Carnival of Personal Finance #376 The #LifeAWARE Edition

Welcome the 376th Carnival of Personal Finance ' the #LifeAWARE edition.

With the life insurance movement taking place last week, it only seemed fitting to keep the movement going.

We had over 145 bloggers take part (see the complete list of #LifeAWARE participants) which shows how incredible the personal finance community is.

Mad hugs to all those took part. 

I thought it only seemed right to bring attention to some of the posts written for the movement.

Which was tough because there are some great articles this week!

Presenting the COPF'..

Editor's Picks

Beating Broke from Beating Broke presents The Life Insurance Movement, and says, 'I used to be on the fence about buying life insurance. But, here's the thing. I buy car insurance to help pay for damages to my car should I get in an accident. I've used that car insurance.'

Jason Price from One Money Design presents Why Is Life Insurance Important for My Family?, and says, 'Years ago something important happened in my life. I got married and it caused me to get serious about my finances. Getting life insurance was one of the top things on my list.'

Peter from Bible Money Matters presents 8 Reasons Why You Should Buy Life Insurance Today (And 2 Why You Shouldn't), and says, 'There are a lot of reasons why you should buy good term life insurance, and not put it off for another day. Let's look at a few of them.'

Robert from The College Investor presents Why Young Families Need Life Insurance More than Anyone, and says, 'Like the title says, young families need life insurance more than anyone else, and here's why, along with a few things to remember!'

Glen from Parenting Family Money presents Should You Buy Life Insurance for Your Child?, and says, 'Most people don't like thinking about life insurance and they are even more hesitant when it comes to a child. Buying life insurance for your child is something to at least think about.

Mike from Do Not Wait presents Should You Invest Your Money Into Life Insurance?, and says, 'We explain the pros and cons of life insurance.'

Best of the Rest

Adam Williams from Rabbit Funds presents Zombie Survival Guide: Are you ready for the pandemic?, and says, 'I decided to compile this emergency preparedness Zombie Survival Guide so that both you and I don't find ourselves being gnawed on by the undead.'

Bret from Hope to Prosper presents The High Cost of Planned Obsolescence, and says, 'Wednesday, I was walking my dogs around town and I noticed a couple of television sets abandoned in front of an apartment building. It got me thinking about how much money we spend on items that quickly become obsolete.'

Ray from Squirrelers presents Self-Insure Against Life's Biggest Risks, and says, 'Insurance can be a great thing, and a vital part of one's financial strategy. That being said, it also helps to 'self-insure', in the way that's shared in this discussion'

TTMK from Tie the Money Knot presents What is a Normal Amount to Spend on a Child's Birthday Party?, and says, 'When budgeting for a birthday party, how much is too much? This post discusses the seemingly runaway costs of kids' birthday parties these days, which goes counter to the notion of frugality!'

James Petzke from This Is Common Cents presents Dividend Paying Stocks: Stable, Profitable Investments, and says, 'Dividend paying stocks are an important piece of a stock portfolio, and their stable returns can be a liveable income with a big enough investment.'

Money Walks from Money Walks presents Getting Lots of Things for Free!, and says, 'Scouring the web for some good deals? Money Walks shares some of her tips for snatching up free goodies. '

D4L from Dividend Growth Stocks presents The Elite Dividend Stocks, and says, 'As investors in Dividend Growth Stocks, we want to limit our purchases to only the very best stocks. Our first step is to look at published lists of dividend companies such as S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, US Broad Dividend Achievers' Index and The U.S. Dividend Champions. In 2009, I devised additional criteria to apply to the Stock Ideas list in an effort to eliminate all but the Elite Dividend Stocks. Here is the additional criteria that I came up with, along with the companies that met the criteria''

Jim from Bargaineering presents America's Biggest, Most Expensive Homes, and says, 'We often think that the very rich live differently from the rest of us. And when you look at some of their homes, it seems obvious that they are a world apart. The homes of the super wealthy aren't just homes; they're practically works of art.'

Miss T. from Prairie Eco Thrifter presents How to Avoid Financial Disaster, and says, 'It's a sad and sobering thought, but ' it should be considered that some form of financial disaster is inevitable.

