Welcome to Consumerism Commentary! This website was one of the first blogs to focus on money from a personal finance perspective, and Flexo was the first blogger to share monthly financial updates, such as his net worth statement, with no restrictions. Consumerism Commentary is now a premier personal finance blog offering daily articles stemming from current events and events in the author’s own life.

About the Staff and Writers | Contact Us | Consumerism Commentary in the Press

Vision, Mission, and Purposes

The Vision of Consumerism Commentary shall be to exist in a world where people live fulfilling and financially stable lives.

The Mission of Consumerism Commentary shall be to develop financially literate, capable, and successful human beings by sharing educational, entertaining, and engaging writing.

The Original Purpose of Consumerism Commentary shall be to hold myself accountable for my finances and my decisions.

The Five Purposes of Consumerism Commentary shall be

• to encourage consumers to step back from the automatic and think about their choices;
• to develop in readers a desire to improve their finances;
• to support financially sound practices for the home and workplace;
• to foster independent, secure, and free financial lives; and
• to instill in all people a drive for excellence.

Consumerism Commentary is a personal finance blog. The writers are not necessarily financial professionals, so readers should not make any important decisions based on the information published here alone. If you want specific, personalized financial advice, seek a trained financial adviser.

A brief history

Flexo, known otherwise as Luke Landes, created Consumerism Commentary in 2003 in order to hold himself accountable for the state and progress of his own finances. “Although I had a rocky experience with my money following my undergraduate studies, by the time I started this blog I was on the path to being in decent financial shape. In order to take the next step, I believed starting a blog would help. My plan was to regularly publish my account balances and spending information so I could publicly track them over time and perhaps gain support from readers.”

Today, Flexo is back on his feet financially and his blog is one of the leaders of the now burgeoning financial blog community. Consumerism Commentary offers tips and reviews of financial products such as the best savings accounts and credit cards. Above all, it provides a community for individuals interested in improving their own finances.

Flexo’s commentary on personal finance is often cited in major publications and columnists and authors frequently seek his opinions.

Mainstream media and other popular online publications have featured stories about Consumerism Commentary. Notable mentions include the Wall Street Journal twice, Yahoo’s Ten Money Blogs Everyone Should Read, Money Magazine’s Best Web Sites, in addition to a number of others. Consumerism Commentary was featured in BusinessWeek Online and was named in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine as a Must-Read Blog.

You can now subscribe to and read Consumerism Commentary on the Amazon Kindle.

In my own words

Here is a short list of interviews in which Consumerism Commentary participated (to the best of my memory).

• Personal Finance Hour: Interview With Flexo From Consumerism Commentary
• Money Quantum Private Beta Begins Today: An Interview With Flexo From Consumerism Commentary
• MoneyBloggerPodcast: Interview With Flexo From Consumerism Commentary
• 10 Questions: 10 Questions With Flexo
• HelpYourMoney.com: Interview With Flexo of Consumerism Commentary Blog
• Moolanomy: Interview with Flexo of Consumerism Commentary
• Money Crashers: An Interview With Flexo from Consumerism Commentary
• An Interview With Flexo From Consumerism Commentary
• More to be found in Consumerism Commentary in the Press

The original version of this article, About Consumerism Commentary, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

A few weeks ago, I was a live guest on Talk Credit Radio, hosted by Gerri Detweiler, on radio station WSRQ. We talked about my sordid financial history pre-Consumerism Commentary, in which I confess to owning a car without knowing how to maintain it or how to handle my traffic tickets. We also talk about the Debt Snowball method for getting out of debt and the advantages of the Debt Avalanche. In the show, Gerri and I also discuss what happens when you rely on financial automation.

You can listen to the interview here:

For more information, visit the Talk Credit Radio website.

Also, now that the Primetime Emmy Awards are over, we can focus on a more meaningful set of accolades. Only a few days are left for all Consumerism Commentary readers to vote for favorite personal finance blogs. Consumerism Commentary is a finalist for these categories (and I’m honored):

• Best Written Personal Finance Blog
• Best Designed Personal Finance Blog
• Best Personal Finance Blog, Single Author
• BLOG OF THE YEAR
• Lifetime Achievement Award

I am up against great competition, with many of my favorite personal finance blogs nominated for the variety of categories. I would appreciate your vote, either for Consumerism Commentary or for your other favorite blogs. The winners will be announced at the Financial Blogger Conference on Saturday, October 1.

Vote for your favorite personal finance blogs here.

The original version of this article, My Interview on Talk Credit Radio, Plutus Awards, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

I don’t normally like to interrupt the stream of personal finance articles with something that’s more related to the website than it is to money, but this is an important message that can help support the entire community of blogs that focus on writing about personal finance. If administration-type articles don’t interest you, skip ahead to read about the extreme couponer arrested for stealing newspapers or listen to our podcast about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but I encourage you to read further.

I founded Consumerism Commentary at a time when there weren’t many personal blogs dedicated solely to the writer’s financial journey. Since that time, there has been an explosion of personal websites focusing on money management, long-term investing, frugality, and the role of money in designing a satisfying life, or in making sure all the bills get paid, or in taking advantage of rewards opportunities.

Even if websites like these weren’t able to generate income, there would still be a good variety of great writing in this genre, detached from mainstream media and from product- or service-focused companies using blogs as a marketing tool. In an effort to bring more attention to this style of personal writing about personal finance, the Plutus Awards reward bloggers and independent writers for publishing their best work and moving the industry forward. The Plutus Awards also allow this community of independent writers to honor the best products and services.

As of today, nominations are open to the public, and will be so for only a couple of weeks. After the nominations are collected, a panel will choose finalists, and voting will be open to the public. The winners will be announced at the Financial Blogger Conference in October.

I encourage all bloggers and readers to nominate their favorite blogs and products for the Second Annual Plutus Awards.

The original version of this article, Nominate Your Favorite Blogs and Products for the Plutus Awards, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Out of the hundreds of emails I receive every day, a strong percentage of requests I receive are from writers who would like to contribute to Consumerism Commentary in some form, such as a blog guest post. Many bloggers, particularly those whose websites are popular, can attest to receiving similar requests. They come from a variety of sources: freelance writers looking for work, other bloggers looking for exposure, and companies looking to get links back to their websites.

Although there are some periods of time I don’t accept any guest posts, I’m usually happy to entertain all requests. I’m busy, so it can be a great relief when I have the opportunity to let someone else write. I’m not able to respond to every email, though. I often spend as much time — or more time — proofreading and editing an articles by a guest blogger as I would writing my own article. In fact, guest articles often result in being more polished and more professional than the articles I write for myself! I am certainly not a perfect writer and I don’t expect anyone else to be perfect, but I tend to ratchet up the standards just a bit when it comes to guest articles.

This article can help writers interested in contributing to Consumerism Commentary prepare a pitch that has a better chance of succeeding and an article that will click with the site’s audience.

Who is suited for writing on Consumerism Commentary

I do not accept guest articles from companies looking to advertise their products or services through the use of editorial content. Even a link back to a website is a form of advertising, and I do not accept link advertising. Consumerism Commentary does offer other options for effective advertising.

Before you ask to write an article for Consumerism Commentary, become familiar with the community. Participate in discussions on the website, become a fan of Facebook, and be engaged in other social media aspects.

The right pitch for the right article

Sometimes, the first email I receive from an interested contributor contains the article in full. This is not a good thing. There’s a reason that television studios or producers don’t read unsolicited scripts. If they were to read a script, and they happen to use an idea that they received, whether intentionally or not, they could be exposed to some legal issues. I will not read any article sent to me without communication beforehand.

I’m looking for topics and concepts that are somewhat original — anything that wouldn’t necessarily appear elsewhere. I appreciate relevant personal stories, detailed and well-thought-out analyses, and exercises in opinion if it’s clear why your opinions are exceptionally valid (for example, you’re an expert in that particular field). Some controversy is fun, but Consumerism Commentary is not a political blog. Rants and one-sided criticisms would not be appropriate for the website.

I’m open to any topics related, even tangentially, to personal finance except marketing, blogging, and earning income online.

It helps to understand the demographics of the Consumerism Commentary audience. According to Quantcast, the audience is weighted slightly above 35 years old, though there is a strong showing in the 18 to 35 age range. The audience is heavily weighted in favor of high income and graduate-level education. I won’t accept articles written to appeal to a fourth-grade reading level.

In your message to me, briefly explain who you are, why you’d like to write an article for Consumerism Commentary, what you expect to receive from the experience, and offer your idea. If you have several ideas and are willing to let me choose one, that is fine as well, but make sure you have at least one solid idea before contacting. Here’s a nice checklist to help ensure your message will make it through and I’ll respond to the request:

• Who are you? Offer a brief introduction, particularly if we’ve never spoken before. If we have, remind me just in case. I meet many people, and I feel like my brain is shrinking on a daily basis.
• Why would you like to contribute? If your intent is advertising, don’t try to hide it. I’ll see through that right away and I will simply ignore your email.
• What are you expecting in return? I will link back to an author’s website in a bio. It’s rare that I allow any other links unless they are highly relevant. Guest authors are not paid.
• What are your ideas? Usually, proposed article titles are enough in the initial email, as long as they are descriptive. If you want to offer more than a title, that’s fine, but do not send a full article.
• Where can I find your writing? If you’re a published author, let me know. If you have a website or a blog where you write frequently, share the link. If you have any exceptional articles that reflect the type of writing you’d provide to Consumerism Commentary, please share.
• What do you know about Consumerism Commentary? I would much more welcome a guest from a frequent reader of this website than one from someone whose first visit was yesterday.

