Carnival of Ethics, Values & Personal Finance #4

Welcome to the Carnival of Ethics, Values & Personal Finance. I would like to start out by thanking Penny Nickel at Money and Values for starting this carnival and giving me the opportunity to host it.

In honor of this carnival, I have dedicated this week to investigating the issues related to ethics and money from several different perspectives by interviewing prominent personal finance bloggers from different walks of life.

• In the first interview I talk with Trent (The Simple Dollar), Jim (Blueprint for Financial Prosperity) and J. D. Roth (Get Rich Slowly) about Ethics, Personal Finance and Blogging.


• In the second Interview I talk with SVB (The Digerati Life) and Tricia (Blogging Away Debt) about Ethics, Personal Finance and Women.


• Finally, in the third Interview I talk with Golbguru (Money, Matter, and More Musings), Stephanie (Poorer Than You) and the English Major (An English Major’s Money) about Ethics, Personal Finance and Youth.

I had a great time doing these interviews and I would like to heartily thank all our guests for being so earnest and providing such though-provoking views! I invite you all to check them out and participate via comments. I hope you will all help make it a lively discussion!

Now, onto the Carnival. We have an excellent collection of articles in this edition. To add a note of lightness, I have included a few strips of my favorite comics, Calvin and Hobbes, that explores the question of ethics and values in its own style :). (Update 05/21/07: I have removed the cartoon strips since I realised I was violating the authors copyrights.). So relax, grab a cup of coffee (or tea), and enjoy. Feel free to just browse or join in the conversation with comments. And, if you like your experience, please help spread the word by linking back.

Note: The articles are presented in the chronological order that they were received. I have copied a couple of sentences from the original article that I think best describes the article, to help you get a flavor of it and let you prioritize which ones to dive into first. Here we go.

Wenchypoo presents War on the War on the Middle Class posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket.
"Find out what you can do for yourself to return home from the war on the middle class—yes, it takes personal effort, but that’s what success achievement is all about! You know the old saying about "success = 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration", so go work up a sweat already!"

Big Cajun Man presents Tempus Fugit: Less Time With the Family? posted at Canadian Financial Stuff.
"I lament the loss of control in our lives. Money is just not that important folks (IMHO)"

David Maister presents A Case Study in Professional Ethics posted at Passion, People and Principles.
"Acme’s young workers saw first hand the meaning of “ethics in action.” They saw the CEO "take it on the chin" rather than be anything less than completely excellent to very high standards. "

Rich presents WWYD: Helping the Less Fortunate posted at Queercents.
"So let me ask you: have you found that paying closer attention to your finances makes you less attentive to the needs of others? As you focus on your own financial health, are you becoming clueless to anyone’s situation other than your own? "

Leon Gettler presents Is 2007 the year to prick the CEO pay balloon? posted at Sox First.
"It's a sign of the times. Whole Foods Markets CEO John Mackey in a letter to his employees, republished in Fast Company, has announced that he is taking a massive pay cut - to just $1 a year."

Matthew Paulson presents How To Identify Bad Financial Advice posted at Getting Green.
"Asking someone how to handle money is like asking them which religion is the correct one. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone thinks they’re right. "

David E. presents 10 Simple Ideas to Save Thousands of Dollars per Year posted at Worldwide Success.
"These relatively small numbers can add up quickly. If you realize the potential savings indicated above you could save a total of $7,000 per year! "

Bill presents Saving On Taxes posted at Ask Uncle Bill.
"I was getting a bit peeved about being the in-house tax service when I realized that doing so meant my kids were working, producing income and off the payroll. I'm more than glad to do their taxes. "

Donna Jean presents Environmental Ethics: Corporate Culture posted at The Weight of Money.
"I’m wondering if there is anything I can do to change the "looking good" culture. I know that there is a deeply held belief that the corporate office must be dripping with class, but what about appearing environmentally considerate too? "

Brad presents Five dollars or a tree planted in my name? posted at Brad's Bits.
"According to my statement, eliminating one million paper statements saves 1,500 trees per year. Hmmmm….should I wait around to see if they offer me $5 or have they guilt tripped me into helping the environment? "

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Walking In A Winter Wonderland For $1,300 posted at The Digerati Life.
"Nature Trip for 7: ~$1,300
Snowball fights on a fresh carpet of snow surrounded by towering white cliffs and a blanket of pine trees: Priceless"

Nina presents Sleep in Truck: Student Pays Off Credit Card Debt posted at Queercents.
"Andy Bussell who is twenty six has been living in his truck for over 18 months to save money and pay off his credit cards. "

Ben presents Profiting from a Non-Profit. Ethical or Rotten? posted at Money Smart Life.
"We help these girls out every year by spending money on something we don’t want. Is it wrong to resell them later on for a profit?"

Debra Moorhead presents “The Science of Getting Rich” Evaluated, Part Three posted at Debra Moorhead . com.
"So use your talents as a guide, but use your desires to make the final decision as to what business you pursue."

Alex presents Refuting "Facts" at RealtyTimes.com posted at The RE Forum.
"The well respected site Realtytimes.com posted an interesting article on its homepage today. Interesting, because if you try to follow the advice within, you'll wind up committing tax fraud."

Wanda presents Giving on the street posted at Well-Heeled.
"Giving to panhandlers on the street makes me feel better. That’s probably why I do it. I mean, it’s instant cash in their hands, and instant gratification for me."

That’s all folks! If you liked the carnival, I hope you will link to it and help spread the word. The next edition will be hosted at Stingy Students. Please continue to participate and keep the spirit alive by submitting your posts through the carnival submission form .

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