Money trivia time. What was the highest value note ever printed by the U.S.? If you guessed $100,000, you’d be right, but not so fast. It wasn’t your typical bill. The highest-value bank note ever printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was the $100,000 Gold Certificate, Series 1934. These notes were not circulated among the general public, but only issued for transactions between Federal Reserve banks and the U.S. Treasury.

A single note worth $100,000 seems like a lot, but do you know how much that was really worth back in 1934? You’d need to print a note today valued at nearly $1.6 million to match what $100,000 was worth in 1934. Wow! So, there’s a little trivia for you today. Now it’s time to increase your financial smarts by checking out these links from the past week.

Relocating To End Unemployment: Ten Things To Consider – Have you been laid off and can’t find work locally? You’re not alone. A lot of people have started looking elsewhere for work and that might mean relocation to a new area. Unfortunately, that’s a big decision that comes with a lot of financial issues to consider. Here’s what to keep in mind before making the leap.

Energy Gal’s Easy Homemade Hummus Recipe – Looking for a frugal and healthy snack recipe? Try hummus. Hummus is one of my absolute favorite snacks and this recipe is virtually identical to mine so I can vouch for its deliciousness.

Funding Your Child’s Post Secondary Education – With college costs continuing to rise how can a parent afford their child’s education? It might not be easy, but if you think ahead and take a few steps early you can put together a nice college fund.

How Our Consumer Debt Problems Got Out of Control – This whole financial crisis stems from people living beyond their means. Whether it was buying too much house or just racking up thousands in credit card debt, the inability to pay has led to a meltdown. So, just how did we get into this problem in the first place?

Should You Buy Life Insurance at an Early Age? – I get this question a lot, especially since I speak mostly to a younger generation. But at what age should you consider life insurance? It actually has less to do with age and more to do with who you have to support after you’re gone.

I-Bond Rate for November 2009 – May 2010 Is 3.36% – For a while there I-bonds weren’t even worth investing in with such low rates. Now, with the latest rate over 3% they have become an attractive alternative to CDs. Learn more about the current rates and how you can take advantage of them.

What is a Dividend Reinvestment Plan? – What is a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) and why would you want to use one? If you’re dealing with smaller amounts of money these can be a great way to invest in some companies. Learn more at My Dollar Plan.

College Savings Accounts for a Bad Economy – The economy still has a long ways to go before a full recovery, so what does that mean for college savings? Most people can hardly get by with their day-to-day expenses so saving for college seems impossible. Here are a few options that can lessen the burden.

First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended AND Expanded into 2010 – Good news about the extension and expansion of the homebuyer tax credit. The bad news is that we still got screwed. We just bought a house a little over a month ago and still won’t qualify for the first-time status or the existing and upgrade expansion. Thanks, government!

How Working Overseas Helps Your Career – Did you know that working overseas could help your career? I haven’t had a chance to work overseas, but I did spend a semester traveling Europe and studying over there in college. I must say, it was probably one of the best things I’ve ever done so I’m sure working overseas for a while could also have profound effects.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for November 6th

Happy Halloween! Well, we technically still have one more day but it’s close enough. I’m not terribly excited about Halloween, but there is one thing happening this weekend that is going to be great, and that’s reverting from daylight saving time. You know why? It means one extra hour of sleep on Sunday! It’s a perfect time of year to squeeze in a little extra sleep too with it being so cold and dreary around these parts.

Unfortunately, there’s no sleeping when it comes to personal finance. Your bills don’t get put on hold and the stock market will continue to move whether you’re paying attention or not. So, this is no time to rest. You need to grab your finances by the horns and whip yourself into shape. Especially as we approach the holiday season it can be a stressful time when it comes to money in this recession. So here are some finance links that can help you improve your financial situation.

Take Advantage of Your Employer’s Open Enrollment Period – Fall is the typical open enrollment period for many employers. That means it’s time to decide on your various employer-provided benefits such as insurance. This isn’t a decision to take lightly, so make sure you make the most of this year’s open enrollment period.

Economically Shopping For Christmas Toys – It’s hard to get out of Christmas shopping, especially if you have kids. But even if you don’t have a lot of money this holiday season you don’t have to break the bank while trying to provide gifts to your children. Here are some tips to help you save on toys this year.

Money Management Software For The Desktop: YNAB 3 Review – Managing your money on the computer is pretty common these days. There are a number of different software platforms you can use, but an interesting product is You Need a Budget’s desktop edition. Here’s the skinny.

Should You Skip Your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) in 2009? – Retirees have the option to skip their RMD this year. Even so, is that a good idea? Nickel breaks down the options.