Be sure to proofread your message to me, as grammatical errors or a poor command of English could reflect negatively on your ability to produce an article for Consumerism Commentary. I’m not immune to typos, and I forgive them easily. With a large volume of requests, I pay attention to detail.

Once you are ready, you can contact me here with your idea.

Providing the article

Once we’ve agreed to a topic and discussed expectations for timing, send the first draft when it’s ready. Most of the time, only one draft is necessary. I don’t have specific guidelines for writing the article, but I do have a few small restrictions.

• Don’t include any affiliate or SEO links.
• Don’t promote a company’s product or service.
• Don’t unfairly criticize a person or company.

Have someone proofread the article for you.

It is rare that after accepting a proposal I would reject the final article. By accepting the proposal, I have a good suspicion that the result will be suitable for Consumerism Commentary. I would not require a writer to go through the effort of writing and possible revising only to reject the outcome.

In terms of format, I prefer receiving articles in plain text with HTML tags if necessary. I will add appropriate styles and formatting. We use Gravatar for profile avatars, so make sure you have a high-quality Gravatar image associated with your email address. You may also provide a three or four sentence bio that will be included in an “About the Author” section.

Benefits of contributing a guest article

Presenting a contribution of an article to Consumerism Commentary can be a great way to reach a broad audience. Contributors and partners have benefited from increased traffic to their websites, more RSS and newsletter subscribers, and stronger brand awareness. Your content will reach over 15,000 RSS subscribers, Twitter followers, and Facebook fans, and quality articles will easily convert Consumerism Commentary readers to your own fans.

Here is a selection of the articles provided by guest bloggers at Consumerism Commentary from the past few years:

• Leo Babauta, author of Zen To Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System and creator of Zen Habits
• Donna Freedman, columnist at MSN Money and creator of Surviving and Thriving
• J.D. Roth, author of Your Money: The Missing Manual and creator of Get Rich Slowly
• Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You to Be Rich and creator of I Will Teach You to Be Rich (blog)
• Penelope Trunk, author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success and creator of Brazen Careerist (blog and social network)

If the above sounds good to you and you’re ready to move forward with an idea for a guest post, contact me.

Photo: ian.schofield

The original version of this article, Write a Guest Post for Consumerism Commentary, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

By advertising on Consumerism Commentary, you will reach hundreds of thousands of unique visitors each month. Visitors are actively interested in financial products and services. Consumerism Commentary has been mentioned in and linked by the media including The Wall Street Journal and Yahoo Finance.

Some options for advertisers include:

• Banner advertising
• Podcast advertising
• Sponsorship of contests or giveaways

For more information about advertising opportunities, please submit your information and request below. If you have trouble using the form, please contact Flexo through email.

The original version of this article, Advertise on Consumerism Commentary, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Those listening to the Consumerism Commentary Podcast may have noticed that our latest episode, featuring guest David Bach, was hosted by a new voice. Our long-time producer, Tom Dziubek, is currently taking a hiatus from the show to explore a great job opportunity, and we wish him the best of luck. We’re happy to have an experienced podcast host and producer filling in for the next few months.

Bryan J Busch is an all-around, genre-agnostic content creator. He has been producing his own podcast for several years, and he produced a video for Consumerism Commentary last year, Television of the Future. Bryan was also an early guest of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, featured alongside J.D. Roth. In addition to his experience with audio and video production, Bryan is also a photographer. Bryan is at home whether behind or in front of the camera or microphone, with experience as a stand-up comedian and an improv comedy performer.

Meet Bryan.

To round out a busy week, consider reading some of the articles I contributed to other websites recently.

Saving for Retirement. The financial industry certainly wants us to use their services as much as possible, but the more of your income you lock away, the less you have to live your life today. What is the right balance? There’s always a risk of not living until you have the chance to retire. What will you regret not doing when you had the chance?

Save $1,000 on Your Tax Bill. There’s a little-known credit that offers low-income households an incentive for putting money away for retirement. The credit is a little elusive, because those who would qualify often struggle with making their regular household expenses, let alone invest for retirement.

Here are more articles I enjoyed this week.

I’m not a payday lender. But I play one on TV. Donna Freedman found herself financially helping her friend, despite her friend’s poor money management habits. It’s easy to say that financially responsible people should say no when friends and family who are struggling ask for help, but any compassionate person would find turning her back to a friend in need very difficult. There’s no perfect answer to these situations.

It’s a Jungle Out There: Spotting Fake Reviews. This article on Wise Bread brings attention to the fact that although many of us research products online before purchasing them, the information we find can be biased in ways we may not expect. I would have liked the article to go more into detail about spotting fake reviews, as they often masquerade as well as legitimate reviews on many of those opinion-based, user-generated content websites.

Consumerism Commentary participated in these carnivals this past week: Carnival of Personal Finance, Festival of Frugality, Carnival of Money Stories, Totally Money, and Stock Carnival Ecstasy.

The original version of this article, Meet Bryan, Host of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

All staff can be contacted through email at consumerismcommentary.com.

Flexo, chief editor and founder

Read Flexo’s articles / Facebook Profile / @flexo / email flexo

Flexo’s experience with building online communities dates back to 1990, and he has been writing for the web since 1994. In 2003, he began improving his own personal finances and his online writing has focused on this topic since that time. Consumerism Commentary allows Flexo, also known as Luke Landes, to share news about the economy, personal finance, and consumer habits as well as sharing his own personal stories and financial updates.

Flexo has contributed original articles to PC World Magazine, US News, Currency from American Express, and other publications.

Bryan J Busch, podcast host and producer

Consumerism Commentary Podcast / @bryanjbusch / email bryan

Bryan J Busch is an all-around, genre-agnostic content creator. He has been producing his own podcast and video for several years. In addition to his experience with audio and video production, Bryan is also a photographer. Bryan is at home whether behind or in front of the camera or microphone, with experience as a stand-up comedian and an improv comedy performer.

Ellen Cooper-Davis, writer

Read Ellen’s articles / @Rev_Mother / email ellen

Reverend Ellen Cooper-Davis is the minister of Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church in The Woodlands, Texas, and the author of Keep the Faith, a blog on progressive religion for The Houston Chronicle.

Tom Dziubek, podcast host and producer

Consumerism Commentary Podcast / @doobie77 / email tom

Tom co-hosted the E-Report, a technology-focused podcast for the Wall Street Journal, with Paul Herrmann from 2007 until September 2008. At that time, Flexo and Tom began discussions about working together on a podcast for Consumerism Commentary. Six months later, the Consumerism Commentary Podcast launched.

The original version of this article, About the Consumerism Commentary Staff and Writers, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Welcome to the Consumerism Commentary Store!

Have you registered for an account on Consumerism Commentary? If you have, and you have logged in, you can earn points for leaving substantial comments on recent articles. (Comments consisting of only, “Great post!” or “I agree with you!” will not earn points, for example.) Each day you visit Consumerism Commentary, you earn points for reading an article. We’ll be unveiling some new features soon that allow you to participate more in the Consumerism Commentary community, and these will earn points as well.

The points you earn can be used to buy Amazon.com gift cards, to thank you for being regular contributors.

View the list of products and scroll down to place your order. I’m looking forward to implementing some changes to make this process easier for those who want to purchase products using points, but for now, this will get the job done. Keep in mind that since this is not automated, the product you order may no longer be available. I’ll update the quantities available as often as possible. Below the list of products there is a form for ordering the items using your points. Clicking the links in the table will bring you to the product’s Amazon.com page for more information.

I’ll be periodically adding more products to the store. If you have ideas for additional items, particularly if you are an author or publisher, please contact me.

$20 Amazon.com Gift Card ♦750 (unlimited)

$50 Amazon.com Gift Card ♦1,500 (unlimited)

$100 Amazon.com Gift Card ♦2,500 (unlimited)

Use the form below to send a request to buy a product. Your points will be deducted when the product is shipped. We hope to have this automated in the future.

The original version of this article, Consumerism Commentary Store, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

This was a fantastic year for Consumerism Commentary. Readership has grown by 10% since 2009, and I’m happy with these results considering the website has been around since 2003. There are many readers who were with Consumerism Commentary since its start — thank you! And for those who may be new to Consumerism Commentary, welcome. I hope we continue to have something to offer anyway. I’m always open to suggestions, so contact us if you have something to share.

Some of my best ideas come from readers, so if you have a personal experience to share, let me know.

Here are a few articles I’ve selected to represent Consumerism Commentary’s best in 2010.

Best of Consumerism Commentary, 2010

• Treat Your Employer How it Treats You
• Realistic Expectations for Making Money Through Blogging
• How to Handle Requests for Financial Advice
• When Your Friends Become Social Sellers and Multi-Level Marketers
• 10 Ways to Boost Your Human Capital
• Automation Moderation: Don’t Let the Machines Control Your Money!
• Getting a Better and Cheaper Shave
• How I Earn Side Income From (Mostly) Blogging
• Should We Discourage Some Students From Attending College?
• The Quest for a Balanced Life
• Pet Ownership: A Financial and Emotional Responsibility
• Is a Graduate Degree Worthwhile or Worthless?
• 6 Money and Life Lessons From the Chilean Miners
• Your Opinion: Is Debt Slavery?
• Frugality is Bad for the Economy
• Life After Salary: Structure and Motivation
• Is it Time to Buy a House?

Thanks to all the guests who appeared on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast in 2010. Some of my favorites were Manisha Thakor, Get Financially Naked, David Bach, Start Over, Get Rich, J.D. Roth, Your Money the Missing Manual, frugal photography, Donna Freedman, microsaving, Ramit Sethi, earning more money, Zac Bissonnette, Debt-Free U, Kimberly Palmer, Generation Earn, and Farnoosh Torabi, Psych Yourself Rich.

