Carnival of MoneyPros Presidents Day Edition

Welcome to the Carnival of MoneyPros! I’m honored to be hosting this week, and what a great group of articles we have!

I hope you all have off of work as I do, and that you use your timing well. Before we start the carnival, I’ll give you one presidential tidbit: Did you know that Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president who was also a licensed bartender. He was co-owner of Berry and Lincoln, a saloon in Springfield, Illinois.

Editor’s Picks:

Charles @ Getting A Rich Life writes How We Reached A Million Before 40 – One reader questioned how we were able to grow our Net Worth significantly in 2013 despite not being much older than them. Was it from a large inheritance or because we had large salaries?

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes 2.5 Years Into Self-Employment… – First of all, can you believe Budgeting in the Fun Stuff is 4 years old this month?! Or that I’ve been self-employed for more than 2.5! Read me experience to date.

Jacob @ AllPersonalFinance writes 5 Things You Never Knew Should be Included on Your Tax Forms – Doing your income taxes is complicated and never fun. This is especially true since it is very easy to make a mistake that can end up costing you a great deal of money and possibly cause additional trouble and headaches.

Natalie @ Debt and the Girl writes Hey, Blogging is Hard Work – My family member did not care about my job until she heard that I made money from this website. Then made a comment about how she thought it was some of the easiest money ever made because of the seemingly small amount of effort it required!

Harry Campbell @ Your PF Pro writes Why I’m Addicted to Credit Card Bonuses – I don’t promote many credit cards on this site but I do have a lot of experience with them. Right now I’ve got about 25 open credit cards and if I had to guess, I’ve probably accrued over a million miles and points over the last 3-4 years. I’m always looking for easy ways to make money and credit card sign-up bonuses are right up there.

Best of the Rest:

Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes How to Start a Side Business in One Hour Per Day – If you have been wanting to start a side business but feel like you do not have enough time, you probably do.

 

Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes 5 Factors to Consider Carefully When Choosing a New Bank – Financial services have become increasingly important as consumers need checks, credit cards, and loans to enjoy their lives. The days of keeping money under the mattress are gone; in our modern world, fining the right bank to assist with your financial needs is a must for daily living.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes How Does The My RA Work? – Trapped in my office by the Snowpocalypse that hit Atlanta on last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to watch the State of the Union and here’s my take on the My RA…

Dominique Brown @ YourFinancesSimplified writes Cutting Business Costs in 2014 – Running your own business can certainly prove to be an expensive endeavour, particularly when there is so much competition from providers of similar goods or services. Cutting business costs can be essential to the survival of a company, and can have a knock-on effect on profit margins.

Don @ Money Reasons writes Are Computerized AI Agent Telemarketing and VRS Systems on the Rise – Computerized AI telemarketing systems and call centers are replacing human and doing it with many advantages over the older human system. Should we be worried?

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes The Bank of Mom and Dad – Have you ever taken a loan from the bank of mom and dad.

Cat Alford @ Budget Blonde writes A Day In The Life: Self Employment Version – Sometimes I like to know what other people do during an average day. Come on now. I can’t be the only one. 😉 So hey, why not check out average day in mine?

Jason @ The Money Makers writes Zimmerman Wins Lottery: A Prank, but What Are the Real Odds of Winning? – Satirical reports regarding George Zimmerman have been misconstrued as factual by several media outlets, which have led to the belief that the man who killed Trayvon Martin is now a multimillionaire due to a lucky lottery ticket.

Larry @ KrantCents writes Interview Skills that Will Get You Hired! – Getting an interview in this economy is tough enough! You went to the best schools, received good grades, have a high demand degree and some good experience.. You want to get a job that will pay well and have a future.

Lindy @ Minting Nickels writes How to Start Up a Business On a Budget – One of the main challenges start-up businesses have is finding the funding to actually set up the company.

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes How to Get Out of Credit Card Debt – Overwhelmed with credit card debt? There are ways to dig yourself out.

