I've recently found myself at both a professional and financial crossroads. I've been presented an unexpected opportunity. But I've been moving along smoothly on the same path for so long, I completely forgot what it was like to be faced with an extremely difficult and emotional decision that will have a great impact on my family's future. Despite being distracted by these recent events, I am honored to host this week's Yakezie Carnival. I've dubbed this the Personal Crossroads Edition for obvious reasons. Enjoy!

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Dividend Stocks for Young Investors - One of the most prevalent myths about dividend stocks is that they are mostly for retired investors. The slow growing, unexciting businesses which tend to grow at predictable rates, are not seen to be sexy enough for young investors. This misconception can cost you millions of dollars in missed opportunities.

Pauline @ Reach Financial Independence writes Buying a house cash: being truly at home - I decided to buy a house cash to fully own the roof over my head, even though it doesn't make full financial sense

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes Why Freelancing Might Not Be For You - Sometimes I think about going rogue and doing stuff on my own, but not everyone can survive as a freelancer. Not everyone will.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Why The Envelope System is Perfect for a Marriage - This envelope system is great for married couples and helping them get back on track financially.

PPlan @ Provident Plan writes How to increase your credit score quickly - We want to buy a house quickly, so we are following these steps to raise our credit score quickly.

Marvin @ Brick By Brick Investing writes How To Invest In TSP - Detailed description of how to properly and successfully invest in the Thrift Savings Plan.

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes The 8 Week Rule - The 8 week rule is key for a lot of reasons, but most important is that you should not make judgements too early on the progress you are making. Creating new connections in the brain takes time. You must keep at it, even if you feel like you are not making immediate improvement.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Money Love Blanket-Saving money is an act of self-love - It's my view that the concept of saving money is sold to people in the wrong way. We're told that we should save because it's a good thing to do, you should save in case of an emergency. There is a lack of connecting with emotions that affect our money lives. These things that we're saving for seem so abstract and I don't know about you but I like to live in the fool's paradise where emergencies don't happen to me. Emergencies happen to other people.

MR @ Money Reasons writes Why Diversifying Isn't Always Necessary For High Stock Market Returns - Time has shown that stock diversification isn't always best approach for stock market returns.

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes Insights from Our Free Investment Portfolio Check-Up, and How to Get Yours - There is something that I have learned along the way in my frugal decadent lifestyle: if you practice frugality all of your life, then you are most likely going

Corey @ Steadfast Finances writes Mutual Funds: What Are They? Are They Safe? How Do I Choose? - Investors have different opinions on whether you should invest in mutual funds, but it is really quite simple.

CT @ Cashtastrophe writes What to Do If Your Not Making Ends Meet - Read what to do if your not making ends meet! Even if you aren't in this situation, it's good to prepare for it.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes Securing you Future after Retirement - Making your future secured this is the punch line. Yes, you would receive a sum of money every month, sitting at home without having to invest anything substantial. This would be a lifetime income solution for you. However, it's not easy receiving the social security retirement benefits.

Kevin @ AllPersonalFinance writes Investing in Real Estate - What you need to know - Investing in real estate is not for everyone. Unlike stocks or mutual funds, you cannot buy real estate in chunks. Further, you also cannot sell real estate very easily. The whole process of investing in real estate is like watching a plant grow. However, like a plant that grows surely and steadily, prices of real estate also grow surely and steadily with time.

harry campbell @ Your PF Pro writes Why Should I Donate Blood? - “Give blood today and save some lives.” Doesn’t that sound great? I’m sure you’ve seen some form of that saying around town or in a bulletin floating around work. It seems like there’s always a shortage of blood and never enough donors. My donation days started way back in college with the Red Cross. Once a quarter, in exchange for giving blood, I would receive a coupon for a free Chipotle burrito. That’s all I needed to hear, giving blood became a no-brainer seeing as how I

Hank @ Money Q&A writes What To Do Right Now Before You Lose Your Wallet - Here are tips that you can use right now to make sure that if you lose your wallet it doesn't completely ruin your financial day and worse end in identity theft.

Kevin @ Simplefinancialfreedom writes Renting vs. Buying a Home - The issue of renting vs. buying a home is something every adult has to face at least once in his or her lifetime.

