Carnival of Personal Finance: Fall Traditions Edition

Welcome to the 381st edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. This one is the “Fall Traditions” edition!

With Autumn upon us, we now have many seasonal traditions. Depending on where we live, some of these might include things such as watching big football games on the weekend, enjoying the fall colors, picking a pumpkin, and so on. Here in the Midwest, the weather is cooling down from the summer heat – but it’s not yet cold. So it’s a great time to be outdoors.

Along those lines, what has become my favorite fall tradition is taking the kids to the apple orchard to pick apples! We went last weekend, the first of the new season, and had a great time. Got to get outdoors, go on a hayride, and pick a ton of apples of many varieties. Oh, and we enjoyed some hot apple cider as well. Total cost: about $30. As usual, it was more than worth it to create memories and have fun!

What is your favorite fall tradition?

Editor’s Picks

On to the carnival. There were many entries that I enjoyed reading, that you probably will too. While there a number of them that could have been Editor’s Picks, I narrowed down to a group of 7 that I subjectively deemed the best of this week. Here they are:

FMF from Free Money Finance presents What Are You Doing to Make Millions More?, and says, “If you were willing to fork over thousands of dollars for a college education, you shouldn’t be afraid of paying for further education.”

Bret from Hope to Prosper presents Opportunity is All we were Promised, and says, “We all know the economy is bad, but it’s still possible for most people to get a decent job and make an honest living. So, why are so many people dependent on the government for assistance?”

Miss T. from Prairie Eco Thrifter presents Interview with a Self-Made Millionaire, and says, “Below is a composite interview, representing responses of several female self-made millionaires. The topic was ‘What did today’s millionaires do to be thrifty before they earned their millions?””

Nicole from Nicole and Maggie: Grumpy Rumblings presents It’s not really your money if you’re in debt, and says, “Nicole and Maggie rant about folks who complain about their debt while bragging about the large purchases they say they’re entitled to because they can spend their money however they want to. However, if they’re in debt, is it actually their money?”

vh from Funny about Money presents The Relativity of Time, and says, “Time passes faster the older you get: the implications of this fact of life for financial planning, career, and quality of life.”

Mike from The Financial Blogger presents Do You Have What it Takes to Make Money?, and says, “Do you really believe that you have it within you to drastically increase your income?”

Roshawn Watson from Watson Inc presents Even Adults Need Those “Look What I Did!” Moments, and says, “Even as adults, psychologists note that we have an overwhelming desire to be affirmed and judged competent. What’s interesting are the major implications this desire have to our wallets. ”

The Best of the Rest

Darwin from Darwin’s Money presents How to Maintain the Ultimate Corporate Secret, and says, “Ever work on a top secret project at work? I am now. Here are some risks and learnings to keep you from getting fired.”

Dan from ETFBase presents Gold Miner ETFs vs. Gold: Finding a Fair Ratio, and says, “There’s been a stark disconnect between returns on gold itself and gold miners. Here are some ways to exploit this development.”

Ravi Ahuja from MoneyGlare presents 8 Steps for Financial Freedom, and says, “This article explains how an individual can make his life free from financial worries.”

Amy from Money Mishaps presents Find the Nearest Credit Union to You, and says, “Give some thought to your neighborhood credit union.”

Daniel from Make Money Make Cents presents Seeking the Path to Debt Reduction, and says, “To get out of debt start out by finding out how you got into it.”

Drew from Objective Wealth presents Is Gambling Really Worth It?, and says, “Drew reflects on why we often ignore the reality of what gambling actually is at our long-term financial cost.”

Jeff Rose from Good Financial Cents presents Cheap Term Life Insurance, and says, “The biggest excuse that people have have for not buying life insurance is they say it costs too much. Really? Too much? A recent survey found that those that had life insurance 2/3 of them paid less than $100/month for coverage. Of those, almost half paid less than $50/month.”

Pauline from Reach Financial Independence presents How to keep your spending low while staying social, and says, “Going out and meeting your friends for a fun night doesn’t have to affect your finances. Here are a few ideas of free and cheap activities to try! Thank you”

Money Thinker from Money Thinking presents More Quantitative Easing on the Way, and says, “Money Thinker talks about the decision that was made by the Fed earlier this month and how that may (or may not) affect the current economic climate.”

