Welcome fellow taxpayers and Lifehackers to the 83rd Carnival of Debt Reduction!

To alleviate some of the tax day gloom, I randomly attached some links to webcomics throughout the posts. Think of them as easter eggs you never knew you wanted. Enjoy!

Editor's Picks

Trent Answers The Most Frequently Asked Question: Pay Off Debts Or Invest? from The Simple Dollar: “The problem is that most people look at investments based solely on the expected rate of return - and that’s a mistake. ” Man, does Trent know how to write teasers or what?

The Shopaholic’s Guide to Getting your Expenses Under Control from Debt Consolidation News: "Compulsive shopping is an addiction that can be as bad as alcohol, drugs or tobacco. It helps if you have friends and family who are there to lend you support as you try to kick the habit.”

Who Invented the FICO? from You Credit Card Score Secrets: “In the late 1950’s, a small group of statisticians in Minnesota, the Fair Isaac Corporation, wanted to have a look at how what a consumer did in the past....“

How Much Credit Have You Turned Down? Maybe Half A Million Dollars Worth from The Digerati Life: “I’ve calculated almost $600K of credit and free miles ready for us to pluck and spend away.”

11 Credit Report Myths from Journey To Financial Freedom: "Myth: Checking my own credit report harms my standing. Truth: Personal requests and credit counselors — if they do it correctly, so insist on this as part of your agreement terms — fall under soft pulls, which do not reflect negatively on the evaluation."

10 Crucial Debt Reduction Mistakes from the Debt Management Community: "Forgiven Debt is Taxable Income: If you have had a debt settlement agreement with your debtors where they wrote off your debt, this automatically creates taxable income for you!"

101 Ways to Save One Dollar a Week by Care on Credit: "Go to beauty school: Time for a manicure, pedicure or haircut? Go to a training salon and get professional work done at a fraction of the cost."

More Carnival Highlights

Don't Pour Your Money Down a Relative's Drain from Free Money Finance: “even if you're willing to give money to help someone out, be sure they're ready to use it properly. Otherwise, the gift will not really help them out."

Spendthrift Nation: Drowning in Debt from Queercents: “we have now become a nation who, collectively, spend more than we earn ."

Don't Get Caught Off Guard When Your Adjustable Rate Mortgage Rises from Michael Cook: “If you have refinanced recently and still find yourself in a rut, its time to try to renegotiate your payments. It is very important to be proactive in this process because banks do not want to foreclose.”

How To Save Money Without Changing Your Lifestyle from Personal Finance Advice: "When you think about saving money, what is the first image that comes to your mind? If it is that you are going to have to deprive yourself of something or some other feeling of dread, then you have not mastered the proper way to save."

Importance of Your Credit Rating & FICO Score from Debt Management Community: “The 5 components that make up your Credit Score include:

1. Previous Credit payments & performance history

2. Current debt load

3. Your past average credit length or history

4. Types of credit available to you

   

5. Your applications for new credit”

Extreme Frugality? What the Amish Can Teach Us About Cutting Expenses and Debt from Ask Mr Credit Card's Blog: “...And Oh! I forgot to ask if Amish people carry credit cards!"

I guess Vonnegut was right: human beings are happier when they inhabit primitive communities again.

How to Build Your Commercial Real Estate Credit from Investment Property Insider: "most people do not pay attention to or monitor their credit files on a regular basis. If you are going to invest in real estate, this is an absolute 'must.'" Knowledge is power!

10 Tips on How to get a College Scholarship by CampusGrotto College Blog: “Search Locally - A local scholarship is probably your best chance for getting a College Scholarship. There are special scholarships just for locals, meaning it will be less competitive.”

More Great Entries

15 Financial Lessons from the Demise of Anna Nicole Smith from Credit Card Lowdown: “Hire a good lawyer: Howard K. Stern may have other skills that were appealing to Anna Nicole, but look at the parody of a will that he drew for her."

10 Biggest Mistakes Made by Poor People That Will Keep Them Poor from 1031 Exchange Lowdown: “Not being ambitious: A job at McDonalds may provide a steady paycheck, but if you're out of school and still working the drive-thru, you're simply not doing enough. ”

Monday Mondays, a Prsonal Budgeting Strategy from Mercurial Scribe: “i have managed to reduce our debt and am working on increasing our income by 'closing' every shift i can. But now, how to keep track of all the income and expenditure?”

Andy's Credit Card Update from Money Walks: “So I managed to bring my credit card debt down to an even $4,000.00 just this past weekend....”

Way to go Andy! I love ending the carnival on a happy note!

A big thanks to John the Mighty Bargain Hunter for giving us the opportunity to host. You can catch the next edition at Getting Green, where the men are strong, the women are good looking, and the financial advice is personable.

Photos by CKirkman and Stevenvanwel.