Yakezia Challenge Round-Up

Yakezie Challenge

I’m excited to announce that I’ve joined the Yakezie Challenge.  No, I didn’t just sneeze.  The Yakezie challenge was started by personal finance blog Financial Samurai as a way for personal finance bloggers to network, get to know each other better, and to improve their Alexa rank (a measure of how much traffic your blog gets).  This is just another example of how great the PF blogging community is and why I’m excited to be apart of it.

Somebody Thinks We’re Special

We were nominated by Tuscon on the Cheap as one of the best Frugal Blogs for 2010.  Thanks to Christy and Kate for the recognition!   Head on over to their site to not only check it out, but also see all the other great blogs that were also mentioned.

Readings and Link Love for the Week

• How to Choose High Yield Savings Accounts — There are many options available when it comes to online banking, with a wide variety of account features and options. To choose the best high yield savings accounts for your needs, here are a the five simple steps that you can follow.
• Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
• Rules for converting your RRSP to a RRIF.
• What a Rewards Checking Program Can Do for a Failing Bank – Rewards checking accounts give you a great rate for very little extra work. You can earn a ton of interest by switching to one of these accounts. But are there hidden risks? Here’s a walkthrough of what these programs can do for failing banks.
• What You Need to Know About Disability Insurance
• 27 Must-Check-Out Business Tools for Bloggers, Freelancers, and Small Business Owners
• Health Care Reform Bill Summary, Taxes, and Fines: A closer look at the tax credits, tax increases, and fines in the new bill.
• 6 Things to Know Before Buying a New Car – Most of us need a vehicle, but when it’s time to buy a new one there are a few things you can do to prevent yourself from making a major financial mistake.
• Cheap Car Insurance: Women Have the Advantage – Who’s the safer driver? A woman or a man? Insurance companies give us an answer by how much they charge each for premiums.
• Ways People May File Income Taxes For Less Or Even Free – There are many programs out there that can help a person file their taxes for free or for less. See if you qualify.
• Long Term Care Insurance Quotes: How Much Do You Need? Here’s a real life example of how much long term care insurance costs and how much it increases if you procrastinate in purchasing it.
• How to Establish Credit After Bankruptcy–One big casualty of a bankruptcy is your credit score. Hundreds of points can be shaved off a FICO score following bankruptcy. Fortunately, you can rebuild your credit with a few simple moves.
• 7 Lessons I’ve Learned Post-Bankruptcy – Over 2 two years since his bankruptcy, Debt Kid reflects on what he’s learned.
• Investment Options For 20-Somethings – A look at possible alternatives for young people when it comes to investing money.
• Do You Need Mortgage Life Insurance? Lenders and mortgage brokers will try to push it on you, but you don’t really need mortgage life insurance – it is there to protect the lender, not you.
• PocketSmith Personal Finance Software Review – An innovative budgeting and cash flow planning tool, join us as we go under the hood.
• The Cons Of Child Life Insurance – Why it usually doesn’t make sense to insure a child.
• Financial Planning Series: How to Make a Budget — Includes free downloads, worksheets, and spreadsheets!
• When Do You Question a Professional? by Cool to be Frugal
• Best Small Business Ideas 2010 and Beyond by Wealth Pilgrim
• Fix-It Friday: Light Switches by Rainy Day Saver
• Combat the Closing Techniques at Eliminate the Muda
• Five Reasons Why a Penny Saved is a Penny Earned at Personal Finance by the Book.

Blog Carnivals

• Carnival of Financial Planning hosted by Dividend Tree
• Baby Boomers Blog Carnival hosted by Baby Boomers US
• Carnival of Personal Finance hosted by Amateur Asset Allocator