Our selection of podcasts relies much on the list of ten top personal finance podcasts JD Roth compiled.

1. Ask Brian Preston, the Money Guy, for advice on money that ranges from the most basic to a bit more complex.
2. We owe much to the Quick and Dirty Tips empire that started with Grammar Girl some years ago. And Money Girl, one of the most popular personal finance podcasts, now dishes out advice on money and personal finance.
3. I fell in love with MSN Money months ago but only recently discovered On The Money. They have fewer podcasts than other sites, but have a fabulous UK flavour.
4. The Dave Ramsey Show is one of the most authoritative podcasts out there. If you don’t mind paying a couple of dollars a month you can get the full show. But the free one hour long show is as good.
5. The Feed the Pig podcast teaches better household budgeting, how to fix bad credit scores and much more. It has been running since March 2007 and has already gained authority; JD Roth included it in his podcast roundup.
6. A new Kiplinger’s Personal Finance podcast is available every second Tuesday. The episodes are short – only around 3-5 minutes and the site features an extensive archive.
7. The Plain Talk on Investing podcast has a new episode once every two weeks and uses plain language to discuss personal finance.
8. Financial Aid Podcast was featured on Top 100 Personal Finance Blogs and has a wide audience: students who want to find out about scholarships, parents who need information on personal finance and financial aid professionals who get the latest industry news.
9. I am a bit biased towards The Economist, it’s true. But in a good way. Their personal finance podcast has discussions with experts and are just long enough to pique our interest.
10. Can the Financial Times do anything wrong? Matthew Vincent presents the weekly FT Money Show and discusses questions such as ‘Can it still be cheaper to buy than rent?’

There are numerous reasons why people file for bankruptcy, and while some are pretty straight forward, others are less obvious. Bankruptcy does not only have to be seen as a black mark on your credit record. It also has some advantages. Here is a list of why people file for bankruptcy, and how bankruptcy might help you financially.

1. No legal obligation to pay many of your debts

The process of wiping your name off all debt is called discharge of debt. The reason for this is to reduce your debt and give you a fresh, new financial start. Whether you are filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (straight bankruptcy) or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy (through an organisation), most, or all your debts will usually be cleared.

2. Stop foreclosure on your house

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy will be able to help you in the event of your home facing foreclosure. Please bear in mind that filing for bankruptcy in this respect does not eliminate mortgage payments on your property, instead it will structure a reasonable plan in order to repay your mortgage arrears.

3. Prevent your car or other property from being repossessed

Filing for bankruptcy can force your creditor to return any repossessed goods, including your car. This can only happen, however, if bankruptcy is filed quickly enough. Any past payments you have missed on your mortgage will be consolidated into your bankruptcy plan. Once you have filed for bankruptcy you will no longer have to pay the finance company. Instead, you will make monthly payments to the trustee of your bankruptcy plan, who will then make sure the finance company is paid.

4. Reduce/eliminate high medical bills

There are unfortunate incidences when an untimely accident or unforeseen illness can wreak havoc on a family’s financial circumstances because of skyrocketing medical bills. Filing for a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy will help reduce the amount of medical bills.

5. Recent loss of employment

According to studies, losing a job is one of the main reasons for filing for bankruptcy. No one should dismiss the possibility of losing ones job, no matter how indispensable you may be at your company. Job loss can happen to anyone, and at the most inconvenient of times. If a family is living off of 2 salaries, and suddenly one of those salaries disappears, their living conditions will change drastically.

6. Stop harassing behaviour and demands from creditors

Sometimes creditors will take drastic steps to get their money from you. Creditors have been known to become abusive and threatening if their financial needs is not met. They will continuously phone you demanding that you pay them their money back. Not only is this behaviour unprofessional and unethical, it could reach a point of becoming illegal. If you file for bankruptcy, your creditors are forced to stop their harassing phone calls and other inappropriate behaviour.

7. Restore or prevent your utilities from being terminated

If your home faces foreclosure, your utility bill may also risk being terminated. Filing for bankruptcy can prevent the utility company from leaving you in the dark.

8. Helps repay student loan debt

Although bankruptcy will not eliminate a student loan, it can consolidate your student loan debt. This will allow the debtor to make monthly payments through Chapter 13 Bankruptcy that they are able to reasonably afford.

9. Puts a stop to wage garnishments

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy will put a stop on wage garnishment, which takes away from your weekly earnings. Filing for bankruptcy allows you to still have enough money to purchase necessities for you and your family.

10. Challenge certain claims of fraudulent creditors

Filing for bankruptcy allows you to challenge any claims from creditors that you owe more money than you do. An attorney will be able to support you in this situation. Filing for bankruptcy with an attorney can stop fraudulent reporting by a creditor.

Being new to blogging in the finance niche, we’ve spent a lot of time looking at the top blogs to “follow” in terms of popularity and interesting content. After a lot of research we thought, ‘Why not make a blog post about some of the sites we have found to be the best in the niche?’

Instead of just being a basic list of links, we wanted to take things a step further and really rank these websites.

Therefore, we have looked at the following criteria; Google Pagerank, Alexa Rank, Feed subscribers and Technorati score and give each site a score out of 10 for the ratings and present you with the following results.

We have given each category’s results a score out of 10 e.g. if you have a low Alexa rating, which is a good thing, you will get a higher score on a scale of 1-10.

Blogs by Alexa

Blogs by Feed Subscribers

Blogs by Google Pagerank

Blogs by Technorati

Blogs by Total

Of course, we think all the finance blogs are fantastic so congratulations to all who made the list and congratulations go to Get Rich Slowly!

The Credit Show conducted a poll on Britons’ money habits. The research revealed some surprising facts such as that more than 71% of Brits borrow money from friends or family members.

What is not surprising is that this may lead to a clash between borrower and lender, and that nearly sixty per cent of those polled fell into this trap.

Borrowing among friends or family is something that is not properly documented. This is once again highlighted by this research. How many people lend money to a friend who is in a financial quandary? Not even financial professionals are immune to the British debt culture. Nearly eight out of every ten professionals would be forced to ask family or friends for help at some stage. Of this total, 38% would borrow up to £500 and another 25% would borrow well over £1,000.

What this poll shows is that many Britons have to borrow money to fund their lifestyles or pay off debts. Interest rates are currently at a high level and with the credit crunch starting, we might see more of this trend. Twenty-five per cent of people admitted they have been borrowing £1,000 within the last year and nearly 60% of this group had a tiff with a friend or family member over this. This poll does a good job at highlighting the seriousness of this matter.

These same respondents were asked what they would do when they need money again. Would they borrow from friends or family again, or would they consider other options? Over 65% agreed that they might.

Because we trust our family and friends, we tend to be more relaxed about repayments. The poll revealed that over 58% of people had no legal agreements in place concerning repayment. Failing to repay a friend or family member may cost them money in the short-term, but sadly, you could lose their friendship and support, which is worth far more than the sum borrowed.