It’s easy to get well into the holiday season before you realize that you’re going to need more than you have budgeted.  Whether gifts cost more than you’d expected, you didn’t factor in shipping charges, or something unexpected happens, every year there are consumers who need to get loans over the holidays, while many more take loans after the holidays to pay off credit card balances.

Clearly, the better option is to cut back on expenses and manage your budget closely.  If this is not an option, you may want to consider a small peer-to-peer personal loan that you can pay comfortably over a few months.

Most people realize too late that they got into too much debt on their credit cards for the holidays, and desperately turn to their bank or credit union when they need money to pay off their credit cards. However, for a variety of reasons, it’s going to be harder even for consumers with fair or good credit to get loans that way this year. Instead of giving up, though, consider a personal loan instead.

A personal loan is like a conventional loan, but via a peer-to-peer network instead of through a bank or other financial institution. The lenders are regular people just like you who, for reasons of their own, choose to lend money through a network. When you get a personal loan, it’s possible to not only get a loan, but to get a reasonable interest rate, especially if your credit history is pristine.  So in essence, you're getting around the traditional bank lending with a peer-to-peer loan.

In case you’re not convinced, here are three reasons to consider getting a peer-to-peer personal loan if you need money this holiday season:

1. Banks are Acting Like Scrooge

With the Federal Reserve offering banks and other traditional lending institutions money at extremely low interest rates, it’s in the bank’s better interest to invest the money than it is to make it available in the form of loans, especially to consumers who  may not pay it back. Since their investments have a better chance of earning them money than lending to people with poor credit does, banks will take the more conservative option.

With less money overall available for loans, people with high or mid-level credit ratings are having trouble getting loans. If you have poor credit, you may not even want to go through the process of trying to get a loan,.

2. Interest Rates at Financial Institutions are Higher

Unless you have something to offer as collateral on a loan, you’ll have to solicit an unsecured loan from a bank if that’s the route you choose to take this holiday season. However, the interest rates on these are skyrocketing right now. With all of the economic problems surrounding bad loans, banks are trying to secure themselves by requiring high interest rates on all unsecured loans, even those to customers with good credit.

Having a good history with your lending institution will definitely help you get an unsecured loan this season. However, it probably won’t help you lower the interest rate that you’ll have to pay on that loan. Avoid rates as high as 20% when you get a personal loan, instead.  Don't be surprised if you see a high interest rate on a personal loan quote from your bank: their lending approach on personal loans is to charge rates that are very close to their credit card rates.

If you need to get a personal loan, shop around and compare rates before you settle for one.

3. Your Peers are in the Holiday Spirit

Sometimes, it can be hard to get even a personal loan, especially if you need a large amount (say $25,000) or if the reason to ask for it is unconventional. However, the people offering these loans (other folks like you and me investing directly) know that it’s Christmas. Whether the holiday spirit is something you believe in or not, you may have less trouble getting one of these loans during this season. Particularly if you’re in a difficult situation, you may be more likely to find someone who will have compassion on you during the holidays.

It rubs some people the wrong way to think about playing to others’ emotions in order to get a loan. However, you don’t have to do that. Simply state the truth about your situation when you’re looking for a personal loan. Then let lenders make their own choice about whether to help you out or not.  You can also choose to answer their questions, which may certainly help you get funded faster.

If money is a problem this holiday season and you’re worried about not qualifying for an unsecured loan from your financial institution, find out more about getting a peer-to-peer personal loan. You’ll be able to pay it back in a few months at a more reasonable interest rate and with fixed monthly payments.  This can be a great way to get the money you need for (or after) the holidays without signing up for exorbitant interest rates.

For more information on how peer-to-peer loans work, check out this recent review from an independent personal finance blogger.

...and pay off the debt that comes with it.

Getting rid of credit cards is at the top of the most common financial new year's resolutions this year. In honor of the Shred Your Credit Card contest, here is a few home videos that will get your creative juices going to finally make it happen.

So here are the videos, sorted by number of views:

Will It Blend? - Credit Cards - 972,733 views
The Blendtec guy sets off to blend his and his wife's 24 credit cards. Really? 24?!?! Wow guys... no wonder you were in debt.

Cut up your credit card the right way - 130,696 views
Cynthia Drake from CreditCards.com shows us how to avoid identity theft when disposing of a credit card. Look at those tiny pieces of credit card!

