It’s warm and I love it! We’ve seen the weather creep up in the mid 80′s the past few days and I’m getting very excited. No more winter breezes sending chills through my body. Flip flops, swim trunks and plenty of sun screen are on the horizon.  I’m excited.

photo credit: Bobby Chromik

Reads of the Week

Smart on Money | Tax Preparation Checklist: All The Things You’ll Need At Tax Time
Oblivious Investor | When to Claim Social Security Benefits (One Working Spouse)
The Globe and Mail | Investing on the cheap – The Globe and Mail
Money Smarts Blog | HSBC – Best Canadian Online Chequing Business Account With No Fees
Wealth Pilgrim | What is Groupon and Why It’s Evil
Cash Money Life | Who Can Claim the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction?
My Personal Finance Journey | H&R Block At Home Giveaway – Ends When All 5 Codes Are Taken!
Good Financial Cents | Easy Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy
Financial Highway | 30 Most Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
Debt Free Adventure | Earn High Returns with Peer Lending
Free From Broke| What Are You Doing With Your Payroll Tax Cut
The College Investor | Financial Controversy
Clariity Blog | Are You Really Prepared for Retirement?
brip blap | 12 steps to a cleaner and more productive workspace
Boomer and Echo | Naming An RRSP Beneficiary
PT Money | Creating an Action Plan for the Future of Children with Special Needs
Canadian Finance Blog | Canadian Finance Carnival #30 – Canadian Finance Blog
Moolanomy | How to Build a Good Credit History
Couple Money | Preparing Your Baby’s College Fund -When to Start?

All I can say is wow. W-O-W! What a great Final Four. The Bulldogs against the Huskies – what a battle. I almost can’t take it. Can Butler pull off the miracle this year? I certainly hope so. Can’t wait until tomorrow!

photo credit: RMTip21

Reads of the Week

Consumerism Commentary | Baseball Statistics for Player Salaries
Free From Broke | 5 Things You Should Know About Filing a Tax Extension
Invest It Wisely | Invest It Wisely: One Year of Blogging Giveaway & Over $450 in Prizes to Be Won!
The Wisdom Journal | 4 Surprising Ways To Damage Your Credit Score
Clariity | Why You Need a Will and Last Testament
Good Financial Cents | Credit Card Default Consequences
Oblivious Investor | The author has reduced prices on his eBooks.
Get Rich Slowly | Reader Story: Debt-Free College Education as a Returning Student
SmartMoney.com | How You Can Pull a GE on Taxes
Smart on Money | When Is The IRA Contribution And Recharacterization Deadline?
brip blap | 7 things you don’t want to skimp on
Financial Highway | Six 10-Minute Tasks to Help Organize Your Finances
Boomer and Echo | Kids And Money
The Simple Dollar | Is Formal Personal Finance Education a Failure? Some Thoughts on Improving It
The Entrepreneur Blog | Top 50 Get Out of Debt Blogs to Watch in 2011
Investor Junkie | S Corporation vs. LLC
Money Smarts Blog | Canadians are not withdrawing from RRSPs at an alarming rate
Passive Income Now | Are You Jumping On The Self-Employed Bandwagon?
PT Money | Lower My Cell Phone Bill
Moolanomy | What Happens If You Contribute Too Much To IRA Or 401k?
Parenting Family Money | Credit Card Perks – Take Advantage of What You Have
Couple Money | Baby Nursery Decorating – Save Money, Have Style

photo credit: MudflapDC

Can you believe it? The Butler Bulldogs are heading to another Final Four. The Cinderalla story that ended on a half court heave last year continues on. What an amazing story!! Now the question is can they make it to the championship. All I know is that I’m not betting against them. Are you?

Reads of the Week

Bible Money Matters | How Much Control Should The Government Have?
Moolanomy | What Happens If Your Broker Goes Out of Business?
Free From Broke| Should You File a Tax Extension or an Amended Return?
Parenting Family Money | Amazon Mom Review – Free Amazon Prime As Well As Discounts
Wealth Pilgrim | Life Insurance for Children
Clariity| How to Make a Will Legally Binding
PT Money | 20 Tips to Getting Affordable Auto Insurance
Money Smarts Blog | Interactive Brokers Discount Brokerage Review
Couple Money | How to Save Money with Your Mortgage
Cash Money Life | How to Lower Your Mortgage Payments.
Debt Kid | Get out of Debt by blogging?
Oblivious Investor | When Should I Take Social Security Benefits?
Good Financial Cents | How Much Money Do You Have to Make to File a Tax Return?
Debt Free Adventure | How Much Interest Are You Paying?
Investor Junkie | The 7 Steps to Starting a Business
ChristianPF | Filing Federal and State Taxes for Free?
Gen X Finance | Finding Health Insurance When You Are Self-Employed
Boomer and Echo | Market Corrections: Do You Buy, Sell or Ignore?

