Living in Central Florida does have advantages. Not only do we have the beautiful beaches, the theme parks, and the wonderful year round weather, but we also enjoy great sporting events in the area. This weekend is the 54th annual Daytona 500. Looks like it’s going to be a great one!

I am honored to be the host of this week’s Yakezie Carnival. In case you aren’t familiar with the Yakezie network, it is the web’s largest personal finance and lifestyle blog network. So without further ado, let’s get this carnival started!

Add Vodka: The Downside of Blogging Anonymously – I discuss why I blog anonymously, the benefits to doing so, as well as the negative aspects of blogging anonymously.

The Passive Income Earner: Foreign Exchange: The Norbert’s Gambit – The Norbert’s Gambit was introduced to save on currency exchange by leveraging inter-listed stocks between the US and Canada.

The University of Money: Best Stock market apps for iPhone and iPad 2012 – A brief on some of the cool applications for stocks which tun on iPad and iPhones

The Millionaire Nurse: Productivity, Success, and Happiness, What the Hell – How much time do you spend doing things that don’t contribute to your success? Defining success goals will guide you to your most productive behavior. Join me in a discussion of goals that lead to success.

My Journey to Millions: What Generations Has the Most Debt? – Who hasn’t wondered which generation has the most debt? The discussion actually led to a pretty heated battle in the Evan household. While the people at Live Credit Smart provided us with actual answer of What Generation Has the Most Debt I believe it should be a deeper conversation:

Edward Antrobus: Tax Reform Needs to Start with the W-4 – Making a mistake on when filling out a W-4 can lead to a very unpleasant surprise at tax time. The form is a throw-back to a time when families only had one income and you had a job for life.
My personal income tax reform plan: change the w-4 to better capture the realities of two income families.

On Target Coaching: Moneyball: 7 Lessons for Life and Personal Finances – 7 Lessons for life and personal finances base on the movie Moneyball

This That And The MBA: I’m a baller, I own rental property! – The article flows from how one day we were renters to one day a homeowner. It can happen very quick and now what…debt and now the part of finding a good tenant.

Affiliate Tips: How To Make Money From Your Hobbies – This following article shows you the benefits of making money from your hobbies, and has a few ideas on how you can do this.

Narrow Bridge Finance: What Recession? The Economy is Awesome – If you follow the Republican presidential campaign, you have undoubtedly noticed that the candidates are trying to sell you a story about how horrible the economy is and why you need to elect them to fix it. I think they are dead wrong, the economy is great. Here’s why.

Saving Money Today: Why You May Want to Make the Choice to Use Cash – Making the decision to stop using credit cards and use only cash may be a little inconvenient, but there are some clear benefits to doing so.

Invest It Wisely: The Importance of Buffering Your Life – An important lesson that I have learned recently is: the importance of buffering. I wasn’t always a big believer in emergency funds,and even today I believe that emergency funds, while useful, are not adequate. Perhaps the truth is that “emergency fund” is a misnomer. Better to call it “savings buffer’, which is what it really is.

Money Cone: So Someone Tried to Use My Credit Card to Buy a Laptop. . . – 11.1 million people fall victim to identity theft each year and fraudulent credit card use account for nearly half a billion dollars worth of loss each year! Here are tips to help you avoid being another statistic.

The Happy Homeowner: Reasons Why You MUST Hire a Home Inspector – Too often, homeowners (especially new ones), fall in love with their potential home during the buying process and cast a blind eye to how important the home inspection is. Here are some simple, easy, yet vitally important tips for navigating your home inspection.

Smart on Money: Where Do You Get Better Returns for Short Term Savings? A Bank CD or a Lending Club Account? – While there is the added risk of investing in peer-to-peer lending, if you manage your risk properly, you’ll easily be able to make in excess of 10% returns. So the question is, why don’t more people use Lending Club like they would a regular savings account or CD when they won’t be touching the money for a few years anyway? Why not use Lending Club and set up something similar to a CD Ladder?

