managing your personal finance

Are you an entrepreneur, solo business owner or freelancer? Are you keen to get regular business advice but don’t have the time to work out which blogs to subscribe to? Well, we’ve done the research for you.

Here’s a collection of business blogs aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. These have been chosen for their insights, advice, presentation and overall appeal to business people. Hopefully you’ll find these blogs cover all the business management advice and business trends analysis for your needs.

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1. Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review is a staple in any entrepreneur blog collection. The blog delivers timely business analysis and professional management advice.

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2. Young Entrepreneur

When you’re just starting our with your business venture, things can be a little tough. Young Entrepreneur focuses on the things you’ll need to know – financing, bootstrapping, identifying opportunities and making sales.

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3. 64 Notes

64 Notes gets straight to the nuggets of gold by bypassing straightforward management tips and filling each post with those eye-opening things that change your business from alright to amazing. They also write a lot about how to avoid being the start-up that failed.

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4. The Personal MBA

The Personal MBA is a blog dedicated to teaching all the tips and tricks you would have learned if you had done a degree in business. It recommends books, summarises books and draws on advice given freely by great minds in business. If you follow this blog you will learn a great deal about managing your business.

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5. Instigator Blog

Instigator Blog is a very insightful blog, mainly discussing thoughts relevant to small business and entrepreneurs, written by an entrepreneur as he works on his business.

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6. Fast Company

Fast Company is a major business blog, covering business news and trends. It’s vital information if you want to know where business is heading.

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7. Entrepreneur Blog

Entrepreneur Blog is a site dedicated to providing business insights to entrepreneurs. It will analyse business failures, successes and trends, while offering sensible advice for any business owner.

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8. The Entrepreneurial Mind

The Entrepreneurial Mind is a business blog written by a Belmont University professor of Entrepreneurship. His academic insight into the world of the entrepreneur is a great balance to the news and trends offered by other blogs.

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9. Creative Web Biz

Creative Web Biz is a great blog for all the artistic entrepreneurs out there. This is a place for those people who are entrepreneurs, but don’t much care for all the business management advice and trends. This blog is entirely focused on how to get that art out there and sold. Highly recommended for musicians, artists, and makers of other crafts.

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10. Work Happy

Work Happy is a blog offering advice for anyone in business for themselves. It’s useful for freelancers, small business owners and entrepreneurs alike. It features a lot of video presentations from entrepreneurs to keep things interesting.

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Bonus: Entrepreneurship Interviews

Entrepreneurship Interviews added itself on to the list by being a wealth of information in the form of interviews with entrepreneurs. It’s not much to look at, but there is a lot to be gained by listening to what other entrepreneurs say candidly about their own business ventures.

More Blogs

If you’re keen to see some more great blog lists from MakeUseOf, read on:

• Four Best Inspiring Blogs Every Life Hacker Should Subscribe To
• 3 Personal Finance Blogs That Will Get You Out Of Debt
• The 10 Most Stunning Photo Blogs
• 6 Best Web Design Blogs To Follow
• The 6 Best Blogs For Architectural & Interior Design Ideas

If you know of other great blogs for business people, let us know in the comments!

Image Credit: Shutterstock

In the digital age, nobody likes carrying a lot of cash around – I know I don’t, anyway. This can be especially frustrating when you go to keep track of your expenses, who you owe money to, who you lent some to and just where it all goes over the month.

As always, there are a lot of apps out there to help you do various things with your money. There are apps to figure out how to manage your money, oversee expenses, send money to people, keep track of who owes you, and more.

In this article, I’ll show you some of the applications you can take advantage of to do everything I’ve mentioned here, leaving you free to pick and choose the apps that will make your life easier.

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How to Manage Your Money

I’m beginning to learn just how difficult managing your expenses can be. For the most part, I use my debit card tied to my checking account to make purchases. I use it at the grocery store, when I go out to lunch with my coworkers and on the weekend when I’m out exploring the city.

At the end of the month, my bank statement looks pretty ridiculous. All of these small transactions make it difficult to sift through. I still know what everything is, but if I wanted to see where I could be saving some money I wouldn’t know the first place to look.

Sounds like you? Even if it doesn’t, you could still reap the benefits of visually being able to manage your money. These apps make the process a lot easier.

Mint

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Mint has been on our radar since back in 2007 when Karl wrote about it. Plain and simple, if there is one app I want you to keep in mind it’s this one.

Mint is a free personal finance application that can help you compare your bank accounts, credit cards, CDs, brokerage and 401(k) to the best products out there. It offers a visual representation of your finances and is very easy to set up. Use it to manage your budget, get credit card advice and understand investing.

Here’s a great video showcasing an overview of Mint’s features:

For some helpful tips on how to use Mint, check out Bakari’s article on How To Use Mint To Manage Your Budget & Spendings Online.

Thrive

Thrive (directory app) is also a great application if you’re looking for a simple way to keep track of your spending. With Thrive, you get an overall Financial Health score, which is one number that shows you how financially fit you are. It also shows you scores in other areas and offers you advice on how to make improvements.

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Thrive breaks down your spending for you and shows you where you can save. Compare your current budget to last month’s, as well as view a six month average and target budgets to follow.

Texthog

Looking for an even simpler way to track expenses? Texthog (directory app) lets you easily store, organize and access your receipts, expense reports and more via text message, the web, your email, iPhone and even Twitter.

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A Texthog free account gives one user the ability to track expenses, view unlimited reports and get budget/bill reminders. Take a photo of your receipts and utilize tags and categories to keep track of everything.

To check out Texthog on your iPhone, you can find the application on iTunes.

Venmo

Speaking of text messages, have you heard of Venmo? Venmo (directory app) is a nice little app that lets you pay and charge friends with your phone. Send and receive secure payments by linking your card to your account. This allows you to settle small loans you give/get by eliminating paper transactions for small amounts of money.

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To use Venmo, all you do is create an account. You can then send and receive money to other accounts simply by using text commands in SMS. Accept a “trust” request from your friends and make transactions without having to authorize them by texting a 3 digit code.

This is a pretty solid application that I have been using a lot lately with my friends/coworkers. It’s great for when a bunch of you are out to lunch and not everyone has cash on them. “I’ll just put it on my card and Venmo you all afterwards.”

Owe Me Cash

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Owe Me Cash is a nice app I found recently that is also very easy to use. If someone owes you money, you just sign into Owe Me Cash with your Twitter, Facebook, OpenID, or regular account and tell the app about the debt. The app will send automatic reminders to those that owe you money by phone, text and email, so you can get paid!

This app is more fun than serious, but it doubles as an easy way to keep track of who owes you what. Let the app bug your friends to pay you so you don’t have to do it yourself – it’s a win-win.

Conclusion

With these applications, your finances will never look better. Say goodbye to paper money and change.

What do you think of these money-managing applications? Will you be using any of them?

Image Credit: marema

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<b>News</b> - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.

More Bad <b>News</b> for Obama 2012: Catholics Elect Dolan - Swampland <b>...</b>

Corrected Nov. 17: The Catholic bishops' surprise election yesterday of New York's Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan as their president is more bad news for Obama in 2012.

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Investors and traders in China's main financial district are talking about the following before the start of trade today: Shanghai's main stock index fell 1.9% yesterday amid concerns about the impact of government efforts to slow down ...

<b>News</b> - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.

More Bad <b>News</b> for Obama 2012: Catholics Elect Dolan - Swampland <b>...</b>

Corrected Nov. 17: The Catholic bishops' surprise election yesterday of New York's Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan as their president is more bad news for Obama in 2012.

Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Nov. 18 <b>...</b>

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<b>News</b> - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.

More Bad <b>News</b> for Obama 2012: Catholics Elect Dolan - Swampland <b>...</b>

Corrected Nov. 17: The Catholic bishops' surprise election yesterday of New York's Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan as their president is more bad news for Obama in 2012.

Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Nov. 18 <b>...</b>

Investors and traders in China's main financial district are talking about the following before the start of trade today: Shanghai's main stock index fell 1.9% yesterday amid concerns about the impact of government efforts to slow down ...

managing personal finances

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Understanding the Forbes redesign « Talking Biz <b>News</b>

Dvorkin had founded True/Slant, an online news network. Previously, he had been executive editor at Forbes magazine, where he spearheaded an earlier redesign, managed the annual Forbes 400 Richest Americans list and created the ...

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Understanding the Forbes redesign « Talking Biz <b>News</b>

Dvorkin had founded True/Slant, an online news network. Previously, he had been executive editor at Forbes magazine, where he spearheaded an earlier redesign, managed the annual Forbes 400 Richest Americans list and created the ...

<b>News</b> Roundup: &#39;Big Bang Theory&#39; is a Thursday Ratings Hit, Bret <b>...</b>

In Thursday night's ultra-competitive TV landscape, several shows managed to break away from the pack. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'The Big B.

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personal finance books

Well, Book Week has come to a close at Get Rich Slowly, and while it was an interesting experiment, it’s not likely to happen again any time soon.

For one thing, I learned that doing book reviews takes more work than doing regular posts. To do a review, you have to read the book (sometimes twice), decide how it’s relevant to readers, and then write a normal article. And while an occasional book review is a nice change of pace, a week filled with them is boring, both for me and for the readers. So, no more Book Weeks at GRS.

Before we ease back into normal personal-finance topics, though, I thought it would be fun to discuss our favorite personal-finance books and magazines. As a starting point, here’s a recent comment from Deb:

I’d love a running list of your top 10 fave finance books. You could keep it fluid; there’s no reason it can’t change. I’m always on the hunt for helpful financial books! I’m most confused about self-directed investing vs. having a financial advisor. I tried to wrap my mind around Bernstein’s books and just couldn’t do it, which makes me concerned about trying to do investing on my own!

Deb’s comment is interesting for a couple of reasons.

• First, I like the idea of a “running list” of favorite finance books. Because she’s right: The list changes with time. As I read more, and as my own finance skills develop, different books will appeal to me.




• Second, she points out that what might be a good book for one person may not be good for another. I find William Bernstein’s books perfect for my personal knowledge and philosophy. I’m sure my wife would find them tedious. We each have different tastes and needs.

So, to end Book Week, I’ve drafted a list of my current top-ten finance books. These are the books I would want in a personal finance library if I started one today. Your list would be different (and I invite you to share it in the comments).

Here’s the list (in alphabetical order by title):

• All Your Worth. You know, I hated this book at first. And I’m still not a fan of how Elizabeth Warren allows personal responsibility off the hook. But I can’t deny that this book had a huge impact on helping me find a balanced financial life. The Balanced Money Formula has been a Big Deal for me, and that’s an idea that originated here. [My review.]




• The Complete Tightwad Gazette. This book is a monster — almost 1000 pages of ideas on how to live well for less. Amy Dacyczyn was the Queen of Cheap twenty years ago, and her legacy remains strong. If you want to know how to get the best deal on groceries, how to shop for clothes, and how to reuse anything, then pick up this book. It’s a treasure trove of ideas. [I have never reviewed this book, though I've mentioned it many times.]




• Debt is Slavery. Not many people have heard of this slim self-published book. That’s too bad. Michael Mihalik does a fantastic job of explaining a handful of basic financial concepts, and his advice is sound. This is the perfect book for a young adult who doesn’t know where to start. I wish I’d had access to this book when I was 20. [My review.]




• The Four Pillars of Investing. If I ever finish Jeremy Siegel’s Stocks for the Long Run, it may replace this book on my list. For now, though, The Four Pillars of Investing is my go-to book for reminding myself why I’ve adopted index funds as my main investment strategy. This book covers investment theory, history, and psychology, as well as the business of investing. [My review.]




• The Incredible Secret Money Machine. I know, I know: You’ve never heard of it. It may be long out of print, but The Incredible Secret Money Machine is a terrific book about building “money machines”, businesses or products that keep producing nickels year after year. I wish the author had the gumption to update this (it’s over 30 years old!) and reprint it for a new generation. [My review.]




• Work Less, Live More. Bob Clyatt’s book on early- and semi-retirement is one of my favorites. It’s sensible, comprehensive, and inspirational. He includes a big section on smart investing, and offers ideas for how to pursue your passions once you’ve stopped working full-time. [I've never reviewed this book, though I should.]




• You Can Negotiate Anything. It was a toss-up whether to include this or Negotiating Your Salary [my review]. The latter is outstanding, and I recommend it highly to anyone who is applying for a job or asking for a raise. In the end, though, I chose Herb Cohen’s book because it covers a wider range of topics. And it’s entertaining! [My review.]




• Your Money and Your Brain. I haven’t reviewed this at Get Rich Slowly yet, but it’s a great book. Jason Zweig covers the latest research into how money affects our behavior. There are a lot of interesting books out there about the psychology of personal finance, but this is the most comprehensive.




• Your Money or Your Life. Of course this is on my list. Your Money or Your Life has influenced thousands of people — including me. The book includes advice about getting out of debt, living frugally, and seeking financial independence. But what most of us remember is that it helped make money less abstract, helped us see how it was directly related to time. [A guest review from the first month of GRS back in 2006.]




• Your Money: The Missing Manual. Wait — I put my own book on the list? You bet. I wrote Your Money: The Missing Manual precisely to be the sort of book I needed when I was struggling with money. I think it’s a great resource, getting to the heart of a broad range of topics. Plus, I’ve done my best to point to other books and websites readers can use to get more information. If I could only have ten books in my personal-finance library, I’d want this to be one of them. (In fact, I refer to my own book almost daily. No joke. I guess that’s one of the luxuries of writing a book — you can just write the book you want!)

Are there other great books about money out there? Of course. A list of ten books can’t begin to be comprehensive. Over the past five years, I’ve read nearly 200 money manuals, and many of them contained great information. But today — on 10 September 2010 — these are the ten essential books I’d want in my personal finance library — if I could have only ten.

What are your essential personal-finance books? Which have you read and loved? Which have you read and hated? Are there books you’d recommend to people in specific circumstances?

photo: vixyao

Cooking at home is the best way to save cash, but it’s nice to go out sometimes, too. Check out Frugal Foodie every Friday for a selection of the latest coupons for casual and fancy fare.

This week: free ice cream, Champagne, coffee and dessert, buy-one-get-one-free smoothies, discounts for donations and $10 bottles of wine, among other deals.

1. Cold Stone Creamery

Visit on Sept. 30 to get a free 3oz. “Kate’s Creation” for the World’s Largest Ice Cream Social. The deal is valid from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., while supplies last. Participating locations only.

2. Jamba Juice

Use a print out coupon and buy a smoothie to get a second one of equal or lesser value free. Participating locations only. Deal good through Sept. 22.

3. New Jersey Restaurant Week

From Sept. 19-25, participating restaurants are offering one of three specials: 20% of your check, a free dessert and coffee with the purchase of an entrée, or a special $35 prixe fix three-course meal featuring “Jersey Fresh” ingredients.

4. Boston Market

Facebook fans who donate $1 to Share Our Strength will receive a print out coupon good for a free side dish of their next visit. Offer good through Sept. 25.

5. The Broiler Restaurant

The Sacramento, Calif., restaurant is celebrating 60 years in business with restaurant specials, including a $19.50 three-course menu that comes with a complimentary glass of Champagne. Other specials will be posted on the company’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

6. Center City District Restaurant Week

Philadelphia’s restaurant week runs through Sept. 17, and again Sept. 19-24. Participating restaurants will offer special three-course menus for $35, and three-course lunches for $20.

7. Lone Star Steakhouse

Save $7.50 off two entrees (except the two-for-$20 special) with a print out coupon. Participating locations only. Offer expires Sept. 26.

8. Restaurant.com

This week, coupon code “SPORK” at checkout gets you an extra 70% off already discounted gift certificates to local venues. The code expires Sept. 19. Restaurant.com usually prices $25 certificates at $10. (Spend $20 to get $50; $30 for $75, etc.) With the discount, you’ll pay just $3, $6, or $9. Each restaurant sets conditions regarding the number of diners, days and menu items a certificate can be used for, so check the fine print before you buy.