Clint from Accumulating Money presents Renting Versus Buying ' How to Plan Your Future in 2012, and says, 'Our economy is in an odd position. While many are still reeling from the massive 'loss' of equity in their homes as compared to the values in the mid-2000s, there is still be something to be said about the benefits of home ownership.'

Drew from Objective Wealth presents A to Z of Objective Wealth: F is for Free Markets, and says, 'Exploring the relevance of Ayn Rand's views on a free economy, in terms of both individual wealth and the potential success of the Objective Wealth blog. '

Darrow Kirkpatrick from Can I Retire Yet? presents Why Most Retirement Calculators Don't Work, and says, 'Most retirement calculators are broken. It's not that the user interfaces are confusing, or the inputs are rigid and lacking, or that they have bugs ' though many share those failings. No, the problems with most retirement calculators are theoretical, and go much deeper'.'

Justin from Saving Without A Budget presents Tips for Saving Money with Couponing, and says, 'Tips and tricks to save money at the grocery store'

Liana from Card Hub Blog presents Another Mobile Wallet? Are You Kidding?, and says, 'The latest in mobile wallets is a team effort from more than 12 of the nation's largest retailers. But does the new joint company ' Merchant Customer Exchange- have what it takes to climb the mobile wallet mountain and claim the crown as King?

Danielle from Budget SNOB presents Rental Insurance for Your Investment Property, and says, 'Helpful advice if you are considering investing in a rental property.'

Jay from Daily Fuel Economy Tip presents Can Debt Cause Health Issues?, and says, 'Protect your health by controlling your debt.'

Danielle from The New Business Blog presents Why Customer Relationship Management is Important for a Business, and says, 'Learn how to keep your customers happy when doing business. '

Jay from Money Saving Ethics presents The Answer To Your Cash Problems Can Be Helped WIth Personal Finance Control, and says, 'Can money really buy happiness?'

Danielle from Money Mishaps presents Personal Finance Talk That Anyone Can Understand, and says, 'Learn tips on how to save money opposed to mindlessly spending it.'

John from Wallet Blog presents Do You Know Your Mortgage Credit Score?, and says, 'So you're applying for a mortgage? Did you know that there is a special credit score used just for that? You better have a good record for paying your utilities on time.'

Investor Junkie from Investor Junkie presents The Cashflow Quadrant, and says, 'Our tax code is designed to favor investing and large businesses. This perfectly explains Mitt Romney's effective tax rate. It also explains why many high paid salaried employees get screwed with our tax system. It also explains why a company like General Electric (GE) paid only 2.3% in taxes in the last decade.'

Charles Davis from Wallet Hub Blog presents Is it time to Refinance Your Mortgage?, and says, 'We've all heard how mortgage rates are at record lows, but does that necessarily mean you should refinance? Hint: It's not as clear-cut of a decision as you might think.'

Ray @ Financial Highway from Financial Highway presents How to Make Money With Amazon, and says, 'There are dozens of different ways for you to make extra money online, and you don't need to spend any money on an expensive course to teach you how to do it either.'

Joe @ Excess Return from Excess Return presents Indexing with ETF or Mutual Fund?, and says, 'It is hard to argue against a strategy that produces a better return than most investment choices. If you want to invest using an index strategy, you with have two vehicle choices: ETFs or mutual funds. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. How you invest will play a big role on which option is best for you.'

Boomer from Boomer & Echo presents Are You Counting On An Inheritance?, and says, 'Many boomers are not well prepared for their own retirements and are expecting an inheritance windfall to reduce their debts and provide an income.'

Eric from Narrow Bridge Finance presents Moving Past the Emergency Fund: The Liberty Fund, and says, 'In the past, I have written about the importance of an emergency fund many times, and have even given you updates on my progress to save up cash just in case. I have decided that am emergency fund is not good enough for my current situation, and I am saving up for something new I am calling a 'Liberty Fund.''

JLP from AllFinancialMatters.com presents That Keurig Coffee You Buy is Very Expensive, and says, ''

Money Beagle from Money Beagle presents Bigger Sizes Aren't Always Cheaper, and says, 'Don't always think the bigger box gives you the best value for your money.'

