On Monday, May 7^th, FOX Business Network’s Liz Claman will interview legendary billionaire and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charles Munger and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in an exclusive sit-down (9:30 AM/ET) following the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting this weekend. Claman is no stranger to Buffett, having interviewed him countless times throughout the course of her career. Below, she shares some insight on what she’s learned from spending time with Buffett over the years.

How can women can become educated investors?

Educating women investors is really no different from educating any motivated investor. You have to read, study, and become knowledgeable.  One of the best ways to do that is to study how smart, successful investors, like Warren Buffett. Buffett thinks in terms of buying great companies that have a ‘moat’ of competitiveness around them.  Are they the best or at least top 2 in what they do? Are they run by passionate managers? These are the questions he asks.

Does Warren Buffett invest in women specifically?

Warren Buffett doesn’t care who’s running a great company. It could be a man, woman or alien from Mars but if it’s run well and he sees major opportunity for growth, he’ll buy it.   You could argue that simply by buying businesses run by women, such as Pampered Chef or Business Wire (run by Cathy Baron Tamraz), he’s encouraging many women entrepreneurs to dream.  They should study those companies, see what the CEOs did right and did well, and then copy it with their own twist and personality.  And Buffett always stresses that if you follow your passion, success will follow you.

Can you share a lesson you’ve learned from spending time with Warren Buffett?

Learn how to communicate. This helps us not only in saving, but in all aspects of our lives!  It shocks a lot of people to know that Buffett was incredibly shy and lacked all confidence even through his twenties.  He finally forced himself to take the Dale Carnegie course, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” because he realized the only way he’d be truly successful in life— even with his natural ability to allocate financial assets— was if he could communicate to potential investors.  It took him quite some time to get up the courage to finally enroll in the course but it’s the only document he has framed and up on the wall in his inner office. Not his diplomas, not any awards, just the “Warren Buffett successfully completed Dale Carnegie’s course.”  There’s something very poignant to me about that.

A summer vacation in Europe is the trip of a lifetime for many people, but one that they fear is out of reach due to the cost. Europe isn’t always the cheapest place to travel and with everyone’s budget belts being tightened summer holidays are often one of the first things to go. This doesn’t have to be the case though! If you are a savvy traveler and put some effort in you can save on everything from accommodation and food, to entrance fees and transportation costs. Use any, or all, of these money saving tips when planning your next vacation in Europe and you’re sure to have a memorable holiday at half the price!

• The first trick is to choose your dates carefully. Traveling outside of peak season will save you money on almost every aspect of your trip. Peak season in Europe is generally from May-August. As well as saving money, traveling off season also means less crowds and friendlier locals – a win all around.

• When booking your flights be flexible with dates. Flying in the middle of the week can be much cheaper than the weekend – simple supply and demand. Many flight booking websites, such as Travelocity.com have a search option that allows you to indicate that you are flexible with your dates. This allows them to display flight prices 3 days on either side of your selected dates, allowing you to see how much they fluctuate within only a few hours.

• Accommodation is likely to be the biggest expense after your flights. Week long and weekend holiday are a popular accommodation option in Europe and can be much cheaper than the traditional hotel. Visit www.sykescottages.co.uk to view a great selection of holiday cottages throughout the UK and Ireland.

• Eating out at restaurants 3 meals a day for a week or more can get expensive, tiresome, and isn’t great for the waistline. Staying in self-catering accommodation allows you to cook your own meals and pack up snacks to bring along on days out – a big money saver and a life saver if you are traveling with children.

• Watch out for unexpected extra charges! If you grab a coffee or sandwich at a street side cafe they may charge you extra to eat on the premises. Likewise, if they bring bread or bottled water to your table at a restaurant check to make sure you aren’t being charged extra for the privilege. There’s nothing worse than being charged for something you didn’t want!

• Decide where you would like to visit in advance and check their website to see if they offer an advanced ticket deal. Not only will this save you money but also often lets you skip the line-up.

• Last but not least, use what God gave you and walk, walk, walk! There is nothing cheaper than free and that’s what your legs are! If you must get further than your legs can carry you, consider using local public transportation like subways and buses. Taxis are always going to be the most expensive option and anything that is targeted towards tourists is likely to be a rip-off. Before you leave in a taxi double check about the fare so you aren’t shocked at the end.

All set?  If you fear that money will be an issue, do your research.  The money saved will go a long way in buying you a sweet souvenir!

