A quick thanks to the blogs that included Narrow Bridge Finance in recent blog carnivals:

Yakezie Carnival – Credit Cards Edition hosted by Prairie EcoThrifter

Carnival of Personal Finance #334 hosted by Diva in Debt

I am also participating in the MoneyPros Index Fund Challenge.

Recent Carnivals is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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3. Narrow Bridge Included in Carnival of Personal Finance

Today major sites around the web are shutting down to support efforts to kill the SOPA and PIPA bills in the US Senate and House. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) might sound good on the surface, but they threaten content producers and bloggers around the web.

What Do The Bills Do?

PIPA was introduced to the Senate in May. The bill is designed to give both companies and the government the ability to seek legal action against companies that they see as infringing on copyright.

SOPA took that a step further, by giving the government the ability to blacklist specific sites by using DNS blocking. DNS blocking is a fancy way to say that the government can force web internet service providers to censor sites.

Here is a video from the folks at American Censorship explaining how the bills work:

Why Is It Really Bad?

What sets the United States apart from Iran and China? In China and Iran, the government blocks websites that it doesn’t like. In the United States, we are given freedom to information. The internet has become the biggest information source for the average citizen. I do not want to see that blocked.

Under PIPA and SOPA, the government could say that my blog is copyright infringing and block it from all United States viewers. News sites, blogs, information sites, and any other content producer would be at the mercy of large corporations and the government.

This is such a big deal that you can’t visit Wikipedia, Reddit, Mozilla, or a long list of other sites today. I hope students did their homework early, because 40 million people will not be able to access Wikipedia as usual today. Imagine if that were permanent?

Support the Cause

I wrote to my Senators and House Representative urging them to vote against PIPA and SOPA if they are given the opportunity. Please do the same and spread the word through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and any other outlet you have.

Killing these bills is essential to freedom on the internet, thousands of jobs, and millions of web users around the United States.

You can get more information and links to easily write your representatives at American Censorship. Please take a few minutes and sign the petitions and write the letters to protect sites like mine and thousands of others today.

The Danger of SOPA and PIPA is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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I have spent some time over the last few weeks putting together a new and free eBook for Narrow Bridge Finance subscribers. My small business post series was so successful that I decided to package it up into a free eBook.

At some point, almost everyone has an idea for a business. It is easy to get caught up in all of the complicated reasons to avoid it, so I decided to cut through the confusion and give a basic guide to starting a small business. Based on my successful small business post series, this re-packaged and free eBook gives you a quick guide to starting a small business. I have started three businesses myself, and this book outlines what I learned in the process.

Download it free when you join the email list.

Free eBook – Starting a Small Business is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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Win a copy of the Personal Finance Arsenal eBook, a $27 value. Just use the awesome signup tools below to enter. That’s it! Consider it a Chanukah or (insert holiday here) give from me! If you don’t win, you could buy a copy for yourself. It also makes a great present.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holiday Giveaway: Win A Copy of My eBook is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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Hi friends, I am holding a design contest for a new logo for Narrow Bridge Finance. Who better to get advice from than all of you? Please stop by and vote on my poll at www.99designs.com to help me choose between the 8 finalists.

Help Me Pick The New Narrow Bridge Finance Logo is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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A few weeks back, I was tagged by Kay Lynn Akers, the Bucksome Boomer, to take part in a series going around the world of blogs. The idea is to find seven posts from your archive to answer seven questions. It is a great journey back and resurrects some of the best Narrow Bridge Finance has to offer.

Your Most Beautiful Post

Sometimes I am surprised by what comes out when I grab the keyboard to start a new post. Unlike some writers, I am not someone to put together an outline unless I am planning a long post or a series. I usually just write from the gut. Sometimes, I write from my heart. Those are the most beautiful posts I have ever written.

The post that I put more emotion into than anything else came at a tough time for me. I wrote it in the weeks following the end of a four and a half year relationship. The Complete Guide to Heartbreak: 10 Rules to Get Over It and Move On gives you a little window into me that no other post has. It is also the 19^th most popular of the 600 posts I have written so far.

Your Most Popular Post

When you write a post and it does exceptionally well, it is probably a good idea to repeat what worked. I did, and it worked better than the first time.

I wrote a post comparing Mint.com vs Thrive and it was my best post ever at that point. I followed it with a post titled Mint.com Alternative: Pageonce vs. Mint.com. That is my most popular post ever and gets the most traffic at my site every week. (That post has had more traffic than my homepage)

Your Most Controversial Post

I try to keep politics to my personal blog, but when those politics include the economy, I don’t hold back and share my thoughts with Narrow Bridge Finance readers.

Last December, Americans finally noticed the growing problem of our national debt. I came up with my own solution for the national debt and taxes. I can proudly say that I probably pissed off half of the people who read that post. The other half thought I was brilliant.

