As submitted by NewRulesofInvesting

This is a side to side comparison of two of the best online financial sites: Yahoo Finance and Google Finance.  Yahoo is still the largest and most popular finance site by far but Google is serious about finance.  Let’s see how the two financial portals stack up against each other.

Speed

Google Finance: Typical fast-loading Google pages.  Google’s site is broad and doesn’t go deep.  Pages for individual stocks are only 1 page deep (Google links out for things like option chains, major holder, etc.)

Yahoo Finance: Yahoo Finance is fast.  As opposed to Google, Yahoo content resides primarily on Yahoo pages and Yahoo is responsible for page load speed throughout the site.  This can fluctuate as any large website can throughout the day.

Charting

Google Finance: Google primarily uses a simple javascript-loaded chart without any bling.  It loads fast and allows easy to manipulate x-axis (time period).  When you’re figuring out what a particular stocks has done over the past 17 days, the chart also calculates the return for a given time frame beyond the standard 1-day, 5-day, 3 month, etc. time period.  Google also plots news events onto their charts which is kind of cool (not necessarily tradeable).

Yahoo Finance: Yahoo Finance charts are much more robust.  Advanced charts have incorporated a similar charting function like Google’s and provides an overlay of numerous technical indicators (MACD, RSI).  Because these charts are so powerful, they also tend to be bulky and seize up.

Real Time Quotes

Google Finance: Google provides real time quotes both during market hours and pre- and post- market.  Google’s quotes on market indices tend to skew erratically during the transition to an open market as well as trails when the market makes large moves to the upside or downside.

Yahoo Finance: Yahoo also provides real time quotes both during market hours and off.  Yahoo’s premarket quotes are not as reliable as Google’s.  Yahoo occasionally doesn’t have a price premarket for a wide array of stocks.  Yahoo has a scrolling ticker as well for stocks that is personalized to the behavior of the user.

Breadth

Google Finance: Google gives basic info all on one page.  Anything more a user needs to link off.  News, financial info, blogs all included.  Very shallow, quick and dirty use.  Google does a good job bringing in blog content but lacks good, standardized PR content, still necessary in the research process.

Yahoo Finance: Yahoo provides an entire research environment.  All the content and data is supplied by Yahoo.  From major holders to options chains to blogs and PR, Yahoo is a virtual poor man’s Bloomberg.

Innovation

Google Finance: Google allows users to download data, making the site more portable than we’ve traditionally seen.  Google portrays the data environment well around a stock.  Beyond that, nothing particularly innovative about what Google’s done so far.
Yahoo Finance: Yahoo Finance is the 800lb gorilla and essentially helped to democratize financial information.  Yahoo has done a good job bringing in financial blogs in a controlled environment, using SeekingAlpha to help filter.  Charts are very powerful.  Not too much current innovation going on either on the surface.

With so much focus on Barack, we were interested in seeing what his first lady, Michelle Obama, had to say about child rearing.  As a mother of two young children, it’s interesting to read her views on raising a family.

Know when to fold them: In an interview aired in September on the season premiere of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Michelle Obama was asked whether she and her husband were planning to have a third child.

“I think I’m done,” Ms. Obama told Ms. DeGeneres. “I think our third child is this campaign.”

Co-opt their father into helping more:  From The Chicago Sun Times, “Michelle keeps him very grounded. She makes him throw out the trash,” said Davila.  “He makes the bed when he’s in town. They are a couple. He’s a husband and father, so when he’s home he has to do things the way other people do them.”

Incorporate more snuggle time: From the Wall Street Journal, Michelle Obama talks about the effects of the presidential campaign on family life.

WSJ: With Mr. Obama traveling almost nonstop, are you doing anything differently with your daughters?

Michelle Obama: Without Barack there in the morning, the girls and I have “snuggle time” in my bed. I turn on the lights and we stay there cuddling … have deep conversations and talk about what it would be like if we could stay in bed all day but that wouldn’t be realistic, we wouldn’t learn to read…

Economics is not a complicated topic when viewed in a broad sense. The economy can either do well or do poorly. When it does well, prosperity lasts for a while, but it almost always slows down and starts to do poorly again in the future. Then, it will swing back up again. Those times of economic slow down are called “recessions.”

Recessions are inevitable, so it is only sound financial advice to tell you to plan ahead for them, even if you are currently experiencing a time of economic prosperity. If you are in a recession, there are steps you can take to keep it from impacting you too much.

The most dangerous thing that happens in a recession is job loss. As the economy slows down, people slow down their spending, and businesses suffer. This forces them to lay off workers, and those workers are the ones that suffer the most during a recession and most likely need financial help.

