When we launched Financial Highway in 2009, we were not sure exactly where it would go…fast forward two years to 2011 and it must be said we are very delighted with our progress and “achievements.” Many thanks to our readers, subscribers and partners for getting us this far and a special thank you to our staff writers who have done an excellent job in a very short time!
Staff Writers
As promised last year, we have brought in a few new staff writers to bring you different perspectives on personal finance and we will continue to scout and add new writers with fresh perspectives. More about our writers.
New Design
Although the old design and theme were good, it was time for a facelift. Last week we launched our new design, we were going for a “clean” look and we have accomplished just that.
Blog Manager
In January 2011 Linsey Knerl join our team as blog manager. You may already be familiar with her work on Wise Bread where she was the community manager until recently. She has a vast amount of experience in personal finance and blogging and we are happy to have her on board.
Prizes!
Time for some giveaways!
1. Win a 32GB 3g Apple iPad Apple iPad 2! (3G service not included)-
2.Wall Street DVD Set
Win one of TWO GoBakingRates.com Wall Street DVD packs! These packs include:
Wall Street
1. Wall Street “In this riveting, behind-the-scenes look at big business in the 1980′s, an ambitious young broker (Charlie Sheen) is lured into the illegal, lucrative world of corporate espionage when he is seduced by the power, status and financial wizardry of Wall Street legend Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). But he soon discovers that the pursuit of overnight riches comes at a price that’s too high to pay.”- Amazon.com
- Glengarry Glenross
2. Glengarry Glen Ross “Often regarded as a critique of the Reaganadministration’s impact on the American economy, the play and film focus on a competitive group of real estate salesmen who’ve gone from feast to famine in a market gone cold. When an executive “motivator” (Alec Baldwin) demands a sales contest among the agents in the cramped office, the stakes are critically high: any agent who fails to meet his quota of sales “leads” (i.e., potential buyers) will lose his job.” Amazon.com
- Boiler Room
3. Boiler Room. “Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) is a 19-year-old college dropout who strives for approval from his father (Ron Rifkin), a judge who is horrified that his son operates a 24-hour illicit casino. When an old friend visits the casino with a fellow broker, Davis is impressed by their wads of money and yellow Ferrari, and decides to join the firm. In no time he’s making sales and settling into the groove of the office and all the after-hours perks, but the dream fades when Davis discovers the scam that is making all of the brokers wealthy beyond their dreams.” Amazon.com
3. A Copy of Control Your Cash
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- Control Your Cash
“Control Your Cash is full of information for readers that are just beginning to get into personal financing as well as those who are wanting to get their sleeves wet.” Financial Highway
4. $50 Visa Debit Gift Cards!
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- Visa Debit Gift Card
Win one of two $50 Visa Debit gift courtesy of our friends Mycoupons.com
5. Turbo Tax
- Turbo Tax
Turbo Tax (Previously Quick Tax) is Canada’s leading online tax software. You can win a code for ANY version of Turbo Tax Online. (Unfortunately this is only available for Canadian Readers).
How to Enter:
Rules are very simple and similar to many other contests, there are several ways you can enter and there are no limits on how many ways you enter.
1. Leave a comment: Leave a comment on this page with your favorite article from last year (of course an article on Financial Highway).
2. Subscribe: Subscribing via email is simple and will ensure that you will always be updated! Just enter your email in the box on the top right corner or in the orange box below (make sure you verify your email). If you have already subscribed no need to do it again!
3. Share/Like on Facebook: Share or like this contest and/or your favorite article on Facebook. Also remember to join us on Facebook. Plus every article you like/share from today till the deadline will earn you an additional entry.
4. Tweet/Follow. Follow us on twitter and RT this contest (Financial Highway is Celebrating 2nd Anniversary! Enter to win an iPad and and many more prizes! (@moneyhighway ) http://bit.ly/grz28R). Plus every article you retweet from today till the deadline will earn you an additional entry.
Deadline: The last day to enter is March 17th and the winners will be announced on March 18th.
Process: For every entry we will enter your name into an excel sheet, when the contest is closed we will randomly select numbers through random.org and match it with a name.
Special Thanks!
We would also like to thank our generous friends who have made this contest possible:
GoBankingRates.com provides consumers with personal finance information that’s easily digestible, as well as the latest bank rates from thousands of local and national banks and credit unions. GoBankingRates is part of the GoMediaNetwork — consisting of 1,500 national and locally-targeted websites — and works directly with financial institutions and insurance providers to provide the best banking and insurance solutions to these markets.