Your Most Helpful Post

Obviously every post I write is helpful. That is why people come back again and again. Some post, though, make more of an impact for the average reader.

So many people do not understand how the stock market works. They see sexy movies like Wall Street and Boiler Room showing the highs and lows of investing, but they do not understand how the markets really function. I wrote a post about when to buy and sell stock that can help a beginner understand how to make investment decisions.

A Post Whose Success Surprised You

They say that if you have a question, many other people have the same question. I guess that was the case when I started reading up on IRS guidelines for how long to keep your receipts, taxes, and statements.

I compiled what I learned and wrote a post about how long to keep your bank statements. I guess a lot of people were curious too. It became my fifth most popular post ever. If you want to know about de-cluttering your file cabinet, you should probably check out the post yourself.

A Post You Feel Didn’t Get the Attention it Deserved

Any blogger knows the feeling. You come up with a brilliant idea. The minutes turn to hours as you craft a blog post that, if you were a journalist, would certainly win the Pulitzer Prize. You make sure every detail is just perfect. The post goes live. Then… Nothing.

For all of that effort, if there is any one post that sticks out, it is definitely my post on different investing options. I wrote it in 2009, well before I really understood how people read online. It is more of an essay than a blog post, but it is packed with valuable information.

The Post You Are Most Proud Of

I have a lot of friends with questions about debt. I managed to pay off my car loan while in grad school. Also while in school, I put in a ton of work to accelerate the payments on my student loans. Of the $52,000 of debt I took to buy a car and go to school, I have $7,000 to go. I think that is good progress.

I have pointed countless friends and readers to snowball their debt when they ask me for money help. My all in one debt solution post, that includes my own debt story, can be found at My Debt, How I’m Paying It, and the Snowball Effect.

Next Up…

I had fun taking a look back in the archives and browsing my old posts list. I think the most proud moment of this post was seeing how much my writing has evolved over time and how my writing voice developed.

To pass on the challenge, I call out these friends to find their 7 posts:

Shane at Beating Broke

Jeff at Sustainable Life Blog

Shannyn at Frugal Beautiful

Trish at The Financialite

Eric at Dollarversity

Image by stevendepolo.

7 Links Project is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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Three years ago today, I started on a journey I called Narrow Bridge Adventures. In my first post, I outlined my reasons for starting my second blog.

At the time, I had recently left working in a bank. At the bank, I learned all of the tricks used on the other side of the counter. I learned banking regulations, how banks really make money (hint: don’t overdraft), how wires and ACH transactions work, how the Fed interacts with local banks, how mortgage loan reviews work, how to decide who gets a credit card and what their limit is, how to read a credit report, and many other ins and outs of the industry.

To sum it up, I knew my stuff. I had knowledge and wanted to share it. I headed over to Blogger and registered a free Blogspot blog that evolved into the site you are reading today.

When I was deciding on the name of my site, I kept returning to a famous Jewish song written by a long deceased relative of mine, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov:

Kol Ha’OlamKulo, Gesher Tsar Me’od. The whole world is a very narrow bridge. Veha’ikar– veha’ikar lo lefached klal. The most important thing to remember is not to be afraid at all.

How appropriate is it, then, that my third year begins on the eve of my religion’s holiest day, Yom Kippur. On the day that we reflect, repent, and pray for a good new year, I have the opportunity to reflect on the journey and growth I have seen as a writer.

As you can see, I no longer have a free site on Blogger. I have written a book. I have turned my hobby into a side business. I have written nearly 600 posts. I am receiving record traffic every month. I have made many friends. Some of those friendships recently crossed into the offline world.

One week ago today, my blogging took another major step. As I boarded a plane for Chicago, I had little idea of what really lied ahead. I took a taxi for a lonely ride to the Marriott hotel in Schaumberg, Illinois. But when I got out, I was immediately in a warm and welcoming atmosphere at the Financial Blogger’s Conference.

I first met someone who I think will be a longtime friend, Shane from Beating Broke. We then sat and had a quick meal and a beer with Barbara Friedberg, Sandy from Yes I Am Cheap, and Joe Taxpayer. I quickly met friends from the Yakezie and elsewhere. As we networked, learned, and danced, I developed new relationships with other bloggers from around the US, Canada, and even Australia.

Dancing the night away at FINCON. Photo by RedPhoenixGroup

Meeting inspirational people like JD Roth, Adam Baker, and Ramit Sethi was a catalyst that I hope will take this site to a new level. Many others came to me for thoughts and advice. While some friends think that I have too big of an ego already, it was nice to have it inflated just a bit more.

I have big plans for Narrow Bridge Finance in the coming weeks and months. I hope you have enjoyed the adventure and journey so far. Whether you have been coming here for three years or this is your first stop in, please come back often. Please leave your thoughts in the comments. Please email me your questions. Please participate in this community that I am hoping to grow and build around making your financial life easier and less stressful. As we embark on year four, let’s save more money, invest more money, and press forward so our finances work for us, not the other way around.