Join the community

This coming year, Consumerism Commentary will be introducing new ways to interact with our community of readers. More announcements will follow in the coming weeks and months. Here is how you can stay involved with Consumerism Commentary today.

• Subscribe to the RSS feed
• Add Consumerism Commentary to Google’s home page or Google Reader
• Free daily digest of new Consumerism Commentary articles via email
• Free somewhat-weekly newsletter with exclusive content and giveaways
• Follow Consumerism Commentary on Twitter by following @flexo and @ConsumerismComm
• Become a fan of Consumerism Commentary on Facebook

The original version of this article, Best of Consumerism Commentary 2010, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

You may have noticed that Consumerism Commentary authors, like myself and Smithee, and some commenters, have points and ranks displayed alongside their names. I’ve implemented a new feature on Consumerism Commentary in which visitors can earn points by participating in the discussions following every article and by visiting Consumerism Commentary every day. There will be other ways to earn points as well, and these points will be available to trade in for goodies like books and gift cards. If you haven’t already, register for an account to accumulate your points, and make sure you log in before participating in discussions.

Once you create an account, you can choose to link your Consumerism Commentary profile with your Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well.

You can find links to log in at the top of every page on Consumerism Commentary, and when you are logged in, you will see your current points in that location.

The original version of this article, Earn Points By Participating on Consumerism Commentary and Win Goodies, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

American Express has been working on ways to attract more of Generation Y to their products. Earlier this year, they began offering the charge card ZYNC with features they expect will attract a new generation of customers, including customizable rewards packages.

Earlier this week, AmEx unveiled Currency, a website that incorporates financial advice from writers and bloggers with online courses, games, and social networking tools. I’ll be contributing articles to Currency on behalf of Consumerism Commentary, and I plan to share those articles with Consumerism Commentary readers as I provide them.

You can also find contributions from Consumerism Commentary on the US News website, and these articles are syndicated on Yahoo News and Yahoo Finance. Most recently, I offered 3 tips for avoiding credit card defaults, how to track your worth without going crazy, and why you shouldn’t stop at the Latte Factor.

The original version of this article, American Express Offers Currency, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Don’t forget! Consumerism Commentary is in the running to win a few Plutus Awards. The Plutus Awards are designed to celebrate the best personal finance resources such as books, savings accounts, and blogs. Vote here now before the deadline on March 16. The finalists were selected from among those that received the highest number of nominations in each category.

To be honest, since I created the awards, I am not completely comfortable being in the final running. If I do happen to win a Plutie — and given the number of fans some of the larger blogs have, it’s unlikely — I will pass the prize along to the next highest in the category.

Best of Consumerism Commentary, February 2010

• Needs Versus Wants: The Great Spending Debate
• Take a New Inventory of Your Credit Cards or Pay New Fees
• How to Handle Requests for Financial Advice
• New Credit Card Rules Take Effect Today
• How to Get Audited By the IRS
• Am I a Jerk at Work?
• Realistic Expectations for Making Money Through Blogging
• Variety of Savings Accounts: Where I Keep My Cash
• Which Should You Pay First: Credit Cards or Mortgage?
• Creating a Risk-Free Retirement Plan
• My Current Spending Vices and Devices: Photography and Coins

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast featured more excellent topics and guests including behavioral economics with Gary Belsky, tax tips for big life changes with Bob Meighan, Financial Samurai, and Toyota recalls with Jeff Bartlett from Consumer Reports.

In a few hours, Tom Dziubek and I will be recording a podcast with J.D. Roth from Get Rich Slowly about his new book, Your Money: The Missing Manual. Stay tuned; it will be an exciting show and you will hear it first here on an upcoming Sunday.

Join the community

• Subscribe to the RSS feed
• Add Consumerism Commentary to Google’s home page or Google Reader
• Free daily digest of new Consumerism Commentary articles via email
• Free somewhat-weekly newsletter with exclusive content and giveaways
• Follow Consumerism Commentary on Twitter by following @flexo and @ConsumerismComm
• Become a fan of Consumerism Commentary on Facebook

The original version of this article, Best of Consumerism Commentary, February 2010, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Earlier this year, the personal finance blogging community nominated their favorite products, services, and blogs to be considered for a new annual awards ceremony, The Plutus Awards. (The name comes from the relatively unknown ancient Greek god of wealth, Plutus.) These awards are designed to celebrate the best in personal finance.

I’ve been working on establishing the Plutus Awards for a while. I originally intended to launch this at the end of 2008, but like many projects that simply get away from me, this was postponed one year. Like the Academy Awards, the year’s best are awarded during the beginning of the following year, so we are now looking for the best of 2009.

Consumerism Commentary is a finalist in several of the blogging-related categories. There are a number of excellent options in each category, so I don’t expect to win any vote of popularity. If Consumerism Commentary does prevail I’ll pass the winnings forward to the next-placed site in the category in order to avoid any question of a conflict of interest.

The categories are split between two sections: products/services and blogs. Some of the finalists among the products and services include ING Direct and Ally Bank for Best Overall Bank, TaxCut and TurboTax for Best Tax Filing Software, and many others. You’ll find many of your favorite blogs included in the “Plutus 2.0 Awards” section.

Please take a moment or two and vote for those you would like to see win.

The original version of this article, Vote for Your Favorite Financial Products and Blogs, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Wrapping up the first month of the year, I’m not quite convinced I’m on the right track yet. I spent most of this month without much time for myself. I suppose it’s a good thing I’m not responsible for any other person than myself. On the other hand, January was a great month for Consumerism Commentary.

For most of the month, I was focused on the two-week “tour” I took during the last two weeks of the month. I wrote articles for ten other websites, and I’m happy to say they were all well received. Here are the highlights from my tour. Please take a moment to read some of these articles and visit these websites.

• Break out of your comfort zone to achieve success, on Get Rich Slowly
• The need to rethink retirement, on Debt Free Adventure
• Simplifying simplicity with five simple questions, on Man Vs. Debt
• Chaos is an inspiration for change, but don’t wait, on Financial Samurai
• Benefits and dangers of changing careers and paths, on Free Money Finance
• Emergency plan: better than an emergency fund, on Wise Bread
• How Conan O’Brien wants you to succeed, on Budgets Are Sexy
• Six reasons to work for a non-profit organization, on My Next Buck
• Fear of failure? Here’s how to get through it, on Erica.biz
• 6 tips for a frugal Valentine’s Day, on MSN Smart Spending

Best of Consumerism Commentary, January 2010

Meanwhile, back on Consumerism Commentary, Smithee, Kelly, and I were staying busy. Here are some of the best articles posted here this past month.

• Buying a second car
• How to claim the new home buyer tax credit on 2009 tax returns
• Democracy, incorporated
• Help a reader who inherited $10,000
• The 5 worst forms of debt
• 19.99% APR on my Citi credit card: the true cost of credit
• Between a rock and a hard debt
• Don’t tell others how to spend their money
• Safe donations to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti
• Treat your employer how it treats you
• Start the decade off right: Cut out unnecessary expenses, do something you love, invest for the future, open a high-yield savings account, pay off debt
• Alternatives to high yield savings accounts

Join the community

• Subscribe to the RSS feed
• Add Consumerism Commentary to Google’s home page or Google Reader
• Free daily digest of new Consumerism Commentary articles via email
• Free somewhat-weekly newsletter with exclusive content and giveaways
• Follow Consumerism Commentary on Twitter by following @flexo and @ConsumerismComm
• Become a fan of Consumerism Commentary on Facebook

The original version of this article, Best of Consumerism Commentary, January 2010, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Starting January 18, 2010, I will be on tour, with guest articles appearing on ten of my favorite websites. I am still in the process of writing and editing many of the articles and I plan to have most of them delivered by the end of the weekend. I will continue to be writing articles for Consumerism Commentary during this tour.

If you’re visiting Consumerism Commentary for the first time from one of the tour venues, feel free to look around. I’ve been writing here since 2003. Start with the best of Consumerism Commentary or use the categories at the top of this page.

Here are the scheduled tour dates and venues, subject to change:

Flexo on tour, January 2010

Monday, January 18, 2010: Get Rich Slowly
Topic: Break out of your comfort zone to achieve success. “Humans are wired to seek comfort, and as a result much of daily life is focused around familiar patterns and habits. When something threatens to break those habits, we feel uncomfortable and nervous…” Here is what you need to know in order to break out of your comfort zone and why it is worthwhile. Read the article at Get Rich Slowly.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010: Debt Free Adventure
Topic: The need to rethink retirement. “Besides taking responsibility for our financial future by investing… it’s time to rethink what retirement is. The generation of workers following those in retirement now or retiring soon will be the first who needs to significantly adjust its expectations and challenge its assumptions.” Retirement will be an entirely different animal in thirty years. Here’s how to plan. Read the article at Debt Free Adventure.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010: Man Vs. Debt
Topic: Simplifying simplicity with five simple questions. “Simplicity boils down to one concept: eliminate anything that is unnecessary. If you take this mantra to heart, build your personal philosophy around it, and keep it in mind when you make every decision, there is no reason to follow a list of suggestions. The answers will be obvious…” Read the article at Man Vs. Debt.

Thursday, January 21, 2010: Financial Samurai
Topic: Chaos is an inspiration for change. “Three of my friends experienced difficulties in their lives around the same time, about ten years ago. I’ll call them Alex, Brian, and Chris. Before long, their lives erupted in chaos. That chaos helped them make positive changes, but the outcomes would have been predictable to anyone paying attention…” Here’s how chaos or the threat of chaos could be a strong motivator.