Wow! What another great year of NCAA basketball. How are your brackets holding up? Next year I think I’ll just choose blindly and still do better than my picks this year. And how about those Butler Bulldogs? Insane!

photo credit: MudflapDC

Reads of the week

Pop Economics | The brilliant idea: How “focus” can destroy creativity
The Military Wallet | What Happens If You Contribute Too Much to an IRA?
Canadian Finance Blog | Earn More By Upgrading Your Resume
PT Money | Where to Get Taxes Done
Boomer and Echo | Choose Your Retirement Date
Smart On Money | Mortgage Aid Programs To End?
Enemy of Debt | Creative Ways to Pay Down Your Debt
Debt Free Adventure |FREE Microsoft Money Replacement
Cash Money Life | Best Credit Cards for Paying Taxes
Generation X Finance | Signs You May Be a Victim of Tax Fraud
Soldier of Finance | Social Security Benefits for Wounded Warriors
Money Smarts Blog | Safest, Simplest, Cheapest RESP Account
Bargaineering | Child Tax Credit
Free From Broke | Do You Really Need Renter’s Insurance?
Oblivious Investor | Roth 401k vs. traditional 401k
Budgeting in the Fun Stuff | I Never Want to Buy a House Again
Clariity Blog | How to Budget & Save Money When Planning for Your Family Vacation
Brip Blap | 10 tips to avoid money worries
Moolanomy | Renting A Car With Debit Card
The Art of Manliness | The Napping Habits of 8 Famous Men
Bible Money Matters | Is It Ok To Walk Away From Your Underwater Mortgage? [Infographic]
Couple Money | Couple Money’s Netbook Giveaway – Make sure you enter!
Green Panda Treehouse | How You Can Moonlight Your Way to Success

In a few hours the NCAA brackets will be announced. Is your team in or they still on the bubble? Suspense…..

A friend asked me who I thought was going to win it all this year, and didn’t have an answer. In my mind, there hasn’t been a clear #1 this year – sorry Buckeye fans. However it plays out, I hope to have another good round of bracket busters this year.

photo credit: Altoid

Reads of the Week

Wealth Pilgrim | 7 Proven Credit Builders
Studenomics | Guide For Life After College
Couple Money | Increasing Our Extra Mortgage Payments
Free From Broke | When is it Best to Itemize Your Taxes?
Debt Free Adventure | SEP IRA – Contribution Limits and Deadlines
MoneyNing | 3 Activities to Teach Your Children About Money
Generation X Finance | This is Why You Can’t Make Money in the Stock Market
Oblivious Investor | Vanguard: What Makes Them Unique?
Money Smarts Blog | Different Types Of Canadian Financial Advisors
The Military Wallet | What To Do with Your Tax Refund
Clariity Blog | When Do You Need to Buy Long Term Care Insurance?
Cash Money Life | How to Negotiate Your Medical and Dental Bills
PT Money | How Much to Save for College
Boomer and Echo | Best House Selling Tips
Bible Money Matters | Mortgage Applications Rise Even As Rates Inch Up. Is It Time To Buy Or Refinance?
My Journey to Millions | Money Can do Good Money Can do Bad Using Trusts to Protect
Good Financial Cents | How to File an Amended Tax Return
Moolanomy | Where to Keep Your Emergency Fund
The Wisdom Journal | Whoa There Cowboy! You’re STILL Paying Checking Account Fees?
Consumerism Commentary | Soften the Effect of High Gas Prices

March is here. You know what that means, right? Yes, it’s getting really close to start filling out those brackets. Woo-hoo! I LOVE this time of the year. Last minute shots. Upsets. Buzzer Beaters. March Madness = Pure awesomeness.

