Like a double reverse leading to a flea flicker or a safety's responsibility in two-deep coverage, personal finance can be tricky and complicated. In honor of this weekend's Super Bowl game, Taking Charge has assembled a team drawn from dozens of the best players in the personal finance arena, for the football-themed 189th edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. Take the ball and run with it!

Editor's picks

These are the MVPs of this week's carnival. No word yet on whether the post's scribes will yell, "I'm going to Disney World!" when they get the news.

• The Smarter Wallet explains how we can save money by developing skills that allow us to "do our own" projects instead of outsourcing the work to others.
• Personal Finance Analyst lists 10 things teens can do to make money. Supposedly, No. 11 would've been: Get drafted in the first round by an NFL team.
• Investing School provides a lesson in hedge funds, which remain a mystery to many of us. The history, the rules and regulations, the fees and whether they're a wise investment choice.
• Bargaineering gives a playbook on the basics of credit cards and debit cards -- it's a must read for those new to plastic.
• Stumble Forward outlines the 10 rules you should follow if you want to stay debt-free for life.

Frugality

Frugality and the Super Bowl aren't often closely associated, but you can change that. NotMadeOfMoney.com offers tips for having a frugal Super Bowl party.

• Moolanomy offers advice on getting a great deal on your home and auto insurance rates.
• Greener Pastures provides a list of eight resources and tips that students can use to save money and cut back on begging for cash from parents.
• Not Made of Money also gives examples of several inexpensive Valentine's Day presents that will make the big day a romantic touchdown.
• Pecuniarities lists free Web sites and programs that will come in handy if you find your computer infected with a virus.
• The Happy Rock is concerned about how politicians' distinct lack of frugality may be rubbing off on the country's children. After all, just like in football, kids follow the examples of their leaders.
• The Family Wallet reminds readers that using generic products, whether clothing, food or medicine, will save loads of money.

Spending

Still shopping for a ticket to the game or just a cheap flight down to Tampa? Be careful. As with any big game, plenty of scammers are out there, trying to make a killing off of people who just want to see their favorite team play.

• Studenomics discusses the three Cs that can tackle your finances for a loss while in college: clothing, cars and expensive courses.
• Savings Toolbox gives a list of several consumer items that now cost significantly less than they used to.

Money management

They say time is money, and time management is always crucial in the Super Bowl. Making sure you make the most of those final seconds can be the difference between winning and losing. Just ask the New York Giants, who scored the winning touchdown in last year's Super Bowl with just 35 seconds left.

• My Money Minute says the clock hasn't run out on making a New Year's resolution, and explains why you're more likely to succeed using the S.M.A.R.T. method.
• Free Money Finance explains why personal finance success is simple but not easy.
• My Dollar Plan lists how long you need to keep all of your personal and financial documents lying around.
• Uncommon Cents ponders the difference between coming up with concrete versus nebulous goals when it comes to both weight loss and personal finance.It's the difference between setting a goal of being a good running back vs. a goal of rushing for 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns.
  

Credit and debt

No doubt many people have gone in debt after betting on the Super Bowl, which is traditionally as much a part of the big game as overblown commercials, watching parties and wardrobe malfunctions. (By the way, if you're interested, you can even place a bet on which team will call the first timeout.)

• Money Ning offers advice on what to do if you lose your credit card. Taking a time out is probably a good place to start.
• Low APR Credit Card reminders readers that an average credit score isn't good enough anymore.
• Ask Mr. Credit Card answers two readers' questions about what to do when your credit card issuer goes bankrupt. Yes, you still have to pay your bills.
• The Penny Daily explains why paying off your outstanding debts is the best financial investment you can make. Betting the kids' college fund on the Super Bowl? Not so much.
• Think Your Way to Wealth ponders if there is a difference between the words "debt elimination" and "debt reduction."
• Apply4Credit encourages consumers to be cautious when applying for instant approval credit cards.
• Mighty Bargain Hunter explains that while you may not be happy if your credit card company raises your APR, it is perfectly within its rights -- like when the referee calls offensive holding on a play when your team scores a touchdown. 
• American Consumer News explains how to opt out of credit card offers for good.
• Credit Card Assist outlines the basics of credit card blocks. No word on help with credit card tackles.
• Credit Card Offers IQ discusses why balance transfers and cash-back rewards don't mix.
• No Credit Needed invents a new strategy for shedding debt: the debt deluge.
• Debt Free Destiny explains why we all buy so easily into debt and what steps we can take to avoid it.

Career

Careers are made and undone in Super Bowls. The best example: Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood, who missed a last-second kick that would have won Super Bowl XXV for his Bills, and has since become synonymous with failure to come through at crunch time.

• Everyday Finance wonders if there should be a cap on financial awards for whistleblowers -- and we're not talking about referees.
  