Friday, January 22, 2010: Free Money Finance
Topic: Benefits and dangers of changing careers and paths. “It would be wonderful to live in a perfect world. There would be no war and no poverty, and you could eat dessert before your meal or whenever you like. The weather would always be comfortable and pleasant, and you would never have to watch out for unpopped kernels when you eat popcorn…” Sometimes we need to change course on the way to financial Utopia. Here’s what you need to know.

Monday, January 25, 2010: Wise Bread
Topic: Emergency plan: Better than an emergency fund. “I suggest a tiered approach to let your Emergency Fund work a little harder for you while still ensuring you’re covered in an emergency. This is broader than just an Emergency Fund; it’s an Emergency Plan…” Here’s how the Emergency Plan works.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010: Budgets Are Sexy
Topic: How Conan O’Brien wants you to succeed. “Though I’m not generally a fan of “late night TV,” I tuned in the other night and found myself watching Conan O’Brien’s last stint on the Tonight Show… it’s worthwhile to listen to his advice.” Here’s Conan’s advice and my interpretation.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010: My Next Buck
Topic: Six reasons to work for a non-profit organization. “I started my career out of college working for a non-profit organization involved with the arts. Yes, after graduation, I took myself and my thousands of dollars of student loan debt and walked away, at least temporarily, from the career my education and certification would have otherwise directed me…” Here’s why working for non-profits are worthwhile.

Thursday, January 28, 2010: Erica.Biz
Topic: Fear of failure? Here’s how to get through it… “I enjoy performing in stage plays, and a play was the scene of one of my failures… My lack of preparedness finally caught up to me while in mid-performance my recurring dream came true: I forgot my lines.” Here are my suggestions for handling failure before and after it occurs so you are ready to bounce back.

Friday, January 29, 2010: MSN Smart Spending
Topic: 6 tips for a frugal Valentine’s Day. “And the massive marketing push as the calendar heads towards Valentine’s Day has begun. From greeting cards to diamonds, and from Lexus to 1-800-Flowers, companies and brands want to be associated or indelibly linked to the popular holiday for lovers.” Here are some of my tamer suggestions for experiencing a frugal Valentine’s Day this year.

I will update this post with direct links to the articles and short summaries as each article is published.

Best of Consumerism Commentary, December 2009

• Flexo’s Goals and Resolutions For 2010
• Show All Amazon Shoppers Pay Sales Tax?
• Can You Ever Have Enough Money?
• Wrapping Up a Decade: Better Off in 1999 or 2009?
• Wearing Many Hats: Specialism Vs. Generalism
• How My Accountant Saved Me $15,000
• Curb Your Consumerism
• Hundreds Hired at the IRS to Find Cheaters
• No More Cable TV For Me
• Persistence Pays Off
• Getting Out of Debt: Reductionism and Holism
• 3 Interesting Coins You Might Find In Your Change

Vote for your favorite financial products and blogs

In a few days, the finalists for the Plutus Awards will be announced. The public will then have a chance to vote for financial products, like Best Savings Account and Best Bank, and financial blogs and websites, like Best New Blog of 2009 and Best Multi-Part Series of Articles. Winners will receive a prizes from a number of sponsors including Lending Club, Money Crashers, and Wise Bread.

Join the community

• Subscribe to the RSS feed
• Add Consumerism Commentary to Google’s home page or Google Reader
• Free daily digest of new Consumerism Commentary articles via email
• Free somewhat-weekly newsletter with exclusive content and giveaways
• Follow Consumerism Commentary on Twitter by following @flexo and @ConsumerismComm
• Become a fan of Consumerism Commentary on Facebook

The original version of this article, Flexo On Tour and Best of December 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Starting today, the 2009 Plutus Awards are accepting nominations. The Plutus Awards are designed to celebrate the best in personal finance. In this event, like the Oscars of personal finance, feature categories like Best Savings Account, Best Credit Card, and Best Mobile Personal Finance Application. Additionally, a large portion of the awards put focus on the blogging community, with categories that feature bloggers, like Best Frugality Blog, Best Taxes Blog, and Best Personal Finance Blog for Teens and College Students.

After the nominations are collected, a panel of bloggers will choose the finalists from among the nominations, and votes will re-open to the public in order to pick winners for each category. Each winner of the blogging set of awards will receive either $20.09 (in honor of the year 2009) from Consumerism Commentary or a larger award from a sponsor.

Please take a few minutes and nominate your favorites today.

The original version of this article, Nominate Your Favorite Personal Finance Products and Websites, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Thanks to all the Consumerism Commentary readers who commented or emailed me about the auditions for staff writer. I’d like to welcome Kelly Whalen, a writer whose primary website is The Centsible Life, to the Consumerism Commentary team! Kelly will be providing one article a week starting this Thursday. Tom Dziubek and I will speak with Kelly on a future Consumerism Commentary Podcast so subscribe now to learn more about our new contributor.

Facebook giveaway

This week, Consumerism Commentary will be giving away a copy of Excuse Me, Your Job is Waiting: Attract the Work You Want by Laura George. I reviewed the book here. The book is a few years old but it is a great resource for today’s economic conditions. In order to be entered in the giveaway, you must be a fan of Consumerism Commentary on Facebook.

Simply being a fan gives you one chance to win, but if you write on Consumerism Commentary’s wall to leave a tip for us, you will quadruple your chance to win. You must be a fan and leave your message by Friday, December 11 to qualify.

Best of Consumerism Commentary, November 2009

• Triage Your Finances
• 6 Items That Exemplify Conspicuous Spending
• Avoiding Black Friday Online and Offline
• Put Your Finance on Cruise Control, But Stay Alert
• How to Do Your Holiday Shopping Through Rebate Sites
• How to Spend Smarter This Holiday Season
• Lifestyle Creep and the Self-Employed
• Reader Question: Can You Write “See ID” Rather Than Signing Your Credit Card?
• “What Works For You” Can Be a Trap
• The True Cost of a Motorola Droid
• President Obama and Congress Extend the $8,000 Home Buyers’ Credit
• Should Target Date Funds Be Standardized?

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast featured a number of great guests in November. This past month we discussed gift cards with Jim Sharvin, CPA, social and peer-to-peer lending with the CEO of LendingClub, finding a job with headhunter Nick Corcodilos, frugality with author Sharon Harvey Rosenberg, and investing for retirement with author Dan Solin.

Join the community

• Subscribe to the RSS feed
• Add Consumerism Commentary to Google’s home page or Google Reader
• Free daily digest of new Consumerism Commentary articles via email
• Free somewhat-weekly newsletter with exclusive content and giveaways
• Follow Consumerism Commentary on Twitter by following @flexo and @ConsumerismComm
• Become a fan of Consumerism Commentary on Facebook

The original version of this article, New Staff Writer, Facebook Giveaway, and Best of November, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Announcement: We have decided to extend the period for matching your charitable contributions through the end of this week. Contribute to your favorite charity this week and forward your contribution receipt to us. We will donate a matching amount to the World Food Programme. Here are the complete details.

Over the past few weeks, Consumerism Commentary has been auditioning six prospective staff writers. I am looking for an additional writer to add to the team in order to complement the articles I write and those written by Smithee. Although the intent of Consumerism Commentary has always been to share my thoughts about money and related topics in addition to keeping myself accountable for my own financial decisions, I think the website can benefit from occasional voices for others.

Although I will responsible for making the final decision, I would love to hear readers’ civil opinions about the twelve guest articles featured recently. When I originally indicated I was interested in adding a writer to the team, I received about thirty responses. I narrowed these down to the six summarized here:

V.C. McGuire is a regular contributor to the New York Times and other publications. Recently, she has written about real estate, insurance, home improvement, and personal finance. She lives in Philadelphia. V.C. offered these two articles to Consumerism Commentary in audition: How to Do Your Holiday Shopping Through Rebate Sites and Lifestyle Creep and the Self-Employed.

J.J. is a consultant for employer retirement plans and works with credit unions as a financial adviser. He works with individuals and businesses every day as they make important decisions about their money. J.J. offered these two articles to Consumerism Commentary in audition: 2010 Roth Conversion: Good Idea? and The Trouble With Target Date Funds.

Kelly Whalen is a mostly stay-at-home mom to four kids. She writes about personal finance at The Centsible Life. Kelly offered these two articles to Consumerism Commentary in audition: Triage Your Finances and How to Spend Smarter This Holiday Season.

FruGal currently serves as a Professional Development Consultant for a prominent online educational program and as a Social Media Specialist for a Luxury Real Estate company in Atlanta. FruGal offered these two articles to Consumerism Commentary in audition: Living It Up… At the Library? and Couponing Makes Cents.

Debbie Dragon is a full time freelance writer and co-owner of ReliableWriters.com. Debbie offered these two articles to Consumerism Commentary in audition: Is a College Degree Worth the Investment? and The Economy Triggers a Rebirth of the Entrepreneurial Spirit.

Ray is the owner and primary author of Financial Highway, where he discusses investing, saving and practical money management concepts. Ray offered these two articles to Consumerism Commentary in audition: Thanksgiving on a Budget and 4 Reasons Why You Should Read Your Bill Every Month.

I’m inviting readers to leave their thoughts on the above contributions. Again, the responsibility for the final decision rests with me, but I would like to receive feedback from those who read Consumerism Commentary every day or every week. Feel free to leave your comments here, contact me privately, or if you would rather be anonymous, you can use this form to contact me directly without leaving your name or email address.

The original version of this article, Consumerism Commentary’s Prospective Staff Writers, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Several weeks ago, I mentioned I would be seeking a staff writer to add to the Consumerism Commentary team, to add one additional article each week. After a good number of applications, I narrowed the field to six finalists. Over the next two weeks, each of these finalists will be presenting two guest articles for Consumerism Commentary readers.