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Getting Past the New Year Financial Doldrums – From annual renewals to pull payment on medical deductions, here are a few steps to get past the first months of the new year without going broke.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Before/After-What A Difference A Year Of Sacrifice Made To My Money! – I spent the last year working to clean up my finances, get things organized, and change my financial life. I thought I would show the difference in numbers.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Is Buying An Extended Warranty Right For You? – I recently interviewed Stephen Ebbett, President of Protect Your Bubble which is a third party gadget insurer and extended warranty provider. We talked about buying an extended warranty.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Getting Your New Freelance Business off the Ground – A name, a bank account, and taxes. These are three of the basic things to consider when starting up your new freelance business.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Net Worth Update: February 2014 – An update of my personal finance standing and net worth at the start of February 2014, as I attempt to determine how my finances stand.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Identity Theft: How to Avoid The Traps – Identity theft has always been an issue, but lately it has become somewhat of an epidemic. Read here for tips on how to avoid the identity theft traps!

Eva Baker @ TeensGotCents writes How To Open An Account At A Credit Union – It’s easy to start an account at your local credit union. I started an account at 121 Financial Credit Union this week and walk you through all the steps!

IMB @ Investing Money writes Investing in Marijuana Stocks – Now that marijuana is legal to purchase in Colorado, it’s time to look at marijuana as an investment. Read here for more information.

Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes Etiquette and Money: Tipping Right – Many people often wonder how much is the appropriate amount for a tip. This isn’t always simple. Here is a simple guide for tipping for a service.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Should You Use PEST or SWOT Analysis for Your Business – The top two buzzwords in the business assessment game are PEST and SWOT. These acronyms are hyped as the crowning jewel of achievement in the bid to analyze businesses. For a first-time small business owner, however, it can be confusing to know how to use these two powerful tools.

JP @ My Family Finances writes Tips to Avoid Going into Credit Card Debt – Do you feel trapped in the never-ending cycle of credit card debt? Credit cards are very popular because they are easy-to-use and give you the freedom to make purchases without having cash readily available.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes What’s Going On With The 10-Year Treasury? – One of the more crowded trades over the past twelve months has been a short (bet against) of treasuries. Here is what is causing rates to fall once again.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes Not Quite the January I Was Expecting – With the high-deductible plan (HDP), I am responsible for all charges until I hit my deductible. This was a bad month for my health plan.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Why and how to track your finances – Mistakes happen; this is why it is important to track your finances.

Monica @ Monica on Money writes How To Save Money Even If You’re Broke – If you are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to save any money, here is an idea to start saving money, starting with just $1. You do not need to save hundreds of dollars each month to make progress.

Bargain Babe @ BargainBabe.com writes Frugal Organizing Hacks: Drawers – Frugal organizing hacks for your drawers! Don’t spend more than a few dollars for spiffy drawers.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes The 4 Insurance Policies Everyone Should Have – A simple guide to the 4 insurance policies you should have to protect you, your family and your finances.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes 4 Ways To Avoid Bank Fees – Are you finding yourself always paying bank fees? Here are 4 ways to avoid bank fees and keep your money for yourself and not give it the bank.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes How to Get Free Money – These 15 Companies Will Give You $1,823.40 – Need some free cash? We’ve put together a list of 15 companies that are giving away free money. You can make an easy $1,823.40 in just a couple of hours.

Michael Kitces @ Nerd’s Eye View writes The New MyRA Roth IRA Proposal: A Guide To Everything We Know So Far – President Obama has announced that he will be rolling out the MyRA in the coming year, but a great deal of confusion exists about exactly how it will work. In this article, we lay out the details of how the MyRA will really work!

Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes How to Get Rid of Debt on Your Own – There is no easy way to get rid of debt. You have several options, each come with their own set of pros and cons. Here is how to get rid of debt on your own.

Brock Kernin @ Clever Dude writes How a Trip to the Bathroom 20 Years Ago Means I Never Pay For Dinner With My Mother-In-Law Again – Do you know someone that ALWAYS picks up the meal check?

Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes How Big of a problem is Medical Identity Theft? – According to a study in 2013 from the Ponemon Institute, over 2 million Americans are the victims of medical identity theft every year.

Oscar @ Money is the Root writes What are Bitcoins and should you be using them? – In the last few years, but especially in 2013, a new type of digital currency has been making headlines. Called Bitcoins this new type of money has gone from a value of mere pennies to nearly $1000 per bitcoin apiece.

Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Tips for Lowering your Gasoline Costs – While gasoline costs across the country have stabilized and, incredibly, even gone down a bit in the last few months, gas is still over $3 dollars a in most states and close to $4 a gallon in some.

Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes 50 Tips to Improve Your Financial Health in 2014 – Part Three – We have 10 more tips that will help you to clean up your financial act this year and help you to meet all of your financial goals.

Matt @ Budget Snob writes College Students Need to Watch Their Credit – While you may think that college is all fun and games, keeping track of your credit score and doing your best to keep it as high as possible is no laughing matter.

Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes Apple sells 51 million iPhones, is deemed a failure by investors – Talk about setting the bar high. Even though Apple sold 51 million iPhones during the last three months of 2013 their stock recently tumbled because of the fact that investors were expecting them to sell quite a few more.

Sustainable PF @ Sustainable Personal Finance writes Would You Use an Alternative Currency? – One of the first rules of investing is that you need to have a degree of diversity in your assets. That way, if something goes wrong with one asset class, you will have another asset available to pick up the slack.

Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Top Tips for Safe Online Shopping – 2014 is going to be a record year for online sales but, unfortunately, will more than likely be a record year for online scams as well.

Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes The difference between micromanaging your money and putting your finances on autopilot – If you happen to go on vacation and severely damage your finances, or wake up one day and find out that you have not been exactly paying attention to what has going on in your financial life, is it time to start micromanaging your money?

Hadley @ Epic Finances writes What’s Killing Returns? Citi says it’s this – In a newly published outlook the $290 billion Citi Private Bank says that most investors are damaging their long-term returns because they are focusing on liquid assets far too much, those that can be cashed in quickly.

Andrea @ So Over This writes Improving Your Credit as a Single Parent – Regardless of whether you are divorced or have never been married, being a single parent can have a significant impact on your personal finances.

Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Papa John’s ready to put your local Pizza place out of business – When big box stores like Wal-Mart and Target came along years ago, mom-and-pop stores quickly felt their sting and went out of business by the hundreds.

Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Getting a Tax Lien off of your Credit Report – Part 1 of 2 – One of the most negative items that can appear on your credit report is a tax lien. The reason it is so bad is because it causes your credit scores to really take a drop.

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Why I Love Joint Finances – My husband and I keep completely joint finances, and we love it! I give both philosophical and practical reasons for our position

Gretchen @ Retired by 40! writes Trapped Into Debt! – My Story of Feeling like there was no other option but more debt.

Justin @ Root of Good writes Repairing Things Around The House – Ever have one of those months when everything goes wrong at the same time? That was our January. Many things broke, many things were fixed. Here’s what I did to fix them all.

Richard Adams @ Frugality Magazine writes How Quickly Could You Downsize If You Had To? – What if your income dropped significantly – or even stopped altogether – tomorrow and without any warning. How would you cope? What downsizing tips can you employ to rapidly reduce your expenses?

Jerry @ Hoosier Finance writes Should You Have Uninsured Motorist Coverage? – Did you know that 1 in 7 drivers on the road are uninsured, and in some states the rate is as high as 1 in 4? We look at whether uninsured motorist coverage is worth the added monthly expense.

Shannon @ Financially Blonde @ Financially Blonde writes Open Your Heart – The five pieces of financial information you should share with the person you plan to share your life.

Mark Ross @ Money Saving Dude writes 10 Ways Millionaires Do To Save Their Money – Most millionaires these days are self-made millionaires who didn’t inherit any wealth from their parents, so how did they do it? Well, they did it like anyone of would; they set their goals, worked hard, got multiple sources of income and of course, saved their hard-earned money. Find the differents ways that millionaires do to save their money here.

Nick Loper @ Side Hustle Nation writes The Definitive Guide to Rat Race Math – An in-depth look at how to find your Freedom Number: the amount needed to quit your job.

Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes Amex Savings Account – Check our our perspective of the Amex online savings vehicle.