Credit Card Blow Up - 14,793 views
This credit card wouldn't die, even after an explosion and follow-up firecrackers.

Microwaving My Credit Card - 9,001 views
Not sure the toxic fumes from burning your credit card are any healthy, but at least Debtkid accomplished his goal.

Priceless Plasectomy - 7,966 views
Wait a second. There is a Star Wars credit card with Yoda on it?

6 Insane Ways to Destroy Your Credit Card - 6,601 views
From the Money.co.uk team, here are 6 crazy ways to get rid of that credit card. I guess the English accent makes the "insane" part seem a bit more civilized.

The Tennessee Credit Card Massacre - 5,378 views
Viewer discretion is advised. The whole time I was afraid this guy was going to chop off his fingers.

Huntin' Plastic - 3,993 views
Check this guy out hunting this not-so-unique "specimen".

Explode-a-Debt! Debt Reduction System - 3,416 views
If only debt reduction were this easy.

How To Properly Destroy a Credit Card - 2,910 views
From the guys at Howcast.com.

Credit Card Destroyer - 1,838
No sound? Well, the bow & arrow idea can only be pulled off by a professional archer.

Plasectomy done PSYCHO STYLE!!!! - 1,478 views
Kinda scary, this one. The blood looks more orange than red, no?

Dave Ramsey LASER Plasectomy LaserScribe - 540 views
Is this the same technology they use in eye laser correction? If so, I'm now convinced contact lenses is the only option for me .

Destroy Your Credit Cards! - 465 views
The chip in the American Express Blue credit card makes for a visually stunning display in the microwave.

Burn that Credit Card - 336 views
With a blowtorch? Brilliant!

I'm Shredding my Bank of America Visa Credit Card!!! - 124 views
...with a belt sander (wow!)

Hope you got inspired, and you're looking around for your camera to do your own and enter the ShredYourCreditCard.com contest.

@RobGarciaSJ

Image courtesy of David Huang.

A New Year is supposed to be about a fresh beginning. You set goals and renew your efforts to improve yourself. Inevitably, this list of goals includes those have to do with finances. Unfortunately, as we list out goal after goal, it starts to become overwhelming. This is especially true as we begin to think of all the things we’d like to do with our finances.

For 2011, though, you might be able to simplify things significantly if you set one financial goal to work on. Goals like pay down debt, build an emergency fund and learn to invest are all great, but they can be overwhelming – and vague. Instead of trying to do everything all at once, you can determine what your most important financial goal should be for the coming year, and focus on that.

This doesn’t mean that you neglect other aspects of your personal finances; you should still manage your money prudently. If you have been putting money into a retirement account each month, you should keep doing that. There are many reasons to be optimistic about money matters in 2011, so I simply suggest that you find a way to work on a specific “big” financial goal in 2011, improving your situation.

Breaking it Down

When you choose one financial goal to work on in the new year, you can break it down into something more manageable. Evaluate your finances (be brutally honest about where you stand – and what could be different) and base your goal on something that is achievable in your financial situation. This can be paying down $10,000 worth of debt, or beefing up your emergency fund to hold six months of expenses.

No matter your goal, it is important to create a plan that can help you achieve it. Identify the steps you need to take to reach your goal over the next 12 months, and then create an action plan to make it happen. By focusing on one major financial overhaul this year, you are more likely to meet your goals, improving your finances in the process.

If you had to pick one goal for 2011 to get your finances in better shape, what would it be?

Photography courtesy of iUnique Fx ©

It's almost 2011, and I can't but reminisce about what an amazing year 2010 has been for the personal finance writers out there.  Journalists and bloggers have both found themselves in a post-banking crisis world where people are looking for answers and guidance.  More importantly, Americans seem to care more about their money and finances, and many took decisive steps towards controlling debt,  saving more, investing smarter, and simply living richly... within one's means.

People want guidance, and guidance comes through conversations, not one-directional articles and posts.  Here is where micro-blogging comes in.  2008 and 2009 became the "trial" years for personal finance bloggers, frugal types and money journalists to test the waters with this seemingly ephemeral new medium, to reach new audiences and engage followers in a way that forums, blogs, and newspapers cannot facilitate.  But in 2010, microblogging strategies solidified and twitter became an integral part of most personal finance writers' outlets.  Several failed, folded and left twitter, while others just paled and never gained any traction.