For a small business owner it can be tough to keep your business and personal finances separate because, well, you are your business!  You live it and breathe it; and chances are, you have a passion for your business that most of your W-2 earning friends don’t have for their own jobs.  Keeping your business expenses separate is particularly challenging when your business is new.  It may even feel a little silly when you’re not even sure if this thing will even take off.   However, the earlier you make this a priority, the easier you make things for yourself down the road.

Why it’s Important

• Tax time will be a huge pain if you have to painstakingly go through your personal account to hunt down business transactions.

• Also regarding taxes having your business finances separate allows you to take advantage of all possible deduction opportunities.

• Protect yourself from any potential legal situations – a LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp structure is designed to protect you, however, if you don’t keep finances separate a lawyer could argue your business is not truly a corporation.

• You need to be able to show proof of your business’ performance for the purpose of getting a business loan or investment capital.  Further, you’ll want this information yourself for ongoing business planning.

• If you wish to get any kind of personal loan, you’ll need to be able to show documented income coming to you from your business.

What You Need to Do

• Most importantly, it is imperative to have a separate business bank account.  If your business requires a credit facility, open a business credit card.  Even if your cash flow is sufficient to cover all business expenses, a business credit card is a good idea from a convenience and tracking standpoint.  Any payment made to your business should be in the business name and deposited into your business checking account.  Any business expenses should be paid from either the business checking account or with the business credit card.

• Maintain a separate filing system for business items such as receipts and invoices.  Whether you maintain a meticulously organized electronic filing system or go the “shoebox” route, the point is to have a separate shoebox from the one with your personal stuff.

• Set up your bookkeeping method.  Many small business owners find software such as Quickbooks to be comprehensive and user-friendly enough to do it themselves.  However, if you need (and can afford) outside help, consider hiring an accountant or look into Virtual Assistant options.

• Decide how to pay yourself.  Either write yourself payroll checks from the business checking account or transfer funds electronically – however, with the latter option, be sure this is tracked accurately in your accounting system.   In the early stages of your business, you may not be able to pay yourself on a regular payment schedule, however, make it a goal to do so as soon as you can.  It will help you to get personal loans when you can show a regular, steady income flow.

The time to start being diligent about compartmentalizing business finances is Day 1.  Your future successful-business-owner-self will thank you.  As the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”

Credit cards can be both the angel and the devil on your shoulder; simultaneously a force of good and evil!  Further, what’s the difference between canceling a card and just cutting it up?   Depending on who you talk to, people will try to convince of all of the above.  Should you cut them up, or cancel them?   Sounds confusing, but the truth is that there are pros and cons to each option.

Canceling Your Card

Pros:

• Probably the most obvious one here is that it absolutely prohibits you from incurring further credit card debt on that card, no way around it.  If you are in trouble with credit card debt and late payments, your credit score is likely already suffering and it’s probably a good idea to cancel your cards after you pay them off to keep you from digging yourself any deeper.
• Some people simply feel better about streamlining the mess of cards they’ve acquired over the years, yours truly included, particularly those store cards with the ridiculously high rates that totally negate the 15% off you received to open the card.  The average amount of cards carried by Americans is close to 10, at that level, a little spring cleaning may be in order!
• Less cards means less bills to pay and keep track of (if you’re the reconciling type.)  Simplification goes a long way in making your life easier.

 IMPORTANT:  Before you cancel a card, verify with the creditor that it will be reported to the credit agencies as having been closed “at the customer’s request”!

Cons:

• When you cancel a credit card, you eliminate that card’s time since origination from your overall credit history total (15% of your credit score.)   Further, while your length of history for that card disappears, any late payment history does not.  Payment history (35% of your score) for that card will continue to be figured into your score even though the account has closed.  Tip:  Use your judgment with this one.  For example, if you’re keeping 3 major cards that have been open forever and you just want to close two small store cards that you’ve only had a year, the impact will be minimal. 
• Canceling a card has an additional negative impact on your score:  reducing your total credit capacity, which is the denominator in the debt utilization calculation (30% of your score.)  For example, let’s say you have two credit cards:  Card A has a balance of $3,000 on a limit of $5,000 and Card B has $0 balance on a limit of $5,000.  Your overall utilization percentage is 30% with both cards ($3k/$10k), however, if you close Card B your utilization will be 60% ($3k/$5k.)  Tip:  If you wish to close a card, see if you can get your limit on another card increased so your overall utilization is not affected.