The best way to protect yourself from this possibility is to lay up some cash reserves. Economists recommend having three to six months worth of living expenses saved. This takes time, but you need to start working towards this goal in your financial planning.

Another danger of a recession is price increases. As companies try to make up for the lack of sales, they are often forced to raise prices. You can combat this by learning to cut coupons, shop sales, and stock up on your necessities when they are at a good price. Also, make sure you are only buying what you need. Save the “extras” for an occasional treat, but learn to tone down your spending habits. A recession is not the time to buy a lot of “extras.”

Finally, whether the economy is good or bad, make sure you do not take on too much debt. Your non-mortgage debt should be as close to zero as possible. If possible, keep your monthly payments that are going towards debt, including your mortgage payment, around 30 percent of your total monthly income. Anything more than this is dangerous, particularly during a recession. Learn to live without using your credit cards, as this is one of the most expensive and dangerous forms of debt.

Getting good financial help and planning through a recession is not as difficult as it might seem. Make sure you are saving your money, and limit your credit spending. Soon you will see the economy swing back toward the positive side, as it always does.

The goal of SingleMomFinancialHelp.com is to help women change the world through information and education. We are creating a support structure through which all women of the world can educate one another about where they have been, where they are right now and where they are going. With help from our site and the information and articles we distribute women will be more educated in finance, business, home matters, relationships, career and higher education.

With blogs popping up all over the web like weeds, the question is how does one build a successful blog. I guess the first question is how to define success? For arguments sake let’s define success as heavily trafficked and commented on.

I cam accross a very informatove post from mominisrael. She gives a list of tips that have helped her become successful.  Among her tips she writes: ” I started by commenting on other blogs that address similar topics. If a blogger begins posting here, I usually add that blog to my reader. (A reader is a web page that lets you know when the blogs you like have been updated. I use Netvibes, but Bloglines and Google Reader are more popular.) Lately I comment less (I hope temporarily), but I still read. ”

Doshdosh asks, ” So what’s the secret to building a large blog readership? Content dissemination and the development of a supportive core audience. And that’s really the key. It’s not just about the quality of your content. It’s about having broad distribution channels.

Once again, readership growth doesn’t only depend on the merit of your blog posts, but rather their circulation reach. It’s about how much attention your content receives.”

Finally, Positivityblog has a long list of tips to help you be a better blogger. Here is just one of the tips: ” Learn from more experienced people. This is so key - in any area of life really - and can really help you to improve quickly and avoid wasting time. I recommend not only subscribing to the two excellent resources called Problogger (about blogging) and Copyblogger (about communicating better and more persuasively). I also recommend delving into the archives of these two blogs. When I started blogging I spent two or three weeks reading lots and lots from the massive archives of Problogger. I learned a lot about blogging, marketing, monetization and what you should and should not do. Before I started this blog I knew very little about blogging. After those weeks I at least had a basic education that was very helpful. If you are thinking about creating your own blog or have just started one I recommend reading the big series Blogging Tips for Beginnersover at Problogger.”

Happy blogging.

Learning about your career options and planning and preparing your career path are proven success strategies, regardless of generation. Top guidance and career counselors are trained to provide this kind of help. Ideally, you get realistic and practical advice along with encouragement to reach for higher goals.

A good example of top notch career guidance is Ilene Frommer, who was recently profiled in the New York Times. She is a guidance counselor at a public high school in Sonoma County California. Once you read about a typical day in the life of Ms. Frommer, you’ll not only appreciate the critical work she does, but also the work of thousands of other excellent school counselors across the country. Visit her high school’s online college and career planning resources to see what top quality advice she provides her students and parents. If you’re a working adult contemplating a career change, much of the advice is timeless.

Even if you do not have access to a counselor like Ms. Frommer, thanks to the internet you can take a page from her playbook (forgive the sports metaphor) and learn from her career planning approach, which is similar to ours. In fact, Naviance – the online course, college and career planning system her school uses, includes The Career Key as part of their product. Whether you are 17 years old or 50, the lessons are the same – research and planning, career information and preparation, are your tickets to success.

This blog post was graciously submitted to BizzyWomen by The Career Key Blog, run by Juliet Wehr Jones, J.D.  The Career Key™ gives you expert help with your career search and career choices — career change, career planning, job skills, and choosing a college major. Our career assessment helps you find a career by matching your personality with careers and providing you complete and accurate information about each career you choose to explore.

Going through a divorce is a very challenging time in a person’s life. It is hard to adjust to being single again, as well as living “out of the habit” of being married, especially if you have been married for many, many years.