But the following Top 100 Personal Finance microbloggers have shown us how it's done.  In a complete new world, where social media interactions and rules are still being defined, and many are still testing, trying to justify the ROI, and frankly just banging at it treating it just like another one-directional marketing medium, these folks have made us listen, follow their money tweets, and engage in meaningful conversations around money.

So what will 2011 bring to the personal finance microblogging space?  I venture to say that it will be the year when microblogging is not an option any more.  Just like having a website became the norm for any company that wanted to stay competitive in the early 1990's, if you are looking to influence and engage your audiences, you will need to become accessible via twitter.  Period.

Congratulations for a wonderful microblogging year, and a toast to an even better 2011.  And with that, I give you the Top 100 Personal Finance Microbloggers of 2010:

1. Suze Orman

Personal finance TV show host keeping it to 140 or less.

1,052,292 followers

3 tweets per day

@SuzeOrmanShow

http://SuzeOrman.com

2. USA TODAY Money

Personal finance from USATODAY.com. Also financial markets, US economy, business and all other money matters.

141,548 followers

8 tweets per day

@USATODAYmoney

http://www.usatoday.com/money

3.      Mint

Money tips and money management articles from Mint.com’s blog!

127,336 followers

4 tweets per day

@mint

http://mint.com

4.      Planet Money

Finance news and thoughts from the money team at National Public Radio.

124,255 followers

4 tweets per day

@planetmoney

http://npr.org/blogs/money

5. The Motley Fool

Educate, enriching, and amusing at any cost... especially around investing.

110,830 followers

5 tweets per day

@themotleyfool

http://www.fool.com

6. The Dave Ramsey Show

Official microblog of the famous Dave Ramsey.

100,977 followers

4 tweets per day

@ramseyshow

http://www.daveramsey.com/radio/home/

7. Simple Mom (Tsh Oxenreider)

Life hacks for home managers with great money management tips.

40,317 followers

4 tweets per day

@SimpleMom

http://simplemom.net

8. Money Saving Mom (Crystal Paine)

Money-saving deals & tips.

38,808 followers

9 tweets per day

@MoneySavingMom

http://moneysavingmom.com/welcome-twitter

9. Bargain Briana

The ultimate coupon freak.

31,521 followers

15 tweets per day

@bargainbriana

http://bargainbriana.com/

10. Money Smart Guy (Matthew Sapaula)

Host of Money Smart Guy radio show, Matt wants us “Save, Your-Self, Time, Energy and Money.”

20,466 followers

5 tweets per day

@MattSapaula

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/money-smart-guy/

11. EricaBiz (Erica Douglass)

Millionaire by 26, now offers business tips and money/investing advice.

17,937 followers

9 tweets per day

@ericabiz

http://erica.biz/

12. Save More Money

Clever tips, good deals and great sales.

17,673 followers

1 tweet per day

@savemore

13. WalletPop

Personal finance blog and microblog that can save you money

17,628 followers

23 tweets per day

@walletpopper

http://www.walletpop.com/

14. Clark Howard

Radio show host and consumer advocate helping folks save more, spend less and not get ripped off.

16,587 followers

1 tweets per day

@clarkhowardshow

http://clarkhoward.com/

15. WiseBread (Will Chen, Lynn Truong and Gregory Go)

Personal Finance and Frugal Living.

16,357 followers

9 tweets per day

@WiseBread

http://www.wisebread.com

16. I Will Teach You To Be Rich (Ramit Sethi)

Author, microblogger, video blogger with a passion for making money independently.

14,961 followers

2 tweets per day

@Ramit

http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com

17. Yahoo! Finance

Tweets from the Yahoo! Finance team. 100% feed free.

14,311 followers

39 tweets per day

@YahooFinance

http://finance.yahoo.com

18. Money Experts

Personal finance tips from the money experts at moneydashboard in the UK.

13,816 followers

5 tweets per day

@moneyexperts

http://www.moneydashboard.com/tips

19. Get Out Of Debt Guy (Steve Rhode)

A debt management super hero, helping people get out of debt for free.

13,332 followers

29 tweets per day

@getoutofdebtguy

http://GetOutOfDebt.org

20. MSN Money

The investing and personal finance world brought to you by the MSN Money team.