What if You were Required to Share your Finances? – Think about that for a minute. What if you were required to share everything with the world about your finances? How would that change your behavior? What would it do to relationships?

What’s Your Currency? – Money is currency, right? Of course, but there’s more to it than that. Everyone feels a sense of accomplishment via different means. It’s not always about money for everyone. What’s your currency?

How to Keep a Customer Happy – How many times have you received poor customer service? Probably more times than you can count. It’s amazing how many businesses and sellers can upset a customer without even trying, but here are some ways you can keep a customer happy.

Earning Interest and Dividends on Someone Else’s Dime – When you deposit money in the bank you earn interest, right? Well, what if you could use someone else’s money and collect their interest? Learn how.

Understanding 1st Party and 3rd Party Collectors – Not all debt collectors are created equal. There are different types: 1st and 3rd party collectors. Learn what the differences are and what that means for you if someone is trying to collect a debt from you.

Is Ally Bank in Trouble? – Ally has some pretty good rates on online savings accounts and CDs right now. That alone isn’t a bad sign, but news came out about the financial woes of their parent company GMAC. Does this spell bad news for Ally Bank?

Variable Annuities Overview – I’ll be the first one to admit that I don’t like variable annuities. There are very few situations where a VA is a suitable investment yet they are sold to people every day. But don’t just take it from me. Here is a quick overview of how a variable annuity works. You can decide for yourself.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for October 30th

Did you know that this week is National Save for Retirement Week? I actually didn’t find out until Monday. If I had known earlier I would have liked to have done a series of retirement posts this week. Oh well, I’ll just have to mark my calendar for next year. That being said, there were a number of bloggers talking about retirement topics this week so you still have a lot of great resources available to help you brush up on your retirement planning knowledge.

And just a quick reminder, but there is still time left to get that $50 bonus from TradeKing just for opening an account. If you’re looking for a low cost platform for trading some stocks and want to make $50 the easy way it’s worth a shot. But enough of that, let’s get right to this week’s links.

5 Reasons To Dump Your Strict Budget – Has Frugal Dad lost his mind? He wants you to dump your budget! Well, not exactly. There are some compelling reasons why you might want to drop a strict budget. Find out more.

What is an ETF? – Here is a good introduction to exchange traded funds. I like ETF for when I want to make some shorter term trades when trying to capitalize on market moves. But they are useful in a number of different scenarios.

Free High Yield Checking Accounts – Want a high yield checking account but don’t want the fees and limitations? You’re in luck because SVB has found 5 free high yield checking accounts.

2010 401(k) Contribution Limit Won’t Be Adjusted – For those of you who max out your 401(k) each year and were hoping for an increase in the contribution limit this year, sorry. The government says there’s no inflation so therefore no need to increase the limits.

What Was the Best $100 You’ve Ever Spent? – This is a good question and I’m not sure I can come up with an answer on the spot. There have been many things over the years I’ve spent money on that were great purchases. What about you? What was the best $100 you’ve ever spent?

How to Make Yourself an Expert – A lot of people out there claim to be experts, but are they really? You might be surprised that someone claiming to be an expert may actually have little background in what they are talking about. Steve explains how the only true expert is you.

10 Free Online Budgeting Applications – We started out talking about why you might want to ditch your budget, but if you are going to keep on budgeting one of the best ways to do so is with some budgeting software. Here are 10 free online budget applications to help you out.

Should We Get Rid of 401(k) Plans? – Nickel points us to a Time article that called out 401(k)s. Are these plans really that bad? And even if they are, what are our options? This topic generated a lot of discussion.

What To Do When Your CD Matures – Most CDs automatically renew once they mature but that’s not always the best option. Before your next CD matures you should explore what would make the most sense for that money.

3 Reasons Why You Are A Genius For Not Investing In Gold (Now or Ever) – Neal says you’re a genius for not investing in gold and I have to agree with him. He has all sorts of pretty charts to back up his claim and it’s worth reading if you’ve been thinking about investing in gold right now with all of the hype.

Flu and Cold Season: 15 Ways to Fight the Flu – Like it or not, flu season is upon us and this year could be worse than most in the past. You might wonder what this has to do with finance, but it has everything to do with it. Getting sick means doctor visits, lost productivity, time off of work, and medicine purchases. Staying healthy can end up saving you a lot of money!

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for October 23rd

Wow, where have the past few weeks gone? It has been a busy around here lately. As I may have mentioned in one of the last roundups we were in the process of trying to buy a new house. Amazingly enough, we’ve already been living in the new place for three weeks! Of course, we still aren’t completely unpacked, so it still doesn’t quite feel like home. Give it another week or so and we should have all the boxes put away.