Money Talks Coaching: Is Your Favorite American Product Really Made in America – The FTC requires that “all or virtually all” of a product must be manufactured in the US to display the term “Made in America” on its packaging. However, marketing can include American symbols such as the Statue of Liberty, the American flag, or playing the national anthem during a commercial to make the product appear American without using the term “Made in America”. This can give a false impression. It’s especially tricky when a product has historically been made in America and then is moved off shore. It’s difficult for the consumer to keep track of these things, especially when the marketing implies an American product. Here are some American products that aren’t so American anymore.

The Budgeting Babe: Things I’m Glad I Learned on My Budgeting Journey – Here are five important lessons I’ve learned about finances on my journey from overspender to frugal power saver.

Funancials : How Do You Judge Value? – If you have been following Funancials for an extended period of time, you have noticed the direction of my articles have changed. I used to focus primarily on numbers. Numbers don’t lie. Numbers make sense; and numbers are black and white. There is a problem in viewing financial decisions with this binary code approach.

Sweating the Big Stuff : What Makes More Sense – High Insurance Premiums or a High Deductible? – The decision about whether to take a risk with a high premium insurance plan or a high deductible insurance plan is a tough one. Here are some tips.

Personal Finance Whiz : The True Risk of Investing: Understanding the Types of Investment Risk – In my last post I talked about the fact that there is no such thing as a risk free investment. Specifically I talked about how some of the investments that are traditionally considered “safe” are some of the riskiest. Many people don’t really understand risk which skews their perception of risk.

Money Infant : Is Blogging the Path to Wealth? – Making money blogging is a subject I am familiar with and over the years I have often considered writing about it. So, I thought it was time to get this out of my system.

Finance Fox : Dear Insurance Agent, I Wish my Car Insurance Was Cheaper! – We’ve been together for well over 7 years, and with no major infractions. Honestly, I’ve been a really solid client. Just ask my driving record. I know you’re not a magician, and I don’t expect you to make magic happen, however I’d like a cheaper auto insurance quote.

Money Spruce : I’ve Lived on Food Stamps – and Couldn’t Wait To Get Off – Getting free money for food isn’t nearly as awesome as it sounds. In fact, you may just be even more driven to get off the food stamps program and earn more instead.

Married (with Debt) : Thought Leader: What Makes One? – A thought leader is someone who seeks to help people by changing the way they think.This empowers you to solve future problems on your own.

The Dividend Ninja : Website Income Versus Dividend Stocks – I’ve written a guest post for Young and Thrifty on passive income, titled Website Income vs Dividend Stocks: Which One Comes Out On Top? Once I started seriously investing in divided paying stocks, I was amazed in such a short period of time how quickly dividend income can build a portfolio. For me dividend stocks are a great investment.

Newlyweds on a Budget : How will moving affect our budget? – Moving into a bigger place is going to put a big dent into our budget. As a somewhat personal finance blogger, I feel like I need to justify this expense and our decision to move. And while I know that people may have several different opinions, we know this is what’s best for us and maybe you too!

The Ultimate Juggle : Why I Prefer Online Purchases – Shopping online offers many benefits. Find out how online shopping can save you time and money.

Simple Finance Blog : The Dark Side of Automatic Payments – While I still use online billpay to pay my accounts, all it took was one major accident for me to swear off automatic payments.

Steadfast Finances : Should the Fed be Fighting Deflation or Inflation? – The economy isn’t as predictable as many would make it seem. Find out whether inflation or deflation is worse.

Early Retirement Investments : Learn How to Monetize Anything by Understanding the Value Proposition – Learn How to Monetize Anything by Understanding the Value Proposition.

Broke Professionals : The Fork In My Husband’s Career Path – My husband’s found himself having to choose between two career opportunities: one that will result in better pay, and another that could lead to better jobs.

Passive Income To Retire : Motivation for Early Retirement – Find out what my motivation for early retirement is and how this might influence your retirement plans.

Money Q&A : Strategies To Stretch The Travel Budget – One of the best strategies to stretch your travel money and to save money on a vacation is to visit locations during their off seasons.

KrantCents : The 3 E’s of Success – The 3 E’s of Success is the fifth in a series of articles to help you reach your goal. What are your goals? I know you thought about it! You know, it is your dream, wish or resolution you made!