13,093 followers

2 tweets per day

@MSN_Money

http://moneycentral.msn.com/home.asp?ocid=twmsnmon

21. DailyFinance

Help its followers navigate through perilous economic times and make better financial decisions.

12,668 followers

22 tweets per day

@daily_finance

http://dailyfinance.com

22. The Simple Dollar (Trent Hamm)

Making your life not suck, providing cents and sense to those fighting debt and bad spending habits.

11,989 followers

16 tweets per day

@trenttsd and @thesimpledollar

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/

23. Out Of Your Rut

Jobs/business opportunities, expense reduction strategies, and savings programs.

11,049 followers

17 tweets per day

@OutOfYourRut

http://www.outofyourrut.com

24. Money Woman Women

Representing and giving a voice to women in today’s financial world.

10,409 followers

2 tweets per day

@moneymomma

http://moneymommablog.com/

25. Man vs. Debt (Adam Baker)

Microblogging a small family’s journey to sell their junk, pay off our debt, and start doing what they love.

8,630 followers

7 tweets per day

@ManVsDebt

http://www.manvsdebt.com

26. Calculated Risk (Bill McBride)

Tweeting about life, finance and money management after early retirement.

8,577 followers

5 tweets per day

@calculatedrisk

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/

27. Team DINKS

Personal finance by and for couples:  dual income, no kids.
8,047 followers

1 tweets per day

@dinks_finance

http://www.dinksfinance.com

28. Bible Money Matters (Peter Anderson)

Financial tips based on Christian teachings for regular people to dump the chains of debt and live a financially free life.

7,955 followers

7 tweets per day

@MoneyMatters

BibleMoneyMatters.com

29. DebtDiva (Clarky Davis)

Money management and frugal lifestyle tips to pay off debt and build savings.

8,705 followers

5 tweets per day

@DebtDiva

http://www.thedebtdiva.com

30.  MaximizingMoney.com
Bonus offers, promotional discounts, cash savings, and other money-saving opportunities.

7,840 followers
7 tweets per day

@MaximizingMoney

http://www.maximizingmoney.com/

31. Kingdom First Mom (Alyssa Francis)

Honoring God with her finances... and tweets.

7,312 followers

10 tweets per day

@KingdomFirstMom

kingdomfirstmom.com

32. Budgets Are Sexy

Personal finance, life, and silliness, all within a budget.

6,981 followers

9 tweets per day

@BudgetsareSexy

budgetsaresexy.com

33. SmartyPig

Online social savings, helping you control the spending pig inside you to put your money in the piggy bank.

6,818 followers

4 tweets per day

@SmartyPig

http://www.SmartyPig.com

34. ThinkingFinance

Devoted to helping people learn finance and how to make money in the markets.

6,789 followers

<1 tweet per day

@ThinkingFinance

http://www.thinkingfinance.net/blog

35. NYTimes’ Your Money

Short messages from the New York Times money team on investing, pensions, retirement, mortgage rates, mutual funds, the stock market, bonds and notes.

6,259 followers

3 tweets per day

@Your_Money

http://www.nytimes.com/yourmoney

36. Marcel Papineau

Getting completely out of debt in 8 yrs and showing others how to do the same.

6,226 followers

11 tweets per day

@CancelDebtFast

37. OutofDebtChristian

Daily dose of personal finances, frugality and faith.

6,212 followers

1 tweet per day

@ChristianDebt

http://www.outofdebtchristian.com

38. A Frugal Friend

Stay-at-home mom who’s determined to help you cut your family’s budget.

6,146 followers

9 tweets per day

@AFrugalFriend

http://www.afrugalfriend.net/

39. Jean Chatzky

Making money make sense.

5,719 followers

8 tweets per day

@JeanChatzky

http://www.jeanchatzky.com

40. Financial Times Personal Finance

The Financial Times's personal finance microblog.

5,451 followers

8 tweets per day

@ftmoney

http://www.ft.com/money

41. Barron's Online

A premier financial news magazine that tweets good stuff too.

5,335 followers

4 tweets per day

@barronsonline

http://barrons.com/

42. Matt Krantz

Reporter for USA TODAY tweeting about investing you hard earned dollars.

