We apologize in advance if this discussion is too concentrated on minutiae and definitions, but we'd like to clarify an issue (with the help of our readers!).

Let's just throw it out here: "How do you define savings?". It's a serious question, and you're going to get two articles with serious answers... one from yours truly and another from Cameron, our resident Economist. Let me lead with my definition: 'savings' , in my mind, is any money set aside from current earnings that is easily accessible, liquid, fungible, and have a reasonable chance for maintenance of principal and appreciation.

Okay folks, let's hit the links under the watchful eye of the squirrel...

Ahh, New Year, new resolutions, and new stocks for stock-picking competitions. We are a web site ostensibly about Personal Finance and investing, so I'd be remiss if I didn't enter a few contest this year. I already discussed my picks for the Money Pros Stock Picking Competition, but this time I'm entering a 4-stock contest run by Nelson at Financial Uproar. As always, just because I picked stocks here doesn't mean I'm telling you to buy them - so do your own due diligence!