Today is Selection Sunday and college basketball teams around the country are anxiously waiting to learn their fates.

Will it be that coveted last spot in the NCAA tournament?  Or relegated to the NIT?  (Sure, playing in any tournament is nice, but the NIT pales in comparison to the real deal.)

If you are like me and your team is sitting in the first four out list (as of time of this writing) you see a lot of similarity to financial issues.  My team, the University of Tennessee, is on the outside looking in.  They lost in their conference tournament when a win would have likely locked up a bid to the NCAA tournament.

Instead they lost, but even with a loss they aren’t completely out of the running.  They are just reliant on a bunch of other teams losing in order to propel them into one of those last few spots in the tournament.

Don’t we often run our finances this way?

We miss doing things right and do just enough.  We cut corners, and suddenly find ourselves reliant on someone or something else to save us.  That might be a relative lending us money or just hoping that our employer continues to employ us.

Don’t live your financial life like a NCAA basketball bubble team. Take control of your finances with some of these great reads:

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Pop open the bubbly as 2013 is just around the corner.

Be careful… don’t sit on your laurels too long.  The end of the year is prime time for preparing your goals for the following year.  Don’t wake up in the middle of January without a direction.  Invest the time now — yes, even during the holiday season when you are supposed to be relaxing — to set yourself up for a great year.

Remember, you don’t hit goals you never set.  Get some financial goal inspiration from the following reads:

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We’re all wrapping up 2012 and want to wish you a happy holiday season.

This greeting is amidst troubling times in our nation especially considering the fiscal cliff has not been resolved.  I’m guessing Congress pushes some sort of band aid patch in, but you never know.

Nonetheless we all have a lot to be thankful for.  If you are reading this post it means you have internet access and are solidly in the “first world.”

Enjoy the holiday season, don’t spend too much, and refresh yourself to hit 2013 hard.

Here are some articles to check out in between doses of eggnog:

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There are no words suitable to describe the sadness felt by the school shooting in Connecticut a few days ago, so I won’t try.

(The President did a good job of describing the nation’s sadness in his address, so we’ll leave it at that.)

All I will say is one of the biggest things I think we can all do, besides reflection, is to get back to normal as quickly as possible.  Don’t let some crazy pull you away from having an enjoyable life.

Some good financial reads from this week:

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The unemployment rate dropped again in November to a four year low of 7.7%.

It has been since 2008 that the unemployment rate has been at this rate.  The 7.7% number is for November, down 0.2% from 7.9% in October.  This shows that hiring is modest, but at least it is positive.

Unfortunately there may be a jump in unemployment if we go over the fiscal cliff and Congress allows the widespread cuts to his all government agencies.  Some agencies may lose up to 10% of their funding.

You would have to think they would have to cut headcount in order to meet that 10% drop in funding, but we will have to see how it plays out.

Whether you are gainfully employed or still seeking a new opportunity, here are some articles to help you manage your finances:

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The fiscal cliff looms over the US and global economy.

Will Congress come together with a suitable solution?  Will the automatic cuts kick in across the board?  Will the proverbial can get kicked down the proverbial road once again with a bandaid patch fix?

No one knows, but January 1st is 30 days away.  The massive cuts would hold no hostages across the Federal budget.  We can all agree that running multi-trillion dollar deficits each year is not sustainable.

But what is the solution?

I’m not worried about trillions of dollars, and neither are you. Here’s how to manage what you do have better:

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Black Friday leaked over into Thanksgiving evening this year, but retailers thought it was a successful move. 

You can bet more retailers will be opening up at 8pm on Thanksgiving evening in the future because despite complaints from some potential customers and the threat of protest from workers, people still showed up.

You can’t really blame stores for opening earlier because they are so dependent on the revenue push from holiday shopping.  And if customers keep showing up for earlier and earlier deals, the stores will keep opening.

Next up?

Cyber Monday is officially on Monday, but many online stores have been running online deals all weekend long.  Thankfully if you choose to participate in Cyber Monday you could do it from home or work via your browser or smartphone.

Rack up a lot of spending on Black Friday? Here are some ways to make sure you keep your finances balanced:

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Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the holiday shopping season is about to hit full force.

Retailers desperate for higher and higher holiday season revenue have pushed well into Thanksgiving evening to kick off Black “Friday”.  They’re also requiring a good chunk of their employees to work the holiday evening — an overnight shift that requires those employees to either cut Thanksgiving dinner short or to sleep during the holiday to prepare.

How will you be spending Black Friday?  Scrambling through malls to buy your family more stuff?  Spending it relaxing?  Working?

Here are some great articles to check out while you make out those shopping lists:

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President Obama won a second term last week.

As important as that victory is for the future of the country, what looms even closer is the fiscal cliff.

If Congress does not work out a deal before the beginning of 2013, what is being called “Taxmageddon” will hit the American public.  Tax cuts will expire, benefits will be cut, and new taxes will kick in.  Government spending will be cut across the board at the same time to the tune of billions of dollars, enough for some experts to say it could throw the US economy back into recession.

Panicking about the upcoming fiscal cliff won’t help you. Take action instead, using these tips below:

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New York City and the rest of the northeast took a big hit from Hurricane Sandy this week.

Millions are still without power, potable drinking water, or the ability to get to and from work.  It is a scary situation that will take several weeks to truly get over.

Edit: If you know someone impacted by Hurricane Sandy, they can apply online for FEMA assistance at http://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or by calling 1-800-621-3362.  If you’re on a smartphone you can check m.fema.gov  Help them out by passing on this info and help them communicate with the agency.

Meanwhile, the nation’s Presidential election happens on Tuesday.  Will New Yorkers get to vote?  Does it even matter on a national scale since New York tends to be a super-blue state?

Imagine not being able to get to work, cash a check, or buy groceries for two weeks.  Are you financially ready for a natural disaster?  Here are some articles to help you manage your money better:

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