Carnival of Money Pros – Snowman Edition

We are honored to host the Carnival of Money Pros for this week, featuring the best articles of the week from some of internet’s top money professionals.  We dedicate this edition to our favorite winter mascot, the snowman!  This carnival is brought to you each week from the folks over at moneypros.org.  If you were included in the post below, please link back to this article within the next few weeks. If you want to submit an article for consideration in the next carnival, please use this link.

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Michael Kitces @ Nerd’s Eye View writes What’s The Real Value Of Deferring Capital Gains? Less Than Most People Think… – We may be grossly overvaluing the actual benefit of deferring capital gains, and the unwillingness to harvest capital gains may be part of a broader tendency to allow the tax tail to wag the dog far more than it should!

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Best Careers for the Future – Are you wondering what field would be good to study? Maybe you’re looking to change your career? See our best careers for the future and see where the growth is.

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes 2013 financial goals – Have you set yours?

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Is Intel Corporation the Ultimate Value Trap for Investors? – Currently Intel is trading at 8.80 times earnings, yields 4.50% and has a sustainable distribution. Despite the ultra-low valuation, I am hesitant to pull the trigger on this one, due to my inability to determine whether Intel will be able to keep innovating and maintain profitability in the long run. Because of my inability to gauge whether tectonic shifts in technologies will impact the long-term picture for Intel, I will maintain a hold opinion on the stock.

Mrs. PoP @ Planting Our Pennies writes Why We Can’t Itemize Taxes – In the fiscal cliff tax debates, there seems to be an underlying assumption that *everyone* itemizes their taxes. Mrs. PoP goes through the PoP’s taxes and shows that’s just not true at all.

Lance @ Money Life and More writes How Much Cash Back I Earned From Credit Cards in 2012 – Many people dismiss using credit cards to gain some extra income. Using credit cards to gain rewards or cash back is not for you if you can’t control yourself. I never spent more than I would with cash (despite the studies you’ve read) and I always pay my balance off in full every month.

Green Panda @ Green Panda Treehouse writes The Year End Financial Slap Across The Face – Are you ready for a reality check?

md @ Start Freelancing Now writes Two Major Issues That New Freelancers Will Face & How You Can Crush Them! – How to finally overcome common excuses to freelancing.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes Why It Makes Sense to Convert Annuities into Cash? – Today I will be talking about why it makes sense to convert annuities into lump sum of cash. The easiest way to understand an annuity is to think of insurance in reverse.

Ray @ Squirrelers writes You Are a Salesperson – In all aspects of life, we need to use selling skills. Having such skills can only help us financially, in many ways – from making more money to saving money as well

TTMK @ Tie the Money Knot writes Donating Money to Your College: Do You? – Generosity is a good thing, most of us can agree. What about giving to our alma mater? How does that fit into the realm of generosity?

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes What You Need To Know About Debt Relief – Being in debt can be incredibly stressful. The logistics of just trying to remember who you owe money to and when you have to pay them are enough to drive you crazy, but on top of that you have to deal with all of the uncertainty, fear, sacrifices, and damaged relationships.

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes Happy Holidays – So, if the world hasn’t ended and this post goes live… Happy Holidays!

Maria @ The Money Principle writes The Best of The Money Principle 2012 – The Money Principle – The Best of The Money Principle 2012Couple of days ago I was casually browsing the internet; one of these sessions when you have no purpose and keep your expectations low – this way you won’t be disappointed when most of what you come across ranges from the trivial to the absurd.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Should I Tip The Housekeeper? – It’s a big holiday week in the United States with many of you off to some vacation destination to spend time in sun and fun or skiing away from dawn until

