Weekend Linkage – March 22, 2009

We took our daughters 65 miles east today to visit The New York Botanical Garden, where there’s a Orchid Show going on right now. It’s the first time we have ever been there (though we lived on the other side of the city for years) and the kids really enjoyed the trip.

With the kids running around non-stop, I only managed to take some pictures of the flowers without even knowing their names, but they are sure pretty.

Market Recap

U.S. stocks posted its first two-week winning streak of 2009 last week, even though the market traded down in the last two sessions of the week. The gain was fueled by the Fed’s plan to buy up to $1 trillion dollar worth of Treasury bonds, announced at the end of the two-day meeting. The move aimed to boost the sagging housing market while preventing the economy from slipping further into recession.

For the week, the Dow added 0.75% to 7,278.38, the S&P gained 1.58% to 768.54, and the Nasdaq increased 1.80% to 1,457.27. Crude oil surged 10.40% as traders rushed to commodities amid inflation fears. Oil closed the week at $51.06 a barrel, gold climbed 2.69% to $954.65/ounce, and silver rose 4.47% to $13.78/ounce.

Weekend Readings

• Reducing Salaries in Hard Times @ Brip Blap
• The Buy and Hold Strategy And Your Long Term Investment Horizon @ The Digerati Life
• The “But Everyone Has A” Mentality @ Frugal Dad
• Build an Emergency Fund, Pay Off Debt, or Save for Retirement? Three Competing Goals That All Need Your Attention Today @ Generation X Finance
• Giving a Lasting Gift to a Baby (But Not the Parents)? @ Lazy Man and Money
• Wealth Strategy: Track Your Net Worth @ Million Dollar Journey
• Tax Deductions and Personal Exemptions for 2008 @ Money Smart Life
• How to Manage Money in Your Marriage @ My Dollar Plan
• Books About the Ultra Rich @ Free Money Finance

Carnivals

• Carnival of Personal Finance#196: Music Edition @ Green Panda Tree House
• Carnival of Debt Reduction #183 – Women’s History Month @ Greener Pastures
• Festival of Frugality #169: St. Patrick’s Day Edition @ Remodeling This Life