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The Globe And Mail

Financial Post

CBC News Money

  • newDartmouth refinery up for sale
    Imperial Oil plans to shop its refinery in Dartmouth, N.S., and related supply agreements to prospective buyers in the coming months.
    - 9 mins ago, 17 May 12, 10:43am -
  • newU.S. leading indicators dip
    A measure of future U.S. economic activity fell in April after six months of increases. The drop reflected fewer requests for building permits and a temporary spike in applications for unemployment benefits.
    - 15 mins ago, 17 May 12, 10:37am -
  • newSpanish bank shares plummet on Bankia cash crunch
    Shares in a bank recently nationalized by the Spanish government plummeted Thursday on rumours that customers were pulling out their deposits.
    - 42 mins ago, 17 May 12, 10:10am -
  • newCross-border shopping a $20B economic drain
    Cross-border shopping is costing the Canadian economy much more than believed and new rules raising duty-free limits will only make matters worse, says a new report by the Bank of Montreal.
    - 46 mins ago, 17 May 12, 10:06am -
  • newTimber supply review launched by B.C. government
    A special government committee will examine British Columbia's timber supply after a leaked report warned about thousands of job losses due to a declining amount of wood caused by the ravages of the pine beetle epidemic.
    - 1 hour ago, 17 May 12, 9:35am -

Rob Carrick

Gail Vaz-Oxlade

  • newAllowances: The Strings Attached
    One of the most hotly debated issues when it comes to kids and their allowances is the idea of what an allowance should be tied to. Most people have no difficultly with the idea that before kids can learn to manage money they first need to be able to…
    - 9 hours ago, 17 May 12, 1:40am -
  • Are you a Gentlewoman?
    Just before Christmas last year, a young friend of mine (she’s just turned 21) sent me a link to an article about the difference between a Lady and a Gentlewoman and said she had thought of me. I read the article and was very flattered. I’ve been…
    - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 1:33am -
  • Save and Still Be Beautiful
    Women spend a fortune to be beautiful: as a group we blow about $7 billion dollars a year trying to look good… or maybe just look better. Individually, we’re spending about $600 a year on average. From hair colour and extensions, to make-up, to f…
    - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 2:06am -
  • Pyramid Schemes
    I recently got a letter that made me cringe.There is a pyramid scheme running rampant through my hometown at this moment (called L.I.F.E. or Living Intentionally For Excellence). Even my own husband was roped into it! His friend called him and told…
    - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 1:56am -
  • A Mind of My Own
    Chapter 3:  My Life (at 10 years old)I have a great life I get up at 6 a.m. and play on the computer for an hour. Then I bounce my ball, have breakfast and go to school. That part I don’t like so much. I’d much rather be home. It’s not that I…
    - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 1:39am -

Jonathan Chevreau

  • My last Wealthy Boomer blog
    Jonathan Chevreau: 'Even though I’ll soon turn 59 and have written much about retirement and financial independence, I am not yet retiring'
    - 55 days ago, 23 Mar 12, 11:58am -
  • Early retirement vs. financial independence
    Lots of blogs and tweets lately on Early Retirement, like this one that caught my attention this morning. The writer is a financial planner who confesses he loves his day job but nevertheless hopes to retire early, which he defines as 55. He describe…
    - 62 days ago, 16 Mar 12, 9:32am -
  • Being debt-free should be top retirement priority, BMO says
    I wholeheartedly agree with the stance on debt in retirement taken by the BMO Retirement Institute today. BMO has issued a release saying debt is the number one barrier preventing Canadians from saving for retirement and that their priority should be…
    - 65 days ago, 13 Mar 12, 9:56am -
  • CRA: Most of 7 million TFSA users won’t be affected by crackdown on 6-figure TFSAs
    Today’s story on the Canada Revenue Agency’s audits of 6-figure TFSAs was originally scheduled for the Saturday paper but when it was moved ahead a day, I wasn’t able to include the answers to four questions I had posed to the CRA. “Tax cheat…
    - 69 days ago, 9 Mar 12, 3:44pm -
  • Global ING study finds Canadians more apt to use savings to pay down debt
    While 47% of Canadians are saving less because of the economy, an ING survey conducted in 19 countries found Canadians more willing than others to use savings to pay down debt. More than one in three Canadians (36%) feels their financial position has…
    - 71 days ago, 7 Mar 12, 2:03pm -

Million Dollar Journey

  • Top 5 Smartphone Apps to Save Money
    Smartphone usage in Canada has increased exponentially in recent years. According to a September 2011 report released by comScore, there are 20.1 million mobile phone subscribers in Canada, 8 million of which own a smartphone. With nearly 1 million a…
    - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 5:30am -
  • Smith Manoeuvre Portfolio – May 2012
    For those of you just joining us, below is my portfolio that is leveraged with money borrowed from my home equity line of credit (HELOC). As the money borrowed is used to invest, the interest charged is tax deductible. I write an update every…
    - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 5:30am -
  • $500k for Retirement, Top Financial Products for Canadians and More!
    Follow Us!For the recent new readers joining us from mainstream media, here are some ways that can follow Million Dollar Journey:Email - Get the latest blog posts delivered to your inbox.RSS – If you read blogs via RSS, add us to your list!Twi…
    - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 5:30am -
  • Are you Ready to be a Homeowner?
    Most of us would probably buy at least one house during our lifetime. For some, buying a home is a dream; for some, it is a definition of their success in society; for some, it is simply a shelter where they don’t have to pay rent.No matter the ju…
    - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 5:30am -
  • How to Get the Best Price on Car Rentals
    With the summer right around the corner, we decided to plan a short vacation with the kids to visit friends and family.  This particular vacation involves a short flight, a relatively long drive (car rental)  for an infant and toddler (3.5 hrs), an…
    - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 5:30am -

Canadian Capitalist

  • Sector Breakdown of Diversified Portfolios

    - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 9:25pm -
  • What is iShares Planning After Acquiring Claymore
    Recently, I had a chance to chat with Mary Anne Wiley, head of BlackRock Canada on what the 800 pound Gorilla in the ETF marketplace plans to do after the blockbuster acquisition of the #2 player Claymore Investments was recently finalized. After the…
    - 15 days ago, 2 May 12, 7:16pm -
  • RBC Direct Investing Simplifies Administration Fees
    If you are a DIY investor who holds a brokerage account, the reality is that your portfolio is split between many accounts – his and hers RRSPs, his and hers TFSAs, joint or his and hers CAD and USD investment accounts and if you have kids, perhaps…
    - 16 days ago, 1 May 12, 8:44pm -
  • Estimating the Tax Hit on Dividends in Taxable Accounts
    There is much enthusiasm among investors for dividend stocks these days. Some of the enthusiasm may even be warranted based on studies that have shown that dividend paying stocks have higher returns than non-dividend payers even though dividend payer…
    - 23 days ago, 24 Apr 12, 8:42pm -
  • Owning too much real estate may not be prudent
    In a recent story that appeared in The Financial Post (See Big debt the downside of loading up on real estate), a tax accountant noted that a much larger proportion of his clientele own rental properties these days compared to a decade ago. It is a t…
    - 30 days ago, 17 Apr 12, 9:40pm -

Canadian Finance Blog

  • newThe Green Ages: Life Before Credit Cards
    This is the fourth post in a series of guest blogs throughout the month of May, with each writer trying out for a staff writer spot (or two) on Canadian Finance Blog. Once all the posts are online, I’ll publish a wrapup highlighting all the writers…
    - 8 hours ago, 17 May 12, 3:00am -
  • The Economy of Diablo 3
    In the wide world of video game launches, May 15, 2012 marked the day that Diablo 3 launched. Diablo is an action RPG game set in a medieval town beneath which Diablo, the Lord of Terror reigns. It is the sequel to the widely popular games Diablo 1 a…
    - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 3:00am -
  • Putting Your Best Foot Forward for Job Interviews
    This is the third post in a series of guest blogs throughout the month of May, with each writer trying out for a staff writer spot (or two) on Canadian Finance Blog. Once all the posts are online, I’ll publish a wrapup highlighting all the writers…
    - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 3:00am -
  • Marrying For Money and Earning Potential
    I sometimes find it interesting how many people automatically jump on the idea of marrying for money, or the earning potential of a partner. Of course, if that is the ONLY reason that you are marrying someone you’re probably going to run into probl…
    - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 3:00am -
  • Friday Links
    This week Rob Carrick shared the good news that the Days of Berserk Borrowing (Almost) Behind Us. Owning a home is a big responsibility, and that’s why the Million Dollar Journey asks, Are You Ready to be a Home Owner? If you have been wanting to g…
    - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 3:00am -