5,103 followers

4 tweets per day

@mattkrantz

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/krantz/index.htm

43. It's Only Money

Personal finance tweets (sans the panic attacks) from Brent Hunsberger at The Oregonian.

4,972 followers

6 tweets per day

@onlymoney

http://oregonlive.com/itsonlymoney

44. Canadian Finance (Tom Drake)

From Edmonton, Tom has become one of Canada’s leading microblogs tweeting personal finance matters.

4,967 followers

8 tweets per day

@CanadianFinance

http://canadianfinanceblog.com/

45. The Centsible Life (Kelly Whalen)

Kelly hyper-tweets about family, finances, and fulfilling your dreams on a budget.

4,903 followers

32 tweets per day

@centsiblelife

http://TheCentsibleLife.com

46. MiB Smarter Money

Tweeting and blogging about about $: getting it, growing it, saving it.

4,668 followers

11 tweets per day

@hank_MiB

http://myinvestingblog.com

47. Stretching a Buck Marcy

Marcy’s tweeting hard to live well on less and to help others do the same.

4,280 followers

8 tweets per day

@stretchingabuck

http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com/

48. Baby Cheapskate (Angie Wynne)

Savings for moms and moms-to-be: best baby, kid and maternity bargains.

4,261 followers

7 tweets per day

@BabyCheapskate

http://babycheapskate.com

49. ATL Bargain Hunter (Lauren Davidson)

Lauren shares tips on money, deals and savings for the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

4,178 followers

3 tweets per day

@atlbargains

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-bargain-hunter/

50. Tweeting for Change (Kim McGrigg)

Financial ideas from a mom who’s been known to regift.  Official tweets from Money Management International.

3,992 followers

3 tweets per day

@moneymanagement

http://www.moneymanagement.org/Community/Blogs/Blogging-for-Change.aspx

51. The Reformed Broker (Josh Brown)

Markets, politics, economics, media, culture and finance, all within 140 characters.

3,951 followers

21 tweets per day

@ReformedBroker

http://thereformedbroker.com

52. Shoestring Magazine (Melissa Massello)

Saving money (and the planet) within a shoestring budget.

3,834 followers

3 tweets per day

@shoestring and @stealfinder

http://www.shoestringmag.com

53. Frugal Dad (Jason White)

Making frugal cool again, with a conservative approach to personal finances.

3,788 followers

1 tweets per day

@FrugalDad

http://frugaldad.com

54. Young Money

Tweets from the staff at Young Money magazine on money management, business and lifestyle, and entrepreneurship.

3,781 followers

2 tweets per day

@youngmoney

http://www.youngmoney.com

55. Money Watch

Personal finance tweets from the UK, featuring money news, tips and money links.

3,657 followers

2 tweets per day

@moneywatch

http://money-watch.co.uk

56. Bargaineering (Jim Wang)

Doses of fun, personal finance, and interestingness.

3,651 followers

6 tweets per day

@bargainr

http://www.bargaineering.com/articles

57. Get Rich Slowly

Tweets about, well, getting rich slowly.

3,630 followers

15 tweets per day

@grsblog and @JDRoth

http://www.getrichslowly.org

58. Fiscal Literacy

Concise tidbits of facts, advice to educate people on financial literacy: money, finances, debts, mortgages, real estate, and budgets.

3,594 followers

1 tweet per day

@FiscalLiteracy

http://fiscalliteracy.wordpress.com

59. Almost Frugal (Kelly Rigotti)

Kelly is neither a financial guru, nor a personal finance queen, but that does not prevent her from sharing valuable advice on living frugally.

3,412 followers

<1 tweet per day

@AlmostFrugal

http://almostfrugal.com

60. Christian PF (Bob Lotich)

All about money: make it, save it, grow it, give it… tweet it?

3,377 followers

2 tweets per day

@ChristianPF

http://www.ChristianPF.com

61. Not Made of Money

Personal finances and all kinds of ways to save money: keeping it sane and out of debt.

3,148 followers

2 tweets per day

@NotMadeOfMoney

http://notmadeofmoney.com/blog/

62. Bargain Babe (Julia Scott)

Daily strategies, coupons, and inspiration to save money.

3,143 followers

4 tweets per day

@BargainBabe

http://www.bargainbabe.com.

63. Fabulous and Frugal

Living well & spending wisely… for girls.