Andrew @ 101 Centavos writes Stupid Friends are Expensive - A moral tale on the uselessness of idiot friends, whereby a young man must make a choice between standing by his old (and stupid) high school chum, and getting on with life.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Run Your Family Finances Like A Business - When we opened oXYGen Financial back in 2008, we introduced two very important financial planning concepts.

Brent @ Save on Money writes 10 Tips for Choosing Solar Power Solutions Read more at http://www.saveonmoney.org/2013/02/10-tips-for-choosing-solar-power.html - one in five households are utilizing some megawatt power to do everything from running their washing machines, dryers, their air conditioners, laptops and listening to music on their iPods. Here are ten tips you should consider when choosing a solar power provider.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Bull Flattener, Bear Flattener, Bull Steepener and Bear Steepener Explained - An explanation of the four different ways the yield curve changes which ware Bull Flatterner, Bear Flattener, Bull Steepener, and Bear Steepener.

Kevin @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes Why Invest in Precious Medals - A metal does not become a good investment just because it is precious. Its relatively higher price in the market today does not automatically promise us that it will grow faster than other assets. However, there definitely are some good reasons why you should invest in precious metals.

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes I Am Actually Excited to Buy My Niece's Birthday Gift - Investments! - I hate how many toys I have in my house because I truly believe that my son just doesn’t care about 92% of the toys. So I think I just see them as wasted money mostly by very generous friends and family. I was expressing my feelings to a buddy when he told me instead of purchasing a gift that his niece or nephew won’t remember he takes the equivalent amount he would have spent and invests it for them.

Kevin @ Passiveincometoretire writes My Top Passive Income Ideas - To build a passive income, we need to own properties that generate a regular income for us with minimal involvement after they have been created. This can be contrasted with working at a job or working for someone for pay, where, at the end of the transaction, we do not or own any income-generating property.

Matt @ Living in Financial Excellence writes Taking Time Off to Recharge: No More Working on Vacation - It’s a good thing to proactively manage your time and stay on top of things. But it’s easy to take it so far that you’re constantly working when you’re supposed to be relaxing. This year while I’m away from home for our vacation, I’m actually taking time off to enjoy the vacation. This blog post is the only “real work” I’m doing this week. Is this a bad business practice?

Jason @ Live Real Now writes Make Extra Money Part 4: Keyword Selection - In this installment of the Make Extra Money series, I’m going to show you how I do keyword research. Properly done–unless you get lucky–this is the single most time-consuming part of making a niche site. If you aren’t targeting search terms that people use, you are wasting your time.

Eddie @ Finance Fox writes Another Riches to Rags Story - Even though I'm certainly not the type to laugh at anyone's misfortunes, riches to rags stories are certainly a huge laugh for me.

MMD @ IRA vs 401k Central writes Roth and Traditional IRA Income Limits – Can I Contribute? - If you don't exceed the Roth and Traditional IRA income limits for 2013, then you may be able to invest more of your money into a fund for tax free growth.

MMD @ My Money Design writes Starting the Next of My Extra Income Ideas – Building a Niche Website - With P2P investing off the table as one of my extra income ideas, my attention has now turned towards a new type of project: Building a niche website.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes Real Estate Law Help - What To Do When You're Facing Eviction - If you’re in the uncomfortable position of facing eviction, especially due to non payment, you can try to stay or you can decide to leave peacefully. If your financial situation has changed, and you can no longer afford the apartment, it may just be best to face reality and move to a more modest apartment you can afford. However, if you’d like to stay in your apartment, there are certain things you can do to improve your chances of being able to do so, if that’s what you would like to

Kevin @ 20smoney.com writes Common Financial Mistakes made by People in their 20s and how to avoid them - Most people start earning their first regular paychecks in their early 20s. However, their financial education is still that of a teenager.