Money Smarts Blog

  • Should You Sell Your House And Avoid The Market Crash?
    Rob Carrick wrote about a Vancouver couple who sold their house recently with the idea that they would rent for a while and then buy back into the real estate market after the coming crash. I know a couple who did this same move in Toronto.  They mi…
    - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 3:00am -
  • How To Win A House Bidding War
    There are some hot real estate markets in Canada, namely Toronto and Vancouver.  One of the results of a hot market is a tendency for sellers to underprice their houses in order to create a bidding war.  This benefits the seller because it speeds u…
    - 16 days ago, 1 May 12, 3:00am -
  • LinkStuff – Model Train Show Edition
    Recently, I took my family to the Model Railroad Club of Toronto show.  If you ever get a chance to attend this show or something similar in your city, I strongly urge you to do so. I’m not really into model trains myself, but the club has been w…
    - 55 days ago, 23 Mar 12, 3:00am -
  • How To Find A Lost Locked-In Retirement Account
    I received a very interesting email from Sandra recently [edited for privacy and to combine several emails] who is trying to locate a locked-in retirement account from 20 years ago: Hi Mike…How can I find a lost vested pension when I don’t know w…
    - 58 days ago, 20 Mar 12, 3:00am -
  • LinkStuff – Valentine’s Day Edition
    In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I thought I would share this true love story: My daughter (age 3) tells me every day: “Daddy, I love you.  I don’t love you as much as I love Mommy, but I still love you a lot”.  I’m thinking an appropria…
    - 90 days ago, 17 Feb 12, 3:00am -

Retire Happy Blog

  • Negotiating Retirement as a Couple
    As I collect stories and experiences about retirement, I hear rather intimate details of the lives of couples as they head into retirement.  Many of these tales have to do with the minefield of shared decisions from the timing of retirement to reloc…
    - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 6:15am -
  • Three ways to buy bonds
    What is the best way to buy bonds? There is no perfect answer to this question.  The ultimate answer, like most questions in the investment industry, depends on the individual needs and circumstances of the investor.  Let’s walk through some diff…
    - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 1:01am -
  • Best of Blogs – Yellowknife to Toronto
    Sorry for the late post but it’s been another week of travel.  This week, I went to Yellowknife and Hay River in the North West Territories for the first time and met some great people who have significant wealth without being pretentious or mater…
    - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 3:00am -
  • Formalize Loans to your children
    Parents sometimes provide money to children to help with education, buying a home, or starting a business.  That money can be an outright gift that no one ever expects to be repaid or accounted for.  Other times, the money can be a loan to the chil…
    - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 12:19am -
  • Ideas for Success, Wealth and Happiness
    It’s hard to believe that a math guy who never did well in English classes is now a columnist for the Edmonton Journal, writes for my award winning Retire Happy Blog and is the author of 6 books with two more coming. My New Book I’m really excite…
    - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 12:58am -

Squawkfox

Financial Highway

  • newSave Big Money with These Easy Homemade Skin Care Recipes
    Homemade skin care recipes are a dime a dozen. Affordable homemade skin care recipes are another beast altogether. For an affordable spa getaway that doesn’t require you to leave home, try these four cruelty-free mixtures on for size. After-Shower…
    - 6 hours ago, 17 May 12, 5:00am -
  • Increasing Fixed Income Returns
    With interest rates at historical lows, many investors are looking for innovative ways to increase the returns they are receiving on the fixed income portion of their portfolios. Here are a few ways an investor can increase returns, while understandi…
    - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 5:00am -
  • Six Ways to Enjoy Summer Without an Expensive Vacation
    With temperatures warming up and summer well on the way, the topic of summer vacation is sure to be on everyone’s mind. Most people are excited to be planning a big extravagant trip. However, there are more options than just booking an expensive…
    - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 5:00am -
  • 4 Transactions You Should Complete with a Credit Card
    Even though it can be easy to fall into the debt trap when you use a credit card, the truth is that sometimes it’s best to use a credit card. It’s true that you can use a debit card in much the same way as a credit card, but there are some things…
    - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 5:00am -
  • Win $500! Share Your Best Money Saving Tip
    We all would like to know how to save more money and improve our balance sheet  and hopefully one day reach financial freedom. As always we would love to help you get there and today we have partnered up with Life Insurance Finder to help one lucky…
    - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 5:29am -

The Financial Blogger

  • newIs Losing Your Job The Best Thing That Could Happen to You?
    We’ve all heard a tale or two about someone that lost their job and then turned things around to become completely successful at something else. The classic rags to riches story. Life hands you a lemon and you make lemonade. You get fired from one…
    - 6 hours ago, 17 May 12, 5:00am -
  • Cold Calls Boot Camp!
      I got an email from Blake last week (a fellow planner and loyal TFB reader). He’s a really good, honest planner and knows that he can add a lot of value for his clients. He is meticulous and is always looking to improve his clients’ situations…
    - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 4:00am -
  • Partnership Failures and Lessons Learned
      It’s a total coincidence, but it seems that I’m making a lot of confessions this week. After telling you how I feel at work (I’m already doing better now!), I want to share some failures I have had in the past with regards to my business ven…
    - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 4:00am -
  • Epicness of the Week
    My favorite piece by far from this past week is A Nerd’s Guide to Healthy Drinking @ Nerd Fitness. We’re going to shift away from finance today to look at a popular fitness topic. Anyone looking to lose weight or get in in better shape, has had…
    - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 5:00am -
  • Do You Care About Job Security?
    How important is job security to you? Are you worried about losing your job tomorrow? I understand that anyone with a family, kids, a mortgage, car payments, or any other real responsibilities is obviously going to want job security. You want to know…
    - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 5:00am -

Canajun Finances

  • newLoveless Sexless Marriages and Money
    I borrow the title from a phrase used by our friend Preet, during a discussion panel on the National a few weeks ago. Preet was pointing out that the “alleged housing bubble” and high housing prices can be a major friction point in relationships,…
    - 8 hours ago, 17 May 12, 3:12am -
  • Video: TVO Agenda with GVO
    For those of you who might have missed it on Monday night, Gail Vaz-Oxlade did her impersonation of St. George and took on the Financial Dragons (i.e. Banks and the C.D. Howe institute), in a very entertaining battle, entitled “Deconstructing Perso…
    - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 3:27am -
  • Take Advantage of the Rules When You Can
    Over the years I have learned a great deal about the importance of knowing the rules in life (not all the rules, and I am by no definition an expert). What kind of rules? Mostly rules in systems that directly affect me, like my health insurance(s), d…
    - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 3:51am -
  • More Working and Higher Unemployment in April (2012)
    Canada continues to add jobs, but also seems to be adding more folks looking for jobs as well in April according to Stats Canada. Another month where Canada has added more jobs (Full-time jobs, which is great), however, thanks to more folks out there…
    - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 5:27am -
  • Happy Mother’s Day, Smokey Metros and Sunday’s Best
    To all my Matriarchal Readers and Mothers everywhere, Happy Mother’s Day! Hope you are enjoying your day, and if you are a Father, remember the argument “You are not my Mother”, is a dangerous game to play (speaking as someone who foolishly mad…
    - 4 days ago, 13 May 12, 6:03am -

Where Does All My Money Go

  • newJP Morgan’s $2 billion blunder re-ignites debate on regulation
    This is a guest post on trading from Tusk Trader (check out the newly launched site: www.TuskFund.com), an experienced Bay Street trader who will be writing here until Tusk’s own blog is set up. Tusk had a front row seat to the twists, turns, and…
    - 13 hours ago, 16 May 12, 9:59pm -
  • Podcast Episode 3: Top real estate analyst weighs in on Canadian housing. And Darth Vader.
    If you follow me on twitter (@preetbanerjee), you’ll know that I decided to start a new podcast. I was trying to find some Canadian-content personal finance and business news podcasts but either I didn’t look hard enough, or most have stopped pr…
    - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 4:50pm -
  • Eurozone elections. Fandiddlytastic.
    This is a guest post on trading from Tusk Trader (check out the newly launched site: www.TuskFund.com), an experienced Bay Street trader who will be writing here until Tusk’s own blog is set up. Tusk had a front row seat to the twists, turns, and…
    - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 6:30am -
  • Stop smoking or blow up a Porsche?
    As a teenager, I remember seeing a commercial which showed a smoker blowing up a Porsche 911 cabriolet as a high-impact visualization of the opportunity cost of smoking from an economic point of view. What a bunch of hog wash. They should have blown…
    - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 6:45am -
  • Mostly Money, Mostly Canadian Episode 2 featuring CanadianCouchPotato.com
    Episode 2 of the new podcast is now up on iTunes. *If you like the podcast, I would appreciate a rating and/or a review in iTunes! :) For those who don’t have an iTunes account, you can use the flash player below to stream the episode on any flash-…
    - 14 days ago, 3 May 12, 8:25pm -