Drew @ Objective Wealth writes A to Z of Objective Wealth: K is for Knowledge – Defining what knowledge actually is so that we can be sure the ideas we hold about effective personal finance and wealth can be acted on effectively.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Are Money and Success the Same Thing? – No, money and success are not the same thing.People need to stop defining themselves by their money or what it can buy them. Money and success are not the same.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Minus $330-What a way to start the New Year – I think it was New Years Eve 2006. Things were not going well. I was suffering from a lack of passion encompassing basically everything. The problem was made worse by a severe lack of direction and the beginning rumblings of the recession that would soon sweep down on us like a storm. Money was tight because I had too many debts and not enough month and a serious lack of personal focus.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes A Short Story about the Gold Bullion – Gold Bullion is a symbolization of the majority of gold available in the market place. Buying and selling of gold bullion can be done in the form of gold coins, gold bars or ingots. This form of gold is convenient from the point of view of handling. It is usually processed further for appropriate use.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Should You Relocate to Find a Job? – There are some great reasons to relocate and some really really bad ones. Make the move wisely and lessen the burden on your finances.

Shondell @ Call Me What You Want, Even Cheap writes Would You Be A Human Guinea Pig For Money? – Have you ever or do you know anyone who has participated in a clinical trial? These can be a way to earn some serious cash in a short period of time. I use to have a friend that participated in these all the time. He would see the ad in the newspaper or hear an advertisement on the radio and jump all over it. All clinical trials are different and vary depending on the type of drug that’s being tested and the stage of the research they are in. Some trials are for just the weekend and can pay

Shondell @ Call Me What You Want, Even Cheap writes The Year I Bought Dollar Store Gifts For The Family! – It was late 2010 and Christmas was right around the corner. I was thinking about all the people I had to buy Christmas presents for and how I was going to pay for their gifts. Usually I have a set amount of money that I plan to spend on everyone, then I figure out what I am going to buy for everyone and place the amount for each person in separate envelopes. 2010 was a little different. I had one more year until my mortgage was going to be paid off. I was so focused on paying off my mortgage

Bob @ ChristianPF writes Newborn Baby Checklist: Everything You Need For the First Months – Are you welcoming a new baby to your family? If you are, there are a few things you’re going to need, and it’s best that you get as many of them before the baby arrives as you can. Life happens very quickly when a baby comes along, and advanced preparation is truly a virtue.

Jason @ Work Save Live writes Harley Davidson(R) Visa Credit Card Review – The Harley Davidson credit card boasts great rewards, Visa Signature perks, and no annual fee.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes 6 Unique Stocking Stuffers for Under $5 – Stockings hung by the chimney (or mantle, or wall) with care are sometimes an afterthought on Christmas morning.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes 5 Cheap Ideas To Entertain Your Kids When School’s Out – When my kids are on school vacation, I tend to go a little insane. That’s why I’ve got a list of cheap ideas for keeping them busy when school’s out.

Roger Wohlner @ The Chicago Financial Planner writes 5 Financial Resolutions for 2013 – The news is filled with stories about what happened in 2012 and with financial predictions for 2013. As I write this the pending Fiscal Cliff and Washington’s inability to reach a compromise also dominates the news. None the less 2013 is upon us. Here are 5 timeless financial resolutions to consider for 2013.

Ryan @ Early Retirement Investments writes When Can You Eliminate Private Mortgage Insurance? – Hate PMI, don’t know what it is? Read more on when you can eliminate it!

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes The Most Powerful Moves to Make With Your Money in Your 20s – Ah you got to love being in your 20s. Life is amazing. You can get away with anything….

Corey @ 20s Finances writes It’s OK Not To Go To College – Going to college may not be necessary to get a good job. Find out if going to college is right for you.

Tushar @ Earn More and Save writes Unconventional Investment Series: Investing in Art – This week’s Earn More and Save -Unconventional Investment Series- covers investing in art.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Best Financial Practices for an Organization – In the past month, I have slowly adjusted to working a new job at a non-profit. I am currently working in Operations for a small organization and so it means that I am in charge of any and all of the day-to-day items. This includes both website maintenance and also the finances.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Why Solar Power Rocks – Solar energy has become one of the most popular alternative methods for providing power to a home.

