Carnival of Retirement – 32nd Edition

Welcome to the 32nd edition of the Carnival of Retirement. There were a lot of great articles, so let’s just get down to it. Below I have broken up the carnival of retirement into four sections: 1, Featured Articles. 2, How to Get to Retirement. 3, What to do in Retirement. 4, Other. I thought this might prove useful for several reasons. It makes it a little more readable, but it also highlights all the things that contribute towards retirement. Whether it’s saving money on groceries, living a frugal life, investing, buying a rental property, or anything else. For the most part, all of it affects our retirement.

I did my best to include everyone. There were some that I couldn’t rationalize in my mind and a few others who were trying to break the rules of this carnival. With all that aside, enjoy this edition of the carnival of retirement.

Featured Retirement Articles:

A great way to prepare yourself for retirement is to spend less than you earn. Kevin @ Thousandaire brags (in a good way) aboug how he Spends Less than 50% of My Pretax Income - As I was updating my net worth this month I realized that my net worth has increased over $31,000 in the past 12 months.

While I look forward to buying my first home, I also know that I have to make sure it is the right decision, otherwise it could have negative impact on my networth and retirement plan. In other words, I don’t want to be ‘house poor’.  Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Many Are House Poor and How You Can Avoid The Same Mistakes - One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen friends (and acquaintances) make is to buy a home that’s simply too expensive for them. House poor…

MMD @ My Money Design writes How to Retire on 500K with the Greatest Potential - Is it possible to retire on 500K? It may be tough, but there are certainly ways of maximizing your options while creating a safe portfolio.

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Saving for Retirement is Like Going on a Road Trip - What if I woke up one Tuesday morning and decided to take my kids to Disneyland that day? Now, I live in Phoenix.

How To to Reach Retirement:

Shilpan @ Street Smart Finance writes Build Financial Freedom with an Automated Wealth Machine - If you’ve been following Street Smart Finance for any length of time, you’ll know that wealth building is not about get-rich-quick schemes, or scammy business opportunities. It’s about personal financial education, developing long-term thinking, consistency, the principle of compounding, along with a little hard work.

Deacon Hayes @ Well Kept Wallet writes How to Buy a Home WITHOUT a Mortgage - About 6 years ago, I didn’t even think this was possible. I thought the only way I will ever own home is to borrow money. Man, was I mistaken. Looking back at all of the interest I have paid to banks makes me sick. I knew there had to be another way and there is.

Earth and Money @ Earth and Money writes Ethical Mutual Funds – A Better Way to Invest? - Investing ethically can make real transformative change in corporate actions without sacrificing financial returns.

Cash Flow Mantra @ Cash Flow Mantra writes Gotta Love Dividend Stocks - Seagate Technology (STX) is one of the stocks that I am holding in my retirement account. I purchased it as part of my focus on dividends since it had a 4% yield at the time. The stock increased in price and I ended up selling it in late June for a 23% annualized profit. But I immediately repurchased it again and instituted my hedging strategy since I still fell like the stock had some decent potential for further gains.

Bridget @ Money After Graduation writes make pre-payments on your student loan debt to make progress - On Monday I blogged about how much I’ve overpaid my student loans. Well, I keep a running tally of a number of my student loan metrics, including how much of my payments go towards the principal balance and how much just pays off interest: Note where it says the net paid off is about $5,100.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Working Alternative Work Shifts For More Money - Working a third (or second) shift might enable you to dramatically increase your income if you do it right! Read my thoughts on the idea.

Penny Thots @ Penny Thots writes The Rule of 72 - If you want a quick calculation to get idea of when you can expect your money to double or what interest rate you need to earn to meet a savings goal, the Rule of 72 is a great tool in your arsenal.

L Bee @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes It’s time to set some goals. - Every person has financial goals. Any financial blogger worth their salt generally shares these goals and their progress with an audience.

Jacob @ I Heart Budgets writes How To Save Money: Billing Mistakes (Part 1) - Have you ever looked at your bills closely? You may be over-paying them and wasting hundreds! Read how to save money on bills and keep more cash!

J.P. @ Novel Investor writes All Index Funds Are NOT Created Equal - Unfortunately we might want to put some time into researching index funds before investing in them. It seems that similar index funds are not equal when it comes to performance.

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes Investing in Real Estate from a Distance - Find out why I am considering investing in real estate in a different market than the one in which I currently reside.

Jason @ Live Real, Now writes Becoming a Landlord - The good news is that we have potential renters already. Assuming they are still ready to shack up when her lease is up in February, we won’t have a tenant hunt.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes 5 Tips for Students to be Frugal - College costs continue to rise every year, and that is just for tuition. The costs of just living as a college student have also continued to rise. Here are some tips and tricks to be frugal in school so that you can save your money for things that really matter! 1. Rent, Don’t Buy Textbooks …

PITR @ Passive Income To Retire writes Passive Income by Leasing a Car? - Have you ever considered passive income by leasing a car privately? I have! Here are the details.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes My Investment Strategy Fully Explained - I invest in markets where there is real supply-and-demand and fundamentals really matter. E.g. currencies and commodities. Other wise, I’ll be competing against other traders who are just (if not more) savvy, resulting in a game in which no one wins.