Group Benefits Online

  • Insurance Companies offer the best group retirement plans
    Insurance companies really understand products for a mass group of people.  They have been in the benefit business the longest and the Group RRSP or Pension is simply a natural extension of the life, health and dental benefits they provide. Low fees…
    - 37 days ago, 10 Apr 12, 12:58am -
  • Investing tips for Group RRSPs and pensions
    Group retirement plans like Group RRSPs, Defined Contribution Pensions and Deferred Profit Sharing Plans are great for members for a lot of reasons like matching contributions from the employer, lower management fees and the automation of savings thr…
    - 59 days ago, 19 Mar 12, 10:41pm -
  • The tools of financial planning
    Financial planning is a daunting task because it’s BIG and IMPORTANT.  In yesterday’s post on Retire Happy Blog, I used a map as a metaphor for financial planning.  The analogy I used is that the financial plan is a map.  Just like a map, a fi…
    - 86 days ago, 21 Feb 12, 9:44pm -
  • Taking CPP early: The new breakeven points
    By far, the most popular question I get on CPP is whether it makes sense to take CPP early.  Let’s start by reviewing the rules. Although the normal age of benefit for CPP is 65, you can take CPP as early as age 60 but if you take it early, you wi…
    - , 6 Feb 12, 1:09am -
  • Taxpayers are paying too much for MP Pensions
    Recently I was on Alberta Primetime talking about a recent report issued by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation that shocked me. Defined Benefit Pensions are expensive It’s very common for those that make high income and get good benefits to be targe…
    - , 30 Jan 12, 8:35am -

Canadian Couch Potato

  • Market Timing Goes to College
    In recent years, the so-called Yale Model has been extremely popular with investors. The model is an attempt to mimic the investment strategy used by Ivy League endowment funds, which have an outstanding track record of beating the market indexes. Da…
    - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 6:00am -
  • Can You Protect Your Portfolio From Drawdowns?
    If your portfolio loses 1% today and gains 1% tomorrow, are you back to even? Not quite, but you’re awfully close. You actually need a gain of 1.01% to get back to where you started. While that difference seems trivial, it gets magnified when the u…
    - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 7:19am -
  • Risk and Uncertainty in Stock Markets
    When we consider the risk in investing, we’re often thinking about volatility: that is, the sometimes dramatic movements in equity prices. But as Alan Fustey explains in his book, Risk, Financial Markets & You, there’s a big problem with equatin…
    - 14 days ago, 3 May 12, 6:00am -
  • The Models Are Broken—But Indexing Still Works

    - 17 days ago, 30 Apr 12, 6:00am -
  • Closing the Behavior Gap
    I once went to an investment seminar at my local library. It was attended by a handful of folks who had little or no experience with investing and were looking for someone to put them on the right track. The guy leading the session held up a copy of…
    - 24 days ago, 23 Apr 12, 6:00am -

Balance Junkie

  • The Purpose and the Pessimism of No
    No. It’s amazing how this simple two-letter word has spawned so many articles, studies and blog posts. How do you feel when you hear or read those two letters? Should we say NO more often, or less often – to our kids, to our boss, to our customer…
    - 9 days ago, 8 May 12, 3:48am -
  • Totally Money Blog Carnival #65 – Success, Wealth & Happiness Edition
    Welcome to the 65th edition of the Totally Money Blog Carnival! It’s been a month since Jim Yih and I joined Balance Junkie to help share the workload with Kim Petch and so far I think it’s gone pretty well. Kim is still contributing her insightf…
    - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 4:00am -
  • The Gundlach Effect
    If I were one of these crazy hedge fund guys, with the slick haircuts and fancy shoes and racing stripe shirts, the trade I’d put on is 10-times-leveraged natural gas long versus 10-times short Apple. ~ Jeffrey Gundlach, April 26, 2012 The quote ab…
    - 14 days ago, 3 May 12, 3:48am -
  • 20 Cents from April 2012
    Markets have been subject to some April showers this year. Will they lead to May flowers? We’ll find out soon. In the meantime, check out some of the great articles I noticed across the web during the past month. 1. Creativity is often underestima…
    - 16 days ago, 1 May 12, 3:46am -
  • The Power of Less: Book Review
    Our attention is one of our most important assets. What we focus or attention on becomes our reality. The projects we focus on are the projects that get completed. ~ Leo Babauta, The Power of Less Multitasking seems to be all the rage these days in s…
    - 21 days ago, 26 Apr 12, 3:46am -

Boomer & Echo

  • How To Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster
    Owning a home is one of the cornerstones of building financial assets for most Canadians.  However, making mortgage payments for 20 to 35 years can take quite a bite out of your budget, even with low interest rates. It’s surprisingly easy to reduc…
    - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 12:00am -
  • How Young Adults Can Still Thrive Financially
    Much has been written recently about the financial state of young Canadians.  The Globe and Mail’s Rob Carrick thinks today’s young adults have it tougher than ever, and financial expert Kurt Rosentreter thinks Canadian 30 year olds are screwed…
    - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 12:00am -
  • What’s New Around The Blogosphere: May 11th, 2012
    Do 20-something’s have it tougher today than they did 25-30 years ago?  Rob Carrick wrote a column in the Globe and Mail looking at the economic situation of today’s young adults compared to back in 1984, when he graduated.  He notes that tuiti…
    - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 12:00am -
  • Turning 60: Some Things To Consider
    If you’re still working at age 60 you may be thinking of retirement now, or in the near future.  Life as you know it will be over, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be trudging up to the Shady Rest Retirement Home. Retirement isn’t about wearing…
    - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 12:00am -
  • Pitfalls Of Chasing The Highest Dividend Yield
    Back in early 2009 I sold my mutual funds and opened a discount brokerage account with TD Waterhouse.  I had about $30,000 to invest, and after doing some research on individual stocks I was drawn towards investing in companies that pay regular divi…
    - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 12:00am -

Young and Thrifty

  • newHow To Use A Podcast
    No I am not trying to sell you an eBook on how to make the perfect podcast and I’m not looking to rent you my god-like podcast consulting services at an “ungodly” rate. I don’t care if you make a podcast, what I want to talk about today is ho…
    - 32 mins ago, 17 May 12, 10:20am -
  • RRSP vs RESP Accounts
    For many young and middle-of-the-road families out there the RRSP vs RESP account debate is a very real one that usually creeps up right around tax time every year if not more often. It is often a confusing topic for some people because the financial…
    - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 11:37am -
  • Investing In Tobacco Dividends – Collect ‘em If You Got ‘em
    Warren Buffett and his pal Charlie Munger always say that they are looking for companies that have a “durable competitive advantage” and have low debt levels. Well, if millions of people around the world are strongly addicted to your product, and…
    - 4 days ago, 13 May 12, 7:36am -
  • Weekend Ramblings & PF Blog Love: Blissed Out Bali Edition
      I had a great vacation in Bali (definitely got my dose of Vitamin D…probably enough to last me a year lol). Bali was absolutely beautiful… everything about it was beautiful.  I have never seen any place so lush and fertile before.  The peopl…
    - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 6:37pm -
  • How To Become An Online Freelancer
    Others can offer you tips on how to make $10,000 in 4 hours a week online (most likely it’s by showing others how to make $10,000 in 4 hours a week online), and I have to admit that my advice pales in comparison to these promised riches. I can tell…
    - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 9:23am -

