Personal finance from around the Web:

• Sweet savings for Valentine's Day: Five easy tips on how not to break the bank — or disappoint — on February 14. [Globe Investor]

• To circumvent competing with unbeatable deals on the Internet, many brands are removing the price tags from listings on e-commerce sites. Consumers must put items in their "shopping cart" and proceed to the virtual checkout before they know their total. [The New York Times]

• Is Happy Hour at home just as happy? New research shows that in the current economy more Americans are enjoying cocktails from the comfort of their living rooms. Their recession beverage of choice? Tequila. [Wallet Pop]

• S&P 500 slump got you down? It's just the second stage of a bull market, says one commentator. Look to auto and house sales instead as the benchmarks for recovery. [Bloomberg]

• It takes a village — maybe one that senior citizens are joining through the Internet. Online "communities" are cropping up across the country, providing tools for living out retirement communally — without having to relocate. [The Best Life]

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Personal finance from around the Web:

• The official unemployment rate fell in January to 9.7%, but a new study finds 6.4% of workers have taken part-time jobs because they can't find full-time employment. Unemployment is so bad in many places that insolvent state unemployment insurance trust funds have borrowed more in this recession than they did during 1981 and 1982. [Boston Herald, ProPublica]

• The Federal Reserve policy of buying up mortgage-backed securities is widely believed to have kept mortgage rates close to record lows, but it's slated to end March 31. Now the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the Fed may reopen the program if interest rates spike or if the economy shows new weaknesses. [Washington Post]

• The estate tax expired January 1, but wealthy Americans are waiting before revising their estate plans, a new study finds. Many believe that Congress will reinstate the tax retroactively. [Investment News]

• The past decade has brought two painful bear markets. Here are the lessons you can learn from them, especially since bearish sentiment is at its highest level in three months. [Wise Investing, The Pragmatic Capitalist]

• Need help getting a dinner reservation or a car to the airport, but can't afford a personal assistant? A new, free app iphone app promises to serve as a virtual personal assistant. [Bits]

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Want to avoid trading costs on exchange traded funds (ETFs)? It's now becoming easier to do so.

This week, Fidelity teamed up with iShares to eliminate trading fees on more than two dozen popular ETFs. The move comes three months after Schwab introduced eight of its own free-trade ETFs.

Traditionally, if you wanted to invest in an ETF, you had to pay a sales charge each time you bought or sold shares. When Schwab rolled out free-trade ETFs in November it put pressure on other big brokerages to do the same.

And Fidelity has responded–in a big way. More

Why they're a buy: Many knife makers have cut prices on fancy block sets to appeal to penny-pinching consumers. But Chad Ward, author of "An Edge in the Kitchen," says you need only one high-end blade: an eight-inch steel chef's knife, which costs about half as much as a set. Get either a forged European-style model (if you like to chop with a rocking motion) or a Japanese one (which is lighter and better for precision cutting).

The strategy: Pass on big names like Wüsthof. Some lesser-known brands offer higher quality for the same price, says knife retailer Mark Richmond. Many pros point to the German-made Messermeister Meridian Elite ($100) and, in the Japanese category, the Shun Classic ($120, with a lifetime warranty and free sharpening).

Get more value: Start your shopping at chefknivestogo.com and cutleryandmore.com, which offer some of the lowest prices and best selection around. And both accept returns.

Personal finance from around the Web:

• The new credit card law requires issuers to notify cardholders about account changes 45 days in advance. But what's the point if people don't read their credit card mail? [CreditBloggers]

• Have a mysterious pain you can't identify? Want to know how to soothe an upset stomach? Text your question to a group of doctors for $50. [Bits]

• The Toyota recall might be a very good thing for buyers, says one blogger. [The Financial Decoder]

• Come tax time, don't forget about unemployment benefits. The first $2,400 were tax-free in 2009, but after that you'll have to pay Uncle Sam. [Bargaineering]

• Count the number of cars on your street and divide it by the number of households. If the number you end up with is greater than two, you can bet there will be some foreclosures in your neighborhood. [WalletPop]

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For most people, housing costs are the biggest monthly expense–and a particular drag when you're unemployed. So where can you live in America for cheap today? More

Talk about bull markets.

New York City steakhouse Smith & Wollensky announced in a full-page ad in the New York Times business section today that starting immediately it would accept NYSE and NASDAQ stock certificates in payment for its USDA Prime steaks at both lunch and dinner.