YFS @ Your Finances Simplified writes The 5 Things You Should Never Do During A Job Interview - The job interview will be the first time that your prospective employers will be seeing you in person.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes The Limitations of Credit Default Swaps - Here’s why it is more important to focus on bond prices than CDS when talking about default potential.

Robert @ My Multiple Incomes writes Profiting from Binary Options - Many traders get absolutely mystified about how to trade binary options. Many see it as guesswork and proceed to approach it with a gambler’s mindset by trading on hunches.

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes How to Add Curb Appeal to Your Home - If you’re thinking about selling or renting your home, or if you’re just having a house party next week, you don’t want your first impressions to be bad. That is why adding some curb appeal to your house is a great do-it-yourself project for any budget. If you only have a few dollars, or want to revamp the entire front of your house, there is a project for you.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes An Easy Way to Sell Your Stuff When Redecorating… - There inevitably comes a time in a girl’s life when she has to redecorate. For me, that time comes around every three years. One day I’ll wake up and that piece of art I said I’d never get rid of suddenly offends me. Like, literally, I get angry when I walk past it.

Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes Avoid the Bidding Fee/Penny Auction Scam - When you add up the chance of losing money, the potentially illegal lottery/gambling, and potential for the fraud by the auction company itself, the only logical conclusion is that the Washington Post is dead on with bidding auctions, “the only winning strategy is not to play in the first place.”

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Learning How to Save Thousands on Your Mortgage - Find out some basic tips to save money on your mortgage.

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes MBA SERIES; ARE BONDS SAFER THAN STOCKS? - Bonds are usually less volatile. So, if you are looking for fewer ups and downs in your portfolio, then bonds are certainly less risky.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes How to Save Money: Even Your Milk Money Counts - Do you find yourself saying that you don’t have enough money? Is it hard to find the pennies necessary to pay the bills? Saving money can be difficult at times for a lot of reasons. Whether it is because you are stuck in contract to lease a car or can’t stop yourself from buying the latest, greatest item, it can be hard to save money.

Shawanda @ You Have More Than You Think writes Would You Accept Food Stamps If You Didn’t Need Them? - If I qualified for food stamps, I’d get them. After all, every dollar I save on food is a dollar I can invest in my business.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes How To Invest in Gold - Gold can be seen as a safe haven for many when confidence is low in the markets and in the economy. Gold value per ounce is a regular metric being shared globally through daily news along side your country’s currency and oil prices.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes I Want to Buy a Rental Property - Here’s the conundrum: If you want to buy a rental and you have lots of moolah to sock away, but your credit report is marred by a past bankruptcy… what to do, what to do? The only option that I’ve been able to come up with involves a two-pronged plan.

Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes Betterment Review: Asset Allocation Made Easy - Betterment was created to make investing as easy as opening a bank account. Traditionally investing, and asset allocation require basic finance skills of which many individuals lack. If you were to use an investment advisor usually that option is only available to high net worth individuals, or their fees are quite cost prohibitive. Betterment gives similar investment advice, in an automated fashion, and at a much lower annual fee.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Diversity: the Key Word to Remember When Investing - We’ve all heard the advice not to put all our eggs in one basket. This certainly holds true for investments. If you were to sink everything into one investment and it lost its value, you could lose a lot of money. However if that investment was one of several, the impact on your savings would be far less severe than it would have been otherwise.

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Difference between Homeowners and Renters - Do you think it’s better to rent? Do you think it’s better to buy a home? While there are many who would suggest that buying a home is always the best option, it isn’t as clear cut as it should be. Buying a home means taking on a lot more risk.

Sicorra @ Tackling Our Debt writes 30 Simple Ways to Save Money - What happens when you suddenly realize that you are actually living pay check to pay check, or worse yet, you are barely able to pay your bills on time? If you suddenly find yourself in a situation like this here are 30 simple ways to save money throughout the year.

Jason @ Modest Money writes Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Home - Buying a home can be one of the most exciting times in your life. However, in many cases the initial rush of emotions and thoughts of being a homeowner cloud our minds from making an intelligent decision – one that will be best for your financial future.

PPlaner @ Provident Plan writes Should You Avoid Debt? - Too often people in both niches of finances and religion identify a situation as black and white when it is actually gray.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes When Does Your Frugality Become Unethical? - Can frugality become unethical? Where is the line we cross when pinching your pennies is no longer morally acceptable? Are some cases of being frugal borderline illegal too?

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Three Reasons You May Not Want to Make Extra Mortgage Principal Payments - These three reasons are great advice for why one should not make extra mortgage payments. While some may disagree, these are great reasons.