Canadian Tax Resource

  • Income Splitting For Business Owners
    Income splitting can produce some pretty dramatic results. Consider the case of a married, self-employed individual whose taxable income is in excess of $250,000. Assuming the spouse does not work, the tax bill would be $94,700 (in Ontario). If this…
    - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 2:20pm -
  • What is Income Splitting?
    The income tax you pay is based on a set of progressive tax rates. This means that the amount of income tax you pay increases as your taxable income increases. For example, in 2012 you would pay federal income tax of: 15% on the first $42,707 of inco…
    - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 6:00am -
  • Avoid Probate & Split Income Using Trusts
    Income splitting and avoiding probate on death are possibly two to the most popular financial planning strategies in Canada. However, did you know that when you are planning your estate, that it is possible to avoid probate and provide your heirs a…
    - 9 days ago, 8 May 12, 1:00pm -
  • Estate Planning 101 – Getting Organized
    Developing an estate plan involves more than just a will and planning for income taxes at death. It is important to take an inventory of your personal assets and affairs before you prepare your will. The Estate Planning Team Depending on the complexi…
    - 9 days ago, 8 May 12, 10:15am -
  • Getting Ready For Your Taxes
    Tax season is here and it’s time to start gathering all of your important documents to take to your tax accountant. As you begin gathering all of your tax slips, don’t forget to bring your receipts for these, often overlooked expenses: Income Spl…
    - 59 days ago, 19 Mar 12, 11:43am -

Thicken My Wallet

  • Farewell and thank you for reading
    Today is the 735th, and last, post on this blog. It has been an eventful 5 years for the world and I was privileged to blog about it during such interesting times. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, the reader, first and foremost. I once…
    - 17 days ago, 30 Apr 12, 3:00am -
  • A 5 year retrospective: a conversation with Canadian Capitalist and Preet Banerjee
    I am pleased to be joined by Preet from www.wheredoesallmymoneygo.com and Ram from www.canadiancapitalist.com in my second last post. Ram and Preet were gracious enough to take time from their busy schedules to convene a round-table with me to discus…
    - 22 days ago, 25 Apr 12, 3:00am -
  • Farewell from Mom2KG
    Our regular columnist, Mom2Kg, says her farewells. I am pleased to offer my sincerest congratulations to Thicken My Wallet for its thoughtful and innovative approach to personal finances and related issues over the last number of years. In particular…
    - 28 days ago, 19 Apr 12, 3:00am -
  • Are you ahead of the upcoming trend in personal finance?
    The retirement savings gap, the aging demographic and growing government deficits are all future trends we know and can possibly plan around. What often gets less attention are a societal trends that have personal finance dimensions to them.  With t…
    - 30 days ago, 17 Apr 12, 3:00am -
  • To the young worker…
    I hate reading articles about young people entering the work-force. They are paint by numbers articles consisting of the following: Find some grumpy older supervisor to tell stories about how young workers are entitled, lazy and difficult to manage.…
    - 35 days ago, 12 Apr 12, 3:00am -

Triaging My Way To Financial Success

    Your Money

    • newShopping deals of the week - May 17th, 2012
      Every week, Yourmoney.ca highlights the best Canadian shopping deals in electronics, fashion, home & garden, sporting, pets and children's goods. The freshest deals are updated here every Friday. Happy shopping! HOME & GARDEN: Rona: (view full flyer)…
      - 42 mins ago, 17 May 12, 10:10am -
    • newHow rich men spend money
      I grew up in a house with a father who never spent money. My mom was somewhat of a clotheshorse, a definite shoe fetishist, and a generally lax spender. My father, however, would wear the same pair of jeans for 10 years if he could get away with it.…
      - 18 hours ago, 16 May 12, 4:50pm -
    • newIs the upgraded Costco membership worth the extra money?
      If you’re a frequent Costco shopper then chances are you’ve been asked to upgrade your membership to the Executive Membership. Depending on how much you spend at Costco annually, this may or may not be a great deal. Let’s take a closer look at…
      - 19 hours ago, 16 May 12, 3:37pm -
    • new5 ways to save money on groceries without coupons
      When it comes to saving money on groceries, there are dozens of ways that you can cut back - and even though I am what many consider an extreme couponer, I'm not just talking about using coupons. Although coupons are a great way to save money, they a…
      - 19 hours ago, 16 May 12, 3:31pm -
    • Should automatic gratuities be allowed?
      When Jasmine Marks and her family – a party of 5 in total – visited La Fisherman restaurant in Houston, they were less than impressed with the service. Their drinks weren’t refilled, part of their order never arrived and the wait staff was rude…
      - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 8:19am -

    Bank Nerd

    • Introducing the New Scotia iTRADE App
      Just over a month ago, Scotiabank announced that they would be launching a Scotia iTRADE mobile trading app. This app will give customers who manage their own investments the ability to make equity and option trades whenever and wherever they want fr…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 12:00pm -
    • TD Launches Special Promotion GIC Rates
      Toronto Dominion Bank (TD) is known for its customer service, winning the J.D. Power and Associate award for customer service among the big banks. In my opinion, TD also launches some great promotions that should be taken advantage of. A recent promo…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 12:57pm -
    • Best of the Best: TGIF #3
      It is the end of another week; time just seems to fly nowadays. One thing I am particularly happy about is the weather. It is a beautiful day outside today; not like the Wednesday where I think I saw hail hit my car. Either way, as usual, as we are a…
      - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 11:41am -
    • RBC Launches Newly Enhanced RBC Mobile App – Investing Services Included!
      The time a lot of RBC Direct Investing clients have been waiting for has finally come. RBC Direct Investing is now offering investors the convenience of trading through the newly enhanced RBC Mobile App! The new functionality of RBC’s mobile app wi…
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 10:23am -
    • CIBC Named the Strongest Bank in North America!
      I have been extremely busy with work and school, and feel like that I have been slacking in the news department, especially when it is such great news as what bank was name the strongest in Canada! Well my apologies to everyone, and especially to the…
      - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 11:24am -

    Investing Thesis

    • Going On Hiatus ….
      As alluded to in an earlier post, this site is will be put on temporary hiatus until further notice. Since its inception, I’ve enjoyed (almost) every second of publishing this blog. Moreover, I’ve cherished and held dear every interaction with an…
      - , 15 Mar 11, 8:17pm -
    • Talking Gold Mining In the Democratic Republic of Congo With Michael Cooper, CFA
      Setting aside the current unrest in Libya for a moment, the fact remains that Africa presents a wealth of opportunity and growth for companies and investors. For resource companies in particular, the bounty of riches is there for the taking. Companie…
      - , 13 Mar 11, 10:34pm -
    • Canadian Personal Finance & Investing Carnival
      Welcome to the 16th edition of the Canadian Personal Finance & Investing. Before I continue, I wanted to let all of you know that this will be the last Carnival for the near future. I’m hoping to publish one more post before putting Investing Thesi…
      - , 27 Feb 11, 9:23pm -
    • An Energy Pick By Portfolio Manager Daniel Cheng of Matco Financial Energy Fund
      Following up on the interview with Daniel Cheng of Matco Financial, I now present one of Daniel’s top picks in the energy sector. Enjoy. Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the company, the economics of the industry/sector and anything else you t…
      - , 22 Feb 11, 9:23pm -
    • Bull On Crude Oil, Bear On Natural Gas Is Portfolio Manager Daniel Cheng Of Matco Financial
      This post was included in the Carnival of Money Stories, Totally Money Blog Carnival, Carnival of Wealth and the Canadian Finance Carnival. With the crude contract for March rising by 72 cents to $85.04 U.S. on the back of news claiming a lesser buil…
      - , 16 Feb 11, 9:21pm -

    Canadian Financial DIY

    • Swapping in the Invesco PowerShares Canadian Fundamental Equity ETF
      For the last few years, the iShares Canadian Fundamental Index Fund (TSX symbol: CRQ) has been my core Canadian equity holding. It is also the ETF used in the portfolio contest at the bottom of this blog, which pits the Fundamental indexing approach…
      - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 6:37am -
    • Disappointing News on Banking Ombudsman
      Today, the Financial Post features an article about federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty saying that he "will not force the country’s banks to resolve client disputes through the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) and is set to…
      - 17 days ago, 30 Apr 12, 10:54am -
    • Review and Ratings of Canadian Online Tax Software: 2011 Taxes Edition
      Tax time again! For the 6th year running, these are my ratings and assessments of the best and the worst of the online tax preparation programs available to Canadian taxpayers for 2011 tax returns. As before, I've gone through all the packages cer…
      - 23 days ago, 24 Apr 12, 9:44am -
    • UFile Giveaway Winners
      The draw has been done. Congratulations to these three winners of the giveaway: IG, Aidan and Be'en. Please contact me via the "email me" link in the right hand sidebar and I will send you the code to enter to use UFile for free.
      - 25 days ago, 22 Apr 12, 3:16am -
    • WaterFurnace Renewable Energy(WFI): 2011 YE Dilemma
      Last month WFI published its annual report of 2011 results. For investors, the report along with the conference call (available on CNW), the annual information form (AIF) and the information circular paint a positive picture on some fronts offset by…
      - 29 days ago, 18 Apr 12, 8:53am -

