Recommended Articles

Here are some of the interesting articles I have been reading this week around the personal finance blogosphere and throughout the web.

First up, take a look at this very interesting presentation from Sequoia Capital - one of the most respected venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. The presentation explains the causes for the economic crisis as well as some of the likely outcomes and possible impacts on technology companies. Very well done.

My Financial Journey came out of semi-retirement to say that if the world is coming to an end, he is going out fully invested... :-) I share the sentiment. I think there are at least 8 of us left, worldwide.

Five Cent Nickel wrote a post about one of my favorite topics these days: reducing debt. Seriously, if at this point you are carrying much debt, and you are not working for a completely recession proof entity, such as Uncle Sam, than you must be out of your mind. Living below your means is rule #1 in tough economic times.

My friend Frugal Zeitgeist is wondering about second order economic problems - what happens when parents or kids get into financial trouble, just when you are facing the squeeze yourself. My philosophy is that families should always stick together and help each other out in tough economic times.

Plonkee has some solid tips for career development. At this point most people are just thinking about not getting laid off, but Plonkee's ideas about developing new skills and making sure that you are marketing yourself correctly are useful for those who want to avoid the ax as well as for those seeking growth.

Hey - it turns out that some people are writing about things other than the economic meltdown. I didn't know that this was still legal... well, Lazy Man has a great post about the worst gifts he had ever received. Our worst gifts have got to be some of the things we got for our wedding. Someone got us an oil painting that they did themselves and which was pretty abysmal. You know what? It is NOT only the thought that counts, people.

Finally, Lynnae of Being Frugal had a great post about how to be frugal while traveling. These days, with airlines nickel and diming you for everything, planning ahead can save you a lot of cash.