Thanks for being a part of it. I would not be here without you.

Eric

Top image by taygete05.

My Third Blogversary at Narrow Bridge Finance is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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Welcome to the 321st edition of the Carnival of Personal finance. I had a lot of fun reading everyone’s submissions and added a few new folks to my reading list. I am excited to host this carnival for my first time. If you are new to Narrow Bridge Finance, be sure to check out some of my best posts and read about why you should listen to me.

This month I dealt with the single most bizarre experience of my life. I became friends with someone, started a company with him, and found out he was not who he claimed to be. It made me think about the millions of people who have been in similar situations. From Bernie Madoff to  Frank Abagnale, this week we are going to highlight some people who used finance for a very different purpose than the bloggers of today.

Image from Dreamworks film Catch Me if You Can

To begin, the con artist that makes fraud sound sexy. Frank Abangale Jr. was the subject of the popular film ‘Catch Me If You Can.” Based on the life of Abangle, Leonardo DiCaprio makes fraud look fun as he travels the world as an airline pilot, saves lives as a doctor, and eludes an FBI agent hot on his trail as he cashes fake checks and finds beautiful women.

Editor’s Picks:

Sustainable PF examines ways to make money online over four decades. Starting in the 1980s, SPF used innovative methods to create income streams. Some of them have died off and others are still applicable today.

The Financial Blogger thinks that debt is a good thing. How timely can an article be? As Fannie and Freddie are posting losses, the US Government is struggling with its own debt, and I am looking at buying a home, TFB takes a look at things from the other angle.

Mike, aka Oblivious Investor, reminds us that owning a bunch of mutual funds is not the same as diverse investing. Many mutual funds own the same stocks and some even own other mutual funds. Mike helps you dissect your portfolio to balance your investments.

Lindy at Minting Nickels made a few mistakes when she had her first baby. She shares her non-frugal moments in her post How We Didn’t Save Money with Our Babies.

Squirrelers has five easy steps to increase your savings. Sometimes it is good to get back to basics with personal finance.

Budgeting:

My blogging buddy Well Heeled has seven tips for buying an engagement ring at Costco. These are great tips when you are making such a big and important purchase.

Career:

Adam at Rabbit Funds continues a series on starting a home business. This post focuses on important accounting and marketing tasks that most bloggers and entrepreneurs can learn from.

Clint at Accumulating Money put together a list of different types of jobs for finance professionals. As a finance guy myself, I can attest to how important having a direction can be to your finance career.

Mike at Green Panda Tree House wants to help you make a plan to quit your job.

Control Your Cash reminds you that your time is worth something and you should give it a value. Do not give it away for free.

Bret at Hope to Prosper has the secret to success for working stiffs.

Your Life Their Life looks at George Costanza as a case study for how you can succeed at work.

Image via Wikipedia

Don’t forget the infamous Charles Ponzi. Yes, he is the guy Ponzi schemes are named after. Charles pioneered the genius pyramid marketing scheme that has cost so many people so much money. The Italian immigrant swindled people and governments by engaging in mail fraud and investment fraud.

Credit:

Jake at NerdWallet examines the different benefits of American Express cards. From Clear to Centurion, AmEx has a lot to offer, if you are willing to pay the fee.

Jeff from Good Financial Cents reminds you to avoid store credit cards. It is not worth it.

Janet at Credit, Eh thinks you should use income diversity as a insurance for your credit card payments.

Glen at Free From Broke found the best credit cards for college students.

Philip shares ten tips to stay out of credit card debt at Deliver Away Debt.

Debt:

Jeff at Sustainable Life Blog takes a look at what happened so far this year in his finances.

Cathy at Money Health Central has ideas for what to do after your debts are paid off.

Image from US Department of Justice

Bernie Madoff is a new edition to the list of fraudsters. Madoff admitted to operating the largest Ponzi Scheme in history. It is estimated that he cost investors $18 billion when his Manhattan investment firm went bust. He is currently serving a 150 year prison sentence. Sadly, many non-profits were dramatically impacted when Madoff’s house of cards collapsed.

Economy:

My University Money explains the implications of the rising Loonie compared to the US dollar and gives a brief FOREX lesson discussing why exchange rates vary.

Darwin from Darwin’s Money shares what the media did not regarding the debt ceiling vote.

Money Thinker has his own ideas for fixing the national debt.

Finance:

Money Beagle thinks having health insurance can be hazardous to your health. If you are considering a new addition to your family, this post has great insights.

Crystal shares her retirement checklist at Stupid Cents.