    Today's Economy Blog

    Canadian Dream: Free at 45

    • The Guilty Shoes
      I’m currently trying an experiment on myself, which involves feeling guilty and a pair of shoes.  But first I should provide a little background on this tale.  I used to be runner a long time ago, actually in fact I used to be fairly damn good at…
      - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 7:08am -
    • How Does this Make Sense?
      This is a guest post by Dave, who is also looking to retire no later than 45, but unlike Tim has no kids and doesn’t want any. Dave is from Ontario and is working towards his CGA certification. This article may or may not interest our American read…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 6:27am -
    • Earnings results conference calls

      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 5:30am -
    • Work: More or Less
      This is a guest post by our own long time commenter, Jacq, who has an excellent point of view on the question: to work or not to work. Goals are great to have.  When you have a far off dream like financial independence, I can almost guarantee you wo…
      - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 10:27am -
    • The Fundamentals of Investing – Part I
      For a long while on this blog I’ve somewhat avoided discussing why I’ve invested in a particular stock partly because in some cases I really didn’t have a good reason for buying it in the first place. My very first stock I picked way back when…
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 6:43am -

    Sustainable Personal Finance

    • Time of Use Meter or “Smart” Meter – What is it?
      What is a TOU Meter or Time Of Use Meter (Smart Meter)?TOU is an electricity billing system that relates the cost of using a kilowatt hour (kwh) dependent on the time of day that kilowatt hour is consumed.  During “peak” periods when the electri…
      - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 4:56am -
    • Why “No More Lattes” Rarely Works
      Who would’ve known that all this time we have been pouring caffeine-laced devil’s brew down our throats every morning?! If you’re not aware that the latte factor is the reason that we have poor people in the world, and are most likely the majo…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 4:54am -
    • Green Tip #242: Sharing Toys
      Anyone who has looked after kids knows that they have short attention spans. Moreover babies grow at such a rapid pace in their first year that a toy that was intriguing and difficult to manipulable one month is easy and boring the next. So you g…
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 9:14pm -
    • What is Crowdfunding?
      The current economic climate has encouraged many people to become interested in striking out and starting their own businesses. Technology has grown to the point that many people can start businesses, and earn money, with the help of the Internet. Fo…
      - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 6:21am -
    • Green Tip #241 – Water Down Your Juice
      Surprise! We do not get our juice directly from fruit and a juicer.  We buy frozen orange juice for our morning constitutional.The directions on the (recyclable) container instructs to put the juice contents into a jug and then add 3 parts water.Th…
      - 13 days ago, 4 May 12, 4:41am -

    The Passive Income Earner

    • newDividend Income – May 2012
      This month, I have an addition to my dividend portfolio. After taking some profits from Liquor Store (LIQ) in my TFSA account, I decided to purchase Canadian National Railway – a solid transportation company across North America. From a business…
      - 12 hours ago, 16 May 12, 10:55pm -
    • Why Hold High Yield Stocks
      High yield investments can play a part in your portfolio. Even though I am a fan of the 10/10 rule of investing which focuses on the growth of a dividend stock,a high yield dividend stock (or income trust) can have a part in a portfolio. In fact, I…
      - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 10:40pm -
    • Weekly Blog Round: Tax Time
      I finished my taxes last Sunday. Right on time To my surprise, I got a much higher tax refund than I expected. It turns out that I had not included my spouse deduction during the year (and I have for this year) so I got the deduction at the end and…
      - 12 days ago, 5 May 12, 2:01pm -
    • Railway Battle: CNR vs CP
      I am in the market for some railway and since I was going to research our two Canadian players (Canandian National Railway & Canadian Pacific Railway) I thought I’d make it a battle! Are you in the market for a railway company in your portfolio? I…
      - 15 days ago, 1 May 12, 11:18pm -
    • Dividend Income – April 2012
      I usually tend to do my dividend income update in the middle of the month but my time was at a premium this month. I am however managing to update you at the end of the month April marked the second year anniversary of this blog and 2009 is when I…
      - 17 days ago, 30 Apr 12, 9:56am -

    Dividend Ninja

    • IGM Financial Versus CIX and AGF
      As a dividend investor I’m always on the lookout for a higher dividend yield with excellent metrics. Usually that is a hard fit to come by, since the higher the yield the higher the risk. An area that has come across my radar recently, are the Cana…
      - 13 days ago, 4 May 12, 6:29pm -
    • XIC vs. XIU
      Written by Vicky @ Vix Money Even though I have chosen to hold XIC in my portfolio to represent the Canadian equities portion, I have debated whether or not XIU could be used instead. So which one is better? XIU, iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index Fund, was in…
      - 15 days ago, 2 May 12, 7:00am -
    • Are Gold Stocks Cheap?
      As a dividend investor, I certainly would never have considered gold stocks as a possible investment for my portfolio. In fact I haven’t even invested in gold, and have missed the big run-up in gold bullion over the last few years. I’ve always co…
      - 18 days ago, 29 Apr 12, 4:00pm -
    • Should You Take a Bite into Apple?
      Over the last year I saw a few articles and posts around the web with the big question, “Will Apple Pay a Dividend?”  Back then Apple was around $325 USD per share. Coincidentally on March 19th, the very day Apple (AAPL) announced their dividend…
      - 21 days ago, 26 Apr 12, 7:29pm -
    • XDV – iShares Dow Jones Canada Select Dividend Index Fund
      Written by Vicky @ Vix Money XDV, iShares Dow Jones Canada Select Dividend Index Fund, was introduced on December 19th, 2005. This ETF seeks to replicate the 30 highest dividend paying companies in the Dow Jones Canada Select Dividend Index. It is pa…
      - 28 days ago, 19 Apr 12, 4:00pm -

    Michael James on Money

    • The Cost of Stock Market Volatility
      Few investors understand how volatility in investment returns costs them real money. I did some simulations to try to explain where the lost money goes.In the hypothetical land of Volatilia, half of stocks return -70% each year and the other hal…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 10:01pm -
    • Backstage Wall Street
      Joshua M. Brown paints an ugly but entertaining picture of the inner working of Wall Street and how they sell investments to retail investors in his book Backstage Wall Street. It’s illuminating to see how large firms can take fresh employees who…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 10:01pm -
    • Jose Canseco Hits Huge Home Run for Autism
      Jose Canseco and an unnamed member of the opposingsoftball team prior to the charity challenge match.Jose Canseco accepted a home-run derby challenge from beer-league ball player Evan Malamud, and the event snowballed into a fundraiser for the…
      - 4 days ago, 13 May 12, 10:01pm -
    • Short Takes: The Plight of Young People Today, Buying a Home with 5% Down, and more
      Rob Carrick did an interesting analysis of how difficult it is for young adults today versus what it was like in 1984 when he was young. I think the most important factors are current tuition costs and the difficulty of finding work today. It’s…
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 10:01pm -
    • Pitching a Group RRSP to Employees
      I recently had the pleasure of listening to an insurance company pitch a group RRSP to employees at my company. Some parts of the pitch were expected, but others were unexpected.One expected part of the pitch was that the presenters were pretty…
      - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 10:01pm -

    Canadian Mortgage Trends

    • newOSFI Official Defends its Mortgage Guidelines
      OSFI, the nation’s banking regulator, appears dead set on tightening mortgage lending, and on a fairly wide scale. In internal written comments acquired by Bloomberg News, OSFI’s manager of policy...
      - 6 hours ago, 17 May 12, 5:12am -
    • Globe & Mail Mortgage Chat — Wednesday May 16
      No one wants to pay more for a mortgage. But tomorrow during a live chat we'll discuss when it actually might make sense… Date: Wednesday, May 16th Time: Noon (ET)...
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 2:38pm -
    • Flaherty on Rates: How Low Can't You Go?
      How low is too low when it comes to mortgage rates? Apparently the answer to that question is 2.99% on a 5-year fixed. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty wasn’t too happy...
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 12:10am -
    • Reverse Mortgage Showdown
      From an investment standpoint, few mortgage lenders present a better risk/reward than HomEquity Bank, a subsidiary of HOMEQ. Its product, the CHIP reverse mortgage, has enormous upside in terms of...
      - 5 days ago, 12 May 12, 1:53am -
    • MBABC Conference Recap
      This year’s Mortgage Brokers Association of B.C. (MBABC) conference was a good time as usual. It was also educational. Here were some takeaways: On home equity lines of credit (HELOCs)...
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 7:49pm -