In addition to buying this new house we’re still wondering what to do with the old house. We didn’t sell the old house first, and in fact, we haven’t even put it on the market yet. Selling right now in the current market conditions would almost certainly result in a loss. If we can wait six months or a year there’s a good chance we could break even or maybe eek out a small gain. But, that also means making an additional mortgage payment during that time, so that idea isn’t all that attractive either. One option to consider is renting it out. While we wouldn’t be able to rent it out for enough to cover the full mortgage payment, we would also receive the tax benefits and deductions for having a rental, so if you take that into consideration it could be a viable option. Lots to think about and you can be sure that no matter what we decide to do it will provide some good topics to discuss here on the site.

Oh, and I’m not sure if I mentioned it before, but last weekend I was down in Orlando, Florida at IZEAfest with a few other personal finance bloggers. I got to spend some quality time with Jim from bargaineering.com, Ben from moneysmartlife.com, SVB from thedigeratilife.com, and Cap from stopbuyingcrap.com. Of course  there were a few hundred other people in attendance as well, but it was really fun hanging out with some of the other bloggers I link to regularly. Hopefully there will be more events in the future we can attend and hopefully meet even more of the bloggers you love to read.

The Top 5 Money Mistakes College Students Make – I put together a list of the top five money mistakes that many college students make over at About.com. Without much surprise, many of them have to do with debt.

Credit Cards: To Close Or Not To Close – Conventional wisdom suggests that you should leave old credit cards open even once paid off, but is that always the case? As with many things, there isn’t a simple answer. Here, Frugal Dad takes a closer look at the options.

Lending Club Update – September 2009 – Lazy Man has been having success with Lending Club and he is one of the reasons I signed up for them myself. I have also seen great results with Lending Club this year and it’s great to be able to help others while also earning decent interest on my investment.

Trick or Treat: Creating a Frugal Halloween – It’s that time of year again, so how can you make this halloween frugal? There are a lot of things you can do and Frugal Trader gives us some great tips.

Bond Investing Basics – I like bonds. No, they don’t compare to stocks if you’re looking for significant returns, but they play a vital role in creating a diversified portfolio. If done right, bonds can actually help you beat the market over time. Here are some basics to get you started with bonds.

Measuring Job Satisfaction: How To Be Happy With Your Job – Are you happy with your job? As a whole, most of us aren’t all that happy with our jobs. People always say you should do what you love, but in the real world there are also bills to be paid and we often settle for something less. Here’s how you can measure your own job satisfaction and become happy with your job.

Solo 401k Retirement Plan for the Self-Employed – If you’re self-employed you may not have the benefit of a nice pension or 401(k) with a company match. That being said, there are still a few options available to you that can help get your retirement on track. A Solor 401(k) is one of those plans.

Capital One Online Savings Account $25 Bonus – Want some free money? How does $25 sound for opening an online savings account? Get the details from Sun.

How to Avoid Work While on Vacation – We are a nation of workaholics. Even when we do take some time away from the job we’re often still glued to our laptops and Blackberries, never truly getting away from the job. A vacation isn’t a vacation unless you can totally disconnect from your work. Steve over at Brip Blap has some tips to help you take a true vacation.

4 Estate Planning Documents You Need Today – Most of us are slackers when it comes to estate planning. Even though it is an important part of your financial plan, nobody wants to think about death and they will put it off. Often until it’s too late. Here are a few documents that everyone needs today.

Top 10 Consumer Complaints And How to Protect Yourself – I’m sure you have complained about something in the past, but what are the top complaints for consumers? Patrick has compiled a list of the biggest offenders, and I’m sure you won’t be shocked to see some of them on the list.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for October 9th

September sure does seem to be flying by, but it’s probably just because I’ve been so busy lately. There is a lot going on as we prepare to close on our new house and move next week. Nothing like trying to pack everything up, go through the motions of working with the lender to try and get everything ready to go, and trying to do a little home renovation in an attempt to make the existing house a little more attractive when it’s time to sell. Buying and selling a house is a lot of work. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, but it will be more than worth it once we’re finally settled in.

So, in an attempt to keep this short and sweet so that I can get back to parking I’ll just give you the finance links for the week. If you can find time to squeeze in some reading between all of the football this weekend it will be worth it.

How Not to Pay Off Debt – Did you know there are right ways and wrong ways to pay off debt? We all know how important it is to reduce the amount of debt you carry, but there are also some debt repayment techniques that can ultimately do more harm than good. Here’s what you look out for.