MyCoupons® was formed in 1995, and is the Internet’s oldest coupon, coupon code, and shopping forum related web site. MyCoupons team of ‘CouponPros’ scour the internet and work directly with retailers and affiliate networks to provide to you the internet’s very best deals, coupons, coupon codes, and discounts. Watch the video to view and listen to our history.
Home Security System CanadaGreg McFarlane Co-Author of Control Your Cash.
THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENTRIES…STAY TUNED FOR WINNERS!
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Congrats on the anniversary! Great giveaways as well, not to mention you guys have some wonderful reads. Keep it coming!
That’s exciting, thanks for the opportunity. My favourite article last year was ’7 money lessons from Monopoly’.
My fav is 2011 Trend: Collaborative Consumption (What’s Mine is Yours)
by KathrynV on December 7, 2010.
It’s an exciting and positive vision of where we are going as a modern and sustainable society.
Congrats on the anniversary. One of my favorite articles was 7 Ways to Say No to Spending Peer Pressure.
tweeted, subscribed, shared on fb, liked. One of my favorite articles of the past year was, “Your Spouse Just Died. Do You Have a Plan? ” . I think it’s a much ignored topic that needs more attention.
Great job with the blog!
I have to agree with Pete, “Your Spouse Just Died. Do You Have a Plan?” was helpful.
Thanks for all you do! I find your blog really helpful for keeping my actions aligned with my goals! My favorite article was “4 Steps to Allocating Budget Benders”.
I hate to be unoriginal in my response, but I’d agree with Resa and Pete on the “Your Spouse Just Died. Do You Have a Plan?” We prepared our wills shortly after. Not a pleasant thing, but necessary and oddly comforting.
I’ll also add that building a “tiny home” has been our dream for awhile, so I loved “10 Surprising Ways a Small Home Saves You Money” Hoping to turn that dream into a reality soon. And save money doing it!
You’ve got a good thing here
Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorite article from last year:-
Are Your Financial Stresses Killing You? by Henry Truc
http://financialhighway.com/are-your-financial-stresses-killing-you/
Already a subscriber!
Liked & shared on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=133282573407239&id=100001907746913
Followed & RT
http://twitter.com/88k8y/status/42677613680001027
I enjoy reading all the informative articles. Keep up the great work. Thanks for the opportunity to win some awesome prizes!
Posted on FACEBOOK and following your tweets. Congrats on the blog!
I am already a subscriber, so rarely go to the site any more – unless it’s to comment, and I’m a bit of a lurker… Anyway, love the new look of the site, much more simple and easy on the eyes!
My fave post over the last year was ‘Blast from the Past: Money Attitude – Your Money Psychology.’ It really got me thinking on what my money influences were and how they impacted my relationship with money.
Congrats on making it so far! I really liked your 7 Ways to Say No to Spending Peer Pressure. Here’s to not keeping up with the Jones’!
Site looks great! Im following you in all ways possible.
My favourite article is Money and Ignorance, a great opinion piece by Ben Weir.
http://financialhighway.com/money-and-ignorance/
Looking forward to many more great articles!
My fav was “Your Spouse Just Died. Do You Have a Plan?”. It really underlined an often overlooked part of peoples finance plans. Congrats on the success of your blog, keep it up.
So cool that you’re doing this giveaway – I want an iPad:-)
Whoops – forgot to mention my favorite article from last year:
Top 7 Ways to Save Money on Big Ticket Items
http://financialhighway.com/top-7-ways-to-save-money-on-big-ticket-items/
Keep up the good work – hope I win!
Congrats on the anniversary! I enjoy the articles and like the blog facelift. Keep up the good work.
Nice Blog Facelift
Congrats on reaching this milestone and your continued success, Ray. I definitely like the new theme and crisp look of your site, and the new writers. I don’t have a specific favorite article, but what comes to mind the most is how you break down and simplify topics in a straightforward manner. This includes taking complex topic sand simplifying them, or comparing topics – Fly Vs. Drive: We Break Down the Costs is an example of the latter.