3,123 followers

4 tweets per day

@FabandFrugal

http://www.fabandfru.com

64. Debt-Proof Living (Mary Hunt)

Equipping you with the best ways to get out of debt.

3,048 followers

<1 tweets per day

@DebtProofLiving

http://www.debtproofliving.com

65. PFIncome

A microblogger on a mission to generate passive income, stop relying on a job and, spend more time with family.

3,041 followers

1 tweet per day

@PFIncome

http://www.passivefamilyincome.com

66. Redeeming Riches

Restore your money, renew your mind.

3,023 followers

6 tweets per day

@RedeemingRiches

http://www.redeemingriches.com

67. Darwin's Money

Evolutionary Money, Investing and Career Advice

3,019 followers

17 tweets per day

@EverydayFinance

http://darwinsmoney.com

68. Monroe On a Budget (Paula Wethington)

Reporting live (and frugally) from @monroenews

2,942 followers

4 tweets per day

@MonroeOnABudget

http://www.monroeonabudget.com

69. Free From Broke

Personal finance tweets for regular folks.

2,900 followers

11 tweets per day

@freefrombroke

http://freefrombroke.com/

70. Personal Finance from The Associated Press

Trevor Delaney, Personal Finance Editor at AP.com, keeps us updated on the latest money news.

2,806 followers

2 tweets per day

@AP_PersonalFin

http://www.ap.org

71. Being Frugal (Lynnae McCoy)

Christian, wife, mom, friend, and woman trying to get out of debt.

2,786 followers

<1 tweet per day

@Lynnae

http://beingfrugal.net/about/lynnae-mccoy/

72. Lending Club (Rob Garcia)

Keeping peer-to-peer lending news to 140 characters or less.  Also timely tweets on financial innovation, disruption, social media and trends.

2,667 followers

13 tweets per day

@robgarciasj and @lendingclub

http://blog.lendingclub.com

73. Personal Dividends

Passionate tweets about creating true wealth and whatever makes you “rich”.

2,678 followers

5 tweets per day

@Arohan

http://www.PersonalDividends.com

74. Green Panda

Tweeting personal finance tips for college students and 20-somethings.

2,573 followers

1 tweets per day

@Green_Panda

http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/twitter-green-panda-treehouse/

75. Consumerism Commentary

Personal finance tweets based on the quest for financial accountability.

2,674 followers

5 tweets per day

@Flexo and @ConsumerismComm

http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/

76. PT Money (Philip Taylor)

Frugal guy, husband, father of two, tweets about personal finance

2,540 followers

4 tweets per day

@ptmoney

http://ptmoney.com/

77. Evolution Of Wealth

Helping people find, keep and enjoy their money.

2,512 followers, <1 tweets per day

@EvolutionWealth

http://evolutionofwealth.com

78. Ron Lieber

Money scribe for The New York Times, keeps us entertained and updated on the latest money news.

2,501 followers

4 tweets per day

@ronlieber

http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/

79. AskLizPullman

Personal finance columnist sharing her thoughts on managing your money.

2,489 followers

9 tweets per day

@lizweston

http://www.asklizweston.com

80. Miranda Marquit

Freelance writer helping you putt your personal financial house in order.

2,438 followers

9 tweets per day

@MMarquit

http://www.allbusiness.com/personal-finance/2975922-1.html

81. Taking Charge (Dan Ray)

The musings of Dan Ray, the editor in chief of CreditCards.com.

2,427 followers

2 tweets per day

@takingcharge

http://blogs.creditcards.com/

82. Suns Financial Diary

An electrical engineer who happens to have passion for personal finance.

2,339 followers

6 tweets per day

@SunFinancial

http://www.thesunsfinancialdiary.com/

83. The Thrifty Divas

Elizabeth & Laura promise us they will save us time and money. That’s quite a promise, isn’t it?

2,418 followers

5 tweets per day

@TheThriftyDivas

http://www.thethriftydivas.com/

84. Squawkfox (Kerry Taylor)

She offers 397 Ways To Save Money. That’s right 397!  Hmmm, I wonder how she came up with that exact number.

2,339 followers

1 tweets per day

@SquawkFox

http://www.squawkfox.com

85. Fabulously Broke

Tweets about personal finance, loving your career, living life, minimalism, traveling, Starbucks chai lattes, & being debt-free. Wonder if dropping the lattes could help to be debt free?