Taking Baby Steps Towards Financial Goals – Not too long ago I wrote about financial goals and while I didn’t highlight baby steps that much it is an important thing to consider. Taking smaller steps can increase your chances of success because you aren’t trying to bite off more than you can chew and then getting discouraged when you don’t reach your goal right away. So, start taking baby steps towards your financial goals today.

Costs of Raising Children – Kid Expenses Continued – Raising children can be expensive. It’s also one of those things that is hard to imagine until you actually have children of your own to pay for. So, if you’re expecting a new child or are planning on having children, you should take a look at this post to get an idea of what kind of added expenses you might need to plan for.

PineCone Research Sign Up Link Is Back – Want to make some money from home? PineCone Research might be for you. They only open their enrollment to their program occasionally, so if you’d like to spend some time doing online surveys and get paid for it, now is the time to sign up before registration closes.

Five Lessons I Learned From My Own Frugal Dad – Frugal Dad features a guest post from someone who shares his own experiences of having a frugal dad himself. It’s always interesting to see what people learn from their parents and then apply it to your own life.

Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Children’s Future – How’s that for a provocative headline? Your children are your pride and joy and you almost certainly want the best for them in the future, but should you really spend time worrying about it?

How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient – Winter will be here for most of us before we know it, and that means colder temperatures and higher heating bills. Thankfully, there is still some time to help make your home more energy efficient and save big bucks.

Debt Settlement Companies: Friend or Foe? – We all know there’s no such thing as a free lunch, especially when it comes to paying off debt, but can debt settlement companies really work? Learn more about these companies and whether they are worth considering or not.

Personal Finance for Couples- How to Start the Finance Discussion With Your Significant Other? – Managing money in a relationship can be quite stressful for both parties. Other than sex it’s one of the main sources of an argument in a relationship. So, here’s how you can start the discussion with your significant other without making a big deal out of it.

MonaVie Employee Calls Me an “Annoying Douche” – As if it wasn’t bad enough that MonaVie is trying to bully blogs that don’t praise their scammy product, now they have employees going around and leaving comments on these blogs calling people names. Welcome back to 6th grade Stay classy, MonaVie.

My Plan to Beat the Lending Club, Peer-to-Peer Investing Average – You may already know, but I’m a big fan of Lending Club as it is. I’ve had great success with my lending and the returns are very good. But let’s go one step further and see how Steadfast Finances plans on beating the average returns.

How I Scored a Big Labor Day Deals Without Shopping – How would you like to score a few big deals without even going shopping? Well, you can. Here is Michael Rubin talking about his Labor Day weekend and how he saved money with little effort and no shopping.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for September 11th

If you haven’t heard by now, Lending Club is having a huge contest to celebrate their 25,000th new investor. They are giving away $2,500 to the lucky person that is investor 25,000. That could be you! A contest is nice, but that is just an added bonus because I really like Lending Club anyway. I’ve been investing with them since early this year and I’ve had nothing but a positive experience. In fact, my rate of return right now is over 12% and there isn’t a single late loan yet. Here’s a more detailed review of Lending Club and you can see how it works.

So, if you’re looking for something that earns more than a savings account or CD yet isn’t as risky as investing in the stock market, I’d give Lending Club a shot. You can start investing with as little as $25 so it doesn’t take much to get your feet wet. That’s how I actually started and just invested a small amount in a few loans for a few months to see how it worked. It didn’t take long before I was transferring even more money over. So, sign up today and you can start earning money and possibly even win $2,500!

And with that, here are your finance links for the week:

Stop Allowing Fear To Guide Financial Decisions – Money, or a lack thereof can create a mix of emotions. One emotion that often comes out when money is tight is fear. Unfortunately, fear can cause you to make some big financial mistakes. Here’s not to stop allowing fear to guide your financial decisions.

Save Money Buying Overstock or Returned Items – One place I always look when at a store is the overstock or returned item table. In many cases there is absolutely nothing wrong with these items and you can get an instant discount because the package has been opened or the store simply has too many in stock. Learn how to find the best deals on these items.

How to Save for Multiple Goals – You probably have more than one goal that you’re working towards, so how do you prioritize and save for each goal? My Dollar Plan has a system you can use that will help you keep things organized.

Make Your Own Designer Clothes? The Price of Fashion – I’m not a huge designer clothes fan, but if you are, you probably would like to save money while looking good. Have you thought about making your own designer clothes? Me either, but it can be done.

Debt Traps College Students Fall Into – Going to college is a great experience, but it can also be a costly one. Most college students admittedly make some financial mistakes, but some can be quite significant. Here are some debt traps that a new college student must avoid.