My favorite article from this past year was “10 Tips to Curb Impulse Spending”! Great website
I really like this article http://financialhighway.com/budgeting-for-the-baby-5-tips-for-saving-on-newborn-expenses/
Hey! Congrats
you have done well in the two years, and the redesign looks great.
My favorite post(s) are the dollar matters series. I love the themes, you guys rock!
I subscribe, Like, follow on twitter and tweeted.
Happy Anniversary! I like your post on saying no to peer pressure.
Cheers, Sam
Pick me!!! I also already subscribe and tweet…
Happy Anniversary, like the new look, although I miss the Road Sign motif as well (guess I spent too many hours on interstates as a kid).
Being a board game fanatic, the choice of 7 money lessons from Monopoly was an easy one as one of my favs from last year.
tweet http://twitter.com/#!/LLLSummer/status/43647757143130112
Congrats to all your success and much more. I love your articles. I liked 4 Reasons to Avoid Payday Loans on Facebook.
(I hope I am doing my entries right)
I couldn’t resist a chance to win a shiny new iPad 2. All the best with your blog (although I can’t understand why you’d work toward a CFA).
Congratulations on your anniversary – i liked your monopoly posting, that one i remember. That was funny.
Congratulations Ray! I liked Jim Yih’s post on not to defer RRSP withdrawals too much.
Thanks! I’m in.
Congrats on the anniversary! I really liked “You Are Not the Stocks You Invest In”. I didn’t realize that my mood was somewhat moving up and down with my stocks until that article.
My favorite article has been a recent one seeing as how my fiancee and I are working with our combined finances- Dollar Matters: Family Fun
Oooh fingers crossed for the new ipad!! I like you post on payday loans (recent, haven’t been on your site for very long). I am always amazed people keep using them, and enough that more and more seem to crop up. I guess with that high of an interest rate they can afford to expand.
i liked the article Money Psychology: Women vs. Men; my husband is in finance, and so i tend to rely on his financial opinion a lot – and the article definitely highlighted a few things we think differently about.
This hits really close to home, one of the best articles here:
http://financialhighway.com/17-signs-that-frugality-has-gone-too-far/
Thanks for the giveaway! My favorite article is “7 money lessons from Monopoly”. Monopoly is my all time favorite board game!
Thanks for the opportunity…loyal RSS feed reader.
Contests with Ipad prizes are like crack, impossible to ignore.
Wish me luck.
Always thoughtful, thanks for writing…. and having this contest.
Hello!
My favorite article from this past year was “17 Signs that Frugality Has Gone Too Far”
I’m subscribe!
Liked and shared: http://www.facebook.com/arzzaba/posts/156889117702440
Followed and tweet http://twitter.com/#!/arzzaba/status/44096928979488769
Thanks for the opportunity. Love the blog.
Gonna have to agree with Austerity Bill and say that the 7 Money Lessons from Monopoly was probably my favorite article. Retweeted and following on Twitter!
Congratulations on two years! One of my favourite articles was 10 Surprising Ways a Small Home Saves You Money.
Count me in.
I like your article on 10 Surprising Ways a Small Home Saves You Money, it puts things in a good perspective
I subscribe to your emails
I like you on facebook (Gina R)
Congrats! One of my favorites was the “Are you ready to open a joint bank account?”
My favorite article was 10 Surprising Ways a Small Home Saves You Money
My favorite article was “20 of the Most Inspiring Quotes on Investing”.
I was pretty drawn to your “Budgeting for the Baby: 5 Tips for saving on Newborn Expenses” post. I loved pictures too and you have the cutest baby picture.
My favorite article was definitely “20 of the Most Inspiring Quotes on Investing”
Is the contest open for everyone internationally?
Here’s my comment and I subscribe via email too!
Congrats on 2 years! My favorite article last year was Are You Ruining Your Retirement. Good read with good info!
Just found your site. Keep up the good job. Lots of interesting articles this year. From last year though I liked “Money Psychology: Women vs. Men”.
My fav article was 10 Surprising Ways a Small Home Saves You Money – enlightening because i live in a very small home! Thx!
tweeted http://twitter.com/mermont84/status/44949061513654272
I love this site can you please count me in thank you. because i want an ipad but my mom cant afford it we dont have enough money to buy an ipad can you count me in thank u
Keep up the good work you got a lot of intresting words can u caount me in thanks:)
My favorite article from 2010 was “20 Tips for Saving Money in your First Year of College”. As a college student I know what it’s like to be pinched for money. Any tips really help! I have benefited the most from my part time job (tip#7) and cutting my expenses (#17). Thanks Financial Highway ; )
I liked the article “10 Surprising Ways a Small Home Saves You Money, it puts things in a good perspective”.
i already suscribed to emails
Great contest and happy anniversary!
