The next-generation Blackberry 9900 “Bold”

On average, Blackberries cost more than typical mobile phones, both up-front and in monthly service charges. In my case, the Blackberry cost about $200 more than a regular mobile phone, and costs me $20 additional on my monthly bill for unlimited email and internet use.

Yes, I bought my Blackberry, in part, to be able to check my personal email anywhere, but I also got it because it would allow me to keep an eye on my work email, too. At the time, I think I justified the purchase by calling it an “investment” in my career.

Since my employer hasn’t given me a Blackberry, there is no expectation that I reply to emails at midnight, but I might choose to if I see something from an important client. After all, that could be the ticket to a big deal, or even better, a big promotion.

After having my Blackberry for over a year, the harsh reality is that this doesn’t happen that often, if at all. Yes, I enjoy reading work emails as they come in, even if I’m sitting on a plane waiting to take off, but the instances in which I can do something about an email right then and there are few and far between.

Even in the world of Blackberries, if it is that important, we should all still pick up the phone.

When it comes down to it, I realize I’m paying the extra money for a cooler-than-ordinary phone and that it’s not that much of an “investment”. Of course, if I was on the road all the time, and frequently needed to handle emails when I couldn’t get to my computer, a Blackberry might seem more like a necessity.

Do you spend money on, or “invest” in, things that further your career?

Since anybody with good credit can get a business credit card, this is a perfect chance to make an easy $100 just by getting approved and making your first purchase with the card. A business card can be the perfect way to separate your personal and business expenses, whether you work for yourself, own a small business, or simply incur frequent reimbursable expenses at work.

This is a great credit card in other ways too. Its features, according to Discover®, include:

• 0% Intro APR* on Balance Transfers and Card Purchases for 12 months
• 5% Cashback Bonus® on office supplies, 2% on gas, up to 1% on all other purchases
• Earn 5 to 20% Cashback Bonus at top retailers through Discover’s exclusive online shopping site
• No Annual Fee
• Fee-free Purchase checks that earn Cashback Bonus® to pay merchants who don’t accept credit cards
• Free employee cards with customizable limits and monthly reporting on their spending

Apply now to take advantage of this $100 Cash Back Bonus!

In this Quicken Online Edition Review, I take a look at some of Quicken Online’s features, strengths and weaknesses, and possible uses.

What Quicken Online Offers

For just $2.99 per month (after a 30-day free trial), Quicken Online will automatically update itself from your bank accounts and credit cards every night, provide bill payment reminders via text message or email, and allow you to create and track detailed personal budgets, all while protecting your financial information with state-of-the-art security features.

Quicken Online allows you to view invoices, transaction details, account balances, and more anywhere you can get online. You can also create charts and graphs that quickly analyze your spending habits.

What Quicken Online Lacks

Due to its fairly low price and younger target audience, users experienced with Quicken desktop software will find Quicken Online to be fairly “light” on features. Quicken Online does not support investment tracking, nor can it export data to Quicken Desktop or integrate with TurboTax. Expect some of these features to be added, however, as Quicken determines what users want.

Quicken Online Security

Quicken Online is as secure as any financial institution’s website, perhaps even more so. Quicken requires more than just a username and password to login to your account. In addition, Quicken will not store your account numbers, and SSL and 128 bit encryption makes your financial data unreadable as it is transferred to Quicken online.

The only downside to all this security is that it can be difficult to initially link some bank accounts to update Quicken. (Though this is not unique to Quicken – it also happens with similar programs like Yodlee, Mint, and Mvelopes). The good news is once your accounts are linked, updates will be automatic going forward.

Final Thoughts

Quicken Online is the perfect introduction to using technology to manage your money, and a great deal for just $2.99 per month. If you’ve never used Quicken before, I strongly recommend you try Quicken Online Edition for free.

You may also want to compare Quicken Online to Mvelopes, another online budgeting tool that also offers a free 30-day trial.

My dream wallet has just one credit card, one debit card, my ID, my health insurance card, and a bit over $100 cash for emergencies. That’s it!

For the ultimate in financial simplicity, I would also pick the right credit and debit cards.

American Express Blue or Blue Cash would be my credit card. Blue if I still had a balance to carry due to its low regular APR, and Blue Cash for when I’m finally done with credit card balances (can’t wait!), because of the great cash rewards.

Then I’d have my ING Electric Orange debit MasterCard linked to my interest-bearing ING checking account. The only times I’d use this would be to get cash or in the event a merchant didn’t take Amex. (This is becoming less and less common, at least where I shop).

Of course, I’d also need my license, and for emergencies, my health insurance card.

I’m not to this degree of simplicity yet, as I still have two credit cards, one for work and one for personal expenses, as well as my local credit union debit card, because I haven’t switched over completely to my ING account. But I still keep my wallet pretty slim.

Do you have a simple or cluttered wallet?

Each week, the carnival features the best personal finance blogging on the Web. In this week’s carnival you’ll find money-saving tips, ideas for your investments, commentaries on taxes and the economy, and even a couple of financial posts inspired by Mother’s Day!

