Friday Finance Findings For August 24th

Well, the announcement is a few months behind schedule, but it is finally official. I am the new writer for the Financial Planning category over at About.com. This has been in the works since April and there is still a lot of work to be done, but I look forward to expanding on additional finance topics there as well as here.

I’m sure I’ll get into a bit more detail about it in the future, but with so much going on I’m just glad to see the site finally go live. So, while I’m busy touching everything up, enjoy these articles from the past week.

How Do You Know When to Invest in a Down Market? – There has been a lot of discussion about the markets lately, and while some see it as bad news, others find it is a great buying opportunity. You can put a system in place to trigger buys, or continue to chug along with your dollar cost averaging.

Weather the Stormy Market With a (Re)balanced Portfolio – One of the best things you can do if you’re a long-term investor is to create an asset mix that is appropriate and stick to it. The problem is that not all holdings will grow or decline at the same rate, which means you have to regularly rebalance your portfolio.

Is Identity Theft Insurance Worth It? – Jim takes a look at how it works, and I agree with his conclusion that it is not worth it. There are many precautions you can take on your own that cost nothing. Just be smart with your personal information.

Happiness (and Money) – Does money bring happiness? To an extent, but as Lazy points out, having money doesn’t mean you’ll be happy. I think the things that money can provide may bring happiness. If it means no need to stress out about debt, paying the bills, or putting your kids through college, that is happiness. But, taking it too far will just buy more problems.

Air or Nitrogen in Your Tires – If you can get the Nitrogen for free, go for it. But if you’re considering paying to put it in your tires, save yourself some money. I have a better idea; just keep an eye on your tire pressure from time to time. There are better ways to save money out there.

Mortgage Fees: What’s Legit and What Isn’t – New homeowners can be confused by the plethora of fees that can come with a mortgage. Some are perfectly legitimate, while others may be just taking your money. Nickel points out what fees are real, should be negotiated, or even avoided altogether.

The (Lack of) Relationship Between Intelligence and Wealth – You might be smart, but that doesn’t mean you’re smart with money. There is an interesting study that talks about how IQ, or intelligence plays a role in money management and wealth.

Make Money by Journaling While You Learn a New Skill – This is an interesting idea, but MBH points out that while you’re learning something new or doing a project that others may be interested in learning about, you should keep track of everything you do. Then, you can take this information and put it into a format that could be sold. Not too shabby!

Are You Ready to be a Parent? Know the True Cost of Kids – Having kids is an expensive proposition. It can be one of the most rewarding experiences, but it does come at a cost. Understanding what kids really cost can make this go smoothly.

Related posts:

1. Friday Finance Findings For August 10th
2. Friday Finance Findings For August 3rd
3. Friday Finance Findings For August 17th
4. Friday Finance Findings for June 15th
5. Friday Finance Findings for May 4th