More Money Thursday roundup: Home sellers' lies & Twittering shareholders

Personal finance from around the Web:

• In today's real estate market, unsurprisingly, some sellers are stretching -- or hiding -- the truth about their home's pluses and minuses. Check out this guide to the lies that a potential homebuyer will most commonly hear. [The Wall Street Journal]

• "Tax" really is a dirty word. A new study by Columbia University found that Republican and Independent participants would support a surcharge labeled a "carbon offset" but not an identical charge labeled a "carbon tax." Democrats support it either way. [Mother Jones]

• Banks seem to be looking for excuses to deny home loan modifications. And some violate the rules of the Treasury Department's loan modification program. [ProPublica]

• You may already know that you can use social media to save money, but ex-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer thinks you might also be able to use it to be a more powerful shareholder. [Consumerism Commentary, Slate]

• Start filling out that 2010 calendar with financial to-dos. Here's a month-by-month guide to get you started. [Morningstar]

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