Here is a list of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. To kick start your week, spend some time digging through the Millionaire Money Habits archives and the links below to improve your financial literacy.

The Real Cost of Home Ownership:

Check out Home Finance: Mortgages & the Real Cost of Ownership at Rocket Finance for a complete guide of everything related to real estate investing.

Investing:

• The Learn Before You Invest Syndrome at My Two Dollars
• Practical Investing Guide for Beginners at beingfrugal.net
• Beat The Average Investor’s Returns With The Simplest Investment Portfolio at The Digerati Life
• Are Mortgage Rates Tied to the Federal Funds Rate? At Get Rich Slowly

Retirement Planning:

• The Basic Formula of Wealth at Moolanomy
• There is Still Time to Fund Your 2007 IRA at Cash Money Life
• Social Security is worth $225,000 for a typical retiree at the Dough Roller

Taxes and Fees:

• Twelve Commonly Missed Tax Deductions at fivecentnickel.com
• What to do When You’re $#!* by a Broker or Financial Advisor at Generation X Finance

Money Thoughts:

• 50 Fun Facts About Cold Hard Cash at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
• Emotional Fulfillment and Financial Success at the Simple Dollar

Credit Cards:

• The New Social Security Debit Card – Benefits and Drawbacks at Credit Withdrawal
• Credit Card Debt is Not Pandemic at Brip Blap

Personal Development:

• 10 Morning Rituals For The Healthy Entrepreneur at lifehack.org

Millionaire Money Habit: To build wealth, you need to perpetually improve your financial literacy. Digest as much information as possible and stick to a plan that works for you. In addition to the articles above, browse through the suggested readings listed at the very bottom of this website’s page, and be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed or by email.

Is checking your stock portfolio making you nauseous? The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 100 points one day, down 300 the next, down again, up a bit, down, down, down. Sounds like the last six months, doesn’t it? My brokerage account is showing shades of red I didn’t know existed, and I want to weep every time I take a peek.

Investor psychology and confidence in the US financial markets has reached its lowest level in at least five years. People are panicking, cashing in their stocks and taking substantial realized losses, and fear is driving investment decisions – not strategy.

The US stock market has been on an incredible five-year bull market that has made amateur investors appear to be amazing stock pickers. We all knew the party would have to come to an end some day, and that party may be now. While my portfolio has taken a massive beating, I am excited about the opportunities being offered. Those who read Looking Forward to a Recession know what I’m talking about.

This is the moment that value investors live for, as they patiently hold their money and wait for the best buying opportunities. As the great Warren Buffett says, “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.” Well, right now the confidence level is extremely low and stock prices are selling at very attractive prices. These market conditions are exactly what I have been waiting for, and I have and will continue to spend money on buying stocks.

I’m not suggesting we have reached a bottom and that this is the end of the market decline. The Dow Jones was down 38% during the last stock market crash between 2000 and 2002. I’m suggesting that stocks are currently selling at very attractive prices and high quality companies can be picked up on the cheap. If the market continues to decline, which I suspect it will, I will be buying even more shares at better prices.

In due time the economy will stabilize and stocks will reach new all-time highs. I plan to be a part of that movement and am doubling up on my contributions in order to take advantage of the stock sale. It may be a rocky road to travel over the next several months, but it will be rewarding for the patient investor that can stick to their plan.

Millionaire Money Habit: Volatility in the stock market is a good thing. If volatility did not exist, stocks would not go up in price. The correction we are experiencing is normal, and presents opportunities for people who have the guts to go against the crowd. Remember Warren Buffett’s suggestion, do not let your emotions get in the way of your investing decisions, and review your investing strategy and stick to it.

Some things in life are not too good to be true. For example:

1. Cash Back Rewards Programs
2. ING DIRECT – High Yield Savings with 3.65% annual percentage yield!
3. Tax Deductible Vacations During “Business Trips”
4. Free After Rebate finds on the slickdeals.net forums
5. $5 Club and $6 Movie and Popcorn at Kerasotes Theatres
6. Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s
7. Free Stock Trades at Zecco.com
8. $1 Cup of Chili and Baked Potato at Wendy’s
9. Free Credit Report at annualcreditreport.com
10. 2008 Economic Stimulus Tax Rebate

What have you found that is not too good to be true?

Millionaire Money Habit: When something sounds too good to be true, it generally is. Consider your risks and potential losses, and then decide if that is something you can live with. While most of the time things that are too good to be true should be passed up, there are offers that must be taken advantage of.