photo credit: athrasher

Reads of the Week

Free From Broke | Is it a Good Idea for the Credit Market to Ease?
Good Financial Cents | Home Equity Loan vs. a Hone Equity Line of Credit.
Amateur Asset Allocator | What A Financial Advisor Can And Cannot Do For You
Sense To Save | Renting a Rug Doctor vs. buying my own carpet cleaner
Oblivious Investor | Picking Mutual Funds: Don’t Just Look at the Winners
Toilet Paper Entrepreneur | Inexpensive Ways To Prevent Business Disaster
Clariity Blog | Happily Ever After: Money Matters You MUST Discuss Before Marriage
Generation X Finance | The Mortgage Tax Deduction Myth
PF Firewall | 4 Great Things You Could Be Doing Instead Of Gaming
The Wisdom Journal | Recession Lessons Are Fading Fast – Unless You’re Young (like under 29)
Consumerism Commentary | The Power of the Coupon Compels You
Money Smarts Blog | How to Unlock your Ontario LIRA or locked-in Retirement Account
Debt Free Adventure | Commonly Missed Tax Deductions
Five Cent Nickel | The Home Office Tax Deduction
The Dough Roller | Must Use Websites For Your Resume
Wealth Pilgrim | How To Teach Kids About Money And Get Results
The Simple Dollar | Health Insurance and Downgrading Your Job
PT Money | How to Start a Business with No Money | Want it Bad Enough?
My Journey to Millions | What Do I Need to Bring CPA or Accountant Tax Preparation
Smart on Money | Education Tax Credits Can Help Pay For College Costs
Canadian Couch Potato | How to Lower Your Rebalancing Costs
Couple Money | Save Money By Joining a CSA
The Military Wallet | The Case for Automating your Finances
Moolanomy | Is Using a Debt Snowball a Good Idea?
Credit Card Offers IQ | The Rundown on Foreign Transaction Fees
Studenomics | Why Chasing Bank Interest Rates is a Waste
Cash Money Life | Don’t Chase High Dividend Stocks

Super bowl Sunday baby! Get your wings, dips, chips and beverage of choice ready – because it’s go time. I’m expecting this to be a clash of some classic teams going at it. I don’t really have any loyalty to any team, but I think it’s Aaron Rodgers year. Brett who?

photo credit: Phil Roeder

Reads of the Week

Financial Highway | You Are Not The Stocks You Invest In
Wealth Pilgrim | Professional LLC
Think Your Way To Wealth | Why An Emergency Fund is So Important When Trying to Get Out of Debt
Amateur Asset Allocator | Is Gold A Good Investment Now?
Live Real Now | How to Save Money On Anything
Oblivious Investor | What’s In My Portfolio? (Choosing Mutual Funds)
Do Not Wait | How to Create a Couch Potato Portfolio
Money Smarts Blog | Tax-Free Savings Account – Naming a beneficiary
Investor Junkie | Should We Hire a Nanny?
Debt Kid | Filing For Bankruptcy at 23
My Journey to Millions | Cable and Satellite Companies You Can Do Better
The Wisdom Journal | TurboTax vs H&R Block Online: Which Is Better?
Money Crashers | Going Back to School While On Unemployment – 6 Things to Consider
Consumerism Commentary | Opening an Individual 401(k) at Vanguard
My Dollar Plan | Should You Reverse Your Roth IRA Conversion?
Smart On Money | Where Can I Check My State Income Tax Return Refund Status?
Studenomics | How-to Save Thousands of Dollars– The Power of Automated Savings
PT Money | Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Generation X Finance | Bootstrapping Your Start-Up Business With Little or No Money
Good Financial Cents | IRA Changes for 2011
Clariity | 11 Survival Tips for the Dad’s 9 Months of Pregnancy
Free From Broke| Best Retirement Plans for the Self-Employed
Soldier of Finance | Crossing Financial Checkpoints

Okay, technically it’s not spring, but we did have sun over the weekend and even flirted with 50 degree weather. Might not be complete shorts and flip flop weather yet; but one can still hope. Until spring actually gets here, take a look at some good posts from around the web.