    Before You Invest

    • 7 steps to nurse your finances back to health
      May 6 – 12 is National Nursing Week in Canada, and to do our part, we  have put together a 7 step plan to nurse your finances back to health. ( Cheesy, I know, but this IS a finance blog after all. We also encourage you to thank the nurses in yo…
      - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 10:04pm -
    • Thank a teacher this week!
      It’s Education Week in Nova Scotia! Celebrated since 1935, Education Week honours teachers and education partners’ commitment to their students and subjects.Join us in celebrating and thanking all the teachers and educators out there sharing kno…
      - 24 days ago, 23 Apr 12, 9:00pm -
    • Spring cleaning for your finances
      It’s spring: the snow is melting, the birds are chirping, the first flowers are peeking up in your gardens. And whether by instinct or habit, most of us are eager to clean the winter blahs out of our homes and start fresh. This year, don’t confin…
      - 29 days ago, 17 Apr 12, 11:30pm -
    • Don’t be fooled!
      In case you weren’t aware, April 1 is All Fool’s Day – better known as April Fools Day. The internet is filled with pranks, hoaxes and scams on a regular day, but this day more than ever your inbox, news feed and twitter-stream will be filled w…
      - 48 days ago, 30 Mar 12, 6:41am -
    • Investor Watch Regarding Foreign Currency Exchange (Forex/FX) Trading
      Today, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) issued an investor watch to make investors aware of the significant risks involved in foreign currency exchange (Forex/FX) investments. Investors who trade Forex are also warned against dealing with…
      - 49 days ago, 29 Mar 12, 10:09am -

    Give Me Back My Five Bucks!

    • newTrip Recap: Verona, Italy
      Okay, the fact that we even went to Verona was kind of a fluke. Truthfully I didn’t know much about it, except for the fact that it’s where Romeo & Juliet was from, and also that it was conveniently on the way from Milan to Venice. So I decided t…
      - 8 hours ago, 17 May 12, 3:00am -
    • Have you ever loaned money to a loved one?
      If you’ve ever been in the position where a friend or family member has asked to borrow money, you know how difficult it can be to say no. You want to help them out because you love them … but money has a funny way of putting a strain (or even po…
      - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 3:00am -
    • Spending Recap: May 7-13, 2012
      Monday 7th – Amsterdam, Netherlands $4.91 (€3,80) transit from Amsterdam to airport $6.20 (€4,80) lunch $4.52 (€3,50) transit from airport to Stuttgart Tuesday 8th $19.50 (€15,09) groceries Wednesday 9th No Spend Day!  Thursday 10th + $350…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 3:00am -
    • Freelancing isn’t for everyone
      I think that most of us – at some point in our lives – have thought about quitting our day jobs to try and start our own business, or to become a freelancer. But as I embark on month four of fulltime freelancing, I have to say, it’s a lot harde…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 3:00am -
    • Trip Recap: Milan, Italy
      I headed to Milan with my friend, sister and mom – who were all visiting from the Vancouver area. We all traveled to Milan from Munich by plane. If we had more time, we would have gone by train (which was the same price as the plane ticket), but be…
      - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 3:00am -

    Invest It Wisely

    Beating The Index

    • The Viking Oil Play in Alberta
      This is the second part of our series covering oil production from the Viking formation; the first post covered the Viking oil play in Saskatchewan. Today’s post will cover the Viking oil play in Alberta along with the notable players involved.  T…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 11:19am -
    • Weekend Edition: IEA Raises Oil Demand for 2012
      In its latest monthly report, the IEA raised its outlook for growth of oil demand in 2012 by 0.8 million barrels per day to 90 mbpd. Rising demand from emerging economies particularly China will be offsetting any declines in consumption seen in Europ…
      - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 9:38am -
    • Eagle Energy Trust: Permian Basin Asset Ensures Sustainability
      It was only a matter of time before Eagle Energy Trust announced a new acquisition. The CEO has been hunting for a new asset for the past months which finally ended with the US$113 million dollar acquisition announcement in the Permian Basin, Texas.…
      - 9 days ago, 8 May 12, 5:49am -
    • Weekend Edition: WTI Oil Under $100
      WTI Oil fell below $100 on Friday on the back of economic worries in the US and Europe. That’s not to mention the CME Group Inc. (CME), the world’s largest futures exchange, raising futures margins for non-hedged positions to comply with new regu…
      - 12 days ago, 5 May 12, 6:48pm -
    • Stock Trades: Bought Leader Energy Services
      Yesterday, I bought 5,000 shares of Leader Energy Services (TSXV:LEA) at $0.55 in my HELOC account. Trade Commentary Leader Energy Services is a pure play on the deep coil service market. This company has been abused as of late and is currently tradi…
      - 14 days ago, 3 May 12, 7:30am -

    The Moneygardener

    • Need Cash for Your Business? Consider a Merchant Cash Advance
      Whether your small business is a start-up or fairly well established there will come a time when an infusion of cash is necessary. Maybe you want to do a big marketing push, or maybe equipment needs to be upgraded. Whatever the reason, as a small bus…
      - , 3 Jan 12, 2:41pm -
    • Who Are the most Profitable Customers?
      Who Are the Most Profitable Customers?If you are looking to grow and sustain your business, it will help you to know who your most profitable customers are. Identifying which customers are worth the most to your business is important, as it allows…
      - , 20 Dec 11, 10:15am -
    • starting / growing a very young business
      Wow!  I have just completed the largest challenge that I have ever faced in life and it has been exhilarating!Planning a business venture and then actually starting and operating the business for 6 months is quite a ride.  Ups and downs have been…
      - , 2 Nov 11, 4:23pm -
    • Cheap Insurance Coverage & the Importance for your Family in Saving Money
      Today, with the rising costs of food, fuel, and other of life's necessities, families are struggling to maintain their household budgets. For this reason, saving money on insurance coverage you need has become essential. When families find ways to cu…
      - , 25 Jun 11, 12:50pm -
    • Busy, busy...
      Sometimes life gets in the way of a great blog like the monegyardener.  I have of course been very buy launching a new franchise, buying a new home, and raising our two boys.  I will be back to the moneygardener at some point soon; I just can't say…
      - , 13 Jun 11, 7:56am -

    Andrew Hallam

    • newHow to Get Rich
      Daisy Chan, of Woman’s Day magazine, profiled me, along with two other people who turned a small amount of money into…more than a small amount. Self-made fortunes all begin the same way: with a good idea and some startup cash. Steal these savings…
      - 16 hours ago, 16 May 12, 6:54pm -
    • MOAR Than Dogs of the Dow
      One of the most significant investment mentors I have is a guy named Michael O’Higgins.  Until last month, we had never met, despite the fact that he gave my book, Millionaire Teacher, a very kind pre-publication endorsement. O’Higgins was recen…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 6:30pm -
    • Fourteen Percent of America’s Millionaires are Teachers
      Last week, I wrote Why International Teaching Isn’t a Lucrative Gig.  I argued that the average stateside or Canadian school teacher has, upon retirement, far more wealth than the average international teacher.  Barron’s Business News might agr…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 6:54pm -
    • Millionaire Teacher Guiding British Investors
      First Published at www.savethestudent.org If you haven’t figured this out by now, let me share one of the most important things everybody should know: The world is full of people who would sell you toe nail clippings and magic cat dung… if they c…
      - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 5:35pm -
    • Why International Teaching Isn’t A Lucrative Gig
      If you’re an international teacher at one of the world’s high paying private schools, you might initially think I’m a driveling fool for making a ludicrous claim. But here it is:  Most teachers at the world’s highest paying schools (such as…
      - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 4:07pm -