9. Taco Bueno

As part of Share Our Strength’s Dine Out fundraiser, Taco Bueno will offer coupon books for $2. Each book contains $5 in coupons for the chain. Offer good through Sept. 26.

10. Il Gatto

Every Monday, this Minneapolis restaurant offers 10 different wines for $10 per bottle, which the Star Tribune notes is less than the cost of many of the venue’s pizzas.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie.

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Understanding the Forbes redesign « Talking Biz <b>News</b>

Dvorkin had founded True/Slant, an online news network. Previously, he had been executive editor at Forbes magazine, where he spearheaded an earlier redesign, managed the annual Forbes 400 Richest Americans list and created the ...

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Understanding the Forbes redesign « Talking Biz <b>News</b>

Dvorkin had founded True/Slant, an online news network. Previously, he had been executive editor at Forbes magazine, where he spearheaded an earlier redesign, managed the annual Forbes 400 Richest Americans list and created the ...

Diane Sawyer: ABC World <b>News</b> Goes Home: Looking for What Works in <b>...</b>

We at ABC's World News are heading out to search for innovative ideas that are helping turn the economy around. Real change is often born out of a simple act. And one ripple can lead to a powerful transformation.

Actual Real Life Good Internet <b>News</b>: Super Wi-Fi Coming Soon <b>...</b>

Most of the time, news about the internet is both hard to understand and seemingly bad. There are always stories coming out about net neutrality where you.

big white booty

Understanding the Forbes redesign « Talking Biz <b>News</b>

Dvorkin had founded True/Slant, an online news network. Previously, he had been executive editor at Forbes magazine, where he spearheaded an earlier redesign, managed the annual Forbes 400 Richest Americans list and created the ...

Diane Sawyer: ABC World <b>News</b> Goes Home: Looking for What Works in <b>...</b>

We at ABC's World News are heading out to search for innovative ideas that are helping turn the economy around. Real change is often born out of a simple act. And one ripple can lead to a powerful transformation.

Actual Real Life Good Internet <b>News</b>: Super Wi-Fi Coming Soon <b>...</b>

Most of the time, news about the internet is both hard to understand and seemingly bad. There are always stories coming out about net neutrality where you.

personal finance money management

This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. This post is part of Book Week at Get Rich Slowly.

Since my twin victories of paying off our last credit card and funding a summer of travel, my husband has begun to show interest in personal finance.

It’s not that he wasn’t supportive of my efforts before — he just preferred to support them from a safe, ignorant distance. A distance from which I handed him an envelope of cash each week to do the grocery shopping, he didn’t ask too many questions, and somehow we were climbing out of debt. He was more than happy to adopt any frugal-living strategy I suggested, as long as he didn’t have to think about the Big Picture.

That system worked, but I longed for more active participation from him. Not only because I wanted us to share equally in the journey toward financial freedom — I do want that — but also for a selfish reason. I wanted him to participate because he’s better at this stuff than I am. He’s a whiz at spreadsheets. The man has a Ph.d in Physical Chemistry. You don’t get one of those without doing a few math problems.

Lately, I’ve been getting my wish. My husband has been talking with a financial advisor at the university he works for, and having clear, honest conversations with me about our money.

This seemed like the perfect time for me to read Mary Hunt’s How to Debt-Proof Your Marriage.

Relationship first

Hunt’s book covers the basics of personal finance and debt destruction, with a special focus on doing it as a couple. Before she even begins talking about financial management, Hunt talks about strengthening the foundations of your marriage. You can’t have financial harmony without emotional intimacy, she says.

I couldn’t agree more. It’s clear in my own marriage that spending time relaxing together on vacation helped my husband and me both chill out and have better conversations during our family finance meetings too.

Hunt and I part ways in the chapters about how to achieve that emotional intimacy, though. She bases her prescription for marital bliss on traditional gender roles. She includes chapters for each sex on how to make deposits in the other’s Love Bank — a metaphorical bank of goodwill made of small, loving gestures.

The Love Bank is an adorable idea, one I’m tempted to put into practice here in my own home. I’m pretty sure I won’t be making my deposits to my husband’s Love Bank by biting my tongue when I disagree with him, though. Likewise, I don’t expect him to express his love for me by bringing me flowers and handling all the tough decisions for me like the natural leader of our family should.

Hunt is a generation (or two) older than I am, and what works for her marriage is so foreign to my young, feminist mind that it was actually a little hard to read. But leaving aside the details of how you get to an intimate marriage, though, she and I agree wholeheartedly that it’s important to get your emotional needs met before you can effectively work together with your spouse to manage your finances.

Money second

The personal-finance half of the book will be familiar to most GRS readers. Hunt advocates an approach similar to Your Money or Your Life and Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, one that begins with calculating your net worth and tracking your expenses. From there, she covers the basics of setting up an emergency fund, creating a spending plan, and starting a debt snowball (though she uses different terms for these steps).

Like her ideal of a healthy relationship, Hunt’s financial advice seems a little dated in places. A lot of it has to do with how to organize your three-ring binders, or how to painstakingly accomplish by-hand calculations that Mint can do for you in a few minutes. If you’re a devotee of the pen-and-paper approach, though, her chapters on how to track and plan your spending are rock solid and detailed enough to easily follow.

The one thing in this book that made me want to put it down, run to my office, and implement it on the spot was, in fact, her filing system. Hunt takes a few pages to go over exactly what personal records you should be keeping, and outlines an elegant effective way to organize them. I spent an hour tearing apart my filing cabinet yesterday as soon as I read those pages. I may not want my marriage to look much like hers, but I’m delighted to have made over my filing cabinet in Mary Hunt’s image.

Different views

There are a few areas where Mary’s financial advice deviates from the usual Get Rich Slowly formula. One is the matter of the debt snowball. She encourages readers to start saving 10% of their income towards an emergency fund immediately, while still paying the minimums on their credit cards. Only after saving up a fully funded six-month emergency fund would Hunt advise you to roll those savings into your credit card payments.

Given the relative interest rates on credit cards and savings accounts, this approach will almost certainly cost you money. If it works for you psychologically, though, by all means pursue it. No matter what order you do them in, the key steps of tracking your spending, creating an emergency fund, and snowballing your debt payments will lead you to financial security.

Another place where she breaks with conventional wisdom is in her savings and spending ratios. GRS readers are familiar with the Balanced Money Formula that encourages us to use 50% of our money for living expenses, 30% for fun and 20% for savings. Hunt advises 10% for giving, 10% for saving and 80% for spending.

The order of those percentages is vital to her. A devout Christian, Hunt feels that all the money that comes into your life is a blessing from God, and promptly giving 10% of it back to God shows you can be trusted with this blessing, and more of it will come your way.

I’m not a Christian, but I admire Mary’s faith and devotion to charitable giving. It’s a goal of mine to give 10% of my income. I’ve written about that here before, and readers made a persuasive case for waiting until my debts were paid before giving so much away. For now, I give a modest amount and look forward to giving more in the future.

I think that for Hunt, the psychological benefits of giving 10% and saving 10% before you make any spending decisions at all outweigh the financial benefits of paying off your debts as fast as possible and then beginning to accumulate and donate wealth.

It’s an interesting approach, and one that might work for a lot of people. Particularly if you’re a devoted Christian and looking for a personal-finance book that reflects your values, you’ll find a lot of good in How to Debt-Proof Your Marriage. If you’re looking for a book that’s totally focused on financial savvy and relationship skills, though, this might not be your best bet.

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Sarah Palin Calls On Fox <b>News</b> To Help Republicans Campaign For <b>...</b>

In a speech at the Iowa Republican Party's Reagan Dinner fundraiser on Friday, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin called on the GOP to come together and support the party's nominees in November.

Baltimore Crime: Saturday crime <b>news</b>

Saturday crime news. State Senator Ulysses Currie pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges. Triple stabbing on an MTA bus in West Baltimore. posted by ppatin at 11:07 AM ...