• Financial Reflections reviews a book that outlines ways to find new markets and new waters to swim in, free of competition, in which to start a new business. Let's hope the Super Bowl isn't free of competition this year.
• One Frugal Girl notes her observations from recent layoffs at her company and provides tips on staying clear of the ax. 
• The Personal Financier reflects on how he felt when he discovered that a peer from his past has become much more successful than he, and considers what this other man did differently in his career.

Saving and investing

Football players earn a lot, but they had better save and invest wisely, since most will never see the same kind of payday after retirement.

• Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck explains the great importance of contributing savings to an emergency fund. Just like football players, you might be only one bad injury away from unemployment.
  
• The Digerati Life provides a list of the best online stock brokers for cheap stock trades.
• Broke Grad Student tries to figure out the best way to invest in a Roth IRA -- lump sum or dollar cost average? Next week, he's going to discuss the best way to attack the Tampa 2 defense.
  
• One Million Bucks explains how contributing to a 401(k) affects your take-home pay.
• Smart Easy Money explains how saving up for an emergency fund has literally saved her during a rough period of unemployment.
• ABCs of Investing provides a basic explanation of stock exchanges and how they differ from stock indexes. No mention of the New York Jets' Sack Exchange defense of the 1980s.
• Our Financial Planner gives step-by-step instructions on how to open up a Roth IRA. It's an IRA playbook.
  
• Striking Up wonders if buy and hold stock investing is a thing of the past.
  
• Intelligent Speculator discusses where Google is going to find growth in the upcoming years, which is important information for those considering investing in the company.
• Happiness is Better presents a case study about his adventures in Forex trading.
• Bootstrap Investing shares some thoughts on risk tolerance and how greatly it can change in a short period of time.
• Go To Retirement reminds baby boomers that there are still options out there for getting a great return on money invested for retirement.

Economy

Many sports leagues have begun to feel the effects of this bad economy, seeing slow season ticket sales and fewer eager sponsors. In fact,"tickets for the National Football League's Super Bowl could be the most affordable in years as a recession drives down prices," according to an Associated Press report.

• Bret Froelich thinks fears of a financial collapse may be overblown, and provides tips for keeping the recession in perspective.
• Green Panda Treehouse provides an online training camp on how to best get control of and manage your finances in a downward economy.
• Sound Money Matters outlines the various economic challenges she thinks the Obama administration should tackle first.
• Passive Family Income draws up a gameplan on knowing when to capitalize on current business trends.
• The Strump has learned that foreign sources own more than 25 percent of United States debt and considers what the implications are.
• My Wealth Builder thinks about how several major upcoming changes will affect the economy and investments. 
• Tough Money Love does some Monday morning quarterbacking, providing his reactions to each section of the House of Representatives Democrats' "American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan."
• Indian Investor discusses different perspectives on how long the recession will last and makes predictions about what signs he think will signal the end of it.

Taxes

When the subject of taxes comes up around football, it's usually talking about how much a city's taxpayers will have to put up in order to get the team's owner his fancy new stadium. Otherwise, the team might just have to move away.

• Christian Financial Help wonders if the proposed Obama tax cuts will really help the economy or if the consumers will need to be the ones to make the changes.
• Yielding Wealth explains what to do if you can't pay your taxes, and reminds readers that the IRS offers installment plans. After all, those million-dollar signing bonuses can cause some real tax issues.
  
• Saving to Invest provides a look at using tax software versus a professional preparer.
• Destroy Debt explains how to donate a car and get a charity tax deduction.
• Money Smart Life explains the 2008 federal tax brackets, though I'm guessing that most of our readers are in different tax brackets from, say, Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger.

Real estate, mortgages

You think it's pricey for you to keep the lawn looking nice at your house? The Tampa Sports Authority had to spend $85,000 for sod to get Tampa Stadium ready for the big game.

• No Debt Plan warns readers about some of the out-of-bounds tactics mortgage companies use to try to milk you for more money.
• Searchlight Crusade explains the pros and cons of 15-year mortgages.
• Living After Foreclosure coaches you up on how to prepare in order to keep your mortgage current.
• Discover Debt Freedom offers a list of things to look for when selecting a mortgage company.
  
• Blue Jeans Millionaire explains how the five steps of grief apply to the current real estate market. We're still waiting for how they apply to fans of the losing Super Bowl team.
  

Overtime

There's never been an overtime game in Super Bowl history -- maybe the Cardinals and Steelers will change that -- but we've always wanted to see one. With that in mind, we wanted to give you a little bit extra, so he are some links that, like former Steelers QB/WR Kordell "Slash" Stewart, are a little harder to define.

• NFL teams could probably use this one. Insurance Toolbox gives information about the basics of travel insurance.
• FIRE Finance has created a list of the top ten paid survey sites to make extra money and gives caveats about the scam sites.
• My Money Relationship provides tips for making more money by selling your goods on eBay -- where there seems to be about 8 billion pieces of Super Bowl merchandise -- than other sellers.