The Penny Hoarder : The 10 Weirdest Investments on Lending Club – Last week I wrote about how you can earn 17% by loaning money to couple on Prosper.com that is trying to adopt a baby. Well, not to be out done, LendingClub.com just sent over a list of some of the weirdest loans that their members funded last year. It’s a pretty great list…

Beating The Index : Xtreme Coil Drilling: Undervalued Drilling Company on the Cusp of Strong Growth – XDC is currently trading at about 0.6x of Book Value which makes it one of the most undervalued stocks in the energy services sector. But wait, there’s more, analysts are forecasting a 70% increase in rig operating days in 2012 fueled by a 50% increase in its average fleet size.

Young Family Finance : Emergency Savings Fund – Building an emergency savings fund can be difficult when you are strapped for cash. Find practical ways to create an emergency savings fund.

Money Reasons : Wealth Myth – Stay Married to Become Wealthy – Staying married to become wealthy is a myth! It really depend on the couple and if one a unstoppable spender or not.

Financial God : How the Federal Minimum Wage Crushed the Economy of American Samoa – Most people probably have not heard of American Samoa, or what has been happening there. It is a small island located tens of thousands of miles away from the continental United States, and has a small economy with a high rate of unemployment and a low level of income per capita.

Frugal Confessions : True Acceptance of Your Circumstances and Your Finances – The funniest thing happened to me the other day. While standing in line at a Subway I looked out of the window into the parking lot long enough to see someone drive away with my car! Needless to say I was shocked!

MoneySmartGuides : How Long To Keep Financial Documents – This time of year, as many people go through their clutter of receipts and statements from the previous year, I always get asked: – how long should I keep my statements – or – do I need to keep this for any reason -?

Personal Finance Journey : How Do You Know When a House is Right for You? – Looking for a house is often as frustrating as it is exciting. You want to find the perfect house for you and your family, but how do you know when you’ve found it? How do you know what you can afford? The second question is often easier to answer than the first.

Your Finances Simplified : Tax Deductions and Tax Credits Debunked – Tax deductions and tax credits are similar, but they are not the same thing. As we approach tax season, it is good to know the difference when you go into the accountant’s office.

Thousandaire : What Are The Most Annoying Co-Worker Habits? – I need help writing my next song. What are the most annoying coworker habits?

Learn Bonds : Is The US Economy Recovering? The Market Says YES! – Stocks were up big today. All three major stock indexes were rose between 0.96% and 1.51%. The DOW had a triple digit gain rising 123 points. Normally, I would talk about the

My Broken Coin : 50 Things No One Told Me About America – Twelve years ago I arrived to the Salt Lake City International Airport with broken luggage (it was duct taped all over to hold my precious possessions) in hand, and two hundred dollars in my wallet. I came to America with great expectations and hope for a better future. I had a very vague idea about what it was really like!

101 Centavos : Buying Uranium When It’s in the Gutter – The March 2011 Japanese nuclear disaster gutted the uranium mining industry, but is it now a time buy?

Work Save Live : Understanding Taxes: Tax Deductions – A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the first step in understanding taxes: knowing which tax bracket you fall in. The next part of understanding taxes is to learn about TAX DEDUCTIONS! What is a Tax Deduction? A tax deduction is different from a tax credit.

Master the Art of Saving : To Tip or Not to Tip-The Crappy Waitress – I should probably start off by saying that I have been a waitress before (for a few years), so I know how it is. Also, the state this waitress worked in isn’t one of the states where the waitress gets a buck or two an hour and depends on their tips to pay the bills.

My Retirement Blog : Retiring to Panama – You’re looking for somewhere warm to retire, but you don’t have much money. Instead of Florida or Mexico, consider another spot, instead, Panama. We spent two weeks driving around this lovely country last year, staying at hotels, and even a beachside resort. What we discovered surprised us: both good and bad.

20s Finances : Jobs in College – Part 1 – Are you looking for a job in college? Many of the best jobs in college are hard to get, leaving you fighting for a few extra bucks while in college. We all know that it is hard to graduate from college without debt and finding a job in college is one of the best ways to avoid it. Have you ever wondered what the best jobs in college are? Or maybe how to get them?