Converting a Principal Residence into a Rental Property – This is a timely post for us since we’re in the process of buying a new house in a little over a week. We’re also going to be stuck with our current house until we can sell it and the idea of turning it into a rental has crossed my mind. We’ll just have to see how things go, but this is a very helpful resource.

What Is FHA Loan? – Another timely post because as we were shopping for a mortgage I learned a lot about FHA loans. I had no idea there were so many unique features, restrictions, and limits that were placed on these loans.

MonaVie is Trying to Sue Me… – MonaVie is a scam and since Lazy Man has pointed that out they are trying to play hardball and threaten him with legal action. Funny how they have no problem ripping people off by selling their overpriced product but the moment someone shares some truth about their operation they have a fit.

Are You a Success Junkie? – Do you spend so much time reading about achieving success that you end up putting your own success aside? It can happen. Steve shares some insight about being a success junkie and how you can learn to take in enough information while still putting some of it into practice for yourself.

How Being A Pessimist Saves You Money – How on Earth can being a pessimist save you money? I had to read this because I honestly couldn’t imagine how being a negative person could actually lead to savings. But Jim makes some interesting observations.

The September Effect- Coincidence or Real? – You may have heard of the September Effect before, but what does it actually mean and is it real? Here’s a good post that outlines the effect and whether you should put any stock into it or not.

Spending Filters – How I Save Money On Just About Everything – How would you like to save money on everything you buy? You can, and Matt has an interesting tactic by using spending filters. Learn more about these filters and how you can create your own to rack up daily savings.

How to Score Free Identity Theft Protection – You’ve heard of free credit reports, but what about free identity theft protection? Kayce from the Chicago Tribune talks about a new service that can help you better understand where you stand in terms of identity theft and then take steps to reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for September 4th – $2,500 Lending Club Contest Edition

So far, this summer has graced us with bits of optimistic economic news. There are some positive signs out there that might signal the end of the recession. While it’s important to not read too much into some of the news out there, it is refreshing to at least get occasional good news instead of constant doom and gloom. Hopefully these aren’t false signals and we really are beginning to make our way out of the recession, but only time will tell.

One of the latest figures out this morning indicated that existing home sales are at a 10 month high and have seen 4 consecutive monthly gains. Since the housing market is at the epicenter of the current economic meltdown it’s good to see some improvement, even if we still have a long way to go. I’ll be doing my part in the coming month or two as we look to purchase a new house in the coming weeks. We have a closing date set and we’re now just waiting for the financing to go through. Not only that, but once we get settled in at the new place we’ll be putting our current house up for sale. It will be priced to move so hopefully we can get a fair price while trying not to hang on to it very long. Making two mortgage payments a month isn’t going to be very fun.

So, while I’m busy packing stuff up into boxes and cleaning, you can enjoy these fine finance articles from the past week.

Credit and Debt 101 – Here’s a collection of articles I put together that should cover almost everything you need to know about using credit and managing debt. Hopefully you can find ways to improve your credit score, get the right loan, and stay out of debt.

Keep Your Cash, I Want My Clunker – Think cash for clunkers is a great opportunity? Not so fast. While it might be a good deal for some, it could ultimately do more financial harm than good. Of course, it doesn’t matter much at this point since the program is ending on Monday.

Certificate of Deposit Basics: How Do Bank CDs Work? – Looking for a safe place to put some cash and earn a little interest? One of the most common vehicles are certificates of deposit. Learn all about CDs and how they can help your portfolio.

Confessions of an Ex-Debt Collector – Ever wonder what it would be like to be a debt collector? Wonder no more. Here’s a very interesting post with the cofessions of an ex-debt collector. Wow, I know that’s not a job I’d want!

5 Tips to Avoid Overdraft Fees – Banks love fees and one of the largest come in the form of overdraft fees. If you withdraw more money from your checking account than you have your bank will often gladly pay it so the check doesn’t bounce, but it’s hardly a convenience. They will then stick you with a massive fee sometimes upwards of $50! Learn how to avoid these fees.

Do I Need a Credit Monitoring Service? – We all know how important a good credit history is and with the rise of identity theft out there it only makes sense to let someone monitor your credit for you, right? Well, here’s a detailed breakdown that gives you what you need to know before signing up for a credit monitoring service.

The Myth of Stable Employment – Think that just because you have regular hours and receive a regular paycheck that you have a stable job? It isn’t that simple. As Brip Blap discusses, there’s more to the idea of a stable job these days.

