Have you keyed into the financial information bounty that is Tip’d?

Tip’d is a community for financial news, ideas and tips. It operates as a social media platform, meaning the community (you) decides which news stories and investing tips should be published on our homepage. Tip’d users vote on stories they like by clicking the ‘Tip it’ button that appears next to each story, and then can comment by pressing the ‘Discuss’ link below the story.

Tip’d is a repository of interesting posts and articles in 10 different categories. You may submit your own blog posts.

Tip’d is like Technorati and Digg in that you decide what finance or investing article is informative and should be Tip’d. It’s a great place to do research or quickly scan the latest financial articles. It’s a great resource.

The Hairy Armpit Gang (HAG) works for their own best interests. Don’t get blinded by their alleged pedigree — education, supposed knowledge, or white collar persona. The Hairy Armpit Gang is made up of crooks. They are predators. You need to protect yourself to not become a next victim. You must take a leaf from their operating philosophy and work for your own best interests.

The HAG is another reason why you want to learn more about money. Why you must understand more, ask questions until you understand the issue, and feel confident enough to take care of your money. Then you can begin to trust. And verify (the information received, your account balance) often. No one will do it for you.

Financial Fraud Is UnAmerican

Financial fraud is bad. It hurts people and screws up our economy. The fraudsters do not care who gets caught in their trap. Financial fraud is fundamental disrespect for all of us.

If the fallout of the $700 Billion financial bailout package has not been made clear to you, let me share my thoughts. My mini rant. Listen up.

We are bailing out people and corporations who knowingly traded worthless securities around the globe. They HAD to know the value of packaged sub-prime securities was decreasing, and would continue to do so. They HAD to know the significant risk inherent in this class of securities. They HAD to know that some banks, investment houses and others would be left holding a bag of worthless paper.

What’s UP with that? How do you deliberately make decisions that will hurt the economy in your own country? What manner of privilege allows one to think he or she has the right to screw the people and the country? I don’t get it. Maybe I can’t get it because I’m not a member of this privileged American minority group. However, this reminds me of the insensitive arrogance of the corporate boards of directors that decided outsourcing American jobs was a viable way to grow their businesses. Whose best interests were they maximizing? What were they thinking?

What makes us think we can trust a bunch of self-serving, highly-privileged guys without regulatory oversight of their actions? What victim mentality allows us to delude ourselves into believing our monies are safe with these people? What naive part of us would have assumed they would “do the right thing?” Puhleese.

As the economy weakens, the unmasking of financial fraudsters will grow. There will be more like Bernard Madoff, “The Most Hated Man in New York.” Madoff was charged with one count of fraud last week, having confessed to creating a huge Ponzi scheme with estimated losses of $50 billion.

My Mom always said, “God bless the child that’s got her own.” I add, God bless the woman who knows how to manage her own.

Your money talks. Make sure you are listening.

As you move further into holiday shopping, cover your ass(ets) by keeping these simple money management tips in mind. They will help to infuse your buying behavior with knowledge, caution and confidence.

• Assets make you money. Examples of assets are investments in profitable real estate, businesses, and appreciating stocks.

• Liabilities cost you money. Liabilities include the mortgage on your home and the lease on your car. Don’t get confused. Your home is an asset on the mortgage holder’s balance sheet. Until it’s paid for, your home is a liability on your balance sheet.

• Doodads are impulse purchases that decrease your cash flow. Doodads are eye candy that you think will make you happy, healthy, sexy and confident. They don’t. Doodads provide momentary pleasure while depleting your cash. Leave them in the store. You have bigger dreams to realize.

It was playing Robert Kiyosaki’s Ca$hflow game that helped me *get* these financial facts. If you haven’t played it, I recommend that you do. Play it often. I agree with Rich Dad’s claim — ‘The more you play this game, the richer you become.”

Ca$hflow would be a wonderful gift for your family and friends. It’s a gift that keeps on giving you knowledge, investing experience, and exposure to the world of finance. It teaches you how to get out of the Rat Race — where you’re a paycheck or contract away from big time money troubles. This knowledge is especially important in these times of economic uncertainty.

• Free is good. Market Watch’s Free is Priceless includes specials in finance, entertainment, books and guides that are well worth checking out.

What sites have you found to reduce your holiday expense? Do you know other personal finance and wealth building games? Share the links with us. Thanks!

Let’s thrive!

Judith

Image by bradipo via Flickr

You can learn more about personal finance, investing, budgeting, and spending consciously by reading personal finance blogs online. It’s been an enjoyable way to brush up on topics I am familiar with, and an easy way to  learn new subjects I hadn’t considered.

I started reading personal finance blogs after I started writing this blog. The personal finance niche appears to be a low-key group of bloggers. But any niche compared to the Internet Marketing niche, with which I’m more familiar, is low key. The personal finance niche doesn’t seem to promote themselves as broadly. At any rate, I wasn’t reading these blogs. Big mistake! I should have.

Now I subscribe by email to these blogs. I subscribe to the email feeder so the posts don’t get lost in the clutter of my RSS reader.

Click, read, learn more and enjoy the process. You’ll be amazed at how much more you understand about money, and how quickly you’ll become very knowledgeable. You might as well become your own expert money adviser.

Tough Money Love

It’s too bad no one had earlier explained to the Jones that “living within your means” is a function of income and outgo, not asset appreciation and outgo.  It’s also too bad that financial writers in the Times and other media outlets didn’t jump on this issue two or more years ago, when the real estate bubble was still growing instead of blowing up.

I Will Teach You To Be Rich

Today’s tip is to never pay retail prices for clothes again using some sites you’ve heard of, and a bunch of sites I bet you haven’t.

My Money Blog

Dilbert’s One-Page Guide to Everything Financial

Get Rich Slowly

But what happens when you add children to the mix? How do you plan for them and for yourself at the same time?

Taxes Made Simple

Filling out a W-9 is pretty easy. On the first line, simply enter your legal name (if a sole proprietorship) or the legal name of your business (if an LLC, corporation, or partnership).

I’m impressed with the quality of the content shared by the wise people who write these personal finance blogs. I believe you will be too. Let me know what you found most informative. Your comments are welcome and appreciated.

My favorite finance-related blogs are coming soon. Share your favorites too. Thank you!

Warmly,

Judith

Join me Friday, December 12 on Blog Talk Radio’s The Passion Project with host Katherine Reschke. We will discuss how to prepare your 2009 Income Plan.

Katherine and I will also talk about how to stay open to abundance and prosperity during a widely-reported economic downturn.

The show airs live at noon EST (11am CST, 10am MST, 9am PST and 5pm GMT) on Friday at BTR’s The Passion Project.

I’d love it if you can join us in the chat room for the live show. If your schedule does not allow that, please click to replay the show at your convenience.

Let me know what you think about our discussion. Share with us in a comment how your planning is coming along, and what tips you use to prepare your Income Plan. Thanks!

Warmly,

Judith