After a slow Thanksgiving holiday things picked up quite a bit this week and there were many great articles. Some of my favorites from the past week include:

Make Your Kids Rich – Flexo provides five great gift ideas for kids to help get them thinking about finance.

Student Loan Deferment vs. Forbearance – Blueprint has some good information on the difference between a student loan deferment vs. forbearance.

30 Essential Pieces of Free (and Open) Software For Windows – The Simple Dollar highlights some fantastic free software programs, some of which I use and some new products I love.

The Secret to Being Rich – Personal Finance Advice has the answer we’ve all been searching for.

Debt in the Military is a Security Concern – JLP discusses an article that points out the risk of soldiers who are deeply in debt.