Teacher Man @ Young And Thrifty writes Mutual Fund Managers = Minor Leagues - Mutual funds managers don’t hold a candle to the hedge fund managers. They make TONS of money and its almost impossible to replicate.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Scoring $1200 in Travel Vouchers - It’s no secret that most airlines oversell their flights anticipating a certain number of no-shows. Here are tips to receive free travel vouchers!

Roger Wohlner @ The Chicago Financial Planner writes Avoid These 9 Investing Mistakes - Investing is at best a risky proposition and sometimes even the best investment ideas don’t work out. However avoiding these 9 mistakes can help improve your investing outcomes.

SB @ Finance Product Reviews writes Zecco Trading Review - This is an honest review of Zecco Online brokers. Zecco is not free anymore but they have a very good trading platform which is easily lowest in the business of discount brokers. Read this review for more

Holly @ Club Thrifty writes Why I Prepay My Mortgage - Retirement planners and finance geeks look at me like some sort of circus freak when I say I’m prepaying my mortgage. Here are my reasons.

Lina @ Baby Alerts writes 7 Easy Ways for Moms to Save Money - With the tough economic time we have been facing, the role of mother has gotten even tougher. There is less money to go around, and if anyone has ever risen a child, then you know how expensive it is. Indeed, it is a tough world out there for most mothers, and when it comes to the expenses of raising a child there are a number of ways to save money.

What to do In Retirement:

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Fancy Vacation: Your Kids Won’t Remember A Thing – It seems talking to people over the past couple of years that taking a memorable fancy vacation is important thing on the minds of many parents.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes French Toast in Alaska - Vacation. Alaska. Cruise. Right. That odd feeling I got in the beginning of our cruise is not fading away. From day one I felt that we are in some odd dimension where we are forced into a small, inadequate space with mean spirits instead of people.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Why $200 Lost Gambling Was Better Spent Than $200 Cirque Du Soleil Tickets - In all, we spent about the same amount on the Cirque Du Soleil tickets as we lost playing Craps over the weekend. Where did we have more fun?

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes Financial Check-Up; Our Vacation at Cape Ann - Broke-Ass Mommy is a blog that chronicles the tribulations of being a mother with limited income

John @ Married (with Debt) writes 6 Crazy Things I’d Do with a Billion Dollars - Imagine you won a billion dollar lottery. Would you be boring or go crazy with your purchases? Here’s what I would do…

JP @ My Family Finances writes How to Make Your Recipes Cheaper and Healthier Too - Cutting down the average family grocery bill means making small changes to how you cook. However, those changes can mean better quality and healthier food.

Other:

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Three short stories on money and technology – Money and technology is changing the way in which we spend and the things we worry about. I have a sophisticated system to remember my PINs.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Teaching Children about Money – Teaching My Future Children about Money I was in the store the other day and ahead of me in line was a little girl with her mom. The girl was throwing a tantrum about not getting a candy bar. Talk about annoying.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes Red Flags of Personal Finance – A red flag is an indicator of potential problems. It means danger, stop or caution because of something ahead of you. In personal finance there are a number of things to watch for or avoid to be successful.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Couples and Money – Combining Your Accounts – A short guide to how you can combine your finances with your new spouse shortly after your wedding or later in your marriage.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Money Saving Discounts – We are all familiar with couponing thanks in large part to the Extreme Couponing shows that air on cable. Recently, businesses have turned to using the internet to offer discounts through coupon codes.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Ways We Are Costing Each Other Money – I was watching TV while babysitting (after the kids went to bed) and had the only thing that seemed half interesting was a show about shoplifting.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Living in Debt without Hope? – Find out how having debt can take all of your hope away and what you can do to get it back and pay off your debt.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Mustang Budgeting and Other Methods of Implementing a Budget – On the way to work one morning I started playing with the speedometer button on the Mustang. One push of the button showed me the length of each trip.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Being Responsible: 5 Things Adults Do – Being responsible – it sounds like a bore, something old people do. But adult responsibilities mean more than just funding my 401(k). What says adult to you?

Justin @ My University Money writes Things That Universities Don’t Want You To Know – Universities are known for making money by any means necessary. Look around for opportunities to bypass their monopoly once in a while.

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes Find Our First House-Check! – We’ve only been searching for our first house for around 2 months now. About 2 months ago, we were pre approved for a home loan using the USDA Guaranteed Loan..

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes Student Loans for Graduate Students – If you are thinking about going to graduate school you don’t want to miss this article on how you can properly pay for it.

Dr Dean @ The Millionaire Nurse writes Nine Steps To Home Office Security – Home office security is as important as the security your IT department keeps harping about at work. See if you meet the standard, or agree with the standard.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Sustainability Isn’t Black and White – While doing the green thing seems like it makes sense, especially when you spend the same amount of money, one should really examine purchases critically.