In This Edition

• Editor’s Picks
• Mother’s Day Posts
• Relevant to Money Under 30 Readers
• Originally Omitted Posts

• Saving and Frugal Tips
• Credit and Debt
• Financial Planning and Investing
• Real Estate
• Taxes

• The Economy
• Budgeting and Money Management
• Other
• About the Carnival

Photo by pasma.

Editor’s Picks

Do you frequently fall victim to impulse buys from store checkout aisles and displays? If so, check out You Don’t Need That! 8 Tricks for Impulse Control at I’ve Paid For This Twice Already.

Kevin from No Debt Plan has a post that is humorous, but also dead-on. Check out his post 10 Steps to Avoid Becoming a Millionaire, and if you are doing any of these things, stop!

Is your portfolio in a rut? MoneyNing looks back on his investments year-to-date and rehashes some investing basics that have taken him from a yield of -99.79% to +9.99% so far this year. And, if you’re good at keeping your monthly budget, but loose track of cash purchases, Dorian Wales from The Personal Financier reflects on four ways to account for cash expenditures in your budget. Finally, you spend a lot of time building your financial security, but Megan from A Dollar a Day asks are you ready for a disaster?

Mother’s Day

I have to give a nod to two posts inspired by mom’s day yesterday: Shuchong from But WHY Doesn’t It Grow on Trees reflects on financial lessons learned from mom, and Finance Girl from Finance Gets Personal wrote about giving mom an experience for Mother’s Day… of course this is also good for father’s day, a birthday, or anybody deserving!

Relevant to Money Under 30 Readers

Before I dive into the bulk of carnival posts, there are a few more I wanted to highlight for this blog’s regular readers. Ben from Money Smart Life covers health insurance options for recent graduates, GBlogger from Can I Get Rich On A Salary lists generalizations made about Generation Y and money and ponders whether any are accurate. Steve from brip blap talks about how the smartest financial move he made in college was learning a foreign language. Also, Denina covers five avoidable money mistakes students make.

Omitted Posts

Due to a glitch in the email host that collects submissions, the following posts were omitted when the carnival was first posted. Sorry! They are here now, and the carnival organizers are working on fixing the delay in submissions.

Foxie from Dreaming of Ferraris is focusing on the future, learning to balance paying for past mistakes, spending a little now, and saving for the future. Junger from Online Savings Blog asks What Would You Do For $1 Million?.

Kyle from Amateur Asset Allocator takes a look at the attributes of a good dividend stock. Four Pillars from Quest For Four Pillars explains why zero down payment on a house is just fine.

The Financial Blogger presents Conquering The World From Your Bedroom. Todd from Harvesting Dollars presents Index Funds Are A Commodity, and Checking Accounts Are Too. Eden from Finance and Fat looks at Prosper.com, and asks: Why Bother?

Saving Money and Frugal Tips

Seeking strategies to supercharge your savings? Lazy Man and Money shows you how to snowflake an emergency fund, and Bob from Christian Personal Finances suggests living a minimalist life. Need a thing or two? Mrs. NtJS from Not the Jet Set tells you how to shop garage sales like a pro. And for anything you can’t sell at the garage sale, Free Money Finance recommends you throw it out to avoid spending $3k a year on storage.

Mighty Bargain Hunter is impressed with Amazon’s food selection, while Free From Broke is keeping costs down on oil changes. J. Savings from Budgets are Sexy needs your help with a list of 100 bargains for $1.00 or less!, while Biff from basicfinancial is learning to have fun while being frugal.

If fuel prices have gotten you down, Living the Cheap Life tells you how to get a free haircut, Maria O’Brien at Financial Tips suggests buying locally grown food, Margaret from You Might as Well Burn $5! suggests saving on food with a price book, and Sun from The Sun’s Financial Diary provides some tips to save money on fuel itself from Consumer Reports. Also, Chief Family Officer asks Why roll over ECBs at CVS?

Looking for something fun (and free) to do with the kids? Amy at The Q Family suggests taking them to this free family activity at Home Depot. Speaking of kids, Bill from Money Hacks recently learned just how much his wife’s work is worth. Moving soon? Shawna from Bumblefucked has some words of warning for anybody who is moving as she explains how changing her address cost her $75. Finally, Mom from Wide Open Wallet writes about why what you drive does not equal what you are worth in Millionaires Drive Minivans.

Credit and Debt

Debt Freedom Fighter tells the story of getting into lots of debt, and how he plans to get out with the post: Record Breaking Debt: How did We Get This Way and How Do We Get Out SGM from Single Guy Money looks back at his year of finances as he tries to get out of debt. In debt yourself? Perhaps you’re wondering: do you need a credit history to get a cell phone? Mrs. Micah fills you in. Meanwhile, Ryan from Uncommon Cents talks about 401(k) Loans.

Jonathan from Master Your Card discusses the differences between good debt and bad debt, FIRE Finance warns about the over limit fees on the Citi CashReturns card, and Feminist Finance writes about marrying debt.