 Cutting Up Your Card

Pros:

• Physically destroying your card effectively reduces the temptation to use the card and increase your debt level, while still maintaining your history and credit capacity.  Your account will remain open; you just have put a roadblock between yourself and your usage of the account.
• If this tactic works for you, not only are you abating your debt level but you’re also exercising spending discipline overall, since quite often the only reason we choose to spend is that we can delay actually paying for it!

Cons:

• If you really have a problem with debt and/or spending, simply cutting up your card doesn’t entirely eliminate your ability to incur additional credit card debt.  The account is still open and you can get around that minor obstacle if you really want to, especially of the card information is stored online on sites like Amazon.com.
• You’re at risk for identity theft if you don’t dispose of your card properly.  If your shredder is capable of shredding a credit card, this is best.  If not, cut horizontal through your number, in between each group of four numbers, and separate the security code from the embossed number on the back of the card.  It’s also a good idea to throw away the pieces in separate trash bags.

Whether credit cards do good or evil depends on YOU:  your overall debt load, your spending habits, your debt repayment history, etc.  It’s a highly personal issue and one that requires common sense and judgment, specific to your unique situation.

If you’ve ever been in financial trouble and dealt with the seemingly endless collection calls, you may have wondered when the incessant phone calls would stop. Collecting unpaid debts DO have an expiration date as far as how long the court can be used to force you to pay the debt. The time period starts on the account’s last date of activity and varies by state.

Debt collectors have a limited amount of time in which to sue to collect a debt. The determining factor is the statue of limitations of the state in which the debt was incurred and the type of debt. Once the time runs out, the unpaid debt is considered ‘time-barred.’ This doesn’t mean you no longer owe and collectors can continue to pursue collecting the debt, but they cannot sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt.

Type of Debt
With fifty different legal stands on the issue, along with the various interpretations of those laws by different judges, the status of your past-due debt may be difficult to comprehend. In addition, there may be even subtle differences in the law that governs credit card debt as opposed to a written contract.

There are four categories of debt with different time limits and requirements:

• Written loan contracts include terms and conditions agreed to by borrower and lender.
• Revolving loans are open-ended and allow the borrower to repay and borrow a limited amount; they include rent-to-own and credit cards.
• Promissory agreements are in writing and include a set payment amount for a specific period of time at a predetermined interest rate.
• Oral contracts were once called ‘gentlemen agreements.’ The contract is a verbal agreement to pay back money with nothing in writing.

Admitting the old debt is yours could also restart the statue of limitations and extend the time the debt collector can file a lawsuit to collect the old debt. If you make a small payment, make a charge using the account, enter a payment agreement or promise to pay on the debt, you could restart the clock on the debt.

It’s important to note that when debt is sold and resold the account documentation is often skimpy. So if you question the validity of the debt as yours, dispute the claim by sending a certified letter. If you determine that the debt is yours, before you agree to pay an old debt, first make sure the statute of limitations hasn’t expired. If you are certain the statute of limitations has expired, you can use that fact as justification that you do not have to pay the debt.

Welcome to the Carnival of Personal Finance #351-Women’s Personal Finance edition!   The first order of business is a shout out to the Women’s Money Week participants.  What is Women’s Money Week?

Women’s Money Week is about encouraging women to speak up about money, take control of our finances, and reshape our financial future. Women’s Money Week will run from March 5th-11th, 2012 on WomensMoneyWeek.com — coinciding with International Women’s Day.

Our goal is to reach a wide audience and provide answers and assistance to women just starting to take control of their finances, share knowledge and the know-how of women who already have a voice, and create a dialogue among women bloggers.

Shameless Plug:  Here’s my participating post on: Earn More Money By Negotiating Your Salary Upfront

Editor’s Picks

Nicole from Nicole and Maggie: Grumpy Rumblings of the Untenured – Thoughts on spouses and careers

Glen Craig from Free From Broke – Marginal Tax Rate VS Effective Tax Rate – What are They and How do They Affect You?,

PK from Don’t Quit Your Day Job…- President Obama Is a Bigger Tax Cutter Than George Bush

Philip from PT Money Personal Finance – Should I Consolidate My Student Loans?