7 Ways to Save Money on Back to School Shopping – It’s that time of year again where the kids are off to school and that means buying school supplies and probably some new clothes. With money tight this fall it can make back to school shopping a bit more stressful, so here are some tips to help you save money this year.

4 Reasons Why Student College Loans Are Dangerous – I know firsthand just how dangerous student loans can be. They are so easy to get that as a young adult it’s easy to just take the money and “worry about it later.” Well, later comes faster than you think and those loans can stick with you for an eternity. Here are a few more reasons to be careful with student loans.

How to Minimize the Impact of Canceling A Credit Card – While keeping your credit score up to par is important, what do you do with all of those old unused credit cards? Should you just close them out? Jim over at Bargaineering has some advice to help you make the right decision and minimize the impact on your score.

How to Save Money on Travel – I love to travel. Unfortunately, we don’t get to travel nearly enough. Between the money needed and the time required to travel it usually just gets put on the back burner. But, if you can find some ways to save money it might make the decision to set some time aside even easier. Here’s how to save money on your future travels.

6 Reasons Not to Max Your 401k – Conventional wisdom says we should max out our 401(k) plans, but is that always the best idea? Here are some things to consider that highlight some reasons it might not be the best idea.

7 Frugal Vacation Ideas in Newport, Rhode Island – While Newport might not be on the top of your list of vacation spots, there are actually some great inexpensive things to do and see as Lazy Man Points out.

Purchasing a Home: Examining the Costs – This post fits in well with what’s going on in my life right now. Purchasing a home is a big decision and there are plenty of opportunities for added costs to sneak in. Here’s some information regarding what to look out for when looking to buy your home.

How to Get Vacation-Ready – Going on vacation? Then you better plan ahead. Getting ready for a long vacation can be quite a chore, but doing it the right way can actually save you a lot of time and money. Here are some great tips to help you prepare for your next vacation.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for August 21st

Have you checked your investment account balance lately? If you have stayed the course you’re probably a bit relieved to see how good the first half of 2009 has been for your statements. Sure, we haven’t nearly recovered from the overall losses sustained from the past few years, but it’s a start. Whether or not the rally continues, that’s anyone’s guess. But it just goes to show you that as fast as the market goes down, it can go back up. Here’s to a prosperous remainder of 2009!

In other news, it looks like there is a chance we’re moving. Nothing set in stone yet, but we did find a house we really like in a great location, with great schools, and priced right. Now that we have a child it’s become apparent that we need to focus on our location a little bit in the coming years. After talking to a few lenders it looks like it’s doable, and we’re going to probably keep our existing house for a bit longer. Rather than rush to try and sell in the next few months we’ll have the flexibility to keep it longer and make a few upgrades so that we can get a few extra dollars for it while the market slowly starts to recover in this area.

It’s always exciting to go through something like buying a new house and this time is no different. Hopefully by next Friday I’ll have even better news to share. But with that, it’s on to the links.

The Fees Involved With Buying a Home – This past article of mine is fitting given what I talked about above. There’s a lot that goes into a home purchase and a lot of potential fees, so it’s important to make sure you know who pays what and how much it might cost you.

Stock Market Timing: Advice For Investors – There’s obviously a difference between investing and trading, but can the average investor really benefit by timing the market? While I wouldn’t try to make a living at timing the market, there are some steps you can take to better plan out your buying and selling to squeeze a few extra dollars out of your returns.

Manage Your Budget by Tracking Your Spending – If you have a budget, then you need to track expenses. It’s as simple as that. Without knowing where your money is going you’ll have no idea whether or not you’re staying within your budget. Here’s a painless way to track your spending.

Free Credit Score for American Express Card Members – If you’re an American Express card member, listen up. You have a chance to get a free credit score. So, this could be an offer worth considering if you’ve been wondering about your credit score.

Little Budget Travel Book Giveaway – There are just a few days left to enter the giveaway for this book. It’s simple, so go check it out.

In Need of Advice: Buying a House and Selling Ours to a Friend? – Here’s an interesting scenario. There are obvious pros and cons of selling a house by owner or through a realtor. But what happens when you have the chance to sell directly to a friend?

Can We Take Frugality Too Far? – Just like anything, it’s good to practice moderation. Frugality can be dangerous if it’s taken too far. Of course, some may not agree, but if you’re too frugal, you could be giving up something more important in other areas of your life.

Create a “Dream Budget” for Extra Motivation – It’s hard to stick to a budget, but here’s a neat trick. Step back for a moment and create a dream budget. Imagine a budget with no debt? Think of all the new ways you could budget your money then. If that doesn’t get you excited, nothing will.