Financial Success for Young Adults : How to Do Your Taxes on the Cheap – What you need to know about filing your taxes on your own. Do your taxes with TurboTax or other online tax programs and save money filing taxes.

Smart Family Finance : Financial Reasons to Get Rid of Your Junk – You need to realize that the more stuff you have, the larger the costs above will grow. As stuff accumulates so does the cost of keeping all that stuff.

Small Business Resource : Anonymous Banker on SBA Loans – Joe Nocera has a blog in the New York Times called Executive Suite, and can also be heard on NPR. He has had what he calls an Anonymous Banker writing to him. Todays Topic:Why Are S.B.A. Loans Disappearing?By Joe NoceraAnonymous Banker, who is fast becoming Executive Suite’s new best friend, is back, this time with a first-hand explanation about why banks aren’t making small-business loans.

Money Is the Root: Blog Goals and Updates 2012 #7 – Up until now I had all but given up on earning “passive” income. Here is how all of my “active” extra income endeavors are going:

Money Beagle: You Can Do It – Take a lesson from our two year old when you feel yourself getting discouraged!

Smart Wealth: Never Trust Your Tax Forms – I know mistakes happen, and people make mistakes, and maybe I’m just taking it out on Bank of America because of their “great” reputation but I really learned a lesson. Never trust the forms you are getting and try to have a second way to double check the numbers.

Cash Flow Mantra: Starting Another Blog and Recruiting Writers – You may or may not have seen a few weeks back that I mentioned I was planning on starting another blog. The problem is that I am incredibly busy and would need to rely on writers for generating content since with 6 kids and two other blogs and full-time employment, I am already burning the candle at both ends and through the middle. So over the next two weeks I will be recruiting writers. Here are the details:

Bucksome Boomer: Why It’s Time to Rework the Budget – I spent some time yesterday reworking our monthly budget. It was no longer possible to stay in budget for some of the categories. Even though adjustments are made each month, it got to the point I needed to redo the template.

Poor Student: RRSP For Students – The way many students avoid registered retirement is short sighted. While retirement unfortunately is not just around the corner, it is never too early to be considering it.

Epic Finances: Housing Market 2012: Propaganda From National Association of Realtors – What will the housing market do in 2012? Not surprisingly, the National Association of Realtors sure seems to things are turning around.

Free Money Wisdom: Applying for Credit Cards for Fair Credit Is Easy – Having no credit could be the death sentence for your credit card application. A poor credit history may be synonymous to the lowest probability of getting the card that you need –low interest rates and preferably no annual bills. You only think that because there were no venues that present the deals out there. Now, choices are laid down for all credit levels and types.

Live Real, Now: Time Management, Part II – At work, I have 4-5 major projects I’m working on. Some of these are behind schedule. I get interrupted sometimes twenty times per day. Each one of those interruptions kills my concentration; it wrecks my groove. By the time I’m back on track, 20 minutes have passed and I’m getting interrupted again. No wonder I don’t seem to get anything done.

HowToSaveMoney.ca: Save Money Using Long Distance Providers – There are essentially three types of long distance providers that you might consider using and that is what this guide is all about.

The College Investor: Why Term Life Insurance is Best – When looking at life insurance, you should only consider term.

My Multiple Incomes: What Would Your Employer Do? – What would your employer do if they found out you blogged? Read to find out!

CultOfMoney: How Government Budgets Work – Whether you’re trying to get a sweet-ass government job, planning to run for office, want to know how you can influence the process to your favor, or you’re just a concerned citizen, knowing how the federal state, county, and cities create a government budget, and knowing how government budgets work in general will help you. So become involved and go to a local budget hearing, and after reading this article, you’ll sound like someone in the know whose opinions should be respected.

Debt Black Hole: How Would You Financially Prepare For The End Of The World? – Dave discusses the recent National Geographic Channel “Doomsday” survey results and looks at the financial ramifications of preparing for the end of the world.

Living in Financial Excellence: Can You Survive on a Teacher’s Salary? – Danny has been teaching for only 12 years and only makes $43k per year. While that’s not a bad income, it’s certainly not a lot of money. Yet Danny and his wife are debt free except the mortgage! Danny is a wonderful voice of sanity in a world where we constantly clamor for higher income because we “just don’t make enough.”