PK from Don’t Quit Your Day Job… presents The Definitive Guide to Protest Voting!, and says, “Sure it’s one step removed from Personal Finance (you can still save more than the collective public) but it’s important nonetheless. Voting for a third party (a so called ‘protest vote’) is anything but a wasted vote.”

Sean from One Smart Dollar presents Common Banking Fees and How to Avoid Them, and says, “No matter where we turn it seems like every financial institution has at least one fee that they pass on to their customers. Here are some of the common ones and ways for you to avoid having to pay them”

Money Beagle from Money Beagle presents Airlines Continue To Stoop To New Lows, and says, “There must not be a desire to increase their customer base by the airlines with moves like these.”

J.P. from Novel Investor presents How Bond Ratings Work, and says, “Bond ratings make it easy for investors to understand the default risk of a bond, while still taking into account all the other risks.”

Eric from Narrow Bridge Finance presents The Benefits and Hidden Costs of Loyalty Programs, and says, “I love getting free stuff. Most of us do. A popular way to get free stuff is through company loyalty programs. Whether you are getting free schwag from the Old Chicago Beer Tour, a gold card from Starbucks, or a free burrito from Qdoba, you could be getting a great deal. However, it is not always as great of a deal as you think.”

Gen Y from Gen Y Finance Journey presents The Importance of Reevaluating, and says, “Even after you’ve made improvements to your spending habits and embraced a frugal lifestyle, it’s important to reevaluate occasionally to make sure you haven’t missed any opportunities for further saving. Never get complacent!”

Roger Wohlner from The Chicago Financial Planner presents Is Your Financial Advisor Like a Replacement Ref?, and says, “Unqualified and incompetent referees in the NFL are discouraging, but an unqualified financial advisor can cause some real harm to you.”

Peter from Bible Money Matters presents The Fiscal Cliff: Why Your Tax Rates Could Increase Next Year, and says, “If nothing is done by Congress in the final months of the year, tax rates would increase substantially, paychecks would shrink due to expiring social security tax cuts, and extended jobless benefits could also expire. So what things can you expect to see happen if the 2013 Fiscal Cliff is reached, and nothing is done?”

CF from The Outlier Model presents Getting pre-approved for a mortgage, and says, “Getting pre-approval is actually a really good idea of you’re considering a home purchase because it really forces you to consider what is within your budget. After all, you wouldn’t want to fall in love with your dream home, only to have the banks refuse to give you a mortgage, right?”

Robert from The College Investor presents What You Need to Know about Creating Your Brand, and says, “Brand: it’s the public’s perception of what you do and how you do it. For your company’s brand to be successful, you must run a first-rate business and do your best to make the public aware of it. Let’s take a look at a few ways to create a quality brand:”

Don from My Dollar Plan presents Do the Rich Pay More or Less in Taxes?, and says, “There are furious debates going on right now about whether or not the rich pay enough in taxes and how much certain income earners should pay. Read this to get some good background on the issue.

Glen Craig from Free From Broke presents What Can You Expect From a Premier Credit Card?, and says, “Getting a premier credit card usually means a hefty annual fee but in some cases that fee may be well worth it. See what to expect in a premium credit card.

Karl Marrion from WiseStockBuyer presents How to Trade Stocks: Things You Should Know Before You Start, and says, “Trading and investing is risky, make sure you understand the basics before you get started.”

Miranda @ Financial Highway from Financial Highway presents Steps to Buying a House, and says, “If you are interested in buying a house, though, there are a number of steps you need to follow. A home purchase is a major commitment. It’s not something to be taken lightly, especially since you will be asking a lender to allow you to borrow a large sum of money. You need your ducks in a row if you expect to successfully buy a home.

Dave @ Excess Return from Excess Return presents Finding a Dependable Financial Advisor, and says, “Even the savviest of investment managers cannot singularly select and track stocks in different asset classes, and have experienced teams helping them with data collection and analysis. So an individual investor will likely not succeed at this new diversified market-neutral investing paradigm without help.”