Brandon Crombar from Shared Financial Success – How to be rich

Bob from Christian Personal Finance – How to use FreeCycle to Save Money And Reduce Clutter

eemusings from Musings of an Abstract Aucklander – Tom and Lynette, you’re breaking my heart

Peter from Bible Money Matters – Would You Invest a Portion of Your Emergency Fund

Boomer from Boomer & Echo – Finances From A To Z

FMF from Free Money Finance – Change the way you think

Grand Per Month from Grand Per Month – Should You Incorporate Your Side Income Stream

Kacie from Sense to Save – How to choose retirement investments for your portfolio

Amanda from My Dollar Plan – New Pension Plans and Changes to Current Retirement Plans

Miranda @ Financial Highway from Financial Highway – How to Improve Credit Score

Weakonomics – The Math Behind Oil’s Hold On The Economy

Other Submissions:

Money Management

Money Beagle from Money Beagle presents Don’t Assume Things Stay The Same, and says, “There are many areas, finance in particular, where something may have been your best option at one point, but may no longer be. Keep tabs on things to ensure that the status quo is still working to your advantage. “

Jason from One Money Design presents How to Talk to Your Elderly Parents About their Finances, and says, “Talking to our elderly parents or grandparents about money is not necessarily easy. It is admitting to ourselves that they are not doing as well and may need some assistance down the road.

Sian Meades from TotallyMoney presents When should you switch banks, and says, “When you should and shouldn’t switch banks”

Janet from Credit, Eh presents 9 Great Money Management Web Sites and Quizzes, and says, “If you’re going to learn about money, you might as well make it fun. Here are 4 great money web sites, and 5 fun quizzes that can help you learn about money management.”

Matt Schulz from Taking Charge presents What Dr. Seuss can teach you about handling your money, and says, “Penned in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. He would have been 108 Friday.”

Steve from Brip Blap presents How to Take a Money Diet, and says, ” saving money is, at its core, like dieting. You try to deny yourself something in the present for the sake of future gain. With money, it’s saving now for security and independence in the future. So I thought about it and here are a few types of diets and the equivalent money-saving behavior.”

Michelle from Card Hub presents The Best Credit Cards for Every Stage of Life, and says, “The majority of us use or have used credit cards at some point in our lives. But, have we been using the right cards at the right stages of our lives to best manange our finances? Find out what the best cards for the different stages of life are!”

John from Passive Family Income presents The Mobile Wallet May Bring Discount Enticements, and says, “Mobile wallets, in case you have not heard of them, offer consumers the ability to pay for their purchases not with cash or their credit cards, but with their phones. Many consumers are embracing this new method of payment because they already carry their phones everywhere; being able to pay by phone will allow them to leave their cash and cards at home. “

John from Passive Family Income presents The Mobile Wallet May Bring Discount Enticements, and says, “Mobile wallets, in case you have not heard of them, offer consumers the ability to pay for their purchases not with cash or their credit cards, but with their phones. Many consumers are embracing this new method of payment because they already carry their phones everywhere; being able to pay by phone will allow them to leave their cash and cards at home. “

Evan from My Journey to Millions presents Why You Should Buy Life Insurance Regardless If You Have a Spouse and Kids, and says, “Everyone assumes that when you are able to start that family, when someone depends on your income, when you get that mortgage, etc., you’ll just go out and buy some life insurance. This isn’t always possible.”

Jake Mathew from I Am 1 Percent presents My 7 Biggest Financial Mistakes: Confessions of a 1 Percenter, and says, “These are the 7 biggest financial mistakes that I have made in my life that has cost me a total of $100k. I submit this article in the hopes that people can learn from my past mistakes and not repeat them.”

Frugality

James Petzke from James Petzke: Graduating with a Surplus presents Libraries: The Dying Money Saver, and says, “Libraries may be dying in the minds of many youth, but they are a great free resource of information and entertainment that you should still take advantage of. “

Kennedi from Face and Fitness presents Make the Most of Your Old Phone, and says, “Can you sell your old cell phone, or should you throw it away? This post points to the answer.”

Sustainable PF from Sustainable Personal Finance presents The Beauty in Saving Your Skin and the Water Supply, and says, “I was truly committed to greening my skin care regimen without spending too much money! So I’ve been testing several products and have finally found some that really work for me”

FIRE Finance from FIRE Finance presents Smart Refrigeration Lowers Electricity Bill, and says, “Tips on smart refrigeration will help you to cut down your electricity bill …”

Miss T. from Prairie Eco Thrifter presents Saving Money on Las Vegas, and says, “In just a couple weeks, I’m off to the bright lights of Las Vegas again. I’m quite looking forward to stuffing my face full of delicious food and even doing some gambling. Because I’m kind of cheap, I want to have fun but not break the bank doing so. Luckily, Las Vegas is filled with all sorts of ways to save cash.”