Beating Broke: The Millionaire Fastlane – If you’ve ever given though to starting your own business, or are just unhappy with your job, I think The Millionaire Fastlane is an excellent book to read.

Budgeting in the Fun Stuff: Big Things Come in Small Packages – I know you’ve heard that saying – big things come in small packages – well it’s true for my daughter-n-law, Crystal. Crystal has more than proven to us that she is a perfect match for our son. Here’s why…

The Extra Money Blog: How to Research a Profitable eBook Topic Successfully – Hopefully by now you are convinced that you can 1) create an eBook and 2) profit very nicely from it for months and years to come. In this article I want to discuss how you should research an eBook topic to ensure your efforts are effective. In other words, to ensure your eBook does relatively well and pays you for your time and effort.

Little House in the Valley: Presidents’ Day Fun Facts – Happy Presidents’ Day!…especially if you have today off. Since I’m enjoying my 3-day weekend, I decided to share some fun and interesting facts – though not necessarily finance related – about our past presidents

Everything Finance Blog: Social Profiles: A Debt collector’s Dream Come True – Social networking has become part of our daily routine; the ability to share what is happening in our lives is convenient, fun and addictive. But are we opening ourselves up to be victims of online predators; identity thieves, stalkers and believe it or not debt collectors?

Passive Family Income: My Weight Loss Program – Update #2 – Last week was a success, especially when compared to my first two weeks on the weight loss program. I lost 1 lb. over the past week, compared to .6 lbs. the first two weeks combined! In order to hit my goal of losing 10 lbs., I need to lose another 8.4 over the course of the next 7 weeks. That averages out to 1.2 pounds, which I think I can hit.

Novel Investor: The Payroll Tax Cut: What Are You Doing With Your 2%? – What are you doing with your 2%? You can do what the government hopes and spend your payroll tax cut money, or try something different.

Thriftability: Bankruptcy: Will It Help Your Financial Situation? – Some of us are pushed into looking at bankruptcy. With a few poor decisions and tough breaks, it may simply not be feasible to continue on the same path. You may need a fresh start. Thankfully, bankruptcy can give you just that – a second chance.

Family Money Values: Benefits of Networking – Marie discusses the many benefits of networking and how the Yakezie blogger network helped realize a lot of those.

Pinch that Penny!: 9 Fees to Watch Out For – The following are a list of 9 fees (some obvious, some less so) that I think folks should be aware of.

Investor Junkie: Small Business Financing Options – There are a number of options available to small business owners that they may not be aware of. Let’s take a look at a few traditional and non traditional means of obtaining access to credit for small businesses.

Super Frugalette: Why We Are Opting for 401k Over Debt Reduction – Normally the mantra for personal finance is: pay off debt, and then save. I agree with this about 95% of the time, but sometimes financially it does not make sense. For the upcoming 2012 tax year, we are opting to put money in 401K vs. paying off debt.

My University Money: The Challenges Of Writing An eBook – I reported about a month ago that I was pushing off from shore and beginning my quest to pen an eBook worthy of your collective attention. I believe I have made some great progress along the way, and learned many lessons, but I must admit that it has not come easily. Many financial bloggers have recently released eBooks and most have claimed it was pretty difficult – now I understand why.

The Frugal Toad: The Hidden Costs of Owning a Home – Owning a home has long been the American Dream. Has the American Dream become the American Nightmare? The Federal Reserve states that $7 Trillion, or more than half of home equity has been lost since 2006. Owning a home has become more expensive than you might think.

Financial Knowledge Online: The Financial Impact of Having a Second Child – Is it twice as expensive to have another child? This article explores the impact on our finances after the birth of our second kid.

RamblingFever Money: Bodyguards, Boobs, and a Pocket Full of Cash – There I was, walking down Fremont St. in downtown Las Vegas. My pocket was stuffed with $100 bills.”

Money Cactus: Great Tips to Sell Your Property Fast – Selling a home can be a stressful process especially in a buyer’s market where real estate prices are in a slump. Here are some tips to help you make a fast sale and maximise your profit.

