Friday Finance Findings for October 23rd

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!