    Riscario Insider

    • WHY INSURANCE ADVISORS ALSO SELL INVESTMENTS
      Would you go to a doctor who also does dentistry, or an accountant who also prepares Wills? Their professional bodies may protect you by banning the overlap. Investments and insurance are very different but cross-selling occurs. Many insurance advi…
      - 5 days ago, 12 May 12, 6:14pm -
    • THREE POWERFUL PROTECTORS AGAINST CORPORATE MISCONDUCT
      We don’t live in a perfect world. On any given day, you’ll find reports of businesses behaving in ways that are less than noble. We have reasons to be cynical. We can’t rely on superheroes to save us. Litigation is risky, expensive and slow. We…
      - 12 days ago, 5 May 12, 11:30am -
    • FROM BUCKET LIST TO BALK-IT LIST
      It's tempting to wait until the last minute.Consider filing your taxes. Here the deadline is real. You face penalties if you're late. There's media attention. You know what you have to do, even if you'd rather not. Help is available whether you wan…
      - 17 days ago, 30 Apr 12, 9:24am -
    • REACH YOUR GOALS WITH PICK FOUR FROM ZIG ZIGLAR AND SETH GODIN
      Goals, goals, goals. Many systems help you reach them. By experimenting, you'll select or create system that suits you. To succeed, you need to get started and keep going.Seven HabitsOver the years, I've used elements of the Seven Habits syste…
      - 19 days ago, 28 Apr 12, 12:54pm -
    • IS THE PICK FOUR GOALS PROGRAM RIGHT FOR YOU?
      I just finished the 12 week Pick Four goals program. Is it right for you? Let’s explore. To start, here is how this program from Zig Ziglar and Seth Godin works. OverallOverall, I'm relieved. The program works well but was tougher than I expec…
      - 19 days ago, 28 Apr 12, 12:53pm -

    My University Money

    • Choosing Your University
      When it comes to choosing your university, the place you will be spending some of the most important and exciting years of your life, the endless options available can make this decision feel almost impossible to make. Because each university offers…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 2:25pm -
    • Personal Cheques And Their Alternatives
      As I was paying for my rent this month I realized that this is the only time I ever use personal cheques.  I remember getting a cheques in the mail for my birthday when I was younger and coming from a small town, I was able to cash them in any store…
      - 4 days ago, 13 May 12, 9:00pm -
    • Blast From The Past – Careers
      I thought I would take the initiative to dig around the archives and bring forth some of our (when I say our I mean Teacher Man’s) best articles to the forefront of our site.  Today we’ll take a career theme since many students have just finishe…
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 9:00pm -
    • Lifestyle Inflation – The Upward/Downward Spiral
      “Oh no… another lifestyle inflation article,” groaned readers of the personal finance realm when they read the latest offering from My University Money. Yes, I know, many of you have seen this before, and are probably thinking, “Man, I don’…
      - 8 days ago, 8 May 12, 11:00pm -
    • Finding Free Money With Maclean’s Scholarship Finder
      Last fall, I talked about how you can find scholarships and Teacher Man helped out and wrote some tips on how to apply for scholarships. Later, I even added some more ways to find scholarships, but today I discovered a new tool which will make thing…
      - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 8:43am -

    Canadian Personal Finance

    • newWhy Facebook should be scared with its Revenue Strategy
      We all know the Facebook IPO is happening soon but some big news happened yesterday that, GM (the third largest advertiser in the US) pulled a $10 million dollar order because they figured out that Facebook ads don’t work. Companies need to realiz…
      - 24 hours ago, 16 May 12, 11:18am -
    • Top 5 Overpaid Athletes (May 2012)
      I am a huge sports fan. I follow but not watch NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL. I used to attend many games (I even spent $160 once for a ticket for a regular season game between Dallas and Phoenix – amazing game and it was worth it being live). One of the…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 2:00pm -
    • How much would you pay for unlimited first-class travel in Canada?
      I read the most interesting story today on LA Times. It is about frequent-flyers that purchased unlimited first-class travel tickets from profitable American Airlines in the 80s and 90s. They even had a perk to take a companion for a low cost as well…
      - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 12:10pm -
    • Introducing Canada’s new x-rated currency – $20 bill
      Have you heard of our new $20 bills? According to the report, several people reported seeing at least one naked character in the bill. “It’s too pornographic,” a participant in Toronto said. “What is the woman on the top holding?” Another s…
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 3:05pm -
    • Inside the Facebook IPO – Infographics
      Facebook has an IPO upcoming. The Facebook IPO might have more buzz than Google and their controversial IPO which raised $1.67 billion in 2004. I wanted to share some interesting infographics that show the impact of the Facebook IPO and some of the…
      - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 11:54am -

    Thirty Six Months

    • Camping the frugal way
      Victoria Day is just around the corner. While I know we get the day off to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, I associate the day with camping. We’ve gone camping every year since I was 14. It helps that out family owns a cottage 2 hours away or tha…
      - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 4:00am -
    • Change is a good thing.
      The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.” - Charles Kettering I was 20 when Desperate Housewives first came on air. I watched the show religiously with my mum for 2 seasons. Something happend after that I really…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 4:00am -
    • GIft ideas that my mom would actually like.
      “When all is said and done, all you really have left is your story. Make sure its a good one” I don’t have enough words to explain how much our mum has done for us. She is our champion, hero, and our protector. She is also a confidant, and a ke…
      - 5 days ago, 12 May 12, 4:00am -
    • The most expensive cars to insure
      People often assume that the only thing that is preventing them from owning their dream supercar is the high initial purchase costs. However this isn’t the only handicap that motorists would face, with the annual running costs often being equally a…
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 8:00pm -
    • Companies with a heart.
      Does knowing that they product you are buying helps people have any influence on your purchasing decision? Are you willing to pay slightly more for something when you the entire process is completely transparant? We are a product of generations past,…
      - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 4:00am -

    How To Save Money

    • Earn 16,500 Aeroplan Miles Basically Free: The Aeroplan Star Challenge
      The focus of this site is mostly on learning repeatable strategies that can save you tons of money in the long term. It isn’t about the latest deal that crops up and goes away just as quickly, as there are lot of other sites that cover those deal…
      - 15 days ago, 2 May 12, 8:38pm -
    • What mortgage suits you best?
      Often, the mortgage that suits you best is the one that you tailor to your own needs. Many home buyers are unaware that they can negotiate some of the terms of their mortgage or make smarter decisions that will lead to lower interest payments. If y…
      - 79 days ago, 28 Feb 12, 6:16am -
    • Great Reads On My Radar Today
      Welcome to the How To Save Money Radar!This is where you will find a new approach to connecting you with some of the best quality articles on the internet about saving money and personal finance. Many bloggers publish links posts to share conten…
      - , 11 Nov 11, 5:00am -
    • 5 Reasons You Should Use a Mortgage Broker
      In my last blog post in this series I want to debunk the myths around mortgage brokers. Now, in ANY other industry, adding a middle man to any purchasing process usually means that YOU pay more. (Think of travel for example...we all now know that…
      - , 17 Oct 11, 6:00am -
    • 11 Car Buying Tips To Get The Best New Car Price
      Over the years I’ve learned many car buying tips and tricks from various friends and relatives as well as from my own online and offline research. I have been buying vehicles for about 18 years and these tips can and do work very well. Some are…
      - , 12 Oct 11, 6:09am -

    My Own Advisor

    • My Favourite Takeaways – Guide to What’s Good, Bad and Downright Awful in Canadian Investments Today
          I’ve been meaning to post a review of Rob Carrick’s Guide to What’s Good, Bad and Downright Awful in Canadian Investments Today for many months now.  After meeting Rob at dinner the other week, and hearing about his new book, I figured i…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 11:01am -
    • Weekend Reading – You don’t know what you don’t know and great blogs of course
        Simply put, you don’t know what you don’t know.  Until something triggers you to dig into something or you get burned, you’re oblivious.   I’m talking about active mutual fund management fees.  There have been some great articles an…
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 6:49pm -
    • April 2012 Dividend Income Update
        Last month in my dividend income update, I wrote “as an investor, I should never lose sight of the risks direct stock ownership can mean.” How true, because active money management comes with more risks than other types of investing.  Unlik…
      - 9 days ago, 8 May 12, 7:53pm -
    • My struggle with GDSR and TDSR
        I’ve heard these terms thrown around by a few financial institutions from time to time.  Here is a quick look and my quick take on them:  Gross Debt Service Ratio (GDSR) – % income required to pay basic housing costs. Under the “basic” b…
      - 11 days ago, 6 May 12, 7:04pm -
    • Weekend Reading – Working to live, vacations and many great blogs
        Let’s face it, a good work-life balance is one in which you work to live, not live to work.  Maybe that’s just me though.  I feel this way because I have bills to pay and food to put on the table like most people however after that, when …
      - 14 days ago, 3 May 12, 7:48pm -