I’m also subscribing to your newsletter and I’m going to go tweet a couple of your articles now.
My favorite article was: “20 of the Most Inspiring Quotes on Investing”
That article really changed my thoughts, and really helped me plan for the future.
Thank You for this amazing contest!!
I liked the article “Credit Card Benefits: 15 Common Consumer Protections.” With all of the negatives you hear about credit cards, I often forget about these perks!
I loved 10 Surprising Ways a Small Home Saves You Money because it shed light on something I had never thought of before.
I liked you on Facebook. (Bob Jane)
I tweeted. (zamzarvideo)
While I enjoyed “Budgeting for the Baby: 5 Tips for Saving on Newborn Expenses” I do have to say that getting a new baby bag was somthing I was really looking forward to and not something I could have given up.
Enjoyed budgeting for the baby! Thanks for doing the giveaway!
My favorite article was “20 of the Most Inspiring Quotes on Investing.” These can sometimes be much more valuable than short-lived stock advice dished out by most blogs.
Thanks!
My favorite was: “Basics of Credit Score and Credit Report and How often to Check”
my favorite article was “20 of the Most Inspiring Quotes on Investing”
I really hope I win!!!!!
I have a jar where I put my coins in to save up for an Ipad one day.
Favorite Article was 7 Ways to Say No To Spending Peer Pressure
And this is why I need to WIN the iPad…I am following Financial Highway’s great advice.
Great info! Hoping to win the iPad.
The article I like from last year is: 5 Extreme Ways to Go Frugal and Save. I like this article because I am applying some of the tips, like walking a lot and I don’t possess any credit card (yes I am living in America!) and I don’t possess a lot of electronics. Nevertheless, I want to win the iPad.
I subscribed to your blog, I retweeted the contest and my favorite article : http://twitter.com/Cheveuxboucles/status/45644866214043648 and shared on Facebook.
tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/sarahmama/status/45944001714589696
Fav article from last yr -> 7 Ways to Say No To Spending Peer Pressure
Not trying top keep with joneses is a big thing for me, but always brings a disagreement between me and DH whenever a birthday party comes up. I like to give books and he says ‘just get whatever everybody is getting’.
i shared the 17-signs-that-frugality-has-gone-too-far article on twitter
http://twitter.com/mermont84/status/46059177403097088
i shared the 5 super smart tricks for living within your means article on twitter http://twitter.com/mermont84/status/46059501106905088
tweeted the You Are Not The Stocks You Invest In article http://twitter.com/mermont84/status/46059839838879744
“7 Ways to Say No to Spending Peer Pressure” was an amazing article. Congratulations on the anniversary!
I’m a firm believer in positive thinking, loved your article on inspiring quotes! Well done guys!
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1UWEYi/feedproxy.google.com/~r/financialhighway/ray/~3/5uoxZkBCqhs/
I really enjoyed “20 Tips for Saving Money in your First Year of College” and pasted it on the my nephew, hopefully he will make less mistakes than I.
“20 of the Most Inspiring Quotes on Investing” was definitely my favorite!
I liked “20 Tips for Saving Money in your First Year of College”. Very informative. I will defiantly show this article to people!!
winning an ipad 2 would be awsome…hell winning anyhting would be awsome, i never win anything ever…help me break my streak and PICK ME!!!
well i ust joined and like it i really do like this one -20 Tips for Saving Money in your First Year of College due to im in college trying to save
and would love to win
My favorite was “20 Tips for Saving Money in your First Year of College”. My husband and I are college students and this article was very informative.
“20 Tips for Saving Money in your First Year of College” was great. My wife and I are college students and loved the tips this article had to offer.
20 Tips for Saving Money in your First Year of College Would be my favorite as well, college isn’t exactly cheap.
“6 Tips for Creating a Secure Online Password” was my favorite. It offered great tips and would be useful to almost anyone.
Dollar Matters: Spending Habits is one of my favorite articles..I am tweeting @saraminda and sharing on f/b also a subscriber. Awesome giveaway!! Thanks for the chance!!