Small Business <b>News</b>: Small Biz Bill Passed

So what do you think of the new small business bill passed recently in the US Senate? Supporters are no doubt high-fiving each other and congratulating.

managing your personal finances

• Average gas prices--September 13, 2010
  
  



• You voted: letter grades edge ahead in fuel economy poll
  
  



• For rent: 4.5 billion-year-old ball of fire
  
  



• What Obama's transportation proposals mean for travelers
  
  



• TomTom provides update for XL 350, XXL 550, and XL 335 GPS devices
  
  



• Cash for appliances: Rebates aplenty in states big and small
  
  



• Apple curtails its free case program for the iPhone 4
  
  



• Daily Dispatch: Death of the RSS reader?; Toronto produces entertaining video to promote e-waste recycling
  
  



• September could be Home Star’s month—or not
  
  



• LG's 60PX950, the first THX 3D plasma, headed to the CR Test labs!
  
  

• Average gas prices--September 13, 2010
  
  



• You voted: letter grades edge ahead in fuel economy poll
  
  



• For rent: 4.5 billion-year-old ball of fire
  
  



• What Obama's transportation proposals mean for travelers
  
  



• TomTom provides update for XL 350, XXL 550, and XL 335 GPS devices
  
  



• Cash for appliances: Rebates aplenty in states big and small
  
  



• Apple curtails its free case program for the iPhone 4
  
  



• Daily Dispatch: Death of the RSS reader?; Toronto produces entertaining video to promote e-waste recycling
  
  



• September could be Home Star’s month—or not
  
  



• LG's 60PX950, the first THX 3D plasma, headed to the CR Test labs!
  
  

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Fox <b>News</b> Poll: Rubio Way Ahead In FL-SEN Race | TPMDC

The new Fox News poll of the Florida Senate race has very good news for Republican Marco Rubio, with him holding a commanding lead over independent Gov. Charlie Crist and Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek.

Pew: Online <b>News</b> Use Growing But Traditional Methods Hanging In <b>...</b>

Print newspapers and radio are still slipping as sources but U.S. adults are spending more time with news these days when the internet and traditional platforms are combined. The amount of time spent on traditional platforms hasn't ...

New Children&#39;s Book Coming from President Obama - Political Punch

As part of the book deal then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., inked in 2004, Random House today announced the publication of a children's book by the president, “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters.” Political Punch Blog.

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Fox <b>News</b> Poll: Rubio Way Ahead In FL-SEN Race | TPMDC

The new Fox News poll of the Florida Senate race has very good news for Republican Marco Rubio, with him holding a commanding lead over independent Gov. Charlie Crist and Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek.

Pew: Online <b>News</b> Use Growing But Traditional Methods Hanging In <b>...</b>

Print newspapers and radio are still slipping as sources but U.S. adults are spending more time with news these days when the internet and traditional platforms are combined. The amount of time spent on traditional platforms hasn't ...

New Children&#39;s Book Coming from President Obama - Political Punch

As part of the book deal then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., inked in 2004, Random House today announced the publication of a children's book by the president, “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters.” Political Punch Blog.

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Democrats Accuse Fox <b>News</b> Of Illegal Support To Ohio Republican <b>...</b>

Democrats allege in a legal filing that, by plugging an Ohio gubernatorial candidate's website in a chyron, Fox News illegally contributed to the Republican's campaign.

Some Good <b>News</b> | Talking Points Memo

Over the weekend we brought you the news of the apparent arson attack at the construction site of the future Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The day after the incident, members of the congregation's board ...

A roundup of today&#39;s Apple <b>news</b>

Why has none of these so called "news" sites addressed this question? What's going to happen with all of the Apple TV's in our homes now? I would expect we see an OS update when the new version is released or sooner. 2 stars ↓↑report ...

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Solopreneurs often feel that they don't need a business plan, especially if they're not looking for financing.  Is this true? When do you need a plan? How complex does it have to be?

To help unravel the solo business plan mystery and the "how to" of it all, I turned to small business consultant, Doug Dolan. Here's what Doug has to say:

One of the top five questions I get from solopreneurs is, “Do I need a business plan?” My answer is always, yes. However, this doesn’t mean you need a formal plan. The detail, complexity and length of your plan will vary depending on these key factors:

1. The complexity of your business
2. The amount and source of your funding
3. The severity of the damages you will incur if your business fails

Business plans run the spectrum from a one-page outline or mini-plan to a 30-page formal business plan.

For example, if you wish to start an internet-based business using a meager portion of your savings to bring in some secondary, passive income through affiliate sales while working your day job, you can get started right away with a basic outline or mini-plan.

However, if you are passionate about designing a patentable, reverse osmosis water filtration system requiring a $500,000 investment (a combination of mortgaging your house, cashing out the kids’ college funds, and outside investment), a formal plan is necessary.

What is a mini-plan?
A mini-plan will range in size from one to 10 pages (whereas a formal plan may often span from 18 – 30 pages). So what’s in a mini-plan? At minimum, you need to have the following:

• Your UVP
• A definition of your prime prospect
• A list of your prime competitors
• The products / services you will offer
• Finances needed to reach profitability
• How you will utilize those funds
• Legal structure and other necessary licenses, permits and certifications
• A marketing plan (from ads, to social media, joint venture partners, etc….)
• Goals

What is a formal business plan?
If you do a search online for a “business plan template”, you will find a few different versions. So which do you use? Here are the sections an investor will want to see:

• Executive Summary
• Company Analysis
• Industry Analysis
• Customer Analysis
• Competitive Analysis
• Marketing Plan
• Operations Plan
• Management Bio(s)
• Financial Plans
• Appendix

What if you find yourself stuck (or simply fed-up with the process), where can you get help? You have a couple of options:

1. Do a search online for “free business plan templates”.
2. Buy a software package and fill out a template.
3. Seek out a SCORE or SBDC counselor to give you some free advice.
4. Hire a consultant (like me) to help you develop your plan and / or review and edit a final draft.
5. Hire a consultant or company to draft your plan from scratch.

Here are pluses and minuses with each of these scenarios.

Templates and software packages are simply tools. They don’t fill it out for you. Moreover, most of these options focus solely on the formal plan structure.

Seeking out a SCORE or SBDC counselor offers you a no-cost alternative, however, they will typically only help with reviewing a final plan … and often only a formal plan.

Hiring a consultant for a coaching or a review will cost you some of your start-up funds, however, you will receive more active, personal attention.

As for hiring a consultant to create a business plan for you, typically, this will cost you the most. While this will free up your time for other start-up activities, you will miss an excellent opportunity to get to know your business and your market. It is through market research and developing your plan where you gain the most insight. If you need to pitch investors, you had better know your plan forwards and backwards.

When creating a plan, let me stress a couple of key points.

1. Create a plan.
Don’t get started without a plan. It is your roadmap taking you from an idea to success. How long do you want that road to be? If you set up shop and start without a plan, chances are high, you will have to pull over along the way and ask for directions. Getting lost and asking for directions after the fact will cost you time and money.

2. If it doesn’t add up, take two steps back.
While doing additional research to complete your plan, you may find data that suggests your idea won’t make money. Don’t dismiss the negative information and only look for data that supports your idea. It is better at this point to go back to review and alter your idea and target market choice. Don’t try to sell yourself on a bad idea.

3. Have a pro review it.
If this is your first time creating a plan or if you are creating a plan for a business in an industry other than that of your previous work experience, let a successful entrepreneur review it. If you are creating a mini-plan, you may be able to start without having someone else reviewing it (although it wouldn’t hurt to let one successful entrepreneur take a quick look).

If you are creating a formal plan, you may want to consider passing it out to three pros. At least one of the three should be a successful professional with experience within your target industry while at least one should be an outsider.

Why?

First, with three pros, if there is a trend in their responses, you are less likely to dismiss what they have to say. Additionally, you will typically find that they each may give advice not provided by the other two.

Second, an industry insider will help you with the areas of your business you don’t know you don’t know while an outsider can tell you whether your plan is in plain enough English. Not everyone that you pitch your plan to will be from your target industry. You don’t want to miss out on securing money because your language confuses them.

If you have questions or find you are struggling with areas of your plan, leave a comment below or write me at doug@smallbizbreak.com.