Josh @ Becoming Your Own Bank writes How Banks and the Federal Reserve are Working Hard to Rob America - Ever heard of fractional reserve lending or Fiat money? Check out how the Federal Reserve and banks are hurting us in our latest interview with Mark Thornton, from Ludwig von Mises Institute

Jason @ Work Save Live writes APY vs APR - Understanding the Difference - nterest is expressed either as an annual percentage rate (APR) or as an annual percentage yield (APY). You should understand the difference between these two expressions in order to better understand your money and what you’re really being charged when borrowing money.

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes How'd You Like a House in a Box? - There are many choices out there to make building your own home a little easier, from pre-fab models to House in a Box. House in a box reminds me a little bit of the old-fashioned Sears mail order homes. Though it’s not the same concept (Sears shipped the pre-cut wood to the owner/builder with plans), it’s very similar.

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes The Importance of Planning and Saving for the Future - Most of us realize we should put some regular effort into saving money for our futures. However in reality we don't all manage to do it.

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes How to define simple living money saving tips - A great how to on money saving tips, help you reflect on your attitude and PFJ hot 5 tips on simple living money saving tips.

Passive Income Earner @ The Passive Income Earner writes Dividend News: Rogers Ups Dividends by 10% - 10 percent dividend increase by Rogers Communication, nice increase!

SBB @ Simple Budget Blog writes Diversification Made Simple - Active investing can be quite overwhelming. Not only is it often a new experience for new people, but most people usually do it in passive forms (index or mutual funds). While I’m not a day trader or anywhere close to being an expert investor, I do know that many of the basic rules of investing. The post Diversification Made Simple appeared first on Simple Budget.

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Clipping Coupons: Is it Worth It? - In order to determine whether coupons are worth your time, consider this simple argument.

krantcents @ KrantCents writes A Simple Retirement Plan for You! - Retirement can happen at any time! A typical definition of retirement is the act of leaving one's job and ceasing work. In my parent's generation, you kicked back and did not do much. It was a way of withdrawing or retreating from the work world.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Get Paid $15 to Share Your Favorite Website - Mobile Expressions, a cell phone research group, is giving away free $15 Visa gift cards if you sign up for their study. Here's how to do it..

Ashley @ Money Talks Coaching writes Cash Discount for Car Repairs - Everyone hates car repairs and I'm no different. Nothing feels like throwing money away more than to paying for something you can't see and gives you no

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes My Farming Past Taught Me More than just How to Muck Manure - A former farmer shares money-spending-saving-investing wisdom.

Kevin @ MyDividendStocks writes Dividend Stock Strategies - Dividend refers to the cash payout made by a company to its shareholders. Since a company is a profit-generating enterprise, paying out dividend is one way a company can share its profits with its shareholders, who are part owners of the company.

Mary Rhodes @ Fine Tune Finances writes When to consider leasing a vehicle - Given the right situation, leasing a new car or truck can make more sense than financing it over a long period of time to buy.

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes Obama Student Loan Forgiveness - For many Americans, paying for and living under the weight of student loans has become a way of life. The next four years are starting to look a lot more hopeful thanks to President Obama’s “Pay As You Earn” proposal and Representative Hansen Clarke’s proposed Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes If You Are Struggling with Debt, Do Not Get Pets... - When in debt, avoid the pets. I should know. Our pets have cost us about $3000 in 4 years...

TRL @ The Retired Landlord writes Real Estate for Retirement - Real estate can be an important element of any retirement plan.

Invest It Wisely @ Invest It Wisely writes Romance 101: How to Turn Up the Heat This Valentine's Day - Does Valentine's Day remind you of how sad your romantic life has been? Well, all is not lost, and here’s how you can express your feelings and affection in a special way.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes What Is the Greener Option? Reusable Razors or Disposable? - Try and avoid throw-away disposable razors to be green and save money. Any other option is better but treat yourself to the joy of a really close shave and invest in a straight razor for the greenest option that will definitely save you money.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Stumbles on the way to paying our debt - Last week we were very happy to announce that we had repaid some lb100k ($157k) in a tad over 3 years. But don't believe it was all plain sailing - changing our lives to accommodate budgets and be more careful with money was breaking a (bad) habit of a lifetime.

Money Beagle @ Money Beagle writes Suing S&P Over The Mortgage Crisis Is Crazy - Recently the government announced that they are planning on suing S&P for having given high ratings to mortgage based securities prior to the recent meltdown. If you ask me, it's crazy.