It is suggested that you use this precious opportunity to rediscover yourself. Think of this time in your life as an adventure to explore the real you. If you have worked outside the home combined with being a mom and wife for the last ten, fifteen or twenty years, you may have lost yourself along the way. Certainly not on purpose, but as most women try to do it all as “super” moms, many times we put our own wants and needs on hold to keep our families and jobs running smoothly!

Take a deep breath and let’s start to rediscover your true passions and say…
Will the Real Me Please Stand Up!

Tip#5 What Makes Your Heart Sing?

What really matters to you? What do you feel is your true purpose in life? If someone asked you that question, how would you answer them?

Why is it so important to be clear on what your life’s purpose is? Knowing your purpose, will give you a true sense of who you are and why you were put on this earth. It gives your life direction and helps you make clear and easy decisions concerning that direction. It’s your compass! Without a purpose, can your life be compared to a piece of driftwood? Floating endlessly in whichever direction the tide decides to take it and ending up on any beach with no will of its’ own.

When you live your life based on your purpose you are living in integrity with yourself and are in alignment of who you really are in all aspects of your life - body, mind and spirit. Take this time to focus on what really matters to you. Feel the true passions that exist in your heart and write them down.

As the Founder of the National Association of Divorce for Women and Children, Joanie’s passion is to help women be the best they can be as well as become role models for their children and community. The 24/7 Resource Center was created not only because of the lack of support and guidance Joanie experienced after her divorce, but for the many women who experience the same challenges.       

Joanie became a successful business owner of a True Value Hardware store at the age of twenty five. After eighteen years in the retail arena, she embarked on a professional career as a speaker, author, business/personal coach specializing in divorce and a Certified Behavior Specialist. She is also the Divorce Specialist for the National Association of Baby Boomers.

To continue to help provide a healthy lifestyle for women and children, Joanie is the Founder of the non-profit Happy Wednesday Foundation which provides funding for women’s educational mentoring programs during and after divorce.

For more support and encouragement during and after divorce, visit the National Association of Divorce for Women and Children.

My sweet 81 year old friend called today and told me she saved over $50.00 by using a suggestion from a sheet of organizing tips she had been given. Of course, I am always looking for organizing tips.

Now, I have to say, this tip is in the gray area between organizing and cleaning, but since I have several videos that border between organizing tips and other things (crafts, cleaning and interesting stuff) I am going to share this one.

Her dishwasher hadn’t completely drained the last two times she used it. She called the plumber who charged $50.00 just to come to the house. But he didn’t come when he said he would. She read on her sheet to use vinegar in the dishwasher to wash out the pipes. She used a gallon of vinegar without any dishes in it and ran the washer through a cycle. That took care of the problem. Imagine that one little idea saved her over $50.00!

Do you have any money saving organizing tips that we could use? If so, please share.

Marilyn Bohn is an energetic, lively, compassionate, hard working and creative organizer. She was born to organize! Before becoming a professional organizer she worked professionally in diverse environments. She is involved in her community, providing her clients with a broad base of experience and knowledge.  She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

Barrington, NH: The down-turned economy has left many small business owners wondering what the future holds for them.  The fear of losing their business has encouraged several mom entrepreneurs to look for opportunity while others cut spending and layoff employees.

Thirty inspirational women will be highlighted over a period of 30 days on The Mom Entrepreneur blog <http://www.themomentrepreneur.blogspot.com> , which offers tips, advice and resources for balancing motherhood with running a company. These mom entrepreneurs’ stories demonstrate how these amazing women have decided to make “lemonade from lemons” using a little creative ingenuity.

“I have received dozens of emails from mom entrepreneurs all over the country telling me their “glass is half-full” stories,” said Traci Bisson, owner and founder of The Mom Entrepreneur <http://www.themomentrepreneur.com> .  ”From Misty Gibbs, owner of My
Inspiration Lounge whose vision is to “help women feel empowered, especially during this time, so they can take control of their lives and become better prepared for future downturns,” to Sarah Laufer, owner of Play Outdoors whose business launched in 2008. Laufer has decided to focus on “being who we are and continuing with our goal of creating a place where parents and kids are encouraged to get outdoors”.

These women and 28 more will be featured in a 30-day inspirational story marathon starting November 15 and concluding on December 14.

Mike Michalowicz <http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/author/index.php> , author of “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur” (Obsidian Launch, LLC, 2008), in a guest post for The Mom Entrepreneur said “so here we sit, as entrepreneurs, on an economy that sucks. It will either revive over the next year or two or even perhaps die. But one thing for sure, it will get worse before it gets better. And it is now, right in this moment, that it is the best time to
start a business.”

The 30 stories in 30 days marathon will highlight mom entrepreneurs who also feel that now is the best time to start or grow a business because even in a sour economy lies optimism, promise and positive change.