Doug Dolan is a partner at Small Biz Break. Small Biz Break helps entrepreneurs expedite their new small business ideas to market and activates a buzz for their brand with multimedia services. Go to Small Biz Break to access their free business templates, forms and ebooks and to get more information about their small business startup and multimedia services.

I am a 25 year old college student (school, job + savings, back to school… long story) and boy do I wish I knew about all the resources available to me back then. Good for you for starting early!

Lucky for me I have 1 parent (divorced) who is so bad with money that I have been scared into financial responsibility from a young age. Was I perfect? Hahaha.. but I am doing better than 95% of my friends are right now so I guess I am doing something right?

Here is my advice:

1. GET A JOB! - 2 shifts a week is all it takes. I have friends who just graduated from college without ever having a job. Result? No work experience so nowhere will hire them. Some had problems even getting an internship! Try for customer service jobs. Employers value people skills more than flipping burgers.

2. BUDGET! - Cant teach an old dog new tricks so it is best to start young. Add up your monthly expenses such as rent/insurance/cell/gas/etc and divide by 2 or 4 (depending on weekly/bi-weekly payday). Put this money in savings and no touchy! Once you can live on that budget a certain % for an emergency fund and then % for savings. The rest is your “fun” money. As others have said: pizza, ipods, and clothes are “fun money” and NOT emergencies!

3. DEBIT, CREDIT, or CASH?

DEBIT- I am a die hard debit card user. My credit union has detailed (free) online banking. I check my online bank statement in the morning and at night and go over my spending. Think of it as an instant virtual slap in the face about your spending habits. It hurts for the best.

CASH - Some people just cant be responsible enough to respect the plastic and do better with cash. Try and keep bigger bills on you. Breaking a $5 is less mentally painful than breaking a $20. $1s are dangerous. That can of coke is “only $1″. $7 a week, $30 a month. It adds up.

CREDIT - Many say don’t get a credit card, but I disagree. If you are responsible college is a great time to build credit (unless you have some serious control issues… if that is the case, these are not the droids you are looking for…). Not building credit early is the BIGGEST regret I have. Good credit means better rates when buying a house or a car. Do your research first. Consider a student, or if you have to a secured card.

More about credit-

*Do NOT apply for a credit card on campus. It is like selling your soul for a candy bar. Every time you apply for a credit card they run a credit check, which “pings” you. Too many pings hurts your credit score. Not good. Friend did that at every kiosk that offered something free to sign up when she was 20. This was 7 years ago and her credit is still recovering! The same is true for store credit cards. Do.Not.WANT!

*Pick a required expense, such as gas or cell phone bill and put it on the credit card. Pay off the card at the end of each month. Repeat.

*Do NOT use your credit card to buy “fun money” purchases. No clothes, no ipods, no pizza. This is why you have your debit card of cash. Don’t even think about it mr.!

4. EATING/DRINKING - This is going to be the weird random one from one young person to another.(Part of this only applies to you on/after your 21st birthday!) The young person’s life revolves around being social. For a 20 something this normally involves dinner and/or drinks with friends. It is expensive! So much money can be saved if you plan ahead!

*Eating - Going out to eat is a much needed social experience but NEVER go out to eat starving! Just like you don’t go shopping when you are hungry you never want to experience the whole “eyes bigger than stomach” thing while dining out. Have a snack an hour or so before you meet friends for dinner. This will help you avoid ordering that $8 appetizer! Also, try and order things that reheat or are good cold. LEFTOVERS! Also, water is free. It is good for you! Coke is $3. Go buy yourself a 12 pack and have one when you get home.

*Drinking - Most 20 somethings drink. It is a very expensive part of our lives. It is a social event to help us forget about school and work. We like bars. Unfortunately $5 for a beer is highway robbery! NEVER go to a bar completely sober (when you are 21+ & no drinky + drivey!). Have a drink or 2 at home and then have a beer at the bar. You will save TONS. Also, bring cash to a bar. Only bring as much cash as your sober self would like to spend. Alcohol impairs judgment. Sober you will thank drunk you for not spending. Drunk you will thank sober you for being smart enough to make sure you can afford the advil to take care of that hangover the next day. It is a win win.

Put all that saved food and drink money towards something that will last.

5. BOOKS - Buy used whenever possible. Check online first because campus stores are normally a ripoff. Try and sell the books back online, even if they have released a new edition. Most student book stores on campus will only give you 1/2 of what someone online will be willing to give you!

6. CARS - Buy used and reliable, but not “cheap”. New cars lose tons of value when you drive them off the lot. Don’t buy a “cheap” used car on it’s last leg. Think Goldilocks - not too new, not too old, juuusssttt right! Save up as much money as possible. Pay for it in cash if you can. If not, save up at least 2/3 before purchasing and do your homework!

And whatever you do: AVOID parking tickets, speeding tickets, registration fines.. may as well light the money on fire! Or if you do not want it I will give it a nice home and save you the trouble.

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Nelson reveals XBL release schedule Xbox 360 <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Xbox 360 news of Nelson reveals XBL release schedule.

<b>News</b> Corp reportedly holding back iTunes rentals

News Corp is reportedly the latest holdout, but we've heard for a while now that Apple is running around trying to quickly hammer out deals for 99-cent TV rentals in iTunes (a system that will supposedly compete with the ever popular ...

<b>News</b> Roundup: Stan Lee to Guest on &#39;Nikita,&#39; NBC Renews &#39;America&#39;s <b>...</b>

Stan Lee, creator of some of the most recognizable comic book superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, will pop up on.

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BillFloat Pays Your Bills When You Can't

If money's tight and you need a little extra time to cover a bill, service Billfloat can take care of it for you and you can pay them back later.

After entering the company you need to pay, you give BillFloat the amount of the bill and your account number. It'll let you know how many days it'll float the bill (a minimum of 30) and how much you'll owe BillFloat—which is generally $5, but decreases with the number of bills you pay. BillPay will collect a little more information about you, like how you're going to pay them back, and then you'll be all set. Just make sure you'll have the money in a month, since BillFloat won't float its own bills.

Life on the fast track can be taxing. With the ever-growing list of responsibilities, we have more and more bills to pay and an even longer set of reminders and tasks there is to keep track of. Life on the fast track can be taxing.

In order to help reduce the burden of remembering the things you need to do and actually focus on the task at hand; we have 2 great iPhone apps to recommend. Both of these apps have been featured on MakeUseOf before: NotifyMe and Bills.

This week, we will be giving away 5 promo codes for each application. Find out how you can get one, after the jump.

id="more-49733">/> But first let’s take a look at the apps individually.

NotifyMe 2

NotifyMe 2 is the updated version of NotifyMe and only supports iOS4. At the very core, it is still a reminder application. You create tasks/reminders which are synced over the air to NotifyMe’s servers. When your tasks are due, you receive a push notification sent to your iPhone.

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All tasks/reminders can also be accessed online via the cloud server, notifymecloud.com and can be used to track your list of reminders easily.

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In this updated version, you can also create local reminders which are stored on your device. This is a huge help you are only looking to create short-term reminders without internet access.

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NotifyMe 2 also supports task sharing — any reminder can be shared with any authorised NotifyMe 2 user and will appear on their upcoming screen.

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For a more in-depth review of the previous version (which will also provide you with a rough concept of how the app works), please read Never Forget Anything Again With NotifyMe for iPhone

Bills

Bills (also known as Bills ~ on your table) is a simple payment tracking application. This app helps you track pending bills and their corresponding due dates efficiently and elegantly as well.

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Bills can be set to automatically repeat daily, weekly, monthly or annually. When a payment is due, you’ll receive a push notification with a gentle reminder (or pre-reminder, which you can set to occur days prior).

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For a more in-depth review, check out Never Forget To Pay Another Bill Again With Bills ~ On Your Table

How do I win a copy?

It’s simple, just follow the instructions.

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Apple In Talks With <b>News</b> Corp, CBS, And Disney For 99-Cent TV Show <b>...</b>

News Corporation (News Corp) is the world's second-largest media conglomerate (behind The Walt Disney Company) as of 2008 and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009. The company's Chairman, Chief Executive. ...

