I'm back ... the past 10 days is probably the longest hiatus in my blogging career. A business trip and some job priorites stole most of my time. Many thanks to my fellow bloggers at the PFBlog Network who filled in the blanks -- I hope their contributions are equally good reads. Here are the best for the last two weeks (and you can expect more from me this week):

Bloggers' Personal Stories

• 1stMill explains why he keeps double medical insurance coverage as an early retiree.
• Nickel's continued portray of life insurance shopping experience: part 3 and part 4.
• Nickel is on the market for a new car. Learn something from his comparison shopping technique!
• 1stMill just booked his '06 Alaska cruise -- read the shopping notes.

Personal Finance News and Resources

• 1stMill extended the debate of index fund vs actively managed fund. Read the new additions: more advantages of actively managed funds, and how indexers should deal with near-retirement scenario. He also proves that an indexed portfolio is worse than his favorite actively managed fund.
• Fatboy's latest stock recommendation: PETM (PetSmart)
• More details about Americans' zero-saving problem.
• Jim dd a cost/benefit analysis of Lasik -- it takes 24 years to pay back the saved contact lens expenses.
• ING Direct offers a new way of authentication. It is too secure or too complicated?
• Katrina reminds us: will you ever have enough homeowner's insurance?
• ING Direct has a better way to link your accounts. You no longer have to mail in a voided check.
• Flexo reported a quiet grace period reduction of our favorite Citi card.
• MM continued his discussion of tax strategies for the self-employed. Take a look at SEP and SIMPLE Plans, different forms of doing business, and forming an LLC or S corporation.
• Arbee discussed top Canadian online brokerage firms.
• Good question: how many years of work does it take to support a retirement?
• Some drawbacks of emergency funds and why many Americans are not using it.

Personal Finance Tips

• Why total cost of ownership, instead of purchase price, is important for your car ownership?
• Are you a frequent Amazon customer? You may benefit from Amazon's less-known price drop policy.
• Persuaded by Citi's Thank You redemption network? There are not a lot of good deals there.
• Keeping an eye on your credit card rewards can save you some money, especially when you are dropped from a lucrative promotion prematurely.
• Another eBay tip: You can blocked unwanted bidders.
• Here is an unorthodox advice for negotiating a higher salary: saving well.
• New to Citi's online credit card site? Here is the full details of the click-to-pay function.
• Should you go back to school? Make sure you have the right movitation.