Colin Williams from humble savers presents Financial Lessons From The 1940s And 1950s, and says, “A snapshot of times gone by and how we can learn from them to better manage our money for today’s difficult economic conditions.”

David from Start Talking Cents presents Stop Buying Paper Towels – Save Money, Save the Earth, and says, “One of the easiest, quickest, and most eco-friendly ways to save money is to stop buying paper towels. Single-use paper towels are a waste of paper and money, and there is absolutely no reason at all to buy them anymore.”

Saving

Vicki from Tayne Your Debt presents “Deal of the Day” sites – Friend or Foe?, and says, “All blog posts are written by financial expert, debt resolution and bankruptcy avoidance attorney, Leslie H. Tayne. Blog is meant to be a portal for people to get free debt, budgeting, and finance advice from an expert! “

Green Panda from Green Panda Treehouse presents How Much Do You Need To Retire?, and says, “How much should you save for retirement?”

Investing

Dividend Growth Investor from Dividend Growth Investor presents Accumulating Dividend Stocks is a Long Term Process, and says, “It is important to have some valuation guidelines, before purchasing a dividend stock. This is to protect the investor in the very likely event that they “fall in love” with a stock and purchase it regardless of price. After all, purchasing a stock at inflated price levels might lead to sub-par returns for several years.”

Alejandro Garcia from Value Investing HQ presents How to Calculate Enterprise Value, and says, “As magic formula investors know, the meat of the magic formula is located in the Appendix section of The Little Book That Beats the Market. It is in the appendix section that Joel Greenblatt not only adjusts the magic formula, but also goes into detail about the numbers and ratios of the magic formula and how to implement it. One of the terms that comes up is Enterprise Value, which is needed to calculate a company’s earnings yield.”

Div Guy from The Dividend Guy Blog presents Performing Stocks, When It’s Time To Move On, and says, “Moving on from stocks.”

Mike from The Financial Blogger presents Does it Make Sense to Work Past 65?, and says, “Saving for retirement and working past 65.”

J.P. from Novel Investor presents An Under-Invested America: Is Conservative The New Norm?, and says, “Nobody has gotten rich earning less than 1% on their money. Yet eight times more money has been put into savings accounts than into stock and bond funds, since the market crash of ’08.”

SB from One Cent at a Time presents Where should I invest my money now, and says, “So you have some money to invest now? I was also in your situation and documented how I went about investing $10000 for short term.”

D4L from Dividend Growth Stocks presents 8 Dividend Stocks To Consider While Waiting on Apple to Pay Its First Dividend, and says, “It seems that many people are infatuated with the idea of Apple, Inc. (AAPL) paying a dividend. With more that $30 billion of cash and short-term investments sitting on the balance sheet, no long-term debt and generating $37 billion of free cash flow over the last 12 months, the company certainty could afford it. As an investor in Dividend Growth Stocks, should I really care if AAPL pays a dividend, or not?”
Mr. Money from Smart on Money presents Betterment Reviews User Feedback and Lowers Fees, Adds International Funds and IRA, and says, “Betterment announced that they would be lowering their fees across the board. While I was using the site before, with the new lower fees I can wholeheartedly recommend investing with Betterment for just about everyone – even more so than in the past.”

Budgeting

Karl from CultOfMoney presents Secrets of Fantasy Baseball that can help your finances, and says, “The secrets to a great fantasy baseball draft can help you draft a winning financial team. Balance power and speed, and make sure you don’t put too much money into a single position. Additionally, your financial team will hit injuries during the season so you’ll need to adapt on the fly.”

Jeffrey from Saving Advice presents 20 Changes I Made to Lose 100 Pounds and Save Money, and says, “It’s funny how it’s the little things that seem to make clear what you have known all along, but refused to acknowledge. On March 20, 2011 I bent down to tie a shoe lace that had come loose — and couldn’t. I literally stood there stunned. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bend over to tie my shoe. It was at that moment that I realized that I had to do something about my growing weight problem.”

Eric from Narrow Bridge Finance presents Why I Don’t Balance My Checkbook, and says, “We have been told that we need to balance our checkbooks for decades. This common advice is given with the best intentions. We are told that by tracking our transactions, we are protecting ourselves from overdrafts and ensuring nothing unauthorized happens in our accounts. That is true, but there are better ways to do all of that.”

Dan Meyers from Your Life, Their Life presents Detailed Monthly Food Budget, and says, “Where does your food budget go each month? Check out these great statistics on the average American family’s food budget, thanks to the US Census Bureau.”