The MoneyTrail Blog: Let’s Talk about Money! – Money shouldn’t be a taboo topic in your home. Here are 4 tips for starting the money talk with your child.

Pathway to Trading: Heed the Trend when Trading – Be mindful of stock market trends. They can be very powerful and are very dangerous if a trader does not recognize them. Mark D. Cook, U.S. Investment Champion shares commentary about his trading in relation to trends.

Well Heeled Blog: Financially Ready to Have Kids? – Kids take a great deal of time and money to raise. What level of financial readiness do you have to achieve before you are ready for that responsibility?

PT Money Personal Finance: Forced Savings Account: You Save Now! – Discusses a variety of “forced” savings accounts, such as homes, Social Security, and tax refunds.

Prairie Eco Thrifter: How to Quit Smoking Naturally – I wanted to talk to you today about quitting smoking in a natural way. Yes it is possible. Tell everyone you know that smokes that they can be smoke free.

Frugal Living: How to Get in Free – It may take a little creativity and planning, but you can get in to more events than you might think for exactly zero dollars. Read on for three tips to find entertainment near you for free.

See Debt Run: I Love the Library, But Suck at It – The Library is a wonderful resource for entertaining the family for free, but it can be expensive if you don’t keep track of due dates! Discussed are tips for making sure that library fees don’t happen to you.

Shared Financial Success: What Your Car Status Says About Your Bankroll – Why does everyone assume that someone driving a fancy foreign car has a huge bankroll? You might be surprised to see what millionaires are driving.

Wealth Informatics: You don’t quit because you are a quitter – According to a recent survey only 21% if the overall workforce are passionate about their jobs. Which means the rest of the 79% of us are toiling in a job that we no longer love for one reason or the other. Why is that? Why are we unable to break the shackles and go after what makes us happy? After some serious soul searching and research I’ve identified 7 reasons why we behave in this irrational manner.

Free From Broke : Should You Buy a Bigger House? – Some dream of a nice big house. The current market has brought housing prices down. So should you buy a bigger house? See some arguments against it.

The Loonie Bin Blog: Dividend Downtime – How I deal with the time between dividend payments without sabotaging my investment strategy.

Stock Trend Investing: What is Stock Trend Investing in 20 simple sentences? – There are many different stock market investing approaches out there. This post explains the basic thinking behind the idea of combining trend following and index investing.

Faithful With A Few: Harold: A Picture Of Work Ethic And Integrity At Coldstone Creamery – A young man working alone at Cold Stone Creamery taught us a valuable lesson about hard work, contentment, and work ethic!

Watson Inc: 3 Myths Regarding The Great Idea – Everyone has had an idea that could have dramatically changed the course of his or her life. It’s not the idea that makes the difference though; it’s what one does with the idea that counts.

Street Smart Finance: The Secret Key to Success – The secret key to success lies in one simple word — persistence. I was inspired to write this article after reading Barbara’s article(on persistence) on Yakezie.

Savvy Scot: Top Tips to Attain Your Workout Goals Pt. 1 – The article describes the some of the fundamental concepts of working out. It highlights some common misconceptions while discussing the importance of training buddies, rest and eating patterns.

One Cent At A Time: Does Blogging Affect your Career? – It was evident in my year-end appraisal this year that blogging it affecting my work performance. Read more to find out what you can do to manage the same situation I found myself in.

Small Budget Big Dreams: Save $4800 a Year Packing Your Lunch – Do you pack your lunch? Would you pack your lunch it if it saved you $4,800 a year? We pack our lunches everyday, and have saved a shockingly large sum of money doing so.

The Amateur Financier: Book Review: The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need – A review of one of the longest-lasting investing and personal finance books, The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need, and discussion about the accuracy of that title.

Squirrelers: Do You Buy Girl Scout Cookies? – This time of year is one where girl scout cookies are sold. Some people like to buy them, some like to avoid doing so. What do you choose to do?

Finance Product Reviews: Citibank Diamond Preferred Card Review – Review of Citibank diamond preferred card, the best balance transfer card in the market.

Make Money Make Cents: My Favorite Financial Apps – These are some of my favorite apps that make doing finances easier.