2,310 followers

51 tweets per day

@brokeinthecity

http://www.FabulouslyBroke.com

86. Len Penzo

Off-beat personal finance tweets  from somebody who never met a polska kielbasa he didn't like.

2,227 followers

1 tweet per day

@LenPenzo

http://www.lenpenzo.com

87. Five Cent Nickel

Thoughts on various topics related to money and finance sine 2005.

2,198 followers

9 tweets per day

@fcn and @fcnfeed

http://www.fivecentnickel.com/

88. Money Ning (David Ning)

Personal finance tips to help individuals reach their retirement and financial freedom goals.

2,198 followers

6 tweets per day

@moneyning

http://moneyning.com

89. Tip'd

Your daily dose of crowdsourced financial news.

2,197 followers

9 tweets per day

@tipd

http://tipd.com

90. The Daily Crux

Unashamedly claiming to be the world's top financial media digest.

2,181 followers

8 tweets per day

@TheDailyCrux

http://www.thedailycrux.com/

91. Money Crashers

Guiding you to financial fitness with personal finance tips.

2,154 followers

8 tweets per day

@MoneyCrashers

http://www.moneycrashers.com

92. In Good Cents

Beth tweets about her love for saving money and finding great deals.

2,137 followers

15 tweets per day

@INGoodCents

http://www.ingoodcents.com

93. Money Strands (Lucia Giacomantonio)

Lucia shares money saving tips and interesting articles, while answering questions about MoneyStrands.com

2,096 followers

1 tweets per day

@moneyStrands and @luciagia

http://money.strands.com/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=biolink&utm_campaign=twitter

94. Moolanomy

Pinyo is all about building wealth and helping you achieve your financial goals.

2,095 followers

2 tweets per day

@Moolanomy

http://www.moolanomy.com

95. The Frugal Find (Julia Wessels)

Julia tweets about transforming the way you shop and thinking beyond coupons, deals, and savings.

2,066 followers

9 tweets per day

@thefrugalfind

http://www.thefrugalfind.com

96. Life Turner Personal Finance (Lisa Byrne)

Money for the rest of us, with non-profit, unbiased financial education.

2,061 followers

8 tweets per day

@LifeTuner

http://www.lifetuner.org

97. Move Your Money

The #MoveYourMoney team is on a mission to help you take your money away from the “Too Big To Fail” Wall Street Banks.

2,056 followers

4 tweets per day

@moveyourmoney

http://moveyourmoney.info/

98. Forbes Money Builder

Personal finance coverage from Forbes.

2,039 followers, 1 tweets per day

@MoneyBuilder

http://forbes.com/moneybuilder

99. Money Funk

Releasing the bounds of Consumerism to live a life more simple in Nature… while paying down debt.

1,957 followers

9 tweets per day

@MoneyFunk

http://www.moneyfunk.net

100. BSimple

Helping us find ways to simplify our personal finances so we can live a healthier and wealthier lifestyle.  Sounds good, no?

1,940 followers

6 tweets per day

@BSimple

http://simplefinanciallifestyle.com/welcome-twitter-followers

There you have them, the best 100 personal microbloggers of 2010.  Follow them, tweet at them, and more importantly encourage them to keep up the good work.

Stay tuned for the complete list of Top 250 personal finance microbloggers next week.

@RobGarciaSJ

Did you make the list? Grab any of these badges to show it off:

This week, SFBeta announced its selection of leading on-line financial services companies to demo during its next event: SFBeta Financial Innovation Edition.

The exclusive list includes established brand names like Mint, Lending Club, Second Market and Zecco, as well as promising new start-ups like Y-combinator's ReadyForZero and FinovateStartup's FeeFighters.  Other companies presenting are DebtGoal, CreditKarma, BillShrink, Credit Sesame,  BillFloat and MyTafi.com.

Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to meet executives at these leading companies and see their latest product features and releases.  But buy your tickets soon!  Early bird tickets are already gone, and there is very limited space.

What: SFBeta Financial Innovation Edition

Where: Minna Gallery. 111 Minna St., San Francisco, CA 94103

When: Tuesday, January 11, 2010 5-9pm

Tickets: $17.50-25.00 advance purchase, $40 at the door

Buy your tickets now >>

@RobGarciaSJ