Friday Finance Findings for April 24th

Well, it looks like my hot streak trading options is coming to an end this week. Over the past month or so I’ve been trading some puts and calls on various stocks based purely on technical analysis. I used to do a lot of short-term trading, but I don’t have the time to keep up with it regularly any more. Instead, I always keep a little cash in my Roth IRA so that I can spot opportunities and try to make decent trade over a few days or weeks. And since it’s in the IRA, I don’t have to worry about capital gains or losses.

Instead of relying on a large bankroll I use options so I can use the leverage to put less money at risk while still seeing sizable price movements. While that’s great when your trade goes as planed, that leverage can also bite you when your trade goes bad. I guess I can’t complain since my last 4 trades have turned out quite well, and it’s only this latest trade that’s not turning out so good. I can handle 1 bad call for every 4. That would pay off quite well. But this week it’s Cisco (CSCO) that’s giving me trouble. I was feeling bearish and bought some June $17 puts when the stock was trading at $17.40. Yesterday was looking promising as the stock dropped to $17.14 at one point but the late day rally and strong open this morning have really put a damper on things. But it’s still early and anything can happen on a Friday.

Anyway, here are this week’s links.

Enjoy Earth Day, Then Forget About It – Brip Blap pretty much sums up my thoughts completely. People do a lot of talking but less doing. It’s nice to take time out to think about an important topic, but it gets abused just like anything else.

How To Avoid Bankruptcy: 5 Steps To Solvency – Think bankruptcy is your only option? Think again. While it very well may be one of your few options remaining, there are steps you can take to help avoid that situation.

Suburban Dollar’s Financial Network Map – Have you ever created a financial network map? I first stumbled across the idea from Jim over at Bargaineering, but I also noticed that Suburban Dollar went ahead and created his own financial network map. It’s an interesting task, so many I’ll put one together myself and share with the site.

Could You Be an Economic Survivalist? – You probably know what it means to be a typical survivalist, but what about an economic survivalist? Have you recently change your financial habits without knowing it so that you can survive a tough economy?

16 Second Quarter Financial Tips – Hard to believe, but the second quarter of 2009 is already well underway. If you’ re looking for some tips to help get you through the second quarter and beyond, here are 16 good ones.

Do You Plan to Leave Anything Behind? – Generation X is currently in their prime earning years so the thought of estate planning or leaving something behind is usually an afterthought. While it may still be many decades away, it always helps to think about it early on.

How to Get Out of Debt – Are you still in debt? Looking to get out? Then Five Cent Nickel has the post for you. Here is a solid strategy that you can use to help pull yourself out of debt. It might not be easy, but it will work.

10 Killer Tips for Scholarship Applicants – Are you or someone you know applying for a scholarship? Finding money for college is hard to come by these days, so if you’re looking to get a scholarship it helps if you’re one step ahead of the other applicants.

Save Money on Moving – Moving isn’t fun. I know, because in the last 10 years we’ve probably moved about 6 times. Of course, to make matters worse moving also usually costs money. Find out how you can save money on your next move.

Get Rid Of Unwanted Credit Cards – Do you have a stack of unused credit cards? We all know that having old lines of credit can help keep your credit score healthy, but having too many unused cards can also begin to have the opposite effect. You want to strike a balance between having a good long credit history and a good amount of available credit without having too much.

When Things Clear Up – I just wrote about this yesterday, but apparently a lot of investors see the March rally as things “clearing up.” For some, this may mean jumping back into the market after bailing out a few months ago. Well, don’t take it from me, but Carl explains why this is the recipe for buying high and selling low.

Target-Date Funds Aren’t That Safe – One of the ideas behind target date funds is that they were designed to be a set and forget type of investment. Unfortunately, the recent market turmoil has uncovered that many of these funds aren’t as safe as those near retirement expected.

8 Ways to Save the Environment from Your Cubicle – Earth Day has come and gone but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still think about how you can help the environment. Here are 8 ways you can work to save the environment right from the comfort of your cube.

Are Green And Socially Responsible Mutual Funds Worth It? – This is a pretty good argument in regards to these so-called green and socially responsible investments. They have their place, but they aren’t always as good as they may seem. Moreover, you can usually make a bigger impact yourself when compared to the minimal impact realized by investing in these funds.