Best of Money Carnival #132: December Todo List Edition

flickr - Nils Geylen

Welcome to the 132nd edition of the Best of Money Carnival!

The holidays season is upon us and we will all be very busy until Christmas. Now is the time to wrap up the year and prepare for 2012.

I know we are all busy, but here are 10 suggestions to add to the to do list in December.

Enjoy each suggesting along with the best of money articles from the personal finance blogs on the internet.

10. Get an early start on Christmas – I’m sure everyone has a big gift list so the earlier you start, the better off you will be.

Glen Craig presents Are You Cut Out to be a Landlord? posted at Free From Broke.

We hear about how lucrative it can be to be a landlord. But are you cut out to be a landlord? You must consider whether you can handle the responsibilities!

Being a landlord is a lot of trouble! See my first 3 months report on the 4 plex, if you have any doubt.

9. Finish your 2011 New Year’s resolutions strong and get ready for 2012.

Money Cone presents If You Are Happy with Your Big Bank, Should You Still Switch to a Credit Union? posted at Money Cone.

Is it worth switching to a Credit Union even if you are happy with your Big Bank?
Unless you think this is chump change, I think it is worth it. The good news is you have a choice. Laziness in this case could be costing you dearly.

8. Contribute to the 529 College Saving Plan if you have a kid. If you have a niece or nephew, consider contribution to the 529 plan instead of buying them an expensive gift.

Jim presents What Is A Good Credit Score? posted at Bargaineering.

It’s easy to get all worked up about credit scores but what exactly is a good score? What does it affect and why does it matter? We discuss.

7. Contribute to Roth IRA. I know you can put this off a while longer, but why not do it now so next year will be simpler.

Jon the Saver presents When Financial Secrecy Might Not Be a Good Idea posted at Free Money Wisdom.

It’s easy enough to see why we don’t want other people to know too much about our financial affairs—too much income and assets and other people might resent us; too much debt and poor credit and they might judge us. Who wouldn’t want to avoid that?

6. Max out the 401k contribution if you can. If you can’t, then increase your contribution for 2012 starting in January. This will give you a chance to take full advantage of the tax saving.

YFS presents LESSONS FROM FRUGAL BILLIONAIRES posted at YourFinancesSimplified.

YFS provides insight on lessons you can learn from famous frugal billionaires.

5. Send in your charitable donation so you can take the tax write off.

Don presents Alternative Plans For Financial Independence posted at Money Reasons.

Don’t stick with just one plan for financial independence! Who knows, perhaps Plan B will get you there instead!

4. Sell some of your losers stocks to offset your gain or for a tax deduction.

Paula @ Afford Anything presents Surprising Research Reveals How to Be Happier posted at Afford Anything.

Money is indirectly tied to happiness through the lens of your ‘freedom to choose,’ according to a team of researchers.

3. Rebalance Your Portfolio to keep your asset allocation on target.

Roshawn Watson presents Broke People Afford Everything posted at Watson Inc.

Your lifestyle is pretty impressive, except for the fact that you’re a financial fake. I just want to know one thing: how do broke people afford EVERYTHING?

2. Pay your mortgage before December 31st to take an extra mortgage interest deduction.

Peter presents Doing Your Own Repairs Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars. Discover Your Inner DIY Handyman posted at Bible Money Matters.

I recently decided that I really had to become at least a little more handy and figure out how to do some basic home repairs. The reason? Why should I be paying huge fees to professionals to fix things for me when the most of the problems are things even an amateur like myself can correct?

1. Enjoy the Holidays! Yes, it’s busy, but don’t forget to relax a bit and enjoy the holidays.

FMF presents The Complete Guide To Building Wealth In Two Sentences posted at Free Money Finance.

The truth behind wealth building is public domain knowledge, simple to understand, and nobody is going to get rich selling it you.

Have a great December everyone and thank you for you submissions! There were many great submissions and it’s too bad I can only have 10 posts here.