photo credit: CJ Schmit

Reads of the Week

Not Made of Money | Saving For College: When You Shouldn’t Do It.
Squirrelers | The Disposition Effect.
Oblivious Investor | Your Personal Rate of Inflation.
Money Smarts Blog | TD Waterhouse Discount Brokerage Review.
The Financial Blogger | 6 Superheroes Bloggers I Admire.
Bucksome Boomer | Resolutionize Your Finances: Insurance.
USNews – Money | The New Rules for Student Credit Cards.
Wealth Pilgrim | Credit Report Repair DIY For Dummies.
Generation X Finance | Are You Saving Too Much for Retirement?.
Couple Money | Baby Expenses and Budgets.
Frugal Dad | Planning a Wedding On a Budget.
Canadian Finance Blog | Five Big Flaws of Buy and Hold Investing.
My Dollar Plan | Tax Estimator to Calculate Your 2010 Tax Refund.
The Wisdom Journal | 57 Avoidable Tax Mistakes.
Sweating The Big Stuff |5 People Who Can Save You Time, Money, and Stress.
PT Money | What Happens When You Stop Using Your Credit Cards?
Moolanomy | How to Become a Millionaire.
Soldier of Finance | You Don’t Have That Much Debt. Really?
Bible Money Matters | If You Itemize Your Taxes You’ll Have To Wait Til February To File.
Studenomics | How-to Have a Killer Business Lunch.
Good Financial Cents | 14 Tax Deductions for Small Business Owners.
Smart on Money | Social Security Changes For 2011.
Free From Broke |Do You Need to Adjust Your Tax Withholding?

My hopes of spring weather were quickly erased with another downpour of white snow. . I know spring training is going to start soon and that will soon become my main focus – Play Ball! Until then, check out the following posts of the week:

photo credit: wally12891

Great Reads of the Week

2011 RRSP Contribution Limits And 2011 RRSP Contribution Deadline

Why and Where To Roll Your 401k

Stocks or Mutual Funds: Which Should I Buy?

Ten Best Cities for Job Opportunities

Case Study On Explosive Blog Growth & Creating a Full-Time Income

How Important is Income Diversification?

A Resolution Worth Keeping: Get an Insurance Checkup Your life changes constantly. Your insurances needs change right along with them. Get an insurance review to make certain you’re covered with the proper insurance.

Are You Responsible for Your Spouse’s Debt? — Things can be complicated in a marriage, and this includes finances in some cases. When debt enters the picture, there are often many questions that come with it. This article will help you answer some questions related to debt and marriage.

Blogger Tax Deductions You Should Be Looking For Come Tax Time – As a blogger, there are a number of deductions you can be taking to make your taxable income lower.

Taking Care of Your Battle Buddies Through Life Insurance – Don’t be a blue falcon by not purchasing life insurance to protect your family.

2011 Energy Tax Credits for Home Improvements

2011 401k, 403b, and 457 Plan Contribution Limits – What does 2011 have in store for employer-sponsored retirement plans? Looks like much of the same.

Job Interviewing Tips and Advice. Employers currently have the upper hand and can be very selective. They will hold out for the cream of the crop because there are so many candidates to choose from. These are some tips to help YOU be the cream of the crop.

12 Money Lessons For Kids and Parents Alike – Larry Winget delivers 12 must read money lessons for 2011

Bill Paying Strategies To Help Find Your Spending Balance How do you throttle spending and work on your savings plan? Some suggestions on how to prioritize your billing process.

A Teen’s First Credit Card: Tips For The New Card User

There’s something about after the holidays that always has me ready for spring. Screw winter. I’m ready for shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops. For those of you that are still bundled up in their homes, here is some good reads for the week:

photo credit: DRBenson

This weeks great reads:

Can You Retire Now?Are you asking yourself this right now?

Five Ways to Maximize Your Retirement Accounts Neal from Wealth Pilgrim also guest posted over at Five Cent Nickel.

2011 Home Improvement Tax Credits If you installed new energy efficient insulation, windows, or heaters, you could be due some tax savings.

The Myth of Ownership It’s scary what you DON’T really own, even when you’ve paid for it.

How to Recharacterize Your Roth IRA Conversion…and Why — 2010 was a big year for IRA conversion to Roth. However, some people might want to reverse the action — here are the why’s and how to recharacterize your Roth IRA conversion.

• Does This Count As Market Timing?
• Overcome Self-Defeating Thoughts: Words Have Power
• Congress Can’t Beat The Market, Even When It Cheats
• Brace Yourself for $5-per-Gallon Gas
• My 2010 Couch Potato Investment Return
• 400,000 Miles? No Problem. How Driving a Tank Can Make You a Millionaire
• 7 Things You Must Know Roth IRA Rules for 2011
• Vagabonding 101: Everything You Need to Know to Travel the World
• Roth IRA Contribution Limits
• 2011 Federal Income Tax Brackets
• 5,000 Word Case Study With Serial Internet Entrepreneur Pat Flynn
• How to Create SMART Financial Goals Part I – Be Specific
• 2011 401k Contribution Limits
• How To Decide If A 0% Intro Interest Rate Credit Card Is Worth It … For You.