At the end of the process, I will welcome feedback from readers about the writers. The decision will not be based on your votes, but I will take any feedback to heart. The goal is to find a writer to add a fresh voice to Consumerism Commentary in addition, and as a complement, to the articles by myself and by Smithee.

Winners of Quicken Deluxe 2010

Last month, I reviewed Quicken Home & Business 2010 and offered a copy of Quicken Deluxe 2010 to two lucky readers. The two commenters chosen randomly to win, Javier and Jeremiah, were contacted earlier. I should have more giveaways to offer fairly soon.

Best of Consumerism Commentary, October 2009

• Seven Zen Principles to Guide Your Money and Your Life
• Net Neutrality Simplified
• Investor Psychology: Why We Fail to make Good Financial Decisions
• New Graduates Facing Unemployment May Never Reach Income Potential
• How to Create Your Own Extended Warranty
• Always Try Bargaining: Here’s How it Worked for Me
• Fulfilling a Dream for $8 an Hour
• Overkill at the United States Mint With New Coin Designs
• How to Prepare for the Demise of the Dollar
• The Pareto Principle: When to Apply, When to Ignore
• Is it Possible to Save Too Much Money?

We also had a number of great guests on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast. In October, we discussed unconventional paths to becoming a millionaire with the Millionaire Mommy Next Door, financial advisers with Neal Frankle, doing-it-yourself, beekeeping, and the Credit.com Credit Report Card with Mark Frauenfelder, and frugal travel and the war against debt with Adam Baker.

Join the community

• Subscribe to the RSS feed
• Add Consumerism Commentary to Google’s home page or Google Reader
• Free daily digest of new Consumerism Commentary articles via email
• Free somewhat-weekly newsletter with exclusive content and giveaways
• Follow Consumerism Commentary on Twitter by following @flexo and @ConsumerismComm
• Become a fan of Consumerism Commentary on Facebook

The original version of this article, New Staff Writer, Quicken 2010 Winners, and Best of October, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Last Thursday, Jeff offered his final article for Consumerism Commentary, Learning and Saving. Jeff was a solid contributor, and I’m sorry to report that Jeff won’t be contributing regularly due to his other obligations. I am now looking to add an additional author to the Consumerism Commentary team which currently includes myself, Smithee, and Tom.

One thing I like about having a small group of regular contributors to Consumerism Commentary is that they bring different perspectives, opinions, and interpretations of personal finance to the readers. I have already solicited a number of writers interested in contributing a weekly article to Consumerism Commentary, but I am opening the invitation to everyone.

This is an opportunity for a writer to reach 10,000 or so subscribers and several hundred thousand visitors each month and earn some cash at the same time. I am currently in the process of collecting names of those people who are interested, and within a few days I will send emails to all explaining in detail my vision.

If you are interested, contact me and introduce yourself!

The original version of this article, Seeking Staff Writer for Consumerism Commentary, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Thank you for reading Consumerism Commentary. This website continues to be a success, thanks to visitors who participate in discussions, ask questions, and share stories.

Join the community

• Subscribe to the RSS feed
• Add Consumerism Commentary to Google’s home page or Google Reader
• Free daily digest of new Consumerism Commentary articles via email
• Free somewhat-weekly newsletter with exclusive content and giveaways
• Follow Consumerism Commentary on Twitter by following @flexo and @ConsumerismComm
• Become a fan of Consumerism Commentary on Facebook

Best of Consumerism Commentary, September 2009

• The Little Things and the Big Things: Which are More Important?
• People Will Judge You Based on Your Name
• A Report Card for Financial Rules of Thumb
• Overdraft Fees: Some Banks Let You Opt Out (by Smithee)
• Earning What You Have: The Mindset I Hope I Never Lose (by Smithee)
• Ten Things I Will Teach My Children About Money
• Credit Report Cards: Credit.com Vs. Credit Karma

We also had a number of excellent guests on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast in September. We discussed budgeting with the creators of You Need a Budget and PocketSmith, learned how to survive on a teacher’s salary, discovered the details about Mint.com’s acquisition by Intuit including one surprise that was not mentioned in the media earlier, and discussed negotiating and bargaining with presidential adviser Herb Cohen.

The original version of this article, Best of Consumerism Commentary, September 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

As I find time, I write articles for websites other than Consumerism Commentary. This will always be my home for writing about money, but I’ll take whatever opportunity I can to share my thoughts online with more readers.

Here are a few of the recent articles I’ve published around the internet. Please read these and participate by commenting if you are so inclined.

Combining Money With Your Honey. Can a couple where both participants have different attitudes towards money and different incomes survive in a relationship with combined finances? The title of this article doesn’t sound like me — I think my original title was, “How People With Differing Attitudes can Combine Finances.” I’m pretty sure the new title is an improvement.

Be the Big Saver on Campus. This article is a guide for first-year college students, known vernacularly as freshmen or frosh. I don’t remember thinking about money at all when I first entered college, but if I had I probably would have been in a better situation when I graduated.

Is the Frugal Life Here to Stay? I keep hearing about the “New Frugality” in the media, and I often receive questions about whether those growing up post-Great Recession will have adopted an entirely new lifestyle that will last until they die, like those who grew up in the Great Depression. I certainly have an answer for that question.

These are only the most recent articles. You can look forward to more of these in the future.

The original version of this article, Money With Your Honey, Tips for Freshmen, and the Frugal Life, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Join the community

All content on Consumerism Commentary is free. One of the best methods of reading this free content and staying up-to-date with the latest articles and posts is through RSS subscription. By subscribing to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

Email newsletter

Receive the exclusive Consumerism Commentary newsletter for free via email each week or two with behind-the-scenes information about Consumerism Commentary, exclusive giveaways, and additional content. The newsletter is free and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Best of Consumerism Commentary, August 2009

Here are some of the most popular articles, based on total visitors, published on Consumerism Commentary in August. If you missed them this past month, take a look.

1. Receiving the First Time Homebuyer Credit Takes About Six Weeks
2. My Grandmothers and the Cost of a Funeral
3. Earn $500 By Referring Friends and Readers to ING Direct
4. What’s Important to You in Healthcare Reform? (by Smithee)
5. Personal Balance Sheet, Net Worth, Income, and Expenses, July 2009
6. Using Debit Cards as Credit Cards
7. Roth IRA Conversion
8. Good News for Mac Users: Quicken for Mac 2010 Coming Soon
9. Is Buying a Foreclosed Property Realistic? (by Jeff)
10. Cash for Clunkers: The Revenge (by Smithee)

Social media

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on Twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

The original version of this article, Best of Consumerism Commentary, August 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Tune into the Personal Finance Hour radio show, tonight at 6:00 PM ET (3:00 PM PT) for a chance to hear me speak with Jim Wang from Bargaineering and J.D. Roth from Get Rich Slowly. We plan to discuss the trials and tribulations of shifting from an employee to an entrepreneur. Please listen in, and if you have questions, you can call into the show.

You can listen by calling 347-327-9144 at the beginning of the interview. You can also listen by visiting the Personal Finance Hour on Blog Talk Radio and chat online with other listeners.

If you miss the broadcast, you will be able to listen to the show in its entirety — but without the option of calling in to ask questions and the live real-time chat. The Blog Talk Radio website will host the archived interview and I will include a widget here.

Update: If you missed the live show, you can now listen to the interview using the widget below.

The original version of this article, Interview for Today’s Personal Finance Hour Radio Show, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

At 6:00 PM ET (3:00 PM PT) today, Tuesday, September 1, I will be talking with Neal Frankle from Wealth Pilgrim and the Wealth Pilgrim Radio Show. We’ll be talking about the experiences that led me to discover personal finance and the motivation behind Consumerism Commentary. It will be a live discussion, and I’d like to invite Consumerism Commentary readers to listen in.

You can listen in by calling 347-637-2262 at the beginning of the interview. For a richer multimedia experience, you can listen to the show through Wealth Pilgrim Radio on Blog Talk Radio while participating in the show’s online chat at the same time.

If you miss the live broadcast, a recording of the show will be available on demand as well.

In addition to this evening’s interview, I’ll also be appearing on the Personal Finance Hour with Jim and J.D. next Monday, Labor Day, so stay tuned to Consumerism Commentary for more details as that interview approaches.

Update: For those who missed the live show, you can now listen to the interview in full using the widget below through next Tuesday.

The original version of this article, Interview for Today’s Wealth Pilgrim Radio Show, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Congratulations to Consumerism Commentary readers Aliotsy A. and Scott O.! Aliotsy and Scott were selected randomly among those who responded correctly to the scavenger hunt held last month to celebrate Consumerism Commentary’s sixth anniversary. Both winners chose to receive the Apple iPod Touch. The iPods are now on the way!

More giveaways will be offered soon to readers who have joined our free email newsletter. I haven’t been using the email newsletter much lately, but you can expect to receive an email every one or two weeks with behind-the-scenes information from Consumerism Commentary, special deals on money-related products, exclusive tips and thoughts, and chances to win stuff.

To join the newsletter, enter your information below. Your information will be kept private and you will not receive any spam.

The original version of this article, Sixth Anniversary iPod Giveaway: Winners Announced!, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

This coming Thursday, August 27, I will be hosting an online chat session. Please feel free to join me on Money Quantum, a social network for people whose lives involve money, to chat about personal finance, investing, blogging or anything else we feeling like chatting about. I will share more information about Money Quantum later.

In order to join Money Quantum while the site is in “private beta” mode, request an invitation by emailing beta (at) moneyquantum (dot) com. Or, leave a comment on this post to let me know you would like an invitation, and I will email your invite personally. You must be a member of Money Quantum to participate in the chat, but it’s free, and once the site grows, I can assure you it will be fun. Joining now gets you in on the ground floor.