Career

Martin from Studenomics presents How to Find a Freelance Writing Gig, and says, “We help you get a freelance writing gig.”

Finance

Scott from Mortgage 1A presents FHA Loan Requirements and Underwriting Guidelines 2012, and says, “FHA does not fund loans; they insure residential mortgages for FHA approved lenders in case a borrower defaults. This allows borrowers to qualify with lower interest rates and be subject to less strict underwriting guidelines.”

Bret from Hope to Prosper presents Problems Caused by Sudden Wealth, and says, “Evidently, the only thing worse than being broke is to suddenly become wealthy.”

jefferson from See Debt Run presents One at a Time, Zen Master, and says, “Trying too many life improvements at the same time can cause problems. If you are trying to improve your financial situation, you shouldn’t try other dramatic life changes simultaneously.”

Credit

Greg Linden from Debt Broke presents Credit Killer: Too many accounts with balances, and says, “”

Everything Finance from Everything Finance presents When Your Credit Score Really Isn’t Your Credit Score, and says, “Robert and Carrie were on the verge of fulfilling a ten year goal of buying their first home. Prior to meeting with a lender, they did their homework, gathered their documents, and ordered their credit reports. They were confused when the scores from each of the three credit bureaus differed so much. Yet all were over 700 with 720 being the highest, so they were confident they would be able to obtain the most favorable loan terms. Imagine their shock then, when the lender told them that their score was only 680 and would not qualify them for the lowest available rate.”

Mike from Rewards Cards Canada presents Annual Fee Credit Cards: When They Make Sense, and says, “Annual fee credit cards can make sense in some circumstances, whether you’re struggling to get out of debt or you’re trying to earn more rewards.”

Mike from Rewards Cards USA presents Create A Plan To Earn More Rewards Points, and says, “If you want more rewards points, you need to turn into a credit card super user. And if you want to avoid debt while becoming a credit card super user, you need to have a plan for your credit card spending.”

Other

Flexo from Consumerism Commentary presents How to Invest in a Broadway Show, and says, “You can invest in a Broadway show with as little as $5,000… but it’s not without risk.”

Mike from The Financial Blogger presents You Waste What Is The Most Precious, and says, “Are you guilty of wasting time?”

TTMK from Tie the Money Knot presents Analyzing How Much Money a Person Makes, and says, “Whether everyone wants to admit it or not, a prospective spouse’s financial situation can be a factor in making decisions on compatibility for some people. However, is it possible to get way ahead of things and overanalyze someone’s finances? “

Squirrelers from Squirrelers presents Want to Live Longer? Become Wealthier!, and says, “Does having more money help one living longer? Some might think no, but there’s evidence that it might. This post discusses th notion that money and longevity can be correlated.”

Suba from Wealth Informatics presents So you think you are smart? You might have invisible anchors making you dumb!, and says, “Anchoring in “sales” is pretty well know. But what are some other areas where we don’t think about the anchoring bias but fall for it anyway?”

Mike from Rewards Cards USA presents Create A Plan To Earn More Rewards Points, and says, “If you want more rewards points, you need to turn into a credit card super user. And if you want to avoid debt while becoming a credit card super user, you need to have a plan for your credit card spending.”

Sandy from Yes, I am Cheap presents Is Stealing Food For Your Family Okay?, and says, “Is it ever okay to steal? Is stealing food any different from stealing money out of the cash register? “

Odysseas from Wallet Blog presents No Balance Transfer Fee Credit Cards Are Back, But Are They Here to Stay?, and says, “No balance transfer fee credit cards-no longer a thing of the past. But can issuers make enough profit to continue to offer them in the future? As the Magic 8 Ball may say “Don’t Count on It!” Consumers may only have a limited window to take advantage of some new offers out there.”

Shaun from Money Cactus presents How to Use Twitter to Improve Your Finances, and says, “In this post I’m going to show you how to use twitter to get more information, better service and even discounts that will help to improve your personal finances.”

Young from Young and Thrfty presents What to do After Graduation from College or University, and says, “If you were lucky (or smart enough) to choose a career path that was in demand while you were going through post-secondary education, then congratulations, you’re transition into the working world will be made a whole lot easier. For those of us who chose to become “well-rounded” students and take courses of study that had a less-defined labour market the journey can be a little more interesting.”

Revanche from A Gai Shan Life presents The castle on the hill

Roshawn Watson from Watson Inc presents 10 Reasons To Seek Abundance, and says, “Sometimes it seems like the only reason people seek abundance is to lavish themselves with every luxury imaginable. Overall, I find that to be a very narrow and limiting perspective of abundance. Here are 10 reasons to seek abundance. “

First, check out the Women’s Money Week participants.  What is Women’s Money Week?

