Moneysmartz

Peak Investing

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:24:03 -0600

"Scan the horizon at the mountain peak"
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Related Moneysmartz Topics: Investing, Investment Education

Holiday Habits

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:21:07 -0600

"Know thy spending"
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Related Moneysmartz Topics: Money Management, Frugality

Europe and Your Portfolio

Sat, 29 May 2010 07:02:03 -0600

"This time it's not different"
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Related Moneysmartz Topics: Investing, Investing Blogs, Personal Finance Blogs

Knowledge is Power

Wed, 26 May 2010 13:23:17 -0600

"Know thy financial situation"
Suggested Links: Assessing Your Financial Situation, The Origins of "Know Thyself", Apprenticed Investor: Know Thyself

Help Understanding VIX

Sun, 23 May 2010 09:56:39 -0600

The stock market feels like a roller coaster lately, so it's not surprising that the term VIX is all the rage. According to Wikipedia, the VIX is "the ticker symbol for the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, a popular measure of the implied volatility of S&P 500 index options." The VIX is also known as the fear index and gauges the market's expectation of volatility over the next 30 days. The recently created Moneysmartz VIX page links you to the resources you need to understand the VIX and how the VIX relates to your investment portfolio and investment decisions.

Small Business Guide Update

Sat, 22 May 2010 07:48:33 -0600

Small business is the engine of the U.S. economy. Fueled by dreams of independence, prosperity, and success, entrepreneurs truly reflect the spirit of the United States. However, as experienced business owners will say, it takes a lot for a small business to succeed, including more than a little luck along the way. The Moneysmartz Small Business guide offers an overview of small business information and resources on the web including help getting started, staying in business, and eventually prospering.

Ostrich Investing

Fri, 21 May 2010 08:20:10 -0600

"Fight the urge to put your head in the sand when markets are falling"
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Related Moneysmartz Guides: Investing, Investing Blogs, Personal Finance Blogs

Market Volatility and Investing

Thu, 20 May 2010 08:03:50 -0600

"Think before catching a falling knife"
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Related Moneysmartz Guides: Investing, Investing Blogs

Fear and Greed

Mon, 17 May 2010 08:33:57 -0600

"Misplaced fear and greed is the mother of bad financial decisions"
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Related Moneysmartz Guides: Investing, Warren Buffett

Simplicity and Abundance

Sun, 16 May 2010 17:41:56 -0600

"Simplicity is your secret to abundance"
Suggested Links: 5 Tactics for Pursuing Voluntary Simplicity, Thoughts on Voluntary Simplicity
Related Moneysmartz Guides: Voluntary Simplicity, Frugality

Money and Happiness

Sun, 02 May 2010 09:51:29 -0600

"The more you have, the more you want. Stop the cycle and free yourself."
Suggested Links: Money and Happiness.com, The Sandra Bullock Trade, How to be financially happy

Financial Planning: Moneysmartz Best of the Web

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:42:36 -0600

Using the Internet to research and make financial planning decisions can be complicated and confusing and often results in exasperation and even exhaustion. The seemingly infinite number of products, services, and sources of financial planning information make it hard to move forward in creating a financial plan. The following Moneysmartz Best of the Web sites will help you get started and perhaps help you breathe easier as you walk down the financial planning path toward success and peace of mind.

Financial Planning: Best of the Personal Finance Web 2010

The Financial Planning Process

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Financial Planning Process Page: Learn about the financial planning process from an organization that certifies financial planners. View the Moneysmartz CFP profile.

The Basics

AARP Money: This section of lobbying behemoth AARP's website is tailored for people over 50 and includes resources on personal finance, social security, retirement planning and more. View the Moneysmartz AARP profile.
About.com Financial Planning: From the mega help guide About.com, About Financial Planning covers all facets of financial planning including budgeting, savings, college planning, retirement, taxes, and insurance. View the Moneysmartz About Financial Planning profile.
Financial Planning Association: Connects individuals and firms who provide and support the financial planning profession. The site offers learning resources for individual financial planners and firms. View the Moneysmartz Financial Planning Association profile.
Financial Planning Toolkit: An easy-to-use and helpful financial planning and management guide. Its content includes modules on investing, taxes, insurance, retirement, and estate planning. The site offers planning guides and tips, planning tools, and a wide selection of financial calculators. View the Moneysmartz Financial Planning Toolkit profile.
Kiplinger.com: The Basics Page: The Kiplinger.com site offers personal financial management tools and tutorials, plus the latest news on the nation's economy and global markets. View the Moneysmartz Kiplinger.com profile.
MyMoney.gov: Established by the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, MyMoney.gov aims to improve the financial knowledge and education of U.S. citizens. The site offers educational materials and tools about personal finance and financial markets. View the Moneysmartz MyMoney.gov profile.
Wikipedia's Financial Planning Page: Founded in 2001, Wikipedia is a collaborative encyclopedia, edited by volunteers. Wikipedia (pronounced /ˌwiːkiˈpiːdiə/ or /ˌwɪkiˈpiːdiə/) offers thousands of articles with links to related pages with more information. View the Moneysmartz Wikipedia profile.

Help Finding a Local Financial Planner

Financial Planning Association: Find a local planner by specialty, income and asset minimums, and fee basis. View the Moneysmartz Financial Planning Association profile.
National Association of Personal Financial Planners: Search for financial planners by name and location. View the Moneysmartz National Association of Personal Financial Planners profile.
Paladin Registry: Find pre-screened advisors, planners, and consultants. View the Moneysmartz Paladin Registry profile.