Kanwal @ Simply Investing writes What is Dividend Investing? Why Should You Do It? - Mike from The Dividend Guy Blog and Dividend Stock Analysis wrote a great blog post over at My Own Adivsor that I'd like to share with my readers. Mike discusses the benefits of investing in dividend stocks, and my favourite the section on "Index Investing vs. Dividend Investing" is a must read.

Nick @ A Young Pro writes Losing the Freshman 15 - As a student, you frequently hear the term "The Freshman 15". This is the story of my "Freshman 15" and what I am doing to lose it.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How to Prepare for Life After College - Life after college does not have to be difficult. Preparation, though, must begin as soon as yesterday.

Joe @ Midlife Finance writes Buying A House - Finalizing The Sale - Buying a house — if you’re interested in saving money, effort and time, that is — means careful preparation and planning.

Gary @ Gajizmo.com writes How To Answer Interview Questions - If you are a student graduating this summer, unemployed, or currently employed but looking to make a jump to another company or industry, preparing for an interview is a sure way of making sure you make it to the next round of the process. Here is a list of the most common interview questions you can expect as well as tips and suggestions on how to answer each.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes The Skinny on Renting Out Living Space for Passive Income - Passive income just has a good sound to it. The idea of doing nothing (or, in most cases, very little) and making money is appealing. It's all about finding things you already have and making them work for you. In the case of renting space, you're taking an area that was just sitting around and making it productive.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes It's Going To Be A Big Year For My Family - From my daughter's first day of school to a major announcement about my family's future, I'm looking at some of the big steps on the horizon.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes Buy Cheap Wine For Your Friends But Tell Them It Was Expensive - Five Cent Nickel recently posted about wines prices and perceptions, noting a Freakonomics podcast that discussed the topic. I’ve always been a big fan of Freakonomics, and was even mentioned in their blog way back when I was a college student with an internship. The specific podcast talked about how individals rate cheap and expensive...

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes A Continuation of the Minimum Wage Debate - Evidence and quotations from academic economists on why raising the minimum wage is a bad idea.

William @ Quote Me A Price writes What You Need to Know About Structured Settlements - When a person is fortunate enough to be awarded a settlement or win a large cash prize, many think they will undoubtedly choose to get their money in a large lump sum, but this is not actually the case. Instead, most people choose to get their money through structured settlement payments.

Christina @ MLIQ101 writes Compare Life Insurance Online - Written by a former life insurance agent and broker, this article highlights the pros and cons of whole, universal, and term life insurance as well as discussing the primary differences between permanent and term coverage. If you are looking for a strong overview of life insurance protection, this post can help you determine what types of policies you should be looking at.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Three insurance policies you should have - When devising your personal financial plan, one of the most important things to consider is how best to protect your assets. There is obviously no greater asset to you than your loved ones, which is why should consider taking out a life insurance policy among others.

Girl Meets Debt @ Girl Meets Debt writes Observations of a Former Bank Teller - Many people who know me in my real life are surprised to find out that I went into banking in the first place since I am horrible at math (2+2=let me see check on my Iphone calculator)

Steve @ 2013 Tax writes What Do The IRS And Your Ex-Girlfriend Have In Common? - You Don’t Want To Hear From Either One Of Them

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes Money and Child Raising: Saving for Child's College - A discussion of the pros and cons of saving and investing to help your child pay for their college education when they reach that point.

Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy writes The practicality of joint or separate bank accounts - Where do you stand on joint vs separate bank accounts? Read my take!

Walt @ My Wealth Desire writes Wealth Building Tips – Financial Benefits of Condo Living - Wealthy people are continuously seeking a place they can call it home or a convenient place where they can relax and settle after long hours of working or engaging in any wealth building activities. Luxurious condominium living becomes a well-known lifestyle of modern wealthy urbanites because of the financial benefits that it offers.

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes How Much Does an MBA Really Cost? - On average, you could pay more than $60,000 for a two-year MBA program. But getting your MBA from one of the most prestigious institutions in the United States could cost more than $100,000.