Women’s Money Week is about encouraging women to speak up about money, take control of our finances, and reshape our financial future. Women’s Money Week will run from March 5th-11th, 2012 on WomensMoneyWeek.com — coinciding with International Women’s Day.

Our goal is to reach a wide audience and provide answers and assistance to women just starting to take control of their finances, share knowledge and the know-how of women who already have a voice, and create a dialogue among women bloggers.

Be sure to check out all of the other participants this week and you may even find some other great personal finance bloggers that discuss women and personal finance.

If you’ve ever been on an interview and held your breath until the final offer only to be disappointed, read on.

One of the most frustrating aspects about the job hunt has to be hoping that they will make an offer commensurate with your worth. Not only your worth but taking into consideration what the company has actually budgeted for the position. But how do you know the amount actually budgeted for the position?

You Ask!

Men ask for what they want twice as often as women do and initiate negotiation four times more. Men, socialized in a “scrappier paradigm,” learn to pursue and energize their goals at work and home. The two key elements are control and recognizing opportunity.– Amazon Review, “Women Don’t Ask”

Here’s Your Opportunity! Take Control!

For example, let’s say your current salary is $55k and market salary for your position is actually $65k. The company you plan to interview with budgeted the position between $65k-75k but negotiates between $58k-$60k with you. I don’t know about you but that would grind my nerves.

The point? Play the game and stop wasting your own time by waiting until the last minute to find out the salary being offered for the position.

Ask For The Salary Range Upfront

• Break The Rules: Show Me Yours And I’ll Show You Mine. Ask upfront for the budgeted range for the position during the first phone call with the recruiting manager. This way you get them to break one of the first rules of salary negotiation. This seems innocent upfront because after all, they don’t know if they will make you an offer but you get this information ahead of time. You get them to give you their number first and you know whether it is worth your time to interview and jump through hoops for the position.

• Waste Less Time. You waste less time by doing this during the first call with the HR person/recruiter. What is the point of interviewing for a position slated to pay you 5-10% less than what you’re paying now? This also holds them to their word. Get them to name a range and you gain the advantage when it’s time for negotiations. However, if you’re unemployed and desperate for work, then you may want to take it no matter the offer.

• You Have The Advantage. Take It. They want you, remember? There is no unwritten rule that says you can’t ask first before you interview. It actually makes more sense to do so rather than being disappointed and exploited in the end when it’s time to talk money.

• Maintain salary integrity. Taking a job making less than what you’re paying now shoots you in the foot down the line. During this economy it is understandable why employers may low ball potential employees, but don’t give them a reason by taking a lower salary now. Why? A future employer may look at your salary history and see that you took less than what you were making previously and offer you less thinking you’d be willing to take a hit “for the team”.

Yes, this goes against the grain in salary negotiations, but really, how many of you have gone the safe route only to be disappointed? You have bills to pay and if you know ahead of time the market range and budget for the position you walk in informed with a stiletto up on the negotiations.

More tips

1. Research your market. Get on LinkedIn and survey your colleagues to determine actual market salary ranges for your desired position.
2. Find a mentor in your field. They can often shed light on the field and give you more to think about when interviewing for a position. Their experience translates into leverage for you when walking into an interview.
3. Be confident. Act as though you don’t need the position. Positioning yourself as desperate for the job in order to be liked puts you in a position to get low-balled. You’ll hate yourself for it when you see your first paycheck.
4. Sell yourself. Write your resume and cover letter tailored specifically for the position. If you can’t do this then don’t apply. If you were the hiring manager, would you hire you based on your cover letter? If you have to stretch the truth to apply then don’t bother applying.

Have you ever asked about the salary range upfront before interviewing? How did that go over with the recruiter? Did you eventually get the job? Let us know in the comments!

Ladies we often face special challenges when planning for retirement, and for this reason you’ll need to make retirement planning a priority or else you’ll be stuck eating cat food and Ramen noodles during your golden years. This is because our careers are often interrupted to care for our children or elderly parents. Consequently, women may spend less time in the workforce and earn less money than men in the same age group. As a result, our retirement plan balances, Social Security benefits, and pension benefits are often lower.