Aloysa @ My Broken Coin writes A Wacky Way to Create a New Career – Still, that game and reality show contestants are household names can help you launch a new career–if you win big.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Five Quick, Easy, and (Relatively) Inexpensive Gift Ideas – It’s almost here! Yes, Christmas comes tomorrow, the day that many of us (particularly those of us who are under age twelve) wait for all year.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Settling in at Home – Pictures as Promised – After some requests, here are some new photos of our house and some pictures of me as a Chick-Fil-A mascot cow.

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes WHAT IS WEALTH? – Can you get rich and still buy what you want? Yes. Find out how.

Daisy @ Add Vodka writes Getting Back On Track With Goals – Having success in past years with my goals, this year I am going at my 2013 goals with new vigor.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes My New Years Resolutions – While some people may hate new years resolutions, I have come to enjoy them. In the past two years, my wife and I have accomplished a lot more because of resolutions or goals, if that’s the term that you prefer to use. Most people associate resolutions with weight loss.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Year End Investment Portfolio Analysis – Read how well my accounts have done during these past 4 years with my Year End Portfolio Analysis calculation! Personally, I was pleasantly surprised!

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes Tips for Choosing High Yield Mutual Funds – If you are considering investing some cash in mutual funds, it makes sense that you’d want to invest in the best ones you can find. So called high yield funds are the best ones to look for, since they provide you with the opportunity to enjoy the highest possible yield you can.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Yes Virginia, You Can Change Your Own Oil – Perhaps it is just me, but it seems that a lot of us no longer do any type of maintenance on our own cars anymore – especially us girls! If you have a vehicle and are strapped for cash, you can still care for your car well by handling a few fairly straightforward maintenance tasks yourself.

Christopher @ This That and the MBA writes Tips on Buying Your First Car – Buying your first car can be an emotional experience. These are some tips to help you control emotion and make sure you get a great deal.

Mandy @ http://moneymastermom.com writes Our Family Expenses for December 2012 – Ever wonder how your spending compares to other families? Wonder no more! Here’s what our family of 5 spent last month.

Justin @ The Family Finances writes My Frugal Haircut – Looking professional can go a long way to helping out your career, but it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You can get a frugal haircut, save money, and still look good.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes 4 Ways Plow Your Way Out of Debt – If you find yourself deep in debt, you may feel hopeless, but know that you have the tools to get yourself out of debt and recover financially. Here are some steps to follow that can help you get out of debt quickly:

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Tracking Your Spending Will Change Your Life – If I could close my eyes and make one change in everyone’s finances I know what it would be. It wouldn’t be to have everyone pay off their debt.

TDB @ Tax Deduction Blog writes Master the Tax Credit Maze: A Short Primer on Child Tax Credits – What is a qualifying child in terms of the child tax credit? How do you figure out if your child qualifies? The answer is surprisingly simple.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes Do you want to pay off your debt faster? – We currently have a little over $30,000 in student loans and a mortgage that sits at around $110,000 to pay for which we are working on eliminating.

Matthew Allen @ The Pay Off Credit Card Network writes Can I Pay My Credit Card with Another Credit Card? – Are you wondering, can I pay my credit card with another credit card? The answer is a two-fold yes! There are two parts to the answer because the person asking the question could be wondering one of two different things.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Yield to Call – What it is and how It Works – In this article we discuss yield to call, how it works, and how yield to call is different from yield to maturity.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Passive Income: So, You’ve Won the Lottery?! – If you win the lottery, you need to know what to do with it. Poor financial planning has ruined many previous winners, so don’t let this happen to you.

James @ Free in Ten Years writes The hidden psychological stress of work and why I want out – Working is bad for your health if you don’t have a good working environment. Most people don’t. Opt out of the whole thing by planning for an early retirement. Your health will thank you!

Jen @ Master the Art of Saving writes Potentially The Best Christmas Gift Ever: Mini Survival Kits – Usually for Christmas we buy presents for our household and for anybody that we’ll be celebrating Christmas with. For example: last year, we went over to my parents house for Christmas dinner, so we got presents for each of them.