I-O Data new external USB HDD will also let you backup your <b>...</b>

To pursue its growth Akihabara News is seeking for several more editors via an intership program for 6 to 9 months. Please send us a mail @ jobs@akihabaranews.com. Message. We are moving away from Feedburner, please update your RSS ...

Did Fox <b>News</b> Call Media Matters Bluff Over $1 Million GOP Donation <b>...</b>

Progressive media watchdog group Media Matters recently created a television ad critical of News Corp.'s $1 Million donation to the Republican Governor's Association, and have requested airtime during The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News to ...

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photo: Ben Atkin

According to Techcrunch, since the iPad’s release in April the number of iPad apps has grown to over 10,000. That is still dwarfed by the iPhone’s library of 200,000 apps — and growing — but is still pretty impressive for just a few months on the market.

Since the iPad is still in its infant stages, the app store is relatively light on apps with a specific personal finance focus: most still focus on the gaming and reading niches. (Apple, however, says that almost all of its 200,000 iPhone apps are compatible with the iPad, including the Mint.com mobile app. You could also revisit Mint’s list of the top personal finance apps, published back in February. Alternatively, take a look at Apple’s list of money management iPhone apps.)

Still, we were recently able to find seven iPad apps that, if not directly related to personal finance management, at the very least help you find savings in everyday life situations and, as a result, manage your money more successfully.

Staying true to the Mint money-saving spirit, all but one of the apps are free to download (the other costs only $1.99), and none require a subscription.

Zillow – Free

Zillow has established itself as a great starting point for anyone interested in buying or selling a home. You can search by city or zip, find all homes for sale in the area of your interest, as well as comparable home sales. Once you’ve found a home you’re interested in, you can check out what that home sold for in the past and its estimated value, or “Zestimate.” Why does it make a great mobile app? Because it enables you to take your home search on the road with you: once you hunt down homes you are interested in, you can see them in person, and then take a peak at photos taken from inside the home.

Epicurious – Free

The iPad app from Epicurious.com includes over 28,000 tested recipes from magazines such as Bon Appétit and Gourmet, popular cookbooks, top chefs, and leading restaurants. And the iPad size makes it a great fit as a digital cookbook. What makes it a great personal finance app? Cooking at home is a much cheaper and healthier alternative to eating out!

Grocery IQ – Free

GroceryIQ is a mobile app that allows you to make grocery lists, sync and share them with others (so both you and your significant other don’t come home with a gallon of sauerkraut on the same night), scan barcodes, and even find and send coupons right to your loyalty card. Having a consistent grocery list for each store you shop at is a fail-safe way to keep your grocery expenses down.

Bloomberg – Free

If you like keeping up with your portfolio and business news throughout the day, Bloomberg offers a great iPad app to help you do so. The app offers customized news, stock quotes, company descriptions, market leaders/laggers, price charts, market trends analysis, and more.

Trapster – Free

Trapster has over 7 million users who provide information on speed traps, video enforced speed zones, and police check points. Now, we’re not saying you should recklessly speed around with your Trapster app spitting warnings at you. But most of us have been caught slightly over the speed limit at times, just because we weren’t familiar enough with a given area to be on our guard. Just don’t get caught paying too much attention to Trapster while you’re driving around (that kind of defeats the purpose of the app).

Kayak – Free

The Kayak iPad app, in itself, doesn’t offer any groundbreaking new functionality above the iPhone app or Kayak website. However, Kayak offers such a great airfare comparison interface and with the vibrant large-screen iPad display, it packs even more punch onto one screen.

Compoundee HD – Compound Interest Calculator – $1.99

Compoundee HD is a basic, easy-to-use financial calculator that is able to calculate 5 different investment variables on compound interest calculations at a daily, weekly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual level. You can find out how much an investment will be worth over a period of time and the calculation over email. This app could be extremely useful for real-estate agents and brokers, bankers, and mortgage brokers.

Which iPad personal finance apps make your “best of” list?

GE Miller discusses personal finance topics for young professionals at 20somethingfinance.com.

Apparently controlling the Federal Reserve, funding their bonuses with billions in taxpayer dollars and quite nearly bringing down the global economy with their degenerate gambling habits isn’t enough.

Wall Street now wants to punish any Democrat who lifts a hand against them, and they’re willing to fund primary challenges to do it.

Carolyn Maloney worked to push through the Credit Card Holder’s Bill of Rights, which may not have gone far enough to limit the ability of Wall Street robber barons to gouge credit card holders.  But it will cost the credit card industry about $10 billion a year, and that was apparently a bridge too far for Steve Rattner, Orrin Kramer, Maureen White and other Democratic party oligarchs who are now funding hedge fund darling Reshma Saujani’s primary challenge as a way to punish Maloney for her transgressions.

From the Washington Post:

has worked at three hedge funds. She speaks the arcane language of derivatives and basis points and mortgage-backed securities. Saujani has positioned herself as the anti-Maloney, the only candidate who understands how stressful and difficult the past few years have been for some of the wealthiest people in America.

Poor dears. Yes, the Masters of the Universe are so very put upon in these hard times.  It’s only right that they be allowed to have their own member of Congress, if they can afford one:

Since she entered the race in November, Saujani has received more than $800,000 in campaign contributions, an impressive tally for an untested candidate. Many of those checks came from New York financiers and their spouses.

Former Morgan Stanley chief executive John Mack has given her money. So has Apollo Management founder Leon Black and the wife of J.P. Morgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon. Hedge fund mogul Marc Lasry hosted a fundraiser for her featuring singer John Legend that brought in a clean $100,000.

She has also attracted help from prominent New Yorkers. Maureen White, a major Democratic donor and wife of financier Steven Rattner, is introducing her to potential donors. Diana Taylor, a Republican former investment banker and the longtime companion of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I), is advising her campaign.

Maureen White, the former National Finance Chair of the DNC (who was able get a story about her DUI yanked out of the New York Times thanks to the close personal friendship between her husband Steve Rattner and Pinch Sulzberger), thinks that now is the right time to be publicly attacking the recently widowed Maloney for just not being quite sharp enough for the job:

Saujani’s supporters openly question Maloney’s fitness to serve and her intellectual heft. In an interview, White, the major Democratic donor, called Maloney “a good person.” But she said, “There’s a lot more to being a good representative: leadership, intelligence, hard work, a creative approach to policy, thinking things through.

“When you look at this district, it should have a star,” White added. “We need the best of the best, and I think Reshma is in that category in a way Carolyn isn’t.”

And why does White  think Reshma’s got the intellectual ballast?  Well, because Reshma understands that “the financial industry has been unfairly demonized in Congress”:

“Populism for the sake of populism, to increase poll numbers, is not helpful,” she said. “We need to have people in Washington who feel comfortable with understanding regulatory markets, economic terms. . . . I don’t think that she has practical real-world experience.”

Yes, that angry rabble who just don’t understand how Very Important our Wall Street Overlords are just need to STFU and graciously accept the leadership of someone like Reshma, whose glowing resume includes:

• Chief Operating Officer of a fund at Carret Asset Management, the hedge fund partially controlled by Hassan Nemazee, who recently pled guilty to running a Ponzi scheme that looted $292 million from banks to pay for a yacht, a Maserati and a Cesna, among other perks.


• Associate General Counsel for The Carlyle Group’s Blue Wave Partners Management, which invested in mortgage-backed securities. Unsurprisingly, Reshma doesn’t support current legislation to regulate derivatives trading.


• Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the Liquid Markets business at Fortress Investments, the hedge fund that owned a subprime mortgage lender that “foreclosed on New Orleans homeowners who fell behind on their payments after Hurricane Katrina.”  Reshma says she was “unaware of the problem.”

Reshma has convinced the Right People that she’ll be there for them.  Even Mike Bloomberg has blessed her, through his girlfriend Diana Taylor, quoted in the Washington Post article:

“Reshma has a strong fundamental understanding about how the industry works,” Taylor said. “You’ve got these people [in Congress] yelling and screaming who know nothing about what they’re talking about — nothing. And it just creates a huge problem.”

