http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance The latest news brought to you by MySpace! Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:25:45 GMT http://newscdn.myspace.com/web.2.24/content/springwidget/personalfinance.xml http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19054736 talk about “Keeping up with the Joneses”, I spent the first 20 years of my life never knowing what that meant. Sweaters became suits, my pager was traded-up for a cellphone, and $2 taco dinners at the dive down the street gave way to $9 wings at the upscale Wise Bread Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:44:44 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19054736 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19053629 Violating every conceivable standard of decency, the Grocery Shrink Ray has unleashed a heartless attack on baby cheese. Mini Babybels, those adorably pudgy wax-encrusted cheese cylinders, were once allowed to grow until they reached 132 grams. I thought I'd The Consumerist Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:00:10 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19053629 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19049989 Stocks could be in for further pressure next week, as surging crude oil prices threaten to tip the broad market more convincingly into bear-market territory. Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Monday's session are Marshall & MarketWatch.com: Top Stories Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:00:08 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19049989 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19050719 According to research by Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economist, quoted in an article in the Washington Post, “being wealthy is often a powerful predictor that people spend less time doing pleasurable things and more time doing All Financial Matters Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:04:05 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19050719 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/business/yourmoney/06fund.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss While you’re probably not happy with the returns of your portfolio right now, if you have been a conservative, diversified investor, you may well be doing better than the overall stock market NYTimes: Your Money Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:23:41 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/business/yourmoney/06fund.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19047553 That being said, I understand why people think check cashing stores are ripoffs and why they should be regulated more. I think they serve a purpose, giving those without bank accounts access to their funds, but their fees are extraordinary and deserve Blueprint for Financial Prosperity Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:37:29 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19047553 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19047240 Here are the top approaches you should use to find the "extra" money necessary: Budget No one likes the word, and fewer like the action. However, the more detailed your budget the more control you'll have over your money and the more likely you'll uncover TheStreet.com: Retirement Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19047240 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19048813 When we think of the 4th of July, it typically conjures up images of fireworks, cookouts, and time with friends and family. This turning point serves as a good reminder to look back at our financial goals and progress made during those first six months. It About.com: Financial Planning Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:58:10 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19048813 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19047014 Aracruz Celulose (NYSE: ARA), the world's leading producer of bleached pulp, reports its quarterly financials. Tuesday Sealy (NYSE: ZZ) springs to life on Tuesday, as the mattress maker chimes in. However, recent weakness at innovative sleepsmiths, like Sleep Number bed manufacturer Select Comfort Motley Fool Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:33:21 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19047014 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19046482 The message that the government lies to us about inflation and, as a result, quietly confiscates hundreds of billions of dollars from its citizens isn't the easiest message to swallow. More Americans have come to mistrust official inflation statistics, and Free Money Finance Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:08:00 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19046482 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19053296 As gas prices hit a new high Saturday, Americans were seen cutting back on travel over the holiday weekend. With such heady fuel costs, AAA estimates that the number of Americans traveling during the Fourth of July holiday travel period fell for the first MarketWatch.com: Top Stories Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:07:00 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19053296 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19051121 Saving money at the supermarket has never been more important or difficult thanks to the tag team threat of inflation and the Grocery Shrink Ray. Get Rich Slowly published 15 money-saving tips to help you hold onto your hard-earned cash. Lists focus your The Consumerist Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:23:16 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19051121 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19042918 Medicare to start comparing nursing homes with star ratings 09:49 PM CDT on Friday, July 4, 2008 By BOB MOOS / The Dallas Morning News bmoos@dallasnews.com And the federal agency says it will launch a five-star rating system on its Nursing Home Compare Web DallasNews.com: Personal Finance Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:49:00 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19042918 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19042266 note to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July. We slept in this morning and then had a fairly lazy day, though we did go our to see Hancock. It rained late this afternoon, and our kids don’t handle late nights well at all, so we skipped the fireworks Five Cent Nickel Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:03:18 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19042266 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19027275 markets are closed Friday for the July 4th holiday, but after the way the third quarter has begun, traders may not be itching for the next opening bell. Next week, traders will wrestle with the latest reading of the Pending Home Sales Index and the preliminary July reading of the Index of Consumer Smartmoney.com: University Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:03:41 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19027275 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/realestate/06mort.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss New York’s borrowers could notice a different tone in their discussions with mortgage brokers in coming months NYTimes: Your Money Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:45:32 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/realestate/06mort.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19029838 Something you may see many other personal finance bloggers do is a weekly article roundup. These roundups highlight the blogger’s favorite articles from across the PF blog world for the past week. So this first roundup will just include the PFN, while future roundups will include all other Clever Dude Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:22:10 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19029838 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19024627 If you live in a smaller area, your library may not have as many offerings but they probably have many things that would be of interest to you. Most libraries offer free check out privileges for local residents or there may be a small charge to obtain a card. Our library now offers audio books on Personal Finance Advice Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:01:05 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19024627 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19027954 John T. Connor, manager of the Third Millenium Russia fund (TMRFX) and author of "Out of the Red: Investment and Capitalism in Russia," says that the former Soviet Union is the overlooked member of the BRIC emerging markets nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China), and is much more stable and Marketwatch: Personal Finance Tips Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:01:01 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19027954 http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19047019 Make it a Blockbuster flight As its investors sighed with relief, Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) decided not to make a play for struggling consumer electronics superstore chain Circuit City (NYSE: CC) after all. Acquiring Circuit City would have given Blockbuster a recognized brand to move everything from Motley Fool Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:33:21 GMT http://news.myspace.com/business/personalfinance/item/19047019