To learn more about The Mom Entrepreneur and to follow the 30-day inspirational story marathon, visit www.themomentrepreneur.com.

About The Mom Entrepreneur:
Traci Bisson has been a mom since February 2000 and an entrepreneur since August 2000. Eight weeks after she returned from maternity leave, the company where she had been employed for five years went out of business. She decided to try doing her own thing and failed miserably. After another year of working for two different companies (the first laid off the department she worked in and the other was showing signs of going under), Bisson
decided to try entrepreneurship again.

Raising her two children and growing her first company, Bisson Barcelona <http://www.bissonbarcelona.com/> , an image management and high visibility PR firm, have been both challenging and rewarding.

Bisson started The Mom Entrepreneur in April 2008 as more of a hobby. She began blogging about her challenges and successes. That same month, she sent a query out through two news channels looking for tips on balancing family and business in order to generate some additional content for her blog. Bisson anticipated she would connect with a few other mom entrepreneurs, interview them and post their stories on her blog. In less then 48 hours she had received 400 emails with more then 1,000 tips from mom entrepreneurs all over the world.

From that point, The Mom Entrepreneur started to grow. The company added The Mom Entrepreneur Support Group
<http://themomentrepreneur.wordpress.com/support-group/>  in June, which now
has over 225 members who discuss everything from potty training to how to use Twitter.

Bisson’s story has been told in dozens of publications, including the Associated Press <http://www.bissonbarcelona.com/PDFs/WP_press.pdf> , National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB.com)
<http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_32411.html> , Women’s Business Boston Journal
<http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080427/BIZ/80427
0319/-1/rss50> , Plan Ahead Get Ahead (cover story), Union Leader
<http://www.bissonbarcelona.com/PDFs/UL_press.pdf> , The Portsmouth Herald
<http://archive.seacoastonline.com/2005news/12022005/business/75996.htm> ,
Our Times <http://portsmouthnhemployment.com/2002ourtimes/6_1k_ot.htm>  and
Seacoast Ventures
<http://www.seacoastventures.net/entrepreneur/0107ent.html> .

Last week I was contacted by Paul Nelson from KSL, a Salt Lake City, Utah radio station. He had read an article I wrote on Child Proofing our Homes and asked if he could interview me for his radio show. Out of a 14 minute interview this is what was on his show which aired on October 7th:

Mr. Nelson quoted me as saying: professional organizer Marilyn Bohn said, “I can absolutely say, ‘Yes.’ If a home is terribly disorganized, it is much more unsafe for children”. Clearing clutter is very important when there are little children in the home, for safety sake.

Bohn is also a former child-abuse protection worker. She has seen cases of children getting hurt just from items being left lying around. Clearing clutter would certainly cut down the number of child neglect and abuse cases.

“Anything the child wants to get into. I’m thinking knives and other hazards in the kitchen, they could get into. Medicines are also a big problem, because often they are not kept away from children,” she said.

Bohn says she has seen cases when kids have become sick because families didn’t clean up after their pet thoroughly enough. She says the most important thing about child-proofing is just to do it. As a professional organizer she gives organizing ideas and organizing tips to parents with young children on how to child proof their homes for the safety of their children.

“It’s inexpensive, it doesn’t take a lot of time and it is so worth it,” she said.

This radio show was a great reminder for parents to child proof their homes. As a professional organizer I work with people to teach them how to de-clutter their homes for the safety of children.

Marilyn Bohn is an energetic, lively, compassionate, hard working and creative organizer. She was born to organize! Before becoming a professional organizer she worked professionally in diverse environments. She is involved in her community, providing her clients with a broad base of experience and knowledge.  She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

As seen on the TheMomEntrepreneur, a great site for information regarding working mothers, raising kids, and running your own business.

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This post is one in a series of three about the phenomenon we call Twitter. Many people in The Mom Entrepreneur Support Group I run, and clients, have been asking about this form of micro-blogging. What is it? Why should I care? How do I use it? My goal is to answer these questions and more.

“New to Twitter - not quite sure how this works but I am sure I can figure it out. Love this social networking stuff.”

“I am here, now what?”

Start by posting some practice tweets, which are limited to 140 characters. My second tweet was:

“Working on my blogging clinic, which will be offered for four sessions in April in Barrington, NH.”

When the blogging clinic write up was ready on my website, I tweeted again about it and included a link to the page on my site. Now remember, you are limited to 140 characters. This can easily be used up with one URL; especially a blog URL. Visit http://www.tinyurl.com/ and turn your long URL into a short URL. You can even customize your URL so it is easy to remember.