How I Saved Hundreds in a Half Hour – Lazy Man just saved a few hundred dollars and he shows you how. You might be surprised to see how he did it.

9 Small College Expenses that Add Up to Big Bucks – It’s back to school time, and that means college courses are just about to get underway. We all know how expensive tuition, books, and materials can cost, but here are nine more small college expenses that can really add up.

It Doesn’t Have to Be So – Ever feel like the world is resting on your shoulders and you have to just keep up with the rat race so that you don’t let anyone down? As Brip Blap states, it doesn’t have to be so.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for August 14th

Where did July go? Oh well, I can’t complain about August getting here quickly because that means football is right around the corner! Some of my fantasy leagues are already taking shape and by the end of the month it will be draft day. The kickoff to football season, both college and pro, is one of the best times of year.

I also hope that you’ve been enjoying the kickoff to the how to brew your own beer series. Early this week I focused on what equipment you need to get started brewing your own beer. Next week, look for a post that walks you through the actual brewing process. It’s been a lot of fun. Later this month I’m going to be entering a few of my different beers into a beer competition. While I don’t expect to win anything, I am looking forward to receiving some genuine feedback from professional judges to see how I can improve.

Finally, I’m still mulling over a site redesign. Earlier this year I had a new logo designed, which you’ve seen if you subscribe to my email newsletter, but I’ve failed to get around to updating the site to take advantage of it. I probably need to start looking for designers and pricing out everything so I can actually make that happen.

Everything You Need to Know About Your Credit Score – Why is your credit score so important and how can you improve it? Here’s a good summary that talks about almost everything you would ever want to know about your credit score.

Credit Scoring Variations: FICO vs Vantage Score – Speaking of credit scores, what’s the difference between a FICO and Vantage Score? You may not have heard of the Vantage Score before, but it’s out there, and you might want to see what’s different about it and when it’s used.

How to Survive and Thrive During a Recession – This recession is hitting a lot of people hard, but there are some things you can do to ease the pain. Here’s how you can survive, and possibly even thrive during this recession or the next one.

The Costs of Selling Your House – Selling your home is all about hopefully making some money, right? Well, there’s much more to it than that. Selling your home actually involves a lot of costs that you might not have thought about.

Paying off Debt: Lowest Balance or Highest Interest First? – This is a common question when it comes to paying off debt. Do you tackle the lowest balance first or do you try and knock down the debt with the highest interest rate? There are benefits to each method.

Best Free Essential Software For Windows – Do you own a computer? Then you need software. But a lot of software is costly. So, how does free sound? Here’s a list of some of the best free software for Windows-based computers.

Stress Testing Your Budget: How to Stay Strong in Tough Times – These tough financial times can wreak havoc on even the best budget. Here’s how you can stress test your budget to make sure you’ll make it through those tough times.

Estate Planning: Are You Ready When Your Time Comes? – Death isn’t fun to think about, but it’s a real concern. Especially when it comes to your finances and your family, you need to make sure you’ve planned ahead so if something does happen that everyone is taken care of.

Six Words That Saved Me $17,893 – And Can Save You Even More – Can six words really save someone nearly $18,000? It sounds impossible, but wait until you’ve read this story.

Re-engineering Your Thinking – We can get caught up in how we think about our lives and money, and sometimes that can leave you in a rut. Here’s an interesting take on how you might want to think a little differently about your money, career, and life.

Canceling A Credit Card – If you’ve been trying to get out of debt and want to remove the temptation, then you might be looking to cancel some of your credit cards. How do you actually go about doing that? Jim explains the ins and outs of canceling your credit card.

Unexpected Ways Having a Baby Changed Our Budget – I can totally relate to this post. You think you have it all planned out, but having a baby will introduce a lot of changes to your budget. I never knew what stuff like diapers, formula, and even baby medicine and stuff cost until it’s time to buy it. It can be a bit shocking if you aren’t familiar with these items.

22 Investment Maxims from Sir John Templeton – Here is a great collection of some investment rules to live by. There are a lot of excellent nuggets of wisdom here that most of us could stand to follow.

401(k) Rollover Mistakes – I’ve talked about the 401(k) rollover in detail before, but I didn’t focus on the mistakes you can make. Here’s a list of some of the most common 401(k) rollover mistakes and how you can avoid them.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for July 31st

I got a new phone. That might not seem like big news to most of you, but I’ve never had a decent cell phone. Since about 1997 I’ve only ever had the very basic phone available. Typically it only made calls, didn’t have a camera or even internet access. Whatever the phone company was willing to give me for free or for about $40, that’s what I got and used it until it died.

