The Carnival of Smarter Investing #19

Joe Manausa presents How To Dispute Your Property Taxes posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog, saying, "As long as the assessed value does not exceed the market value they will raise the assessed value, so it is important to know what your property is worth today!"

Manoj Thulasidas presents Commodity Prices -- Who is Holding the Cards? posted at Unreal Blog, saying, "Here is a look at the causes and effects of the surge in food and energy prices. Among the myriad of economic reasons conjectured to be behind this so-called silent tsunami, I feel that the influx of institutional investment and speculation is the most likely cause. Originally written for the Wilmott Magazine, this article contains a bit of technical analysis."

David presents Investment Opportunities in Energy Independence posted at Physician Entrepreneur, saying, "Most likely, oil prices will not be going below $60/barrel, and this will encourage continued attention and investment in making America more energy independent. This represents an opportunity both for America, but also for those who invest in this trend. See the full article for details."

Dorian Wales presents How to Invest Wisely In a Bear Market? posted at The Personal Financier, saying, "Bear markets present a challenge for any investor with the end never in sight. How do we invest wisely in a bear market?"

Greg Swann presents Introduction to "A consumer's guide to the divorced real estate commission" - the eBook posted at BloodhoundBlog.

KCLau presents How not to Spend that Money? posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "Article on how to prevent spending unnecessary money. Also 3 methods on how to do so."

Jody T Fransch presents Tips to Managing Student Finances posted at jody fransch.

Praveen presents Lehman, Merril Lynch, and AIG Lead to The "Unbubble" posted at My Simple Trading System.

Business

Scott Palat presents How To Acquire Students for Your E-tutoring Business posted at Scott Palat.

Brice Hogan presents Independent Profit Center The Review posted at My World | Independent Profit Center, saying, "This is a review of a very good business opportunity I have recommended to many of my clients to create extra income."

Bankruptcy Access presents File Chapter 7 Bankruptcy posted at BankruptcyAccess.com, saying, "A guide to filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy if any entrepreneurs need it! Prepare ahead. :)"

Jacqueline Lloyd presents 10 Tips On How To Invest During A Global Recession posted at Precious Metal Investment.

Jacqueline Lloyd presents Nuclear Power is Coming Your Way posted at Precious Metal Investment.

Finance Tips 101 presents 6 Tips To Help To Protect Your Social Security Number posted at Finance Tips 101.

Entrepreneurial

Leorita Seneres-Velasquez presents Money Matters: Hobbies for Business posted at Money Matters.

Jay M presents Entrepreneurship in the conceptual economy - endless opportunities posted at 4 entrepreneur, saying, "a guide for entrepreneurs to navigate in the conceptual economy"

Financing

KCLau presents How a medium family can retire comfortably (Real Life Case Study) posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "a success story about a frugal family. If everyone learn to manage cash flow like they do, there will be no financial problem in Malaysia."

Cyberslacking presents Cyberslacking tools on-line posted at Glowicki ProBlogger - Blogging Tips, saying, "bored in job? here you have tools to cyberslack and some decent ideas!"

Investing Angel presents Investments To Avoid posted at Stock Tips, saying, "Certain types of investments should just be avoided by beginner investors."

General Investing

Raag Vamdatt presents When “at-par” is not so good: New Fund Offer (NFO) versus existing MF schemes :: RaagVamdatt.com :: Financial Planning demystified posted at RaagVamdatt.com.

Kevin presents The 120 Minus Your Age Stock Allocation Formula posted at No Debt Plan, saying, "The old rule of thumb of "100 minus your age = stock allocation" is out. It's time to update the rulebook. People are living longer and wanting to retire earlier. We need more stocks in our portfolio to succeed."

Zach Scheidt presents China Medical Technologies, Inc. (ADR) (CMED) - Two Steps Forward, One Step Back posted at ZachStocks, saying, "China Medical is a strong company offering a unique opportunity. The shares are lower due to a security offering last week that added supply to the market. The company continues to grow revenue and earnings and operates in an attractive sector."

Wilfrid presents Are TIPS A Good Investment? posted at Your Finish Rich Plan, saying, "Protection against the ravages of inflation should be an integral part of every investor's long-term strategy"

Michael Cintolo presents A Booming Chinese Investment posted at The Iconoclast Investor, saying, "Stocks"

Del Sandeen presents How to Get the Most Out of Your 401(k) posted at Fiscal Liberty.

texasdave presents Forex Trading posted at Make Cash Online.

Sandy Naidu presents Top 5 Dirty Little Credit Card Tricks posted at Future Nest Egg.

One Family presents Trina Solar (TSL) – Outlook posted at One Family's Blog, saying, "The post presents an analysis of Trina Solar (TSL) stock valuation."

Leon Gettler presents Volatility rules posted at Sox First, saying, "The US market has taken a hammering. Volatile times, perfect for for a trader with the agility of Spider-Man and the mathematical chops of Steven Hawking, but for everyone else, it's just frustrating. Get used to it! Volatility is significantly greater in down markets than boom markets. The reason? Traders, like gamblers, chase losses. If they've lost lots of money, it's tempting to make big bets to try and get it back."

Elizabeth Potts Weinstein presents Investment Fraud: If It’s Too Good to Be True … posted at The Wealth Spa, saying, "There are legitimate alternative investments that, while risky, do provide a way to diversify your investments, and have a potential for large appreciation or cash flow. But how do you evaluate a great business opportunity or investment to decide if it is real or just a scam?"

The Stock Teacher presents Speculating On The Election posted at Stock Investment, saying, "If you think McCain is going to win the election, certain stocks may be worth betting on."

Sun presents What Have I Bought with My Zecco Play Money? posted at The Sun’s Financial Diary.

Joshua Dorkin presents Gambling at the Foreclosure Auction: High Stakes posted at Real Estate Investing For Real.

Ella Moss presents IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID! « Zodiac Times posted at Zodiac Times, saying, "possible solutions for today's economy"

Michael Cintolo presents 10 Observations About This Financial Storm posted at The Iconoclast Investor.

General Real Estate

Ace Elliott presents Avoiding Mortgage Foreclosure posted at Care on Credit, saying, "As the home mortgage market sways find out what you can do to anchor yourself and weather the foreclosure storm."

Amy L. presents How to Find an Affordable and Safe Place to Live posted at Housekeeping Tips, saying, "Without question, the downsizing of our economy is forcing many people to reconsider where they're living and whether or not they can really afford it."

Dave Peeples presents Government Intervention to Cause Short Sale Boom posted at Dave Peeples, saying, "According to the Wall Street Journal, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be taken over by the United States Treasury Department as early as this Sunday. Many speculate that this move is made with the intentions of attemtping to restore confidence in the housing market, reduce borrowing rates, and to appease foreign governments that have invested in Fannie and Freddie. The impact on lender willingness and ability to process short sales is expected to cause short sales to surge."

Joe Manausa presents The Sign Is Up - Is Your Home Sold? posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog, saying, "During the booming real estate market of 2004-2006, it seemed all a homeowner had to do to sell a home was put a sign in the yard and then start evaluating offers. This is not so much the case anymore, we are back to a “normal” real estate market, where buyers are drawn to value."

That's it for this edition of CoSI. Thanks again for the great above submissions, and a huge and ever present thanks to our rapidly expanding base of loyal readers. And remember, if you’ve got something to say regarding real estate investing, general investing, business, entrepreneurship or small business management, get it written up and submit it today! We’re always looking for more article submissions. So get writing!! Thanks for reading, and see you back here soon!!