Carnival of Money #2 – Nerds are Cool Edition

Welcome to the Carnival of Money #2, Nerds are Cool Edition. If you’re like me, you like thinking about all the options . I’m constantly creating spreadsheets to see how much I need to save at various interest rates to reach goals (like a million dollars?) by certain ages. It may not be glamorous, but the nerds you made fun of in high school are going to be the ones reaching those milestones first!

Now onto the articles. Please take a few minutes to read some of the articles, and if you’re short on time, at least read the editors picks! Enjoy!

Editor’s Picks (the Nerdiest of the Nerdy):

Larry presents Teach Your College Student the Wonders of Good Credit posted at KrantCents, saying, “Teaching your college-age child about the realities of credit is challenging. Is it important they learn about the good, the bad and the ugly features of credit? Absolutely.”

Marissa presents Hanging Out with Friends: Do it on a Budget posted at Thirty Six Months, saying, “I like going for drinks with friends. There, I said it. I tend to work 15 hours a day, and want to spend time unwinding with people I care about after work. I also happen to do that a few times a week.”

Buck presents What Does It Cost to Run a Startup? posted at Buck Inspire, saying, “Starting your own business in the US is not getting any cheaper. But we are not the most expensive place to run a startup. With everyone going mobile, would it make more economic sense to run your business from another country?”

Holly presents Breaking Obamacare News: It Still Sucks posted at Club Thrifty, saying, “Breaking Obamacare News: The plan still sucks. Read why I think the Affordable Care Act is destined to fail in this post.”

Alexa presents On Self Limiting Behavior & Getting Paid What You Deserve posted at Single Moms Income, saying, “Since I am now getting ready to transition myself into full time freelancing The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible seemed like a perfect fit.”

And the rest:

Daniel presents The Boom in Posh Pawnbrokers posted at Make Money Make Cents, saying, “If you watch any TV at all you have probably at least glanced at some of the myriad Pawn reality shows that have become so popular as of late. Cash poor but asset rich Americans are turning to pawn brokers for short-term loans, something that has been dubbed ‘high-class pawn brokering.'”

Oscar presents Find out which of the 4 Money Mindsets You Have posted at Money is the Root, saying, “Even though 90% of Americans have some type of personal finance planning, very few have a truly clear, well-rounded approach to reaching their financial goals.”

Jay presents Why You Should Avoid These New Car Features posted at Daily Fuel Economy Tip, saying, “Every year and with every new model, automakers from Kia to Toyota try their best at creating new and innovative features that they can put into the cockpit of their new automobiles.”

Danielle presents How to (possibly) cut your Cellphone Bill in Half posted at Saving Without a Budget, saying, “In most cases if you have a contract with one of the top 4 cellular carriers, as well as a data plan and one of the newest smartphones, you’re probably paying over $100 a month for your services and, in many cases, closer to $150.”

Matt presents Guard Your Retirement Income With These Comprehensive Tips posted at Budget Snob, saying, “One sad fact that all people nearing or already in retirement have to deal with today is that income during retirement is lower than it has ever been in the last 60 years.”

Jack presents Home Renovations that can actually Lower your Home’s Value posted at Money Saving Ethics, saying, “If there is one thing that financial advisors tell their customers on a regular basis, it is that home renovations can increase the value of their home and help them to get more money when it is time to sell. But this may not be true.”

Amy presents The Top 5 Biggest Home buying Mistakes 1st Time Buyers Make posted at Money Mishaps, saying, “When they bought their first home in North Dakota in 2004, Shane Ede and his new wife were completely unprepared financially. However, since they did not have an experienced mortgage professional helping them and there was no prequalification process necessary in order to purchase, the Edes were able to buy a nice little 3 bedroom home.”

Lenny presents Investments That Aren’t Really A Very Good Investment posted at Best Money Saving Blog, saying, “Everyone wants to make as much money as possible with as little effort. That is not always possible of course and, when it comes to financial planning, you need to be aware that all investments are definitely not created equal.”

Hadley presents Disney Announces New Release Dates for 2 Pixar Films but Should Hit Their Quarterly Earnings posted at Epic Finances, saying, “If you are a holder of Disney stock, their decision to push back the release dates of 2 of their Pixar films might have come as a surprise to you as, to analysts, it certainly was. It is also causing many to revise their earnings estimate for one of the world’s media giants.”