In addition to earning less, women generally live longer than men, and they face having to stretch limited retirement savings and benefits over many years. To meet these financial challenges,

Start saving now
To maximize your chances of achieving a financially secure retirement, start with a realistic assessment of how much you’ll need to save. If the figure is substantial, don’t be discouraged–the most important thing is to begin saving now. Although it’s never too late to save for retirement, the sooner you start, the more time your investments have to grow. The chart below shows how just $2,000 invested annually at a 6% rate of return might grow over time:

Investment Vehicle Options: Compare Retirement Plans

The table below provides a good starting point to compare plans such as 401k vs IRAs. Pay special attention to the tax treatment of each plan as you’ll need to know this going into which ever plan you choose.

Save as much as you can–you have many options
If your employer offers a retirement savings plan, such as a 401(k) or a 403(b), join it as soon as possible and contribute as much as you can. It’s easy to save because your contributions are deducted directly from your pay, and some employers will even match a portion of what you contribute. If your employer offers a pension plan, find out how many years you’ll need to work for the company before you’re vested in, or own, your pension benefits.

Women struggling to balance work and family sometimes shortchange their retirement savings by leaving their jobs before they become vested in their pension benefits. What does that mean? This means that women should be “taking charge of their futures in a more forceful way that accounts for their unique set of risks,” according to a study from the MetLife Mature Market Institute and Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University.*

Keep in mind, too, that because your pension benefits will be based on your earnings and on your years of service, the longer you stay with one employer, the higher your pension is likely to be. Most employer-sponsored plans allow you to choose from several investment options (typically mutual funds).

If you have many years to invest or you’re trying to make up for lost time, give special consideration to growth-oriented investments such as stocks and stock funds. Historically, stocks have out performed bonds and short-term instruments overtime, although past performance is no guarantee of future results.

However, along with potentially higher returns, stocks carry more risk than less volatile investments. A good way to get detailed information about a mutual fund you’re considering is to read the fund’s prospectus. It includes information about the fund’s objectives, expenses, risks, and past returns. A financial professional can also help you evaluate your retirement plan options.

Save for retirement–no matter what
Even if you’re staying at home to raise your family, you can–and should–continue to save for retirement. If you’re married and file your income taxes jointly, and otherwise qualify, you may open and contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA as long as your spouse has enough earned income to cover the contributions

This article was submitted by Thomas Schwab, Financial Advisor at Raymond James Financial Services.

Today’s post gives you soup to nuts as it relates to getting out of debt!  So if you’re in debt and need a strategy?  Pull up a seat!

Before we get started, it’s important to underscore the importance of this step.  If you’ve been in debt for some time, you’re clearly reading this post because you want to get out, right?  Ok, good!  So let’s not sabotage your efforts by keeping those credit cards available to you.  This is what I need you to do, and you can do one or all, it’s up to you.

Now when I discuss paying down debt, I usually go to the snowball method which works really well.  But I also realize that we all have different situations and preferences around how we’re planning to pay down debt.

That said, I always refer back to one of my favorite posts by fellow personal finance blogger, NCN-No Credit Needed as he ROCKS this debt reduction strategy post by listing various scenarios that we can use to pay down debt.  Here I will list the strategy and the pros and cons but you can see the full post with deets for yourself:

Pick one of the above-mentioned methods to get out of debt, see what works for you and stick with it!  Adjust your course when things aren’t working out but make sure that you stick with the action plan to pay down all of your debt!

Next Steps:  Stay Out Of Debt!

Whether you choose to do this before or after you pay down debt, save 1-3 months of expenses.  This helps you stay out of debt because you’re no longer tempted to use credit in dire situations as you will have a mini emergency fund to fall back on when things get critical.

If you’re new or just joining us, you can recap here:

• 21 Days To Rock Your Finances: Day 1- Create A 1 Year Financial Plan
• 21 Days To Rock Your Finances: Day 2- Identify Your Financial Weaknesses
• 21 Days To Rock Your Finances: Day 3- Track Every Penny Because Every Dollar Has A Job
• 21 Days To Rock Your Finances: Day 4-Automate Your Bills
• 21 Days To Rock Your Finances: Week 1 Recap
• 21 Days To Rock Your Finances: Day 5- Make Extra Money
• 21 Days To Rock Your Finances: Day 6- Review All Bills And Expenses
• 21 Days To Rock Your Finances: Day 7 -Zero Based Budgeting
• 21 Days to Rock Your Finances: Day 8- Trim The Fat From Your Budget
• 21 Days to Rock Your Finances: Day 9 -Review Your Credit Report
• 21 Days to Rock Your Finances: Day 10- Dispute Credit Report Errors