Friday Finance Findings for July 18th

It’s the middle of July, and the dog days of summer are here (well, where I live anyway). It has been a hot and humid week with temperatures over 90 during the day, and not even falling below 70 at night. It’s not that big of a deal except that my home office is on the second story, and we don’t have central air, so my office turns into an oven. This makes it incredibly difficult to spend time at the computer to get things done. Yes, I do have a laptop that I use downstairs, but I just can’t seem to get work done as easily.

On a positive note, the stock market ended up having a pretty good few days at the end of the week, and oil prices are down about $16 per barrel from where it started on Monday. Whether or not this is a lasting trend, it is anyone’s guess. But I did set up a poll asking readers when they think the market will begin to recover for good, so head over and cast your vote.

Your Free Credit Score: Is There Such A Thing? – Free credit reports are readily available, but what about your credit score? It seems like everywhere you go, you have to pay just to get your score. Even so, is there a way to get a free credit score?

Add Wind to Your Portfolio with PowerShares Global Wind Energy ETF – I’m a big fan of ETFs, and one of the best things about them is the unique investing opportunities they can offer, such as wind energy. I actually picked up a new ETF this week, but it was in comodities.

12 Tips to Prepare Your Finances for Vacation – Summertime means vacation for many people, and that can mean time away from your daily routines. Learn how to prepare your finances so that you’ll be in good shape while you’re away.

Free Credit Scores from Credit Karma – If you didn’t read the first link about free credit scores, then you should read this one. Lazy Man points out a company called Credit Karma that may be right for you. Oh, and he has a lot of good illustrations as well.

5 Ways to Learn From Others – Sometimes you just have to hear it from someone else. Brip Blap shares his personal and inspiring story that can help you learn from others in order to make whatever changes you’re trying to achieve.

ING Direct Orange Savings & Electric Orange Checking Accounts: Online Banking Review – If you’re looking for information onthe ING savings and checking accounts, this is the place to go. Ben has put together a very comprehensive review of the services to help you decide if ING is right for you.

A Simple Low Cost Diversified ETF Portfolio – Since I already mentioned I really like ETFs, I found Frugal Trader’s ETF portfolio to be pretty good, even if it does have a bit of a Canadian flair. The process can be used to help you develop a low-cost ETF portfolio, regardless of what your risk tolerance is.

12 Great Movies About Money -I love movies about money, and while I’ve seen most of them, this list made me want to hit up Netflix to pick up a few to watch again. And while it isn’t officially on the list, Ryan mentions Boiler Room. If you’ve ever watched that movie, you basically know what it is like to get hired by, and work for Ameriprise Financial.

If You’re Going to Pay Extra on a Loan, Do it Sooner Rather Than Later -We always hear about the advice to pay extra on loans, but what isn’t often discussed is the importance of doing it early in the term. Remember, loan interest is front-loaded, so if you wait until the loan is almost paid off to start making extra payments, you aren’t going to be saving much.

Learn From Watching Two Families Go Through Their Housing Problems on Larry King Live -Ever wonder what people are thinking as they find themselves in financial trouble or face foreclosure? Well, Larry King talks with two families, and you can learn a lot by watching what they have to say. A lot of it could have easily been avoided.