Buck Inspire @ Buck Inspire writes Avoid Finance Charges, Use AutoPay! – We work so hard for our income. Don’t let finance charges from not paying your bills on time eat away at your savings. Setup AutoPay in a minute and don’t worry about it again.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Top Technical Indicators in the Stock Market – Technical Indicators can play a major role when you are unsure whether to enter or exit trades. They help you in predicting the stock market up to a certain level of accuracy; maximizing your profits and reducing your risks. In simple terms, Technical Indicators are numerous charts that represent the market/price patterns and if read correctly help you decide whether the prices are heading north or south, or whether the stocks are overbought or oversold

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes 5 Ways to Waste Money This Holiday Season – The holiday season is here again and the time has come to fly off to your favorite destination, do the things you have always dreamt of doing, see the places that you have dreamt of seeing, eat the foods that you have wanted to taste, meet interesting people you have never met before and maybe fall in love if you are still single.

Cash Flow Mantra @ Cash Flow Mantra writes Review of 2012 – Since everyone is doing it, I figure why not review 2012. First, I will start with some goals I made for the year and see what I was able to accomplish.

Grand Per Month @ Grand Per Month writes Most Popular Posts on Making Extra Money – Whatever your motivation or particular needs, having more money than month is a good thing which is the first step to financial freedom. So let’s take a look at the most popular posts from the blog for the year.

Peter @ Bible Money Matters writes Set Realistic Goals for the New Year by Looking Back at What You Accomplished – Often, the most important way to look forward is to first look back. Where have you been? What have you accomplished in 2012? You may feel that you haven’t accomplished much, but that likely isn’t true. While you may not have accomplished what you would have liked, you have likely accomplished a portion of it.

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes How Did I Do with My 2012 Goals and Objectives? – In almost every “goal” post for 4 years I have talked about taking better care of myself. Then in the review posts (including this one below lol) I have failed. Notwithstanding, lets see how I did on everything.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes Progress Is Never a Straight Line! – Progress is forward movement toward a destination or goal. In education, changes are made often and the results are mixed! Have test scores increased from the changes? If they did, that would be progress. We need progress in everything we do. Business and your personal life are based on achieving goals.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes Where Will You Be When The Bond Bubble Bursts? – Over the last 30 years (since about 1980), interest rates have declined steadily. The inverse relationship between interest rates and bond prices means that – as interest rates fall, bond prices rise. This also means that – as interest rates rise, bond prices fall.

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes December Distractions & Frustrations. – Noticeably I have been absent this week, and the third “Hi, are you dead?” type of email just popped into my inbox. I am fine, my zexy kittens. It just has been a frenetic, nutsy type of week.

Joe @ Midlife Finance writes Getting A Loan: Fast – Money’s short. Too short, in fact — you have a payment coming due. Where can you come up with the money — fast?

Joe @ Retire By 40 writes A Little Active Income Goes A Long Way In Early Retirement – While passive income is good, you’ll most likely have to get creative if you want to retire by 40. Most people won’t be able to generate enough passive income by this age so it’s good to generate some active income to bridge the gap to full retirement.

NoTrustFund @ Where’s My Trust Fund writes A Spending Cleanse – Start the New Year of right by creating new spending habits.

Matt @ Living in Financial Excellence writes Putting Perspective on the Fiscal Cliff and the Idiots in Congress – As a financial counselor, I coached countless people through financial makeovers. There was one obvious trend for all my clients who were successful in righting their financial ships – none of them reached success easily. All of them had to make major sacrifices in their spending behaviors to make it work. Our nation is no different.

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Avoid Student Loans Like the Plague – Student debt can put a real damper on your ability to build wealth. Use these 6 tips to avoid student loans all together, or to keep the principle you borrow as low as possible.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes What Should You Do With Your Unwanted Gift Cards – What should you do with unwanted gift cards? there are several alternatives that you can use to get rid of those unwanted gift cards and either earn cash or exchange them for gift cards that you do want.

Andrew @ 101 Centavos writes The Good Life in 1958 (or not) – To quote Will Rogers, things ain’t what they used to be and probably never was. According to the American Enterprise Institute’s blog (AEIdeas) in the good old days of 1958, workers had to toil and slog for months to be able to afford spiffy consumer goods like toasters and TVs that today are available for a mere pittance.