William from PT Money Personal Finance presents The Effects of Inflation and How to Prepare for It, and says, “Is “stagflation” on the horizon? If so, there are some things you should do with your income, investments, and expenses in order to prepare your household.”

Jason from Live Real Now presents 5 Life Altering Lessons I Learned from My Debt, and says, “I’ve spent a lot of time really thinking about the ultimate causes of the debt and what it has taken to motivate ourselves to get rid of it.

Beating Broke from Beating Broke presents What Are You Working For?, and says, “I’m working for my legacy, not for a new tv or a new car, or even a new house. The realization of that is what helped me make the decision to leave my job. There will always be other jobs that I can get that will help me pay the bills and put food on the table, but I don’t need one to help me do my work.

Financial Uproar from Financial Uproar presents What Exactly Did Occupy Wall Street Accomplish, and says, “I stumbled upon an occupy wall street rally when vacationing in New York. As I witnessed the event, I wondered if the protests actually accomplished anything.”

Dan from High Yield Edge presents Special Dividends to Spike Prior to Fiscal Cliff, and says, “Companies are issuing huge special dividends like gangbusters in advance of the fiscal cliff since dividend rates are set to increase substantially. Here’s a listing of companies that have already announced these big payouts.”

John Schmoll from Frugal Rules presents 6 Simple Ways to Automate Your Savings, and says, “This post looks at some easy ways to automate your savings. The key to doing so is having a plan and sticking to it.”

Green Panda from Green Panda Treehouse presents Where Should You Live After College?, and says, “Have you thought about where you’ll live after college?”

Pierre from Intelligent Speculator presents Looking For An International Dividend Treasure, and says, “How to find your next international stock pick.”

Mike from Experiglot presents How Much Should You Spend on Your Business?, and says, “What’s a good amount of money to spend on a business?”

Sean Smarty from Grow Money presents 5 Tips For University Student Savings

Harry Sit from The Finance Buff presents 3 Good Money Habits Going Obsolete In a Low Interest Rate World, and says, “Some good money habits we cling to matters very little now in the new low interest rate world. Relax. You don’t have to run your money as tight as you once did.”

James Petzke from This Is Common Cents presents The Common Cents of the Latte Factor, and says, “The Latte Factor is one of the biggest reasons some people aren’t able to build up wealth.”

Lance from Money Life and More presents How I Bought a House on a Whim and Why You Shouldn’t, and says, “I bought the current townhouse we live in on a whim. We weren’t looking to buy a house and didn’t even think we’d own a house for the next few years… but here we are. So how did it happen and why shouldn’t you buy a house on a whim? Let’s dig into the details.”

Dividend Growth Investor from Dividend Growth Investor presents The most challenging aspect of dividend investing, and says, “Many dividend investors focus exclusively on finding the best dividend stocks. They spend countless hours analyzing companies, studying balance sheets and perfecting their entry criteria. Yet, when the companies that have taken so painstakingly to identify and research appreciate in price, investors decide to cash in and move onto the next idea.”

Jason Price from One Money Design presents 6 Ways a Blog Can Help Your Finances, and says, “I started blogging about personal finance over 3 years ago and it’s already taught me more than I could have ever imagined about personal finance.”

Martin from Start Freelancing Now presents My Experiment to Find More Freelance Work, and says, “How I plan on adding to my income.”

SB from One Cent at a Time presents 10 Ways to Catch your Partner Hiding Money from you, and says, “Various ways you can catch your spouse or partner hiding money or monetary information from you. These 10 tips can teach you how to detect a missing information. How you can know about money which is half yours.”

Martin from Studenomics presents What Exactly is Early Retirement All About?, and says, “We look at the craze of early retirement and why everyone is doing it.”

Andy from Saving to Invest presents How Rich Am I Relative To Others, and says, “See where your household stands, relative to others, based on how much income is earned per year”

Michael from Financial Ramblings presents Leaving People Out of Your Will, and says, “In this post, I take a look at the dos and don’ts of leaving someone out of your will. As it turns out, it’s a bit more complex than it looks.”