Ashley from College of Cash hates being angry and stressed about loans, Lisa Spinelli from Greener Pastures I had a dream she maxed out her credit cards (sounds like a nightmare), and Shana from Smart Easy Money presents an alternative look at her history with credit. Amanda from Me vs Debt got her FICO score into the 700s (congrats!), meaning she could probably get approved for Credit Addict’s three best credit cards. Speaking of credit cards, Mr Credit Card reflects on the Fed’s proposed rules for credit card banks.

Financial Planning and Investing

The legendary Sequoia Fund has reopened to new investors, but Dan from Everyday Finance asks whether you should avoid this fund.

Relliksc from Goal of Financial Freedom tells you why to put time and money on your side.

Jim from Blueprint for Financial Prosperity takes a look at the best online brokers.

Clint from Accumulating Money tells you why you need life insurance and Squawkfox points out how to buy it without getting screwed. FiveCentNickel shares his investment portfolio’s asset allocation and location, while My Retirement Blog reviews Sharebuilder IRA.

Pinyo from Moolanomy presents a roadmap to better financial health and The Dividend Guy looks at why most mutual fund managers under-perform the market. Enoch Ko from The Wealth Accumulator asks What is your risk (or volatility) tolerance?

Henry Stern InsureBlog discusses ways to shelter your assets should you need long term care. Jacob from All About The Ben takes a detailed look at PharmaNet Development Group Inc.. Dividend Growth Investor presents Valspar Corporation (VAL) Dividend Analysis. Raymond from Money Blue Book Finance looks at Warren Buffett’s single most important piece of advice for stock market investors, Barb from Pasadena Financial Planner writes about independent investment counselors and financial advisors, and Smarty from Growing Money takes a look at his goals and progress in 2008.

Dividends4Life looks at whether stock dividends are worthless and Journey 2 Retirement points out why you should not chase the highest yield, and The MoneyGardener presents ways tohedge yourself against rising gasoline costs.

Real Estate

Not many folks wrote about real estate this week, but Dan Melson from Searchlight Crusade discusses how to write real estate offers that can beat out a higher competing offer. Hunting Happiness writes about beginning experiences in residential investment properties, and Steve Faber from Debt Free looks at the dangers of reverse mortgages.

Taxes

Wonder where the presidential candidates stand on taxes? DR from Dough Roller presents Presidential Candidates’ Tax Proposals–A Complete Guide. Speaking of federal taxes, Hank from My Investing Blog asks: What Do You Say About Dumping Our National Income Tax And Switching To A National Sales Tax?.

Still looking for your rebate? Paula Wethington from Monroe on a Budget asks: Are you really on the IRS direct depost list? Meanwhile, Broke Grad Student is still waiting for the 2008 tax rebate. Prime Time Money suggests you use your tax rebate to get free groceries. Finally, ever wondered how sales tax applies to online resources? Anthoney Grigsby from HelpMyCashGrow.com checks it out with his post: Amazon.com vs. New York & The Internet sales tax.

The Economy

Gather Little by Little shares what you need to do now to survive a recession, while Chris Kakaras shares some sobering facts about the state of our country’s personal finances in this situation analysis. The Money Kings thinks GM should stop pretending to be a green company, and Heather Allen from DebtFree Playbook Blog looks at the language of money and how the economic landscape changes the way we speak.

Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck asks: Are you in love with a possible recession? Shadox from Money and Such has some ideas for finding a job in a difficult economy.

Budgeting and Money Management

Luke from Money & Fitness Blog takes a look at dealing with joint finances, and Bryce from Save and Conquer presents what to do if you receive unexpected money.

It’s one thing to set a budget for your family vacation, and another thing entirely to stick to it once you are on the road. Here are easy tips for living within your budget, even while you’re on vacation, from Debbie at DeliciousBaby.

MITBeta from Don’t Feed The Alligators explains how to use Google apps to track spending, while Joe D from Know The Ledge recommends keeping a lean checking account.

Shannon Christman from Saving Advice Blog presents ten great bits of financial advice, and from American Consumer News points out that with the increase in electronic payments, it’s not so easy to float checks anymore. AndyS from Saving to Invest recommends starting to budget for $5 gas, and Andy from Finance Viewpoint answers some reader questions about taxes and allocating $100k.

Last but certainly not least, Debbie from Destroy Debt offers some pointers for spending less to free up available income.

Other

Fathersez looks at how applying Kaizen, the Japanese science of continual improvement in our daily lives, can help us improve our personal finances, while Aryn from Sound Money Matters asks How much car insurance do you need? The Happy Rock discusses simplifying your finances, and Super Saver from My Wealth Builder tells you how to identify and avoid advertising mind tricks.

Deepali from Paradigm Shifted suggests that wealth is not a material gain, but a state of mind, Kaye from Mrs Nespy’s World presents teaching children about money, part two (giving). My Money Adventure lets us in on the personal finance book I’m going to “read”.

About the Carnival of Personal Finance

The Carnival of Personal Finance is the Web’s premier weekly collection of blog articles on financial topics. Bloggers are invited to submit articles for consideration before 5 p.m. Eastern time each Sunday. Next week’s Carnival will be hosted at Canadian Dream: Free at 45.