For those who celebrate Christmas, there’s the mixed feelings associated with the end of a holiday many people look forward to all year mixed with relief that the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations and incessant present-wrapping are finally over. There was also a near disaster averted on Christmas day by a soon-to-be public hero who prevented a horrific cowardly attack on civilians via an attempted airline bombing. What will be interesting is the fallout – Congressional hearings scheduled for January, and airline security experts already saying the ONLY way this could have been prevented/detected is with full body scanning equipment – but, alas, the privacy police will try and block this (ACLU and friends) since it will make passengers feel “uncomfortable”. Surely, adequate controls and training could be put in place to prevent abuse, and if you ask me, it would be pretty uncomfortable meeting an untimely death at the hands of a perverted religious zealot. Hopefully, logic will prevail. There is much to be thankful for this season, that’s for sure. With that in mind, here are my favorite reads from the week from around the blogosphere:
- Fraud Files further highlights why mortgage acceleration outfits like UFirst Financial are such a waste and provides several links to back it up. For $3,500, I’ll do it manually thanks.
- Free Money Finance warns that some movie theater chains are now employing the snack police! Never thought I’d see the day.
- Monevator highlights how the steep yield curve may mean further upside for equities (UK, US would behave similarly in my opinion).
- My Money Blog shares some disturbing details on how 529 plans promised excess returns in conservative options, yet lost over 40% compared to their benchmark (which had a slight gain). Beware 529 shenanigans (I use index funds through Vanguard personally – lowest fees around and money managers rarely beat indices consistently).
- Five Cent Nickel discusses when it’s worth paying for quality rather than assessing your purchases solely based on price.
- Wealth Pilgrim takes on some misinformation out there on asset allocation heading into retirement.
In My Network
- ETF Tracking Spinoffs Routinely Beats S&P500
- Study: Smart Investors MUCH Better Stock Pickers than Dumb Investors
- 7 Year-End Tax Tips You Can’t Miss!
- Should the US Adopt a “Bonus Tax†Like Europe is Enacting?
- Post-Holiday: CASH IN or Buy Gift Cards from Stores you Actually Want
- Why Would you EVER Buy a Book from a Bookstore for a 30% Premium?
Carnivals that Featured My Content Recently:
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