Gabe @ CPA Tax Guy writes Accounting Principles – If you’re looking to find ways to save money on taxes before the upcoming IRS filing, come read and learn.

eemusings @ NZ Muse writes Eating well on a student budget – Being a student doesn’t mean you have to subsist on noodles and toast

Alice Sibley @ Earning My Two Cents writes Why I Took Out A $4000 Vacation Loan (When I’m Already In Debt) – Family has no interest rate

Christopher @ This That and The MBA writes How to Create an Efficient Business Plan – Writing a business plan is a daunting task, but one that is essential. A well-written business plan can mean the difference between success and failure, according to Rohit Arora, a contributing writer for Fox Small Business Center.

Harry Campbell @ The Four Hour Work Day writes Day Jobs Are Easy Compared to Entrepreneurship – “A lot of the stories I read these days about young entrepreneurs make it seem like they have some pretty awesome lives. Especially now that we’re in the age of the start-up, every month or so there’s some new kid with an app that’s valued at a billion dollars(re: Snapchat). That seems like a lot of money for only a little bit of work but that experience is pretty atypical compared to most other entrepreneurs. The media tends to glorify a lot of successful individuals and dangle that li

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes Financial Aid for Students with Learning Disabilities – Students who have learning disabilities are perfectly capable of learning, they just learn in different ways, and this often takes them longer. In the years from Kindergarten to Grade 12, there is more time allowed to them and often more support given.

Jeremy @ Modest Money writes 5 Things to Watch Out for Before Jumping Into Digital Currency – If you’ve been watching the news, you’ve probably heard all about the growing popularity of digital currency. Before jumping in, beware of these factors!

Joshua Rodriguez @ CNA Finance writes Federal Stimulus Fail…And Greg The D&*# Head – In this post, Joshua discusses why he believes the Federal Stimulus program failed and what affects it’s actually had on the economy. He also does his first roast of a finance blogger.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Financial Success: It’s Not Always About Your Income – While a higher income can certainly help you get your feet back under you, ultimately it doesn’t matter how high your income is if you don’t manage your money appropriately and live within your means.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes February Quarterly Goal Progress – I’m smoking my quarterly goals this year so far. Part of my success has been that my goals were realistic and attainable, the other part has been that this year has been good to me so far.

Liz @ Budgeting for More writes Are You a Personal Finance Olympian? – There are several important characteristics needed to become an Olympic athlete. Many of these skills and traits are also key in winning the gold for personal finance.

Gretchen @ Retired by 40! writes Why Do I Support A Valentine’s Day Splurge? – Sometimes, spending money is worth it!

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes Finding our Road to Financial Independence – This is a guest post from Dee, she is a personal finance enthusiast and blogger. Today she will share her experience on finding their road to financial independence.

Pauline @ Make Money Your Way writes What are Options – Today Troy continues the investing for beginners series, and now he explains that there are 2 types of options: Call options and Put options.

Pauline @ Savvy Scot writes Savvy Shopping: How to Save Money on Quality Items – We all want to get the best buy for our money. No one wants to be stuck with cheap stuff, because that’s all they can afford. The trick to saving money on quality items is to buy them secondhand or at close-out prices

JC @ Passive-Income-Pursuit writes What’s been causing my frustration: Rental Proppoertunity – I believe that passive income can provide a way to eventually reach financial independence and allow one to retire early. Up to now I’ve been focused on building my dividend growth portfolio, but one of my goals for this year is to add a rental property to the mix.

Marvin @ Brick By Brick Investing writes Financial Wisdom – A detailed description of how to truly gain financial wisdom and free financial advice.

Mr.CBB @ canadian budget binder writes Can you afford to take the day off? – In order to take a full day off from work for most people that means an entire day’s loss of income. That can be tough for any budget but there are times when it must be done.

Stefanie @ Debt BLAG writes #FML Finance – There are two ways to react to F-word-My-Life moments in finance — wallow, which leads to stewing in self-pity and crippling inaction or respond strongly, emotionally, knee-jerk response, which rarely leads to good decision-making

Jerry @ Buckeye Finance writes Should You Finance a Car Before You Buy a House? – Although paying cash for a car is considered ideal, making payments on an auto loan could set you up well for your first mortgage.

Steve @ 2013 to 2014 Taxes writes TurboTax And The Earned Income Tax Credit – Individuals who wish to use a tax service may wish to try TurboTax 2013. This is the option that they may need to easily pay their taxes, and be able to get the tax help they can use.