The chat will begin at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Once you have created your account on Money Quantum, just click on the “Chat” link in the navigation bar at the top of the page, or use the pop-up chat widget by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.

The original version of this article, Join Me for a Live Online Chat Thursday Night, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Monthly subscription reminder

One of the best methods of reading Consumerism Commentary and staying up-to-date with the latest articles and posts is through RSS subscription. By subscribing to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

Email newsletter

Subscribe to the Consumerism Commentary email newsletter to receive one email each week or two with behind-the-scenes information about Consumerism Commentary, exclusive giveaways, and additional content. The newsletter is free and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Best of Consumerism Commentary, July 2009

Here are some of the most popular articles, based on total visitors, published on Consumerism Commentary in July. If you missed them this past month, take a look.

1. How to File an Amended Income Tax Return (Form 1040X)
2. 10 Purchases That Can Harm Your Credit
3. 10 Things Your Parents Didn’t Teach You About Money
4. Podcast 12: Stupid Financial Advice and 5 Myths of Personal Finance
5. 50 Actions You Can Take Right Now to Pay Off Debt
6. EverBank Money Market Account Review
7. Kiplinger’s Best 529 College Savings Plans
8. Personal Balance Sheet, Net Worth, Income, and Expenses, June 2009
9. Is it Ever Okay to Steal Entertainment? (by Smithee)
10. Variable Rate Loophole in the Credit CARD Act (by Smithee)

Social media

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on Twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

The original version of this article, Best of Consumerism Commentary, July 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Today is the sixth anniversary of Consumerism Commentary! Long-time readers know that this blog was one of the first of its kind to focus on personal finance and money-related topics. Thanks to the readers, we are still going strong. I have learned much about money, especially from visitors and commenters, throughout the past few years. Although I started Consumerism Commentary as a public way to hold myself accountable for my own financial decisions and share articles of interest from around the internet, the website has grown significantly and has a life of its own.

To celebrate Consumerism Commentary’s sixth anniversary (have you read our first posts from July 2003 or browsed the archives?) we are giving away two iPods: one iPod Touch and one iPod Classic. There will be two winners, and each winner has a choice of either model. In order to be considered, we will have an electronic scavenger hunt.

Starting within the next few days, four clues will be hidden around Consumerism Commentary. In order to find the clues, you will need to experience a variety of media related to Consumerism Commentary. Once you find all four clues, email your answer to fourclues at this domain name (consumerismcommentary.com). In order to win you must live in the United States and in a state where such contests are not prohibited. Not everyone who finds all clues will win, however. The names of the two winners will be randomly selected among all the correct entries. Please only submit one entry per person, and if you find any clues, don’t share them.

I imagine that if you play your chances of winning are pretty good, but that ultimately depends on how many entries we receive.

The contest will end on July 31, 2009, but all clues will be available by Sunday, July 19.

I’ll start you off with a hint towards one clue: Fourth sentence, third word, second letter through fifth letter. Good luck! If you want to win, I suggest subscribing to Consumerism Commentary in as many forms possible and listening closely.

The original version of this article, Anniversary Giveaway: Enter to Win Free iPod If You Find All Four Clues, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Monthly subscription reminder

One of the best methods of reading Consumerism Commentary and staying up-to-date with the latest articles and posts is through RSS subscription. By subscribing to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

Email newsletter

Subscribe to the Consumerism Commentary email newsletter to receive one email each week with behind-the-scenes information about Consumerism Commentary, exclusive giveaways, and additional content. The newsletter is free and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Best of Consumerism Commentary, June 2009

Here are some of the most popular articles, based on total visitors, published on Consumerism Commentary in June. If you missed them this past month, take a look.

1. Comparing the Visa Black Card With American Express Platinum and Centurion Cards
2. Extending the $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Credit to $15,000
3. Savings Mistakes That Cost More in the Long Run
4. Microsoft Money Will Be Discontinued
5. What General Motors’ Bankruptcy Means For You
6. Consumer Reports Exposes Cool Surge’s Misleading Claims
7. Changes to Student Loans Coming July 1
8. The Cash for Clunkers Program
9. Savings and Checking Account Interest Rate Updates
10. Citigroup Employees to Receive 50% Pay Raise

Social media

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

The original version of this article, Best of Consumerism Commentary, June 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Consumerism Commentary Podcast

At the end of April, I began working with Tom Dziubek to create the Consumerism Commentary Podcast. During the month of May, we produced five episodes of the podcast, including interviews with Dr. Bonnie Eaker-Weil, Liz Pulliam Weston, Matt Wallaert, J.D. Roth, Kerry Taylor, and several others. The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is now available on iTunes. To subscribe, use the Podcast RSS feed or visit the iTunes link.

Best of Consumerism Commentary, May 2009

Here are some of the most popular articles, based on total visitors, published on Consumerism Commentary in May. If you missed them this past month, take a look.

1. What Percentage of Income Should Be Saved to Be Financially Responsible?
2. GMAC Bank is Now Ally Bank
3. Verify Funds on That Check Before You Cash It (by Smithee)
4. 2009 Federal Income Tax Brackets and Marginal Rates
5. Ally Bank Savings Account Review
6. Five Jobs for People Who Like Money and Five Jobs for People Who Don’t
7. Your House is Not a Good Investment
8. Schwab Brokerage Lowers Expense Ratios, Beat Vanguard
9. Congress Passes Credit CARD Act of 2009, Now What?
10. HUD Wants to Let First Time Home Buyers Use $8,000 Credit for Downpayment

Email newsletter

Subscribe to the Consumerism Commentary email newsletter to receive one email each week with behind-the-scenes information about Consumerism Commentary, exclusive giveaways, and additional content. The newsletter is free and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Social media

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

The original version of this article, Best of Consumerism Commentary, May 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

I’m happy to announce the formation of the new Money Tips Network, a conglomeration of a number of the best blogs focusing on personal finance and money. Consumerism Commentary has joined forces with these great blogs, and this group’s mission is to provide readers (and listeners) with with honest and helpful money tips. Why did I decide to partner with this particular group? I am a fan of all other blogs included as well as of this network’s philosophy: “We know a preachy, one-size fits all philosophy doesn’t work in the real world. It’s your wallet, your life. We want you to read our advice, throw in your thoughts and comments, and then apply it based on your own family’s needs.”

Some of the partners you may know from the Money Blog Network, which is extant in the form of the Money Blog Network Forums, and the Money Scribes, a less formal partnership. Here are the members of the Money Tips Network besides Consumerism Commentary:

Bargaineering. Written by Jim Wang, Bargaineering chronicles his personal finance life. Jim is co-host of the Personal Finance Hour podcast with J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly.

The Digerati Life. You can always count on Silicon Valley Blogger (SVB) to churn out practical, comprehensive, and helpful advice about personal finance and small business.

Five Cent Nickel. Written by a man who has been meticulously recording his finances since 1997 (stored in Quicken), Five Cent Nickel is one of the oldest and most respected blogs around.

Free Money Finance. This site is about one simple thing: growing your net worth. Business Week says Free Money Finance “offers an inspiring mix of timeless investing wisdom and money-making ideas.”

The Frugal Duchess. Miami Herald columnist Sharon Harvey Rosenberg offers a fun, frugal and fashionable way to save money & live well.

Generation X Finance. Jeremy Vohwinkle is the blogger behind Gen X Finance, a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, and the editor of About.com’s Financial Planning section.

Get Rich Slowly. Get Rich Slowly, recently named “most inspiring money blog” by Money magazine, is devoted to sensible personal finance. J.D. Roth is the other half of the Personal Finance Hour podcast. Tom and I interviewed J.D. last night for an upcoming edition of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast.

No Credit Needed. NCN started this blog in 2005 to track his debt reduction efforts, and has since been inspiring others in their debt reduction efforts. In addition to the blog, check out the No Credit Needed Network and the No Credit Needed Podcast.

The Simple Dollar.Trent Hamm is one of the most respected personal finance bloggers today. His recently published book, 365 Ways to Live Cheap: Your Everyday Guide to Saving Money, helps you save money every day of the year.

Squawkfox. Making frugal living sexy, delicious, and fun. “Fox” has a new book coming out in 3 weeks! 397 Ways to Save Money will help you spend smarter and live well on less.

Stop Buying Crap. Despite the title, Cap doesn’t preach being cheap. Stop Buying Crap is about understanding your unlimited wants and how you may fulfill it with your limited resources.

Wise Bread. A community dedicated to helping each other live large on a small budget.

So if you want more from The Money Tips Network, check the network home page for frequent updates from all member websites or subscribe to the aggregated RSS feed.

The original version of this article, The Money Tips Network, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Consumerism Commentary Podcast. During April, with the help of Tom Dziubek, a former podcaster from the Wall Street Journal, we launched the Consumerism Commentary Podcast. Tom and I will work to bring listeners interesting stories and interviews with people who matter in the world of personal finance. Last week, the first edition of the podcast featured an interview with Peter Pham, CEO of Billshrink.com, fitting in with that day’s theme of financially surviving a recession.

The second edition of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast will be published tomorrow afternoon, and it will feature interviews with Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil and Aaron Patzer from Mint. You can download the full second episode early if you sign up for the Consumerism Commentary weekly email newsletter:

The email address you enter will not be shared with anyone else, and I will not use it for any other purpose than sending you the newsletters. I won’t send you any junk mail or sell your information to another entity.

Social media. Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

Best of Consumerism Commentary, April 2009. Here are some of the most popular articles published on Consumerism Commentary in April. If you missed them this past month, take a look.