Jeff Rose @ Good Financial Cents writes How Much Car Can I Afford? – The easiest way to figure out how much you can afford is to save up the money, and only buy what you have the cash for. However, the reality is that you are likely to borrow in order pay for your car.

CF @ The Outlier Model writes Net Worth Update: January 2013 – Tracking your net worth is the best measure of financial success. It doesn’t tell you when you’ll be financially independent, but it is a great marker of overall financial health. Here’s where we stand at the beginning of 2013.

Jason @ Frugal Rules writes A New Year, a New Opportunity – With the New Year soon upon us it’s a great time to reflect on the past year and use it as a guide post for the next year. What things would you like to accomplish? What stretch goals do you have?

Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes The Fiscal Cliff Tax Deal and You – After much wrangling and posturing and hand-wringing, a tax deal has been agreed to in the “fiscal cliff” saga. While the issue of what spending cuts should be made to the budget has been put off for a couple of months, the tax situation is a little bit clearer — just in time for you to start making plans for your 2013 taxes. Here are a few things you should be aware of for the new year:

Deacon @ Well Kept Wallet writes Top 10 New Years Resolutions for 2013 – According to a study by the University of Scranton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology, 34% of people make New Year’s resolutions that are money related. In fact, this is a 4% increase from the previous year. Learning how to manage money well seems to be a trend and I hope to help people with that. However, money is not the only subject on people’s minds. Here is a list of the top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2013.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes How to Prevent Three Common Disastrous Personal Finance Mistakes – Let’s look at the most common personal finance mistakes and what you can do to prevent or fix them. On their own, they may not seem too major but if you are guilty of more than one, you are seriously affecting your financial security.

Jason @ Live Real Now writes Looking Back: 2012 in Review – My financial situation has changed pretty drastically. Here is the run down as well as my goals for 2013.

Lazy Man @ Lazy Man and Money writes Thoughts on the Fiscal Cliff “Solution” – A few weeks ago, I relented and wrote about this fiscal cliff thing and I’m going to do today. I have four main areas that I’d like to cover with regard to the fiscal cliff:

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Dividend Investing Goals for 2013 – My ultimate goal is to reach financial independence. This would be achieved at the so called dividend crossover point, which is the point at which dividend income exceeds expenses. Achieving this long-term goal however takes time, patience and persistence in sticking to and executing your plan.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Is Starbuck’s Worth the Wait? – As much as I love Starbucks coffee, waiting 20 or more minutes for my drink is becoming a little absurd. I’m not so sure it’s worth the wait anymore, especially now that I can get a similar drink at say, McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts.

Bank Free Credit @ Bank Free Credit writes What Is a Good Credit Score? – When most people ask themselves, what is a good credit score? They are unsure, as it depends on what the credit score is needed for. Whether it be a house, a car loan, or just to qualify for a basic credit card.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Cutting Recurring Costs to Save Money – Recurring monthly costs can add up quickly without you noticing. They can chip in to your income, leaving you with less to squirrel away for a rainy day!

Girl Meets Debt @ Girl Meets Debt writes Cheap Date Ideas – The ideas that I am going to suggest are not going to be new, earth-shaking creative, but I can promise that they are all going to be fun and might even impress your significant other for suggesting something that is easy on his (or her) pocket.

Philip @ PT Money Personal Finance writes 2012 (and 2013) Federal Income Tax Brackets: What Is My Tax Bracket? – We break down the current (and proposed) tax brackets in an effort to help you plan for your upcoming taxes.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes The Taxpayer Relief Act of 2013 – The Fiscal Cliff Averted – Congress and the President have passed The Taxpayer Relief Act of 2013, averting the dreaded Fiscal Cliff. See how your taxes will be affected under this Act.

Dustin Small @ Stockodo writes Position Sizing at the Portfolio Level: Capital Allocation – Common investment wisdom dictates that individual investors must be very well diversified to mitigate risk. This is not always the approach followed by some of the most famous investors of our time however, and I make the case to support this approach.

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