If you are new to WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com, every Friday I run a post called “A Lap Of The Blogs” which provides links to articles I found interesting and think that others may want to read for themselves. I also include some commentary on what’s going on in my personal life and a weekly “racing video” since my former life was in the auto-racing industry. The name “Lap of the Blogs” is in reference to “A Lap Of The Gods” which is an old video series which chronicled on-board footage of the world’s greatest F1 drivers lapping various racetracks from around the world.

1. Don’t forget to enter the contest (free to enter) to win a Money Movie DVD of either Casino or the original Ocean’s Eleven. Click here for details. Deadline to enter is this Friday!

2. Thanks to everyone who voted for me on the W Network’s search for a new Expert Host – I’ve made it to the Top 20! They are sending a crew to film a challenge sometime in the next two weeks and I’ll call on you again for more support to get to the next stage: The final 6 who then compete in a reality show to find the eventual winner. Fingers crossed!

From Around The Blogosphere

Million Dollar Journey examines the impacts of a lower Canadian dollar. Thankfully I crossed the border into Buffalo last winter when the loonie was above par – picked up a nice top-coat for about $100 Canadian! :)

Interest rates have been dropping in the United States, but this is not being passed on to people seeking mortgages (see the second graph). The federal funds rate has fallen from 5.25% to 1.00%, but 30 year fixed mortgage rates have actually gone UP! Wonderful.

Mutual Fund performance and fee disclosures are not easily digested by retail investors. Michael James on Money has his recommendation to fix it here. Further, Canadian Financial DIY goes so far as to write an open letter to the OSC.

Canadian Capitalist asks if thrift is making a comeback. Is frugal the new cool? Or is belt-tightening just going to be a short fad?

Thicken My Wallet talks about obtaining effective recommendation letters and offers up a gem of an example!

This Week’s Racing Video

…is actually just a few pictures instead of a video. A reader asked what kind of cars I used to drive when I was involved with auto racing and I promised I would post a few pics, so here they are! You can click on the pictures to see larger versions.