1. Watch Out for the Making Work Pay Credit (2009 Economic Stimulus)
2. Number One Frugality Tip: Don’t Be a Woman
3. The Money Basics series: Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Simple Interest, Compound Interest, APR and APY, and Budgets
4. Resume Dos and Don’ts (Plus Resume Makeovers) (by Ginger)
5. Suze Orman Says Stop Paying Off Debt
6. Basics of 2009 Energy Efficient Tax Credits (by Smithee)
7. Are You a High-Yield Interest Rate Chaser?
8. The Recession Finally Hits My House (by Smithee)
9. Why Be Wealthy? Focus on Real Goals, Not Net Worth
10. Basics of the Fair Tax (by Smithee)

The original version of this article, Best of Consumerism Commentary, April 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

While I am on vacation this upcoming week, several guest authors will appear on Consumerism Commentary. Smithee and I will be joined by Matt Wallaert from Thrive, Jeff Rose from Good Financial Cents, Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil, the author of Financial Fidelity, The Weakonomist from Weakonomics.com, and Ginger from Girls Just Wanna Have Funds.

Please check back throughout the week to read the contributions offered by these guests to Consumerism Commentary.

The original version of this article, Guest Authors Will Be Featured This Week, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

In a few weeks, I will be bringing a number of enhancements to Consumerism Commentary. I am not sure yet whether to roll out all new features at once or to gradually introduce the changes; I plan to see how inspiration strikes over the next week or two. As I have previously announced, I have begun a weekly email newsletter, within which I plan to offer a number of exclusive features, articles, and tips, as well as some insight behind the scenes here. Subscribers will also have a chance to participate in exclusive contests and giveaways, and as you’ll see below, subscribers will receive the first premium this weekend.

For the past several months, I have been gearing up to introduce a podcast to Consumerism Commentary. I have enjoyed radio shows for quite a long time, and I’ve been waiting to realize some of that audio inspiration. I will admit that I still need much more practice as a radio broadcaster, but I’ve thankfully teamed up with a professional. Tom Dziubek, formerly of the Wall Street Journal Tech News Briefing E-Report podcast, will be handling most of the major lifting involved with running the podcast. I will be deeply involved with the shows we release; if not on the microphone every podcast, I’ll be involved with the planning and programming.

Tom and I recorded the “pilot episode” of the Consumerism Commentary podcast earlier this week, touching upon tips for living through a recession and details about my personal background. This recording was good practice for us, and it may not make it to the official website once the podcast is fully integrated. We have decided, however, to offer this preview podcast to readers who have decided to participate in the new email newsletter.

The two of us are currently planning future podcasts and lining up interviews with interesting people.

Subscribe to the email newsletter

If you are reading through an RSS news reader, click here to subscribe to the email newsletter.

The original version of this article, Several Changes Coming to Consumerism Commentary, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

First, if you haven’t yet this week, check out the latest Carnival of Personal Finance, hosted by Wide Open Wallet. There are some excellent articles this week including the host’s “Editor’s Picks,” Why Lending Club Isn’t for Most People, and Is Buying a Repossession Capitalizing on Someone Else’s Misfortune?

Now to the monthly administrative businesses.

Over the next few weeks there will be a number of changes coming to Consumerism Commentary. This is an exciting time right now, but it’s too early to share all but one of the details. I hope to have announcements when I return from vacation later this month. Until then, ensure that you are subscribed to Consumerism Commentary in order to be informed of recent articles and other development. You can subscribe to the blog to receive articles through the RSS feed. There are many ways you can use the RSS feed, such as personal readers like Google Reader or aggregators like My Yahoo.

The first expansion of Consumerism Commentary I would like to share is the new newsletter. By signing up, you will receive daily article updates, similar to the previous newsletter, but there will be more. In the email newsletter, I will share weekly extras such as exclusive giveaways, free downloads, tips, and articles not found elsewhere on Consumerism Commentary. Be one of the first to sign up for the new newsletter by entering your information below.

Note: If you signed up before 9:00 AM EDT this morning, you may have received a influx of messages. It appears I had the list misconfigured. I have fixed the problem and it should not happen again. I apologize if your inbox was full of messages from Consumerism Commentary.

The email address you enter will not be shared with anyone else, and I will not use it for any other purpose than sending you the newsletters. I won’t send you any junk mail or sell your information to another entity.

Social media. Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

Top March articles

Here are the most popular articles published on Consumerism Commentary in March. If you missed them this past month, take a look.

1. Your Recession Budget (by Smithee)
2. Do I Qualify for a Loan Modification? (by Smithee)
3. Eight Tips for Living Through a Recession
4. 8 or More Ways to Benefit From the ARRA (by Smithee)
5. Maytag Refrigerator Recall
6. IRS Accepting Returns With $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Credit March 30
7. Traditions vs. Roth IRA: An Introduction and Comparison
8. Savings Account Interest Rate Roundup
9. Quicken Home and Business 2009: Review and Giveaway
10. Personal Balance Sheet and Net Worth: February 2009

The original version of this article, Most Popular on Consumerism Commentary, March 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Earlier this year, I conducted a short survey of Consumerism Commentary readers. I do this once in a while to try to develop a picture of who you are. A few people have expressed interest in seeing the results of this survey, so here are some of the statistics.

58% of Consumerism Commentary readers are male. A different 58% of Consumerism Commentary readers are married (or equivalent). Three quarters of readers who answered the survey are between the ages of 23 and 40. Here is a detailed breakdown of ages:

• 1% are 18 years old or younger
• 6.4% are between 19 and 22 years old, roughly college aged
• 41.8% are between 23 and 30 years old
• 32.3% are between 31 and 40 years old
• 9.4% are between 41 and 50 years old
• 6.3% are between 51 and 60 years old
• 2.8% are 61 years old or older

About 80% of Consumerism Commentary readers who responded to the survey report they have at least a bachelor’s degree. Furthermore, about one third of readers have at least a master’s degree.

How does your annual active income stack up against other Consumerism Commentary readers? The definition of “active income” was left to interpretation by each respondent. Click on the thumbnail to view a larger chart.

Likewise, here is how Consumerism Commentary readers responded to a question about net worth. The definition of net worth wasn’t defined in the survey, so readers were free to calculate their net worth in whatever method made sense to them.

In the survey, I asked readers to leave comments about what they like and didn’t like about Consumerism Commentary. Here are the things readers liked:

I like Flexo’s approach to things. He isn’t preoccupied with debt, and takes a long-range view. He’s organized and pragmatic. I wish I had his kind of head and I try to emulate it.

Even though I don’t think pleasing design and navigability are that important to a successful finance blog, I do think it is a very clean and visually pleasing site. I think it tries be very professional and intelligent and is a real resource for advanced personal finance geeks like me.

I enjoy that it’s easy to read, easy to follow. Long enough to be interesting & educational without making my eyes glaze over.

Consumerism Commentary isn’t free from criticism, of course. Here are some of the comments that refer to improvements that readers would like to see. There are a number of great suggestions here.

I would like to see more media such as videos, podcasts, etc.

Make it more about the people who run it. Ditch the guest bloggers, unless their articles pertain to topics being discussed by the site owners, OR you can’t find those articles anywhere else. Get rid of the headline/subhead template that I see all over personal finance blogs. Most bloggers don’t use that style, and it makes your articles look like they were “premanufactured”, instead of being unique.

Explain stuff to the average guy in simple ways. I may be broke now, but I won’t always be.

Remember that some of us read via email and therefore are more behind realtime readers – in terms of requested responses from readers, contests, waiting lists, etc. I’d also like to see more frequent postings, just because I DO enjoy this blog and would like to see more of it.

A number of comments referred to the design of the website, mainly pertaining to the idea that the website looks cluttered. I do have some plans to revamp the layout of the website, and I plan on timing this with the release of several new features. Look for a new, less cluttered design in the coming months.

Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey! I’ll be contacting the winner of the $50 gift card shortly.

The original version of this article, Reader Survey: Who are Consumerism Commentary Readers?, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Monthly subscription reminder

One of the best methods of reading Consumerism Commentary and staying up-to-date with the latest articles and posts is through RSS subscription. By subscribing to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than daily updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

Social media

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

Top February articles

Here are the most popular articles published on Consumerism Commentary in February. If you missed them this past month, take a look.

1. First-Time Home Buyer Credit
2. $15,000 Tax Credit for Homebuyers
3. 4% Fixed-Rate Mortgage
4. Read the Complete Stimulus Bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009)
5. Understand the Recovery Rebate Credit
6. Moratorium on Foreclosures
7. It’s Not Just About the $400 Tax Credit (by Smithee)
8. How to Claim the $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit of 2009
9. Cash 4 Gold: Scam! Real Tips for Selling Your Gold Jewelry
10. The Paradox of The Paradox of Thrift

The original version of this article, Most Popular on Consumerism Commentary, February 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Monthly subscription reminder

One of the best methods of reading Consumerism Commentary and staying up-to-date with the latest articles and posts is through RSS subscription. By subscribing to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than daily updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

Social media

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

Top January articles

Here are the most popular articles published on Consumerism Commentary in January. If you missed them this past month, take a look.

1. Filing Your 2008 Taxes With the Economic Stimulus (Recovery Rebate Credit)
2. Traditional and Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2009
3. Barack Obama’s 2009 Economic Stimulus Plan
4. How Barack Obama’s 2009 Economic Stimulus Will Affect You
5. 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2009
6. New Chase $100 Bonus Coupon for Checking Accounts
7. Free Download: Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan: Keeping Your Money Safe and Sound
8. Visa Black Card: 1% Cash Back, 0% APR Balance Transfers, Concierge, and Luxury Gifts
9. New Interest Rates at ING Direct, $25 Bonuses Still Available and Going Relatively Quickly
10. Personal Balance Sheet, December 2008

Thank you to everyone who answered the Consumerism Commentary reader survey in January. The results are interesting and I intend to share them, and announce the winner of the $50 Amazon.com gift card, early in February.