Earlier this year I started researching my phone options and I really wanted an iPhone. But there was one big problem. We live WAY out in the country and don’t even have AT&T coverage (yet). For now we’d be almost entirely using partner networks and after talking to the reps there they said that chances are my contract would be terminated because of the off-network use. Major bummer!

So, I started to look at BlackBerries. Again, we’re way out in the country and not on a 3G network so I was really hoping to get a phone with wi-fi so that when I’m at home I could at least use my own network. Another problem. We have Verizon and none of their phones come with wi-fi. That would mean switching to Sprint, but my wife had Sprint for a while and the coverage in this area is really not very good. In my research I did notice a new BB coming down the pike for Verizon called the Tour. It looked awesome even without wi-fi, so I did a lot of reading up on the phone before it was released.

I went to the Verizon store the Monday it was released and tried it out and saw just how sweet it was. So I finally made the leap and bought it. I had 30 days to try it out and see how it works at our house and test coverage and stuff, but after just a week and a half I can tell it’s perfect. Even when not on the 3G network it’s quite fast and does everything I need it to. After getting it all set up how I like and tricking it out with some nice software it has really freed me up from my computer. I should have upgraded a long time ago. As far as the budget is concerned, we did have to account for the higher monthly plan.

But anyway, I digress. Let’s move on to this week’s links.

Everything You Need to Know About Budgeting – We all need to create and follow a budget to some degree, but it’s easy to lose your way over time. Here’s a compilation of my top resources to help you with everything you need to know about budgeting.

Save Money on Car Insurance – If you own a car, you have to have car insurance. I hate auto insurance, but then again, that’s because we have never had to file a claim. It feels like we’ve been just tossing money away all these years, but I know that if we ever have an accident or need to file a claim, the insurance will be worth every penny. Since you need to insure your car, you might as well save as much money on it as possible.

Cheapest Cars to Insure – While we’re on the topic of car insurance, let’s look at what cars are the cheapest to insure. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle you might as well start right at the source and look for a car that’s going to be the cheapest to insure and then go from there.

Buying a Car – The Research – I’ve written about cars quite a bit over the past few months. Mainly to point out that a vehicle is one of those purchases that can make or break your finances and long-term wealth accumulation. But if you do need a new car, you should at least put in the proper research and make sure you’re getting the most for your money.

New Credit Card Rules – How They’ll Help You – Some new credit card rules will be coming to consumers soon, but what exactly are the new rules and how will they affect you? Here’s a good breakdown of what to expect.

Should You Accept An Early Retirement Package? – Should you accept an early retirement package if offered? It isn’t always a black and white issue and there are a lot of financial and other considerations. Here, Neal takes a look at an example and breaks down the numbers.

How to Quit a Job – You’ve probably seen a lot of articles written about how to get a job, but how to quit a job? Yes, there’s a right way to quit your job. You don’t want to burn any bridges, and if you’re careful, your exit could actually help open up some new doors in the future.

Use Energy Star Appliances To Save On Utility Costs – Everyone wants to save money and one of the easiest ways to do that is to start with your utility bills at home. Energy Star appliances can help cut your energy costs while even improving the value of your home.

Risk Tolerance and Smart Investing – Risk tolerance is a loaded phrase in the investment world. It’s what brokers and advisors use to help guide you into the right investments. The problem is that most people don’t really know what their risk tolerance is, or even worse, they think their risk tolerance is high when the markets are doing good, and their risk tolerance is low when the markets are doing poorly.

Zecco Forex Promotion Code for $200 Bonus When Opening a Forex Account – Want some free money? If you’ve ever considered trading in the Forex market, here’s your chance. I’ve read a number of books on currency trading and even tried a few practice accounts, but I just can’t get into it. It would be fun if you have the time, but I don’t have enough time in the day to remember to grab lunch, let alone try and trade currencies.

What I Drive Doesn’t Try To Define Me Or To Impress Others – I can relate to this. While I could afford to pimp around in a German import, I instead drive a somewhat beat up sedan with 100,000 miles that’s hardly worth more than $6,000. For the 60 miles or so I drive each day to get me to and from the office, this car will do it just as good as a $50,000 car. It might not impress the ladies, but it gets the job done and allows me to funnel more money towards more rewarding financial goals.

How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? – Just how much emergency fund is enough? You hear things like three months, six months, or even a year’s worth of expenses saved up. But what’s the real number? There’s no right answer that applies to everyone, but Brip Blap makes a good argument for having more money than you think you’ll need set aside.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for July 24th