Grayson @ Debt RoundUp writes Budget Fail: Unrealistic Expectations While Shopping - We all shop, but when we go shopping with unrealistic expectations, then we are destined to fail. I blew my budget in one fail swoop by not researching the product I wanted to buy fully before venturing out.

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Financial Lessons Learned From My 80 Year Old Grandma - The original frugalista, my grandmother stayed at home with my mother and didn’t begin working outside of the home, or driving a car until she was in her 40′s. Because they didn’t have a lot of money, grammy knows a whole host of frugal tips and tricks.

John S @ Frugal Rules writes Taking the Plunge: Why I Love Being Self-Employed - Running your own business has its shares of pros and cons and is not for the faint of heart. I love being self-employed because of the freedom it brings as well as being able to see direct results from my hard work.

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Income Tax Is Like A Four Letter Word - Income tax doesn't have to be a four letter word if you plan and maximize on the credits available for your personal or your business returns.

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes The Rise of the 15 Year Mortgage - With interest rates at such low levels, 15 year mortgages have become increasingly popular. Are they right for you?

Jon @ Novel Investor writes Ally Bank Review: The Best Online Bank? - Brick and mortar banks offer most of the same features as their online counterparts. Yet, they still fall short when compared to Ally and other online banks.

Jules Wilson @ Fat Guy,Skinny Wallet writes I’ve Hit A Weight Loss Plateau, So I’m Going To…Increase My Calories??? - For the last few months I have been eating between 1,600 and 1,800 calories each day. I would have to say that over 99% of what I have eaten during this time would be considered to be extremely healthy by

Jules Wilson @ Faithful With a Few writes Don’t Get a Divorce – Unless You Can Afford To! - Unfortunately, divorce and finances have become a part of American life. Find out what financial matters you need to consider if faced with the prospect of divorce!

Mike Collins @ Wealthy Turtle writes Five Reasons You Should Open a Capital One 360 Savings Account Today - Capital One 360 offers higher interest rates and better customer service than brick and mortar banks. Here are 5 reasons I keep my money there.

Glen @ Monster Piggy Bank @ Monster Piggy Bank writes Debt Spiral – Avoid Bankruptcy and Get Help - All about Debt spirals. - what they are - how to know if you are in one - how to get out of one

Thomas @ Finance Inspired writes Are We Spending our Retirement in Poverty? - With many dreaming of the day they can retire, this week we have a look is the grass actually greener on the other side?

John @ WILD about Finance writes Video: What are Savings Bonds? - 1st of the new WILD video series has simple financial matters, explained more simply so anyone can understand. Hill Billy Cindy kicks off this new, fun series.

Simon @ Your Wealth Planners writes Big Money to be made in Student Accommodation - With student numbers constantly on the rise investors have started cashing in on this scale able opportunity.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Bad Credit? Rebuild it With These Secured Credit Card Offers - Using one of the best secured credit card offers can help you build, or re-build, and improve your credit an get you on your way to getting an unsecured card.

Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents writes #Tag: Getting to Know the “Person” Behind the Personal Finance Blog - Girl Meets Debt made a fun questionnaire so that everyone could get to know each other a little better. Cait, Tonya, and Krystal all took part and now of course I want to take part.

Jason @ PT Money writes 5 Ways to Increase Your Income - When becoming financially sound, you have 2 options: either decrease your spending or increase your income. Often, people focus on the former instead of the latter, but there are some things you can do to bring home more money instead of simply trimming spending.

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Prepare to Pay to Stay Healthy in Retirement - The average American underestimates retirement healthcare costs by 48%. What can you do about this cognitive shortcoming?

JC @ Passive-Income-Pursuit @ Passive Income Pursuit writes Dividend Update - February 2013 - It was a solid month of dividends that keep helping me reach my goal of early FI.

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes S&P Dividend Aristocrats Index – An Incomplete List For Dividend Investors - When I was first getting started with dividend growth investing, one of the biggest authorities on dividend investing was the S&P Dividend Aristocrats Index. This list of stocks was compiled by a respectable agency and included companies which had raised dividends for at least a quarter of a century each. However, as I gained more experience in dividend investing, I realized that it is not complete.

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