Oh yes, Congress and their “screaming and yelling” about Wall Street.   They really have been terribly unfair to the poor banks.  No wonder the Masters of the Universe feel they’re entitled to their own member of Congress to address this terrible injustice.  And they’re writing the checks that fund her.

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According to Techcrunch, since the iPad’s release in April the number of iPad apps has grown to over 10,000. That is still dwarfed by the iPhone’s library of 200,000 apps — and growing — but is still pretty impressive for just a few months on the market.

Since the iPad is still in its infant stages, the app store is relatively light on apps with a specific personal finance focus: most still focus on the gaming and reading niches. (Apple, however, says that almost all of its 200,000 iPhone apps are compatible with the iPad, including the Mint.com mobile app. You could also revisit Mint’s list of the top personal finance apps, published back in February. Alternatively, take a look at Apple’s list of money management iPhone apps.)

Still, we were recently able to find seven iPad apps that, if not directly related to personal finance management, at the very least help you find savings in everyday life situations and, as a result, manage your money more successfully.

Staying true to the Mint money-saving spirit, all but one of the apps are free to download (the other costs only $1.99), and none require a subscription.

Zillow – Free

Zillow has established itself as a great starting point for anyone interested in buying or selling a home. You can search by city or zip, find all homes for sale in the area of your interest, as well as comparable home sales. Once you’ve found a home you’re interested in, you can check out what that home sold for in the past and its estimated value, or “Zestimate.” Why does it make a great mobile app? Because it enables you to take your home search on the road with you: once you hunt down homes you are interested in, you can see them in person, and then take a peak at photos taken from inside the home.

Epicurious – Free

The iPad app from Epicurious.com includes over 28,000 tested recipes from magazines such as Bon Appétit and Gourmet, popular cookbooks, top chefs, and leading restaurants. And the iPad size makes it a great fit as a digital cookbook. What makes it a great personal finance app? Cooking at home is a much cheaper and healthier alternative to eating out!

Grocery IQ – Free

GroceryIQ is a mobile app that allows you to make grocery lists, sync and share them with others (so both you and your significant other don’t come home with a gallon of sauerkraut on the same night), scan barcodes, and even find and send coupons right to your loyalty card. Having a consistent grocery list for each store you shop at is a fail-safe way to keep your grocery expenses down.

Bloomberg – Free

If you like keeping up with your portfolio and business news throughout the day, Bloomberg offers a great iPad app to help you do so. The app offers customized news, stock quotes, company descriptions, market leaders/laggers, price charts, market trends analysis, and more.

Trapster – Free

Trapster has over 7 million users who provide information on speed traps, video enforced speed zones, and police check points. Now, we’re not saying you should recklessly speed around with your Trapster app spitting warnings at you. But most of us have been caught slightly over the speed limit at times, just because we weren’t familiar enough with a given area to be on our guard. Just don’t get caught paying too much attention to Trapster while you’re driving around (that kind of defeats the purpose of the app).

Kayak – Free

The Kayak iPad app, in itself, doesn’t offer any groundbreaking new functionality above the iPhone app or Kayak website. However, Kayak offers such a great airfare comparison interface and with the vibrant large-screen iPad display, it packs even more punch onto one screen.

Compoundee HD – Compound Interest Calculator – $1.99

Compoundee HD is a basic, easy-to-use financial calculator that is able to calculate 5 different investment variables on compound interest calculations at a daily, weekly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual level. You can find out how much an investment will be worth over a period of time and the calculation over email. This app could be extremely useful for real-estate agents and brokers, bankers, and mortgage brokers.

Which iPad personal finance apps make your “best of” list?

GE Miller discusses personal finance topics for young professionals at 20somethingfinance.com.

Apparently controlling the Federal Reserve, funding their bonuses with billions in taxpayer dollars and quite nearly bringing down the global economy with their degenerate gambling habits isn’t enough.

Wall Street now wants to punish any Democrat who lifts a hand against them, and they’re willing to fund primary challenges to do it.

Carolyn Maloney worked to push through the Credit Card Holder’s Bill of Rights, which may not have gone far enough to limit the ability of Wall Street robber barons to gouge credit card holders.  But it will cost the credit card industry about $10 billion a year, and that was apparently a bridge too far for Steve Rattner, Orrin Kramer, Maureen White and other Democratic party oligarchs who are now funding hedge fund darling Reshma Saujani’s primary challenge as a way to punish Maloney for her transgressions.

From the Washington Post:

has worked at three hedge funds. She speaks the arcane language of derivatives and basis points and mortgage-backed securities. Saujani has positioned herself as the anti-Maloney, the only candidate who understands how stressful and difficult the past few years have been for some of the wealthiest people in America.

Poor dears. Yes, the Masters of the Universe are so very put upon in these hard times.  It’s only right that they be allowed to have their own member of Congress, if they can afford one:

Since she entered the race in November, Saujani has received more than $800,000 in campaign contributions, an impressive tally for an untested candidate. Many of those checks came from New York financiers and their spouses.

Former Morgan Stanley chief executive John Mack has given her money. So has Apollo Management founder Leon Black and the wife of J.P. Morgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon. Hedge fund mogul Marc Lasry hosted a fundraiser for her featuring singer John Legend that brought in a clean $100,000.

She has also attracted help from prominent New Yorkers. Maureen White, a major Democratic donor and wife of financier Steven Rattner, is introducing her to potential donors. Diana Taylor, a Republican former investment banker and the longtime companion of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I), is advising her campaign.

Maureen White, the former National Finance Chair of the DNC (who was able get a story about her DUI yanked out of the New York Times thanks to the close personal friendship between her husband Steve Rattner and Pinch Sulzberger), thinks that now is the right time to be publicly attacking the recently widowed Maloney for just not being quite sharp enough for the job:

Saujani’s supporters openly question Maloney’s fitness to serve and her intellectual heft. In an interview, White, the major Democratic donor, called Maloney “a good person.” But she said, “There’s a lot more to being a good representative: leadership, intelligence, hard work, a creative approach to policy, thinking things through.

“When you look at this district, it should have a star,” White added. “We need the best of the best, and I think Reshma is in that category in a way Carolyn isn’t.”

And why does White  think Reshma’s got the intellectual ballast?  Well, because Reshma understands that “the financial industry has been unfairly demonized in Congress”:

“Populism for the sake of populism, to increase poll numbers, is not helpful,” she said. “We need to have people in Washington who feel comfortable with understanding regulatory markets, economic terms. . . . I don’t think that she has practical real-world experience.”

Yes, that angry rabble who just don’t understand how Very Important our Wall Street Overlords are just need to STFU and graciously accept the leadership of someone like Reshma, whose glowing resume includes:

• Chief Operating Officer of a fund at Carret Asset Management, the hedge fund partially controlled by Hassan Nemazee, who recently pled guilty to running a Ponzi scheme that looted $292 million from banks to pay for a yacht, a Maserati and a Cesna, among other perks.


• Associate General Counsel for The Carlyle Group’s Blue Wave Partners Management, which invested in mortgage-backed securities. Unsurprisingly, Reshma doesn’t support current legislation to regulate derivatives trading.


• Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the Liquid Markets business at Fortress Investments, the hedge fund that owned a subprime mortgage lender that “foreclosed on New Orleans homeowners who fell behind on their payments after Hurricane Katrina.”  Reshma says she was “unaware of the problem.”

Reshma has convinced the Right People that she’ll be there for them.  Even Mike Bloomberg has blessed her, through his girlfriend Diana Taylor, quoted in the Washington Post article:

“Reshma has a strong fundamental understanding about how the industry works,” Taylor said. “You’ve got these people [in Congress] yelling and screaming who know nothing about what they’re talking about — nothing. And it just creates a huge problem.”

Oh yes, Congress and their “screaming and yelling” about Wall Street.   They really have been terribly unfair to the poor banks.  No wonder the Masters of the Universe feel they’re entitled to their own member of Congress to address this terrible injustice.  And they’re writing the checks that fund her.

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Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock dated <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net

Read our news of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock dated.