Financial Planning Products and Services

Ameriprise Financial: Self tagged America's leader in financial planning and offering online information, tools, and insight and a national network of financial advisors. View the Moneysmartz Ameriprise Financial profile.
Charles Schwab Planning and Retirement: Charles Schwab's goal is to provide the benefits of a full-service brokerage at a discount brokerage price. In addition to brokerage services, Schwab offers banking, lending, and personal advice online and through more than 300 offices in the United States and in select international markets. View the Moneysmartz Charles Schwab profile.
Edward Jones: Serving almost 7 million investors with more offices than any other investment firm in America, Edward Jones offers retirement, estate planning and trusts, investment, insurance, and educational savings products and services. View the Moneysmartz Edward Jones profile.
Fidelity Investments: As a leading financial services provider, Fidelity Investments offers more than 300 Fidelity mutual funds, discount brokerage services, retirement services, estate planning, insurance, and more. View the Moneysmartz Fidelity Investments profile.
ING USA: Amsterdam based ING operates in more than 40 countries. ING USA offers financial services to individuals including annuities, retirement plans, life insurance, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, and financial planning. View the Moneysmartz ING USA profile.
Prudential: With operations around the world serving over 50 million individual and institutional clients, Prudential Financial Services, Inc. offers an array of products and services including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. View the Moneysmartz Prudential profile.
Raymond James Financial, Inc.: Serving over 1.9 million accounts in 2,300 locations in the United States and internationally and through a network of over 5,300 financial advisors, Raymond James offers investment and financial planning products and services, in addition to investment banking and asset management. View the Moneysmartz Raymond James profile.
T. Rowe Price: Through nearly 5,000 associates in 12 countries, T. Rowe Price provides a full range of investment strategies including retirement, brokerage, and educational savings solutions. View the Moneysmartz T. Rowe Price profile.
The Vanguard Group: Vanguard currently manages 150 domestic funds plus additional funds in international markets and approximately $1.3 trillion in assets. Vanguard serves individual and institutional investors and financial professionals with mutual funds and other financial products and services. Their products include ETFs, annuities, and services such as brokerage, retirement investing, and college savings. View the Moneysmartz Vanguard profile.

Financial Planning and Personal Finance Experts

Ric Edelman: A financial advisor, book publisher, and host of television and radio programs, Ric Edelman is a well-respected speaker and advocate for personal financial management. The Ric Edelman site is a resource for financial management education with articles and advice on education and retirement planning, debt reduction, household expenses and mortgages, and advice on how to get the best health care and insurance. View the Moneysmartz Ric Edelman profile.
Suze Orman: SuzeOrman.com includes information, advice, inspiration, and many special offers. The site's resource section includes free information on fundamental personal finance concepts such as debt management, home ownership, and insurance. View More on Suze Orman in Moneysmartz.

Quirky, But Full of Information

EF Moody, Financial Planner: The site has 4,000 pages of related articles on finance and 1,700 links to financial websites. One of the famous, and sometimes controversial, features of EFMoody.com is his daily "Gripes and Comments" discussing the finance industry and the economy as a whole. View More on EF Moody in Moneysmartz.

Track Your Net Worth

Net Worth IQ: Net Worth IQ offers tools to help you track, share, and compare your net worth. View More on Net Worth IQ in Moneysmartz.

Related Moneysmartz Guides

Help With Roth IRA Conversions

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:31:10 -0600

2010 is the year of the Roth IRA conversion. For the first time, income limits are being lifted allowing more individuals to convert their Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Under certain conditions (after 5 years and after age 59 1/2) Roth IRA withdrawals are tax-free. Before you make the conversion, know the facts, including a review of these helpful Roth IRA Conversion links:

7 steps to a 2010 Roth IRA conversation from Bankrate.com.
Roth IRA Conversion Will Never Look Better from U.S. News and World Report Blog.
2010 Roth Conversion: Look Before You Leap from Schwab.
12 Traps to Avoid When Converting a Roth IRA from Robert Powell of Marketwatch.

Holiday Money Saving Tips

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:30:37 -0600

If the thought "I'm going to be smart about my holiday spending" has not translated into the act of spending less, then the following links offer hope for a more frugal holiday season:

Acting like a Scrooge: Dr. Judith Rich of The Huffington Post offers ideas for going gift-free.
Using a Budget: Ideas for staying within your holiday budget.
Creating Frugal Traditions: How to create money-saving and meaningful holiday traditions.
Thinking Before Spending: Three simple tips for smarter holiday spending.

Errold Moody

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:38:38 -0600

EFMoody.com
Category: Financial Planning
Description: With quotes like "No matter, this is not a Suze Orman 'feel good' commentary or the absurd Rich Dad Poor Dad drivel. Be prepared to do some heavy homework and you will be well served by the material and insight found nowhere else" it's not surprising that EF Moody is known for his "no-nonsense" approach to educating readers about finance. The contents of his site EFMoody.com offer a comprehensive and in-depth discussion of the essential elements of financial management and planning. The site prides itself on being the "largest comprehensive financial planning site on the Internet" and for providing readers knowledge to help them get past the hype of the financial services industry and focus on what really works.
Features: The site has 4,000 pages of related articles on finance and 1,700 links to financial websites. One of the famous, and sometimes controversial, features of EFMoody.com is his daily "Gripes and Comments" discussing the finance industry and the economy as a whole.
Notable Awards/Recognition: EFMoody.com has received widespread media recognition including favorable reviews by Forbes, Business Week and USA Today which said "This is a high-powered personal bookmark list that spans the spectrum of the truly useful."
Bottom Line: Errold Moody masters the art of humorous, conversational financial commentary. Though the site lay-out has a lot of room for improvement, the content of the site itself is staggering. If you are willing to roll up your sleeves and do some heavy lifting, then the thousands of resource materials and helpful articles at EFMoody.com will surely enhance your financial decision making.