Andrea presents Why It’s Important to Plan for Funerals posted at So Over This, saying, “Many people never stop to consider what would happen to their loved ones if they suddenly passed away. One way to decrease the stress your family will feel at your death is to purchase funeral insurance.”

Bob presents Merchant Credit Cards: What You Should Look For, and Lookout For posted at Dwindling Debt, saying, “The holiday shopping season is just around the corner and many retailers are going to make a big point of offering their customers a store credit card.”

Lily presents How to Write Your Own Will posted at Paying Debt Down, saying, “When a person passes away, their tomorrows are over but, if they do not have a Last Will and Testament, they will not leave behind clear instructions about what to do with any money or assets that they own.”

Katie presents What Does Business Capitalisation Mean? posted at IRA Basics, saying, “A phrase often seen in business-related publication is that of business capital or business capitalisation. What does that mean?”

Sam presents TOMS- Creating Magic with Shoes posted at The New Business Blog, saying, “TOMS may appear to be just another trendy footwear company like so many on the market today. But TOMS recently gave away their 10 million pair of shoes to a needy child.”

Marissa presents Saving Money on Gluten Free Products posted at Finance Triggers, saying, “Gluten is wreaking havoc on diets these days. Most people think that this is a new trendy diet, and while it is not really a new ailment, but one that has been plaguing people for years.”

Monica presents Feeling Stressed? 22 Halloween Deals for Only $1 posted at Monica On Money, saying, “Do not spend more than $1 for these Halloween decorations! If you are planning on throwing a Halloween Party or taking your kids trick-or-treating. Check out these Halloween Deals for only $1.”

Barbara Friedberg presents 8 Steps to Creating A Diversified Asset Classes Portfolio posted at Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance, saying, “How to create a diversified asset classes portfolio. Part 2 of what is Best Investing Method Series. Understand diversified asset classes investing with indexes.”

FI Pilgrim presents FI 101: How To Become Financially Independent posted at FI Journey, saying, “Are you curious about how to become financially independent? In this article I lay out the basics (including a graph) so you can see how it works.”

Natalie presents Finding Your Rock Bottom When It Comes To Your Finances posted at Debt and the Girl, saying, “Plenty of us have experienced a moment that changed our financial perspectives and the same can be said for me as well. I reached a moment like that and it completely changed my outlook on money and finances forever.”

Alexa presents Are These 3 Things Preventing You From Becoming Debt Free? posted at Defeat Our Debt, saying, “The journey to paying off debt can often be a long one. Depending on the amount of debt you have it could take months, or even years, to pay it back. And, paying off debt comes with its fair share of struggles.”

Sustainable PF presents Can You Really Make Money Investing in Collectibles? posted at Sustainable Personal Finance, saying, “My husband loves collectibles. He has bought nearly every action figure associated with the Lord of the Rings movies. One of his justifications for spending on collectibles is that it is sort of an investment.”

Graham presents Free Competitions – How Much Can You Earn? posted at Moneystepper, saying, “Free competitions are everywhere online. But is it worth entering these free online competitions or is there a better way to spend your time?”

Jason presents New 100 Dollar Bill – What Changed? posted at The Money Makers, saying, “The new $100 dollar bill was introduced to the world recently and Benjamin Franklin, the iconic figure who has traditionally graced the C note for decades, would, as a garish and innovative guy himself, completely approve.”

Justin presents Auto Costs On The Cheap posted at Root of Good, saying, “Justin at Root of Good reveals helpful hints that allow his family to keep auto costs very low. Justin walks his kids to school instead of driving them, and does simple maintenance tasks himself.”

John Schmoll presents Reasons Why You Should Start Investing For The Long Run posted at Frugal Rules, saying, “Many people want to go for the quick buck when it comes to investing. However, a long term approach in generally best if you’re looking to build wealth and grow a decent retirement portfolio that will last.”

Simon Elstad presents How Child Like Fights Over Budgets Are Affecting And Will Continue To Affect The World Economy If Not Stopped posted at Modest Money, saying, “As preposterous as it may sound, this government shutdown, could be the beginning the end financially for the U.S., our allies, and our foes. It has already started to affect us and will continue to do so if we as a whole don’t do something to fix it!”