In a tongue-and-cheek message, the ad noted that with large banks paying out bonuses in stock instead of cash, "the effects on the local economy could be catastrophic, leaving large tracts of land in the Hamptons and Martha's Vineyard undeveloped; legions of real estate brokers, personal shoppers and pet psychiatrists unemployed; and massive amounts of steak and lobster uneaten." More

Personal finance from around the Web:

• Worth their weight? 4.5 million homeowners in the US are carrying houses worth less than three quarters of their mortgage balance. Some are throwing in the towel instead of waiting out the real estate market. [The New York Times]

• "Cheap" seats for this Sunday's Super Bowl are selling for $1,500. Definitely not a bargain, but compare it to the Lower End Zone sticker price of $3,425. [Smart Spending]

• January job cuts in the private sector were the lowest in two years — a sign of business' confidence in an economic turnaround. [BusinessWeek]

• The case for clunkers: why one blogger chooses to "drive a lemon" and "save some cabbage." [Get Rich Slowly]

• The FAFSA is free, but more parents are turning to financial aid consultants to maximize their child's chances of receiving money for college tuition. Before hiring this kind of professional, ask some questions first. And check out this advice for financial advisers on how to approach college funding.  [Managing Your Money | Investment Advisor]

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Personal finance from around the Web:

• After just two years of a no-loan policy, Williams College reintroduces "modest loans" to their financial aid packages. [Inside Higher Ed]

• Google-owned YouTube is testing the movie rental waters. Its first experiment, renting five indie films, netted $10,709.16 in 10 days. [Bits]

• The U.S. officially crushes the competition…when it comes to racking up humongous amounts of credit card debt. See how other countries stack up in this info-graphic. [Man vs. Debt]

• Fancy owning a piece of a miracle? The fallen plane that ended up being dubbed the "Miracle on the Hudson" will be auctioned and how much it might earn is anybody's guess. [Wallet Pop]

• Fidelity drops price for stock trading to a flat rate of $7.95 per trade. [Boston.com]

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Personal finance from around the Web:

• No more being pennied and nickeled: President Obama's 2011 budget, released Monday, points out that it costs the government 1.8 cents to make each penny and nine cents to manufacture a five-cent coin. The administration proposes fiddling with the composition and weight of US coins to save money. [Infectious Greed]

• Young adults — the type of people that Burger King calls its "super fans" — have cut their visits to fast-food restaurants by 30% since 2006. Blame the recession and health concerns.  [The Wall Street Journal via It's Your Money]

• Numbers from the Institute of Supply Management suggest a boost in factory activity, sending crude oil and gold higher. Unfortunately, other numbers, such as weak construction spending, indicate the economic recovery remains fragile. According to a separate Commerce Department study, consumer spending is also on the rise, along with income and saving. [MarketWatch | The Washington Post | Money & Company]

• Under new British law, new dads will be eligible for paid paternity leave starting April 2011, enabling them to take the place of a female partner returning to work. The legislation would provide up to £123 per week, or about $200. [The Guardian via Bucks]

• Consider these four factors before converting your Roth IRA. [Bargaineering]

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Personal finance from around the Web:

• Commerce Department figures for fourth-quarter 2009 GDP may signal the end of the recession. [The Washington Post]

• Unfortunately, other indicators suggest the recession may not be over… [Calculated Risk]

• Amid the excitement accompanying the release of the iPad (check out how Apple's new tablet computer stacks up against the Kindle and netbooks), AT&T and Apple enable VoIP calls over the 3G network, a huge savings on domestic and foreign calls. [PCWorld | Gadgetwise]

• Starting June, the Treasury Department will modify its Making Home Affordable program to speed up mortgage modifications. [MarketWatch]

• With tuition on the rise, here are six good reasons why you should fill out the FAFSA. [The College Solution]

• While climate change is going on the back burner, home owners are saving more on hot water bills by adding sunshine. [The Wall Street Journal]

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If you want your kids to learn how to balance a checkbook, understand credit-card fees and live within a budget, North Dakota could be the place for you.

Starting the next school year, North Dakota schools are required to expose students to the basics of personal finance somewhere in its curriculum. Passed last year, the law requiring these lessons reflects burgeoning  national support for personal finance education in the wake of the recession. More

Personal finance from around the Web:

• A debtor strikes back! Bill collectors complain that Craig Cunningham is a "credit terrorist," but the West Point grad has made $20,000 taking companies to court over their allegedly improper bill-collection practices. [Dallas Observer]

• Too fat to fly: Poll results released by travel site skyscanner.net found that three-quarters of the 550 Brits surveyed are in favor of Air France's proposal to begin charging obese passengers for the cost of second seat. [FT Money Matters]

• Battling bad credit? One author explains why filing for bankruptcy was "one of the smartest financial decisions I've ever made." [WalletPop]

• Did you know the best time to buy a treadmill, if you want a good discount, is February? How about a new lawnmower in May? Here's a consumer calendar for the budget conscious. [The Digerati Life]

• Time for a new investment: Mint compiles the 50 funds you should consider this year. [Live Mint]

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Personal finance from around the Web:

• The new New England grocery list: milk, eggs, and a house? Supermarket chain Stop & Shop has announced plans to open Re/Max real estate offices in 15 Massachusetts locations. [Boston Herald]

• Pressed to boost their returns, public pension funds have started using leverage to increase performance. Critics say the strategy may be riskier than the funds believe. [The Wall Street Journal]

• The President will announce some middle class tax credits at his State of the Union address tonight. Here are some details on changes to the child care and saver's credits. [Wise Bread]

• Credit cards sure are convenient, but they can be costly t0o. Here are three ways credit cards waste money. [Credit Card Guide]

• Losing a playoff game two weeks ago may be the least of concerns for one Arizona Cardinal. The IRS is going after Antrel Rolle for more than $2 million in back taxes. Rolle is suing the agency for failing to treat him in a "fair, professional and courteous manner." [Forbes]

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