Image from US Department of Justice

Kenneth Lay is responsible for the largest corporate collapse from fraud in history. Lay lied to investors and cooked the books at Enron while being paid over $42 million per year to manage the company. The company with a $60 billion market cap with $100 billion annual revenue was exposed in October 2001 and now does not exist.

Frugality:

Kim at Blogging for Change noticed that her child’s school supplies were far more expensive than they needed to be, but most people just pay for convenience.

Free Money Finance takes a look at extreme couponing and wants to know your take.

Britney at TotallyMoney wonders if cost and expectation go hand in hand.

Hunter at Financially Consumed writes about caffeine addiction and how it impacts you, and your finances.

Glen at Parenting Family Money has 9 inexpensive ways to keep your kids entertained over summer vacation.

Jacob from My Personal Finance Journey has five great ways to reduce your car insurance.

Investing:

The Dividend Growth Investor looks at master limited partnerships and the implications of owning these investments.

The Div-Net takes a deep dive analysis into the high dividend yield of Kinder Morgan.

Intelligent Speculator things that Google might have a chance at social media after all. It is not going to happen automatically, but Google is taking steps in the right direction.

The Dividend Growth Stocks blog is on the never ending quest for the perfect dividend stock.

Matt the Dividend Monk will help you build a $150,000 portfolio by the time you are 30.

John at Stock Market Basics helps you discern the many gold ETFs you can purchase.

Ricky at Qwoter can help you decide on the best company for an IRA depending on your needs.

Growing Money has comments on CNBC’s recent list of 20 stocks about to pop.

Jim at the Retire Happy Blog has found the science of building a diversified investment plan.

John from Wallet Blog discusses the difference between money market funds and money market accounts.

Outlaw Finance gives tips on where to invest your money.

Image from ABC's Lost via Wikipedia

Okay, so this one was not a real guy, but I could not make a list of con artists without including James Ford, more commonly known as Sawyer. Sawyer taught the world about the “long con” on ABC’s series Lost. Sawyer also lived under the alias Jim LaFleur. Of course, Sawyer would not have been such a great con man if he had not learned from the man who stole his parent’s life savings.

Money Management:

Ricky at Qwoter discusses financial priorities. Learn about ideas ranging from the popular emergency fund to less known tips for building your own value.

Jen at Master the Art of Saving is taking an extreme couponing reality check. It is important to remember that behind the trendy “glamour” of feeding your family for twenty cents for four weeks that there are big costs. She also notes that guys (such as myself) may not appreciate your fifty boxes of tampons in the garage.

Anabelle at The Year of Shopping Detox wonders why so many financial experts and mean and yell-y. My personal opinion of Suze Orman is not so good, by the way.

Eric (good name!) at DollarVersity reminds us that bank account bonus offers are not always as good as advertised.

RJ at Gen Y Wealth thinks you do have enough willpower to make a difference in spending decisions. He also has strategies to make it easier on you.

MD at Studeneconomics explains why online banking is more popular than ever.

Canadian Finance Blog thinks it is time to start thinking like a wealthy person.

Jason from One Money Design asks the readers if they can live well on less than $40,000 per year.

Elizabeth reminds us to remain calm despite our volatile economic situation at Modern Gal.

Real Estate:

Nicole at Grumpy Rumblings shares her August mortgage update and the broken window hypothesis.

Sarah helps you find out how much your home is really worth at Money Under 30.

Saving:

Chris at Stumble Forward helps you set up a savings account for your child. This is an important step in your child’s financial education and future, so be sure to get them started young.

Mike at Cards Canada examines loyalty programs worth joining.

Ben at Money Smart Life has the best rental car deals for road trips.

Phil at PT Money, our great organizer for the upcoming financial bloggers conference, tells us how to save like a madman.

Other:

Boomer from Boomer & Echo is learning about caring for elderly parents and shares stories from difficult moments.

Junior at Consumer Boomer helps you decide whether funeral insurance is right for you.

Briana at Personal Dividends never travels without travel insurance. She lists of the major benefits of having your trip insured.

No Debt MBA helps you decide if admissions consulting is worth the cost.

Asking About Money interviewed No Debt MBA and had some interesting answers.

Next Week:

Next week the Carnival of Personal Finance will be hosted by Financial Uproar. You can submit your posts by visiting the Carnival of Personal Finance homepage.

Carnival of Personal Finance #321 – The Fraud Edition is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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I usually try to keep this site more focused on the finance side of ‘personal finance,’ but I have a story for you that is so outlandish that I had to share it here. Please visit my personal blog for a story about my friend Rick. Or, at least I thought he was my friend.

This is a story about friendship, deception, and reconciliation. It is one of the most interesting blog posts I have ever written and I encourage you to take a few minutes to read it.

The Most Bizarre Thing That Has Ever Happened to Me is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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Blogger Interview: Marie at Family Money Values is a post from: Narrow Bridge

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