J.P. from Novel Investor presents What Are Target Date Funds?, and says, 'Target date funds were created as an easy way to invest for retirement. It's probably one of many options in your retirement account. But is it for you?'

Karl Marrion from WiseStockBuyer presents How to Find The Best Mutual Funds, and says, 'Dividends can be a big part of your portfolio over the long haul. So perhaps they are worth considering?'

Dan Meyers from Your Life Their Life presents 10 tips to stay in debt forever, and says, 'Most people unintentionally stay in debt forever, so here's a plan to do it intentionally!'

Money Thinker from Money Thinking presents Maybe We're Seeing Progress?

PK from Don't Quit Your Day Job' presents Revisiting the Employment-Population Ratio, August 2012 Edition!, and says, 'Coming back to the Employment-Population Ratio, which has been depressed since 2008 (that is, it is near numbers not seen since the 1980s)'

Bethy from Credit Karma Blog presents Why Did My Credit Score Drop?

Adrienne from My Dollar Plan presents How I Spend $0 on Kids Clothes, and says, 'Just in time for 'back to school' shopping time, some great tips for clothes shopping for kids!'

Everything Finance from Everything Finance presents Streamline the Path to Retirement, and says, 'The best way to approach retirement planning is one step at a time. You can do this by following these steps:'

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey from My Personal Finance Journey presents Who Manages Your Investments?, and says, 'This post provides the results and detailed analysis of the results of a reader poll on My Personal Finance Journey: Who Manages/Directs Your Investments?'

Andy from Saving to Invest presents 21 Signs You Are an Unmotivated (and Somewhat Unethical) Employee, and says, 'Here are 21 signs, in no particular order, that you are this type of employee.

Jim from Bargaineering presents 5 Summertime Tax Moves

Roshawn Watson from Watson Inc presents Getting Haters Out of Your Wallet, and says, 'It can occasionally hurt to have your budgeting efforts and progress minimized, ignored, or even dissed, particularly if the perpetrator is family or a 'friend.' Here are some key points to remember when people comment on the apparent disconnect between your financial plan and your consumption.'

Nicole from Nicole and Maggie: Grumpy Rumblings presents Personal Assistants and Other Outsourcing, and says, 'Nicole and Maggie discuss the often given advice to high earners to out-source household chores and other things in order to free up time to make more money or to enjoy life. It can be great when it works out, but don't forget to take into account that good help can take a lot of time to find.'

Glen Craig from Free From Broke presents Five Habits That Keep You From Achieving Your Goals, and says, 'We may say we have certain goals we want to achieve but saying it doesn't mean it will happen. See five habits that will keep you from achieving your goals.

Sean Smart from Growing Money presents 5 Essential Financial Tips for 2012.

FMF from Free Money Finance presents My Process for Determining a Suitable Rental Property, and says, 'In a recent post I gave the background on how I've decided to invest into rental real estate. In this article I will detail the process I go through in determining whether or not a property is a suitable fit for me. I've only progressed far down this road a couple times, so my process may change/mature as time goes on.'

CF from The Outlier Model presents Fiverr should be called fourer, and says, 'Fiverr is a great peer to peer marketplace where you can buy and sell goods and services for $5. Sounds great, but as I recently found out, there is a hefty service fee''

Dividend Growth Investor from Dividend Growth Investor presents The Live off Dividends Retirement Plan, and says, 'Dividend stocks provide investors with a stable and dependable stream of income which maintains its purchasing power. In addition, this income source is tax efficient and could last for life and even be available to pass on to future generations. '

Mike from The Financial Blogger presents If You're Willing to Spend Thousands of Dollars on College, Then', and says, 'Are you a hypocrite about money? We look at investments worth spending money on.'

Pierre from Intelligent Speculator presents There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch, and says, 'Is there ever a free lunch life? Not really.'

Martin from Studenomics presents Not Sure How to Pay For College? We Have The Answers Here, and says, 'I show you exactly how to pay for college without using student loans.'