NFL Training Camp <b>News</b>: MRI Shows No Damage To Albert <b>...</b>

NFL Training Camp News: MRI Shows No Damage To Albert Haynesworth's Knee.

Introducing the CNET <b>News</b> iPhone app | Digital Media - CNET <b>News</b>

We know you've been clamoring for an official CNET News iPhone app, and we're happy to let you know it's finally here. Read all about what it does and why you should download it. Read this blog post by Josh Lowensohn on Digital Media.

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Five Best Personal Money Management Sites

Web-based financial management tools have grown in sophistication to the point where many people manage their entire financial lives with online tools. Here's a look at five of the most popular personal money management sites.

Photo a mashup of images by Leonardini and Wilton.

Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite personal money management site; now we're back to highlight the five most popular contenders.

Click on the screenshots below to take a closer look.

Buxfer (Basic: Free, Premium: From $2.79/month)

Many people are hesitant to use online banking services because of security concerns. Buxfer's compromise to provide ease of use while also assuring users and keeping things as controlled as they would like is to offer multiple methods for storing your credentials. You can manually synchronize your financial accounts with the site, you can store your passwords and login credentials locally using Google Gears, Firefox, or Safari, or you can use the Firebux Firefox extension—Firebux helps you automate the process of downloading financial data from your banking institutions and reviewing Buxfer data. If you'd like to skip the hassle of handling your own syncing, Buxfer offers automatic nightly syncing of your financial data, automatically logging into and pulling data from your various online money portals. Buxfer comes in three flavors: Basic (free), Plus ($2.79 per month), and Pro ($3.79 per month). All accounts include features like split bills, automatic tagging, and mobile access, but you'll pay a premium for unlimited budgets, bill reminders, and balance projections. You can try a live demo of Buxfer here.

Yodlee MoneyCenter (Free)

As many readers were quick to point out, Yodlee provides the guts to the user sites for hundreds of banking and financial services. Organizations like Mint, Thrive, and large banks like Chase use rebranded but Yodlee-powered interfaces. Yodlee users will often characterize Yodlee as similar to Mint, but without such a strong emphasis on flashy graphics. Instead it focuses more on analyzing your raw data—transaction descriptions, for example, are easier to search and more detailed. Yodlee can import data from thousands of institutions, help you generate a budget, automate your bill paying, and send out user-defined alerts. If you like the idea of a site like Mint but want more fine-grained control and the ability to manually tweak things when necessary, Yodlee is a solid alternative.

Mint (Free)

Mint has risen to prominence as a major player among web-based financial management tools by putting an extreme emphasis on user-friendliness and automation. The focus on automation is so strong, in fact, they only recently added the ability to add in any sort of manual transactions. By providing Mint with your various logins, you can track all your financial accounts in one place—checking, savings, credit cards, investments—and easily generate budgets and projections based off your data. Mint has won many people over, especially in the younger demographic, by being the first tool they've used to really get a good look at their money and where it's going.

ClearCheckbook (Basic: Free, Premium: $4/month)

ClearCheckbook is a web-based checking account ledger on steroids. You can track your spending, input your daily expenses from the web-interface or from your iPhone, Android, or Palm, and generate a budget with spending limits. Upgrading to a premium account gets you a custom report tool, custom transaction fields, future balance projection, and editing of the auto-suggest feature. Visit ClearCheckbook at the link above to check out the video tours of both the free and premium accounts—available at the bottom of the main page.

Mvelopes ($39.60/quarter)

Mvelopes is a robust web-based financial tool built on the old principle of budgeting with envelopes—each budget category gets an envelope with a set amount of money. Its focus on an old budgeting technique, however, doesn't mean you're stuck with dated tools. Mvelopes automatically pulls transaction data from hundreds of financial institutions, supports automatic bill payment, and helps you generate snapshots of your net worth as you adjust your budget and goals. Mvelopes is notable for being the only contender in the Hive without a free account option, a testament perhaps to how happy people are with the service that it made an appearance in the top five despite the lack of free-as-in-beer option.

Now that you've had a chance to look over the top five contenders for best personal money management sites, it's time to cast a vote for your favorite:

Have a favorite web-based tool that didn't get a nod or want to talk up your favorite a bit more? Let's hear it in the comments. Have an idea for the next Hive Five? Send us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line and we'll do our best to get your idea the attention it deserves.

Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.

Five Best Personal Money Management Sites

Web-based financial management tools have grown in sophistication to the point where many people manage their entire financial lives with online tools. Here's a look at five of the most popular personal money management sites.

Photo a mashup of images by Leonardini and Wilton.

Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite personal money management site; now we're back to highlight the five most popular contenders.

Click on the screenshots below to take a closer look.

Buxfer (Basic: Free, Premium: From $2.79/month)

Many people are hesitant to use online banking services because of security concerns. Buxfer's compromise to provide ease of use while also assuring users and keeping things as controlled as they would like is to offer multiple methods for storing your credentials. You can manually synchronize your financial accounts with the site, you can store your passwords and login credentials locally using Google Gears, Firefox, or Safari, or you can use the Firebux Firefox extension—Firebux helps you automate the process of downloading financial data from your banking institutions and reviewing Buxfer data. If you'd like to skip the hassle of handling your own syncing, Buxfer offers automatic nightly syncing of your financial data, automatically logging into and pulling data from your various online money portals. Buxfer comes in three flavors: Basic (free), Plus ($2.79 per month), and Pro ($3.79 per month). All accounts include features like split bills, automatic tagging, and mobile access, but you'll pay a premium for unlimited budgets, bill reminders, and balance projections. You can try a live demo of Buxfer here.

Yodlee MoneyCenter (Free)

As many readers were quick to point out, Yodlee provides the guts to the user sites for hundreds of banking and financial services. Organizations like Mint, Thrive, and large banks like Chase use rebranded but Yodlee-powered interfaces. Yodlee users will often characterize Yodlee as similar to Mint, but without such a strong emphasis on flashy graphics. Instead it focuses more on analyzing your raw data—transaction descriptions, for example, are easier to search and more detailed. Yodlee can import data from thousands of institutions, help you generate a budget, automate your bill paying, and send out user-defined alerts. If you like the idea of a site like Mint but want more fine-grained control and the ability to manually tweak things when necessary, Yodlee is a solid alternative.

Mint (Free)

Mint has risen to prominence as a major player among web-based financial management tools by putting an extreme emphasis on user-friendliness and automation. The focus on automation is so strong, in fact, they only recently added the ability to add in any sort of manual transactions. By providing Mint with your various logins, you can track all your financial accounts in one place—checking, savings, credit cards, investments—and easily generate budgets and projections based off your data. Mint has won many people over, especially in the younger demographic, by being the first tool they've used to really get a good look at their money and where it's going.

ClearCheckbook (Basic: Free, Premium: $4/month)

ClearCheckbook is a web-based checking account ledger on steroids. You can track your spending, input your daily expenses from the web-interface or from your iPhone, Android, or Palm, and generate a budget with spending limits. Upgrading to a premium account gets you a custom report tool, custom transaction fields, future balance projection, and editing of the auto-suggest feature. Visit ClearCheckbook at the link above to check out the video tours of both the free and premium accounts—available at the bottom of the main page.

Mvelopes ($39.60/quarter)

Mvelopes is a robust web-based financial tool built on the old principle of budgeting with envelopes—each budget category gets an envelope with a set amount of money. Its focus on an old budgeting technique, however, doesn't mean you're stuck with dated tools. Mvelopes automatically pulls transaction data from hundreds of financial institutions, supports automatic bill payment, and helps you generate snapshots of your net worth as you adjust your budget and goals. Mvelopes is notable for being the only contender in the Hive without a free account option, a testament perhaps to how happy people are with the service that it made an appearance in the top five despite the lack of free-as-in-beer option.

Now that you've had a chance to look over the top five contenders for best personal money management sites, it's time to cast a vote for your favorite:

Have a favorite web-based tool that didn't get a nod or want to talk up your favorite a bit more? Let's hear it in the comments. Have an idea for the next Hive Five? Send us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line and we'll do our best to get your idea the attention it deserves.

Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.

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