The original version of this article, Most Popular on Consumerism Commentary: January 2009, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

I’ve posted a new batch of $25 bonus links for new ING Direct customers. When you open a new account with one of these links, the Consumerism Commentary reader who provided the link will also receive a $10 bonus. So far, Consumerism Commentary readers and visitors have earned about $9,000 from these links. Keep in mind that anyone opening a new account at ING Direct must deposit at least $250 to qualify for this bonus. Without $250 to deposit right away, open the account through the traditional application.

There are a few days left to take the Consumerism Commentary reader survey to enter for a chance to win a $50 Amazon.com gift card. I will most likely close the survey next Tuesday. Please take a moment to fill out the survey so I can learn a little more about readers here. I will read every comment offered through the survey and consider all suggestions for improvements to Consumerism Commentary. The survey can be as anonymous as you like, but an email address is required to enter the drawing.

On Monday, The Writer’s Coin hosted the latest edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. Next week’s Carnival will be hosted by Pecuniarities. Bloggers are free to submit their best post from this week for consideration. More information about the Carnival of Personal Finance can be found here.

The original version of this article, Consumerism Commentary Readers Have Earned $9,000, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

I’ve designed a short survey to help me understand more about Consumerism Commentary readers. No matter how often you read this website, I would like to hear from you. The survey asks a few questions about demographics, reading habits, and preferences.

There are about 20 questions, and it should take no longer than 3 minutes. You are not required to answer all questions, so you can remain completely anonymous if you prefer. And, because no survey is complete without a bribe, if you complete the survey and provide your email address in the appropriate location, I will enter you in a drawing to win a $50 gift card for Amazon.com.

Follow this link to begin the survey. Please answer truthfully, and thank you!

The original version of this article, Take This Reader Survey, Win a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

One of the best methods of reading Consumerism Commentary and staying up-to-date with the latest articles and posts is through RSS subscription. By subscribing to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than daily updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

Social media

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

Top December articles

Here are the most popular articles written in December:

1. 9 Tips for Choosing and Achieving a Purpose in Life
2. I am Debt Free as of Today!
3. The Best Online Savings Accounts
4. ING Direct Electric Orange Interest Rate Drops to 0.5% APY!
5. Personal Income Statement, November 2008
6. Personal Balance Sheet, November 2008
7. The Schwab Bank Invest First Visa Signature Credit Card (by Smithee)
8. FNBO Direct Drops Interest Rate to 2.8% APY
9. The Federal Reserve Cut is Irrelevant
10. Coworkers Excited About Investing

The original version of this article, Most Popular on Consumerism Commentary: December 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

One of the best methods of reading Consumerism Commentary and staying up-to-date with the latest articles and posts is through RSS subscription. By subscribing to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than daily updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

Social media

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, a social media services based on short personal updates. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you do, however, prefer to receive notifications of new Consumerism Commentary articles on twitter, follow ConsumerismComm as well.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.”

Top November articles

Here are the most popular articles written in November:

1. Citigroup Credit Card Rates Going Up: A Mystery (by Smithee)
2. Personal Income Statement: October 2008 (Net Income: $9,074)
3. President-Elect Obama’s Approach to the Economy
4. Lessons Learned From Losing a Quarter Million Dollars (by Debtkid)
5. Changed My Verizon Wireless Plan: Same Features for $30 Less
6. GM Wants You to Fear its Collapse
7. Personal Balance Sheet, October 2008 ($164,209, -6.1%)
8. FNBO Direct Rated Best Online Savings Account by Kiplinger
9. Banks You May Not Know About Offer High-Yield Savings Accounts
10. November Cash Experiment

The original version of this article, Most Popular on Consumerism Commentary: November 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

While I visited with family on the opposite side of the country this past week for Thanksgiving, I offered the opportunity to feature a few guest authors at Consumerism Commentary. The guests provided a number of excellent articles to keep this website going strong while I was away, and I thank them for doing so. If you missed any of the articles, please read them now.

Criminal Charges: Volume XVII. Jeremy M. Simon from Taking Charge presented commentary on recent acts of money-related crime.

The Battle Royale: You versus Yourself. Matt Wallaert, lead scientist at Thrive, explains several ways to overcome the psychological barriers that prevent people from making sound financial decisions.

8 Tips for Talking About Money With Your Significant Other. Margaret from love God, not money shares what she has learned from her experiences with communication in a relationship.

Lessons Learned from Losing a Quarter Million Dollars. Debtkid had a rocky start with investing. Day trading is like gambling, and here is a reformed addict sharing advice gleaned from the recovery.

Predatory Bank Fees Could Lead to the End of Banks. Karney Hatch, writing and director of the documentary Overdrawn!, has a few suggestions for cutting institutional banks out of the financing equation.

The Mythical Demise of Social Security. Mr. ToughMoneyLove from his eponymous blog comments on the media’s over-hype of the stability of Social Security, and offers a few controversial points that may show that like today’s financial institutions, Social Security may be too big to fail.

The original version of this article, Thanks to This Week’s Guest Authors, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Guest article schedule

Here’s a quick administrative note. While I am visiting family in California this week, Consumerism Commentary will be featuring a number of guest authors. The “Take Control of Your Finances” series will be on hold until I return, but I will be around for occasional posts. The guest authors will be on hand to respond to comments.

A full schedule of guest articles is posted on the Consumerism Commentary Community. If you have submitted a guest article, please check to see if and when yours will be published.

Monthly prize for best comments

Following the end of every month, I will round up three to five of the best comments provided by visitors to Consumerism Commentary. Readers will be asked to vote for their favorite or “most useful” comment among the finalists. The winner will receive a $30 gift card for Amazon.com. I appreciate how Consumerism Commentary readers have contributed to the quality of this website, and I’d like to use this monthly prize to emphasize this appreciation and encourage more participation.

The first prize will be awarded at the beginning of December for November’s comments.

The original version of this article, Guest Posts Coming, Monthly Prize for Best Comments, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Consumerism Commentary Community

Over the weekend, I created the Consumerism Commentary Community, or C3, a forum or message board for discussions with other Consumerism Commentary readers. This blog has a large number of regular readers, and the new Community website is an oft-requested feature. Please stop by and add to the discussion. In order to register for the forum, you will need this password: pluto.

Subscribe to Consumerism Commentary

If you’re interested in getting on the waiting list for the ING Direct referrals, pay attention here. By subscribing to our RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than daily updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

I’ll announce when the waiting list is open once again, and with an RSS subscription, you will be one of the first to know.

Social Media

Twitter is old, it was recently busted, but it is now the hotness. Therefore, please feel free to follow me on Twitter. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed. I do, however, also have a Twitter account for Consumerism Commentary. Follow ConsumerismComm to be informed of new posts and other blog-related news.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.” You can also find me on StumbleUpon (FlexoCC), Digg (FlexoCC), and delicious (Flexo).

The original version of this article, November News for Consumerism Commentary, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

If you’re interested in getting on the waiting list for the ING Direct referrals, pay attention here. By subscribing to our RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than daily updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

I’ll announce when the waiting list is open once again, and with an RSS subscription, you will be one of the first to know.

Social Media

Twitter is old, it was recently busted, but it is now the hotness. Therefore, please feel free to follow me on Twitter. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

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If you come across an interesting, article, study, or video, and you’d like to see it discussed on Consumerism Commentary, feel free to send an email to tips at this email address. While I can’t write about everyone’s suggestion, I try to pick a few to focus on.

I also receive a fair amount of questions via email. Often, the questions come from readers looking for advice. Consumerism Commentary readers are very knowledgeable, and I like sharing reader questions publicly to get a wide variety of opinions and suggestions. If you have any questions, please email me as well.

Many of the emails I receive come from corporate public relations representatives to promote their companies’ products, but I’d rather hear from non-affiliated readers with questions and suggestions. If you don’t mind your question or suggestion being posted, please email the tips email address (at this domain name).

If you’d rather contact me privately, email flexo at this domain name, and be sure to explicitly say that you wouldn’t like me to write about your issue.

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I’ll announce when the waiting list is open once again, and with an RSS subscription, you will be one of the first to know.

Social Media

Twitter is old, it was recently busted, but it is now the hotness. Therefore, please feel free to follow me on Twitter. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.” You can also find me on StumbleUpon (FlexoCC), Digg (FlexoCC), and del.icio.us (Flexo).

The original version of this article, Get Instant Updates: Subscribe to Consumerism Commentary, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

If you’re interested in getting on the waiting list for the ING Direct referrals, pay attention here. By subscribing to our RSS feed with feed-reading software such as Google Reader or aggregators such as My Yahoo, you’ll always be aware of new content here.

If you prefer to have daily updates emailed directly to you, simply enter your address below.

Your email address will be used for nothing other than daily updates generated by Consumerism Commentary. I won’t sell your email address to any third party and I won’t send you any junk mail.

I’ll announce when the waiting list is open once again, and with an RSS subscription, you will be one of the first to know.

Social Media

Twitter is old, it was recently busted, but it is now the hotness. Therefore, please feel free to follow me on Twitter. My updates tend to be somewhat random non sequiturs but occasionally I might write about something pertaining to personal finance. I don’t simply duplicate my RSS feed.

If you’re a member of Facebook, visit the page for Consumerism Commentary and become a “fan.” Also, feel free to view my own profile and add me as a “friend.” You can also find me on StumbleUpon (FlexoCC), Digg (FlexoCC), and del.icio.us (Flexo).

The original version of this article, Subscribe to Consumerism Commentary, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.