My favorite article was “Women & Money: Are You Investing to Meet Your Needs?”
Hi, I just found you on Facebook and twitter will tweet your articles @ladylisa1 and thanks for the giveaway chance! I have to say reading what you have for articles on facebook are pretty interesting, Like the securing password one which I think in this day and age you need that for sure! Money articles are great to on saving something I find I can’t do yet. I am a new fan and glad to be one. Thanks
I follow on both twitter and facebook also subscribed to your newsletter.
I really enjoyed Fly vs. Drive. I do so much traveling that it was nice getting a great break down!
I really loved Dollar Matters: Family Time. I love how you talk about giving homemade gifts which helps you to be able to give more and about Christmas gratitude to our troops.
I loved the part about the updated 12 days of Christmas gifts – very entertaining and very true! Such great gifts there!
Also posting on Facebook: Dee Pearlstein and Tweeting: and following @MissingLynxx as well as being a subscriber.
Thank you for the chance.
20 Tips for Saving Money in your First Year of College for sure.
I liked “20 Tips for Saving Money in your First Year of College” and am going to share it with my son.
Like you on Facebook (Jill Hayes) and liking and sharing your articles
Shared on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=205748779451043&id=100000888541024
I loved 17 signs that frugality has gone too far. I am a FB Fan Sidney Cook and following on twitter as @AnnickVer and retweeting
I am subscribed by email and a Facebook fan, I enjoyed the article about 12 foods that freeze well, Also just read one that came off of another site that you have posted here about how to turn your ipod touch into a phone, very interesting to say the least. Thanks and Happy Anniversary.
subscribed to emails and google reader. Dont want to miss anything.
I really liked Budgeting for the Baby: 5 Tips for Saving on Newborn Expenses
and passed it on to my family member who is having a baby
I liked the article “5 Minute Makeovers: We Frugalize 11 Dinner Faves”. I don’t necessarily agree with all of them, but there are several solid recommendations in the article.
Giveaways are fun…RSS + FH = Delightful
http://twitter.com/#!/LLLSummer/status/47478057908449280
I like 5 Minute Makeovers: We Frugalize 11 Dinner Faves
I like 4 Ways to Make the Unpredictable Work FOR You
This is very very interesting
Budgeting for the Baby: 5 Tips for Saving on Newborn Expenses was my favorite. We just had a baby, so we’ve been reading these.
I can always use advise on managing money and making it go further. We are really working hard on our budget and getting on track financially. This website looks like it will help.
Anna
I like Can You Make Money from Survey Sites
I liked Smart Buyer’s Guide to Product Reviews
Just wanted to let you know, that I have tweeted your articles daily
My twitter is @techunity
I liked the article about ways to cut down car maintenance which is great in a time of increasing gas prices!
http://financialhighway.com/car-maintenance-8-tips-to-cut-down-on-costs/
I liked Dollar Matters: In the News
I loved this article :
http://financialhighway.com/7-most-common-money-fears-how-to-overcome-them/
because so many things apply to me.
I have completed ALL entries
There are two that stand out for me because I do spend so much time on the internet
“7 Most Common Types of Scams” & Top 5 Internet Scams to Watch Out For”
I enjoyed 5 investing lessons from world cup.
http://financialhighway.com/5-investing-lessons-from-world-cup/
I enjoyed Fly vs Drive: We Break Down the Costs
My fav article from 2010/Oct 25 3 Crazy Ways People Make Extra Money – And How You Can Too
I like the article “Are You Runing Your Retirement”
http://financialhighway.com/are-you-ruining-your-retirement/
Thanks for the chance to win!
Just tweeted your promotion
http://twitter.com/#!/securelysend
My favorite article from last year is “stop pretending to be rich.” It really hit a nerve with me because I found myself trying to keep us a certain lifestyle that I could not always afford. I’ve actually implemented most of the suggestions in the article…I now cook at home more, I shop at Thrift Stores and Consignment Shops for casual clothing, and I have talked to friends and family about this concept of “simplifying my life”. Amazing the relief one feels by being honest and genuine – and keeping it simple!
I loved the article in money and psychology on peer pressure and spending. I’m guilting of being on both sides of that issue. Thanks for the great info! (I posted the link to the article the first time, but don’t see the post here so I”m trying again without the article link. Sometimes comments don’t like links for me for some reason ???