Friday Finance Findings for June 6th

This edition of the Friday links is delayed for a few reasons. First, on Friday I was typing it up and had saved most of it to then complete writing later in the afternoon. Well, I had a MySQL hiccup that afternoon and I had to revert back to an older version I had saved the night before. That erased the post I was working on, and also probably removed a few comments. So, if you commented sometime Thursday night and saw your comment vanish, I didn’t moderate or delete it. And with all of the severe weather we’ve been having, I haven’t had any sense of urgency to get the post completed until now.

Second, I wanted to say that I’ve finally caved in and begun using one of those social sites. No, it isn’t Twitter. I find Twitter very annoying, confusing, and it doesn’t work when I’m on other networks during the 9-5 workday, so it isn’t of much use. I did sign up with Plurk, which has a timeline look and feel, and so far I’m enjoying it. If you want to follow me and see what I’m up to, you can check out my Plurk page. If you have an account, feel free to send a friend request.

Airline Fuel Surcharges – Gas prices are going up, and we all know what that means for filling up our cars. But what about if you plan on flying? Well, you can expect to shell out a pretty good extra chunk of change there as well.

Emergency Savings Fund: Why, How Much, and Where? – Do you wonder how big your emergency fund should be, and where to keep it? Well, this article will give you some good insight.

Identity Theft Costs – How Much Time & Money Does ID Theft Cost the Victim? – Have you ever wondered what the true time and monetary costs are for a victim of identity theft? I have, and while you can’t easily pin a number on it, there are many types of “costs” associated with this.

Make Money Now Versus Make Money Later – Brip Blap poses an interesting question: make money now, or make it later? Making money now is good, but it can minimize your potential to make even more money later.

Netflix: Six Months Later – Lazy Man follows up on his Netflix trial. I must say, we are big Netflix fans. We have the 3 DVD plan, and I swear, my wife has a new movie showing up every other day. She watches movies like they are going out of style. When I do have a chance to pick one myself, there are plenty of great documentary and educational options available.

How to Invest for the First Time -That first step is always the hardest. If you’re new to investing, it can seem very intimidating. It doesn’t have to be confusing, and Ryan has a few tips to help you take the plunge.

Making Money Through Day Trading: The Secret Lives of Stay-At-Home Mommy Speculators – Did you know there were a lot of stay-at-home moms in Japan playing the stock market? I know I didn’t, but it is fascinating. I spent some time day trading myself years ago when I was between jobs, and I’m not sure I would want to do it full-time. There is a lot of stress involved.

Free FICO Scores & Credit Reports – Need to check your credit score but don’t want to pay for it? You’re in luck! Find out how to get both a free credit report, and the more elusive FICO score.

Vanguard to Split Three ETFs – We all know that stocks can split, but ETFs? Sure enough, just like stocks, ETFs can split to make the share price more affordable for investors, and Vanguard is doing just that with three of their offerings.

Insurance Coverage and Opportunity Cost -I hate insurance. It is one of those necessary financial evils. When you never have to use it (which is really a good thing), it feels like you’re throwing money away. But when you need it, you’re glad it is there. This article takes a look at the opportunity cost associated with insurance.