and easy to follow guide on creating a resume from scratch."

Super Saver presents Signs of a Short Layoff posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, "Here are some of the signs that the layoff may be short."

Ryan @ CML presents How to Sell Your Car on Craigslist posted at Cash Money Life, saying, "Tips on how to quickly and easily list and sell your car on Craigslist."

Pasadena Financial Planner presents Vanguard Investment Performance posted at Top Mutual Fund, saying, "Compares Vanguard's actively managed mutual funds and Vanguard's passively managed index mutual funds. Vanguard investors should read and understand this study."

Retirement Planning

Mr. Money Smarts presents Things To Know About Roth IRA Rules For 2010 posted at Smart On Money, saying, "There are things you should know about the Roth IRA rules for 2010. Here are a few of them."

Adam presents Should I Invest Using Pre-Tax or Post-Tax Money? posted at Magical Penny, saying, "I outline the pros and cons of saving using Pre-tax and Post-tax money."

Mike Piper presents How Much Money Do I Need to Retire? (In 2 Easy Steps) posted at The Oblivious Investor, saying, "People think it's a tricky question with complicated calculations. It really isn't."

Arohan presents How Does a Fixed Annuity Work? | Personal Dividends - Money+Lifestyle posted at Personal Dividends, saying, "Fixed annuity has guaranteed income stream and can be a very important piece of your investment planning puzzle to add a sense of stability and diversification"

Larry Russell presents Roth IRA Conversions posted at Best Financial Planning Software, saying, "Trying to decide about a traditional IRA to Roth IRA conversion without first having a comprehensive lifetime financial plan in place makes absolutely no sense. Without such a plan, you cannot figure out whether or not you are likely to achieve the tax savings in retirement that would warrant paying higher taxes now."

MoneyNing presents Before Your Roth IRA Conversion: Have You Considered Taxes? posted at Money Ning, saying, "Beware of the several tax concerns of you convert to a Roth IRA."

Jules Wells presents Retirement Calculator-Retirement Savings Software, posted at Retirement Financial Planning, saying, "This article helps you understand the trade-offs between traditional and Roth tax-advantaged retirement plan contributions, including Roth 401k and IRA retirement plans. It helps with the 2010 Roth conversion decision."

Risk Management and Insurance

Ryan @ CML presents Flexible Spending Account vs Health Savings Account posted at Cash Money Life, saying, "HSAs and FSAs are a great way to use tax exempt money to pay for your health care costs. But do you know the difference between the two health care plans, or know which is best for your situation?"

Consumer Boomer presents How to Compare Life Insurance Policies posted at Consumer Boomer, saying, "Let's look at closer look at all the options when we compare the different types of life insurance policies and which might be best for your situation."

Jeff Rose, CFP presents How To Get The Best Rates For Term Life Insurance posted at Jeff Rose, saying, "Here's how to get the best rates on your term life insurance policy."

Savings

Madison DuPaix presents Have You Tried Peapod Groceries? posted at My Dollar Plan.

KCLau presents Are You Rich in Internal Assets? posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "pay attention to the internal assets"

Big Cajun Man presents Registered Disability Savings Plan the Journey Continued posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, "The continuing story of my attempts to set up a Registered Disability Savings Plan (in Canada) for my son."

Taxes

Financial Freedom Plan presents Roth IRA ConversionFinancial Software, posted at My Financial Freedom, saying, "The Roth tax optimization puzzle for asset conversions, as well as for annual Roth contributions during working years, is one of the most complex decisions that the ridiculously complex US taxation and retirement planning system forces upon individuals."

Four Pillars presents How Long Before I Get My Income Tax Refund? posted at Quest For Four Pillars, saying, "A guideline for how long you have to wait for a tax refund."