Exclusive: WalletPop Sparks Target Recall

Our Consumer Ally, Mitch Lipka, had a Target Halloween flashlight flame on him, and after years of covering dangerous products, he knew just what to do. So now, the flashlights are being pulled from the shelves at Target and anyone with them can get their money back.

Daily Links: Hermit Mode Edition

I’m in full-on hermit mode for the next few days. Kris is out of town — on a road-trip with friends — and I’m devoting every waking hour to my book. (Well, I’ll walk the marathon on Sunday, but aside from that…) It’s actually kind of fun to dedicate myself to a single project for a prolonged period of time. Makes me feel like a real writer.

Speaking of real writers, here are some recent articles I’ve liked elsewhere on the web:

Many people ask me, “Should I invest while still in debt?” There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question; as with most decisions, you must do what works for you. Still, Matt at Debt-Free Adventure has taken a stab at exploring the pros and cons of each option. If you’re in debt and thinking about investing, take a look at his suggestions.

Though I still haven’t finished reading The Paradox of Choice, the book has had a tremendous influence on my life. I believe author Barry Schwartz has hit upon an important problem with modern life: Some choice is great, but too much choice is paralyzing. Over at The Art of Manliness, Brett and Kate have writtten a nice article on how limiting your choices can cure your restlessness. I agree. With fewer options, most people find they’re happier.

One of my goals is to create a completely paperless personal finance system. I’ve made great strides in the two years I’ve been working toward this, but my money isn’t fully automatic yet. I’m always looking for new tips. Last week, Jonathan at My Money Blog posted his own strategy for creating a completely automated financial household.

Finally, here’s a list of the money carnivals GRS has participated in recently:

• Emily at Taking Charge organized Carnival of Personal Finance #223.
• Patrick at Cash Money Life hosted the Money Hacks Carnival #83.
• Bob at Christian PF is this week’s host for Carnival of Debt Reduction #210.
• At Green Panda Treehouse, Laura juggled Festival of Frugality #196.
• Wojciech at Fiscal Fizzle emceed the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights #25.
• The Skilled Investor entertained entries at Carnival of Financial Planning #108.

Now it’s back to writing — and to being a hermit. But although I am being anti-social, you folks should go spend time with your friends and families.

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Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly:

• Free Financial Spreadsheets from Google Docs
• Return of the Daily Links
• Daily Links: Compound Interest, Web Income, and Happiness
• Daily Roundup: Bringing Home the Bacon Edition
• Daily Links: Debt Reduction, Stupidity, and Mutual Funds

Retailers Shift Focus to Gen X, Gen Y

There’s a generational shift going on in retail, and many merchants will stop focusing on Baby Boomers as we emerge from the recession. Instead, they will be going after the less affluent and harder-to-market-to members of Generation X and Generation Y.

A fund battles back: up 45% this year

Longleaf Partners Fund: (LLPFX) Managers: Mason Hawkins and Staley Cates Return since 12/01: 70%

47% Will Pay No Federal Income Tax

An increasing number of households end up owing nothing in major federal taxes, but the situation may not be sustainable over the long run. Find out more.

Grilling Shark Tank’s Millionaires

In the first segment of his audience with the Sharks, Robert Herjavec, Barbara Corcoran and Kevin Harrington dish on what happens behind the scenes of the show. You won’t believe what being on TV has done for Barbara’s love life.

Best Back-to-Basics Vehicles

Talk about needing to reinvent the wheel. The auto industry is working to make its wheels leaner, greener and more profitable as consumers steer away from the supersized, blinged-out vehicles of the boom years and move back to basics: practicality, safety and fuel efficiency. Looking for simplicity? Check out these picks.

Ford Sales Slide 5.1 Percent

Ford Motor Co. says its September auto sales fell 5.1 percent, signaling a tough hangover from this summer’s Cash for Clunkers buying spree.

WalMart’s 10 for $10 Like a Dollar Menu for Toys

Walmart plans to offer 100 such items, all for $10, according to the LA Times. Walmart says it’s been hard at work all year, getting suppliers to meet this price on popular toys like Barbies and action figures.

Send Cash on Facebook With Facecard

A new Facebook app from Facecard.com, a prepaid credit card company that caters mainly to parents of teens, could put the hurt on PayPal and on Facebook’s million dollar virtual gift industry! Find out more.

First Sign of Dementia You May Miss

One of our writers had the chance to interview with one the field’s foremost experts on Alzheimer’s and financial behavior, Dr. Daniel Marson J.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center in the Department of Neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who recently completed a new study on this topic. View the details on his findings.

Target Hit With $600K Fine for Lead Toys

Retail giant Target was hit with a $600,000 penalty by by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for importing and selling hundreds of thousands of toys with excessive levels of lead paint –violating a 30-year ban.

Bernanke Weighs In on ‘Too Big to Fail’

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told
Congress Thursday that the central bank is “well suited” to
oversee colossal financial companies whose failure could endanger
the entire economy.

Who Should Replace BofA’s Ken Lewis?

Ken Lewis, who will retire as CEO of Bank of America at the end of the year, oversaw the creation of one of the country’s biggest banks over the last eight years. In hindsight, it looks like Bank of America’s corporate strategy is deeply flawed, and in order to make the bank viable again, a CEO will need to come in who can make big changes.