Friday Finance Findings for October 30th

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.