    Montreal Financial

    • Top 6 Best Television Accountants
      Accountants often get a bad rap when portrayed in movies and television.  They tend to be boring, devoid of personality, weird or just socially awkward. Alternatively they are scheming and manipulative, and are often the  device by which the rich a…
      - 16 days ago, 1 May 12, 10:34pm -
    • Tax Advice for Last Minute Filers and Procrastinators
      If you have filed your tax return, you are entitled to thumb your nose at those of us who are still trying to get it together.  Given that the deadline to file your tax return is imminent, you should probably drop what you are doing right now and ma…
      - 27 days ago, 19 Apr 12, 11:05pm -
    • What Happened to Quebec Property Tax Refund?
      For Quebec taxpayers who have been trying to locate their RL-4 slips, the slip that your landlord usually provides, or the part on the tax forms or software where you would enter your property taxes (Schedule B), be advised that as of 2011, that this…
      - 35 days ago, 12 Apr 12, 10:33pm -
    • 6 Strategies to Maintain your Sanity during Busy Season
      Accountants across the world right now are mired in tax preparation madness, as they try to deal with the myriad of work that needs to be done before tax filing deadlines.  The period between January and April is universally referred to as busy seas…
      - 42 days ago, 5 Apr 12, 8:48pm -
    • What is the Hiring Credit for Small Business?
      Recently, a client received a notice from the CRA indicating that he had received a credit of $265.  The explanation was simply that it was a hiring credit.  Upon further research, we determined that the credit was a result of the provision in the…
      - 58 days ago, 20 Mar 12, 10:00am -

    In Search of Salt

    • Nearly Everything I Learned About Investing I Learned From My Father, Revisited
      Happy belated Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there. This is an older post that I have edited, expanded, and added to. My father is not an investor or “bank guy” by any means. But thinking back upon childhood … Continue reading →
      - , 21 Jun 11, 9:44pm -
    • Dirty Marketing

      - , 13 Jun 11, 7:21pm -
    • A 50% Service Fee!?
      Consider this to be a “What not to do” lesson in personal finance. I’m usually pretty much on the ball when it comes to our finances. But recently I had a slip-up that cost us 50% in fees. We have … Continue reading →
      - , 9 May 11, 11:34pm -
    • Smells Like Shoe Polish
      My friend and flatmate in my 4th year of university was a geology student. His department had given him some tickets for a dinner and lecture on geology at some geological club in Toronto. Always interested to learn about something … Continue readi…
      - , 23 Mar 11, 12:42am -
    • Earthquakes, Tsunamis and Meltdowns
        I’d like to say thank you to all who have emailed to make sure that my family and I are safe. I thank you. We appreciate it a lot. Luckily, the quake had no direct effect on us, as … Continue reading →
      - , 13 Mar 11, 5:11am -

    Mortgage Alerts Canada

    • Mortgages 101
      Mortgage rates set to increase further While the Bank of Canada came out to say that lending rates are going to remain unchanged still, the Bank of Montreal (BMO) has come out fighting to try to capture a larger market share. What this means is that…
      - 64 days ago, 14 Mar 12, 4:35pm -
    • Don’t Pay for Renovations, Let them Pay for Themselves
      Chances are you already have enough equity in your home to pay for renovations. But before you increase your debt, consider whether it’s good debt or bad debt. While bad debt is used to make a purchase that depreciates, good debt is used to make an…
      - 70 days ago, 7 Mar 12, 11:05pm -
    • It Can Pay to Break Your Mortgage
      With mortgage rates still hovering near historic lows, chances are you’ve considered breaking your current mortgage and renewing now before rates rise any further. Perhaps you want to free up cash for such things as renovations, travel or putting t…
      - , 3 Jan 12, 10:01pm -
    • Holiday Spending Tips
      Whether you’re planning for Christmas, Hanukkah, a big New Year’s Eve party, a trip to visit family or friends, or a winter vacation, the time is now to get your finances in order to avoid debt and regrets that can lead to the holiday blues. The…
      - , 19 Nov 11, 10:12pm -
    • Refinancing to Ease Holiday Spending
      Planning ahead really can save you money down the road. And with the high-cost holiday gift-buying and entertaining season quickly approaching, this may be the perfect time to refinance your mortgage and free up some money instead of relying on high-…
      - , 10 Nov 11, 10:08pm -

    Blonde on a Budget

    • newUpdates + A New Challenge
      This post is going to be a little different than anything else I’ve written before. I feel as though I haven’t been able to connect with everyone online as much as I usually do, so I just wanted to give you all a few general updates and also tell…
      - 5 hours ago, 17 May 12, 6:00am -
    • The Social Value of Your Net Worth
      Excuse me if my posts have been less about my own personal finances and more about the conversation around money lately but it’s something that has been on my mind for months. After posting a short two-part series on it last week, I was left with m…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 6:00am -
    • People Are Funny About Money: Part 2 of 2
      Before I start this post, I have to first say that the comments on Part 1 of this series made me both sad and inspired. I haven’t had much time to reply, as I just got back from a trip to Vancouver, but I read everything via email while I was away…
      - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 6:00am -

    DoNotWait!

    • Why Retirement Planning in Your 30s is Important
      We here at Do Not Wait like to look at personal finance topics from all ages. A blog that deals with retirement can’t come with a one-size-fits-all sort of format. This is why we present different discussions for the diverse …
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 7:00am -
    • Should You Work For a Startup Company?
      Have you considered working for a startup company instead of jumping into a major company for your first gig? “Social network site Facebook has set a price range for an initial public offering (IPO) of stock that values the company …
      - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 7:00am -
    • What if You Can’t Start Your Career?
      We preach the good word of saving for retirement on here. We all know that compound interest is a good thing. We all know that you should start saving for retirement as early as possible. None of us want to …
      - 17 days ago, 30 Apr 12, 7:00am -
    • Saving For Retirement With Your First Apprenticeship
      Let’s pretend that you’re in your 20s and you finally landed that apprenticeship. You studied hard, worked hard, tapped into your network, and now you finally landed that apprenticeship in your desired field. Congratulations to you! You’re on y…
      - 24 days ago, 23 Apr 12, 7:00am -
    • Why Simplicity is Key For Retirement
      It’s easy to want to overcomplicate things because that’s what we have become accustomed to doing. When it comes to retirement you may be tempted to try something new or to find a way to retire sooner. While there are …
      - 31 days ago, 16 Apr 12, 7:00am -

    Money Pincher

    • 40 Days Sugar Detox Review
      Having a No-Added Sugar diet is like having a No-Spend Day.  Both sugar and spending is addictive in nature and to stick to it takes quite a bit of effort.   The purpose of both challenges is to start a good habit! In the case of the no-added suga…
      - 22 days ago, 25 Apr 12, 10:10am -
    • Car Wash Dilema
      Image via Fiction4change  The BF and I were debating on this topic while we spent our day outside gardening.Our cars are overdue for a car wash. The last time I washed my car was in January and his was last November. I suggested that we bring o…
      - 23 days ago, 24 Apr 12, 10:36am -
    • Stuff I *Ahem* Bought the Last Couple of Months **WARNING**ENABLING POST!
      I am SUPPOSE to be studying right now, but I thought I will take a little breaker to post some of the pics I bought the past couple of months.  Mind you, I only bought the following items because it was on my "list" of to buys or it was on sale (alt…
      - 32 days ago, 15 Apr 12, 1:58pm -
    • My New Goal this year - $5 work out
      I absolutely love this idea that Blonde on a Budgetsuggested (see her post here). With the wedding coming up next year, I need some, if notmore motivation (other than to look great in my wedding dress) to lose the last5 – 10 pounds tha…
      - 34 days ago, 13 Apr 12, 7:00am -
    • My New Hobby = Veggie Gardening
      This is a sneak peak of the plants I planted last week.  It's sprouting already! :) I am pretty excited.  It's been a while since I planted anything.   Once these plants are big enough, I will be transplanting it into our garden.  Hopefully,…
      - 35 days ago, 12 Apr 12, 7:00am -

    Canadian Accountant Tips

    • Tax Tip 2011 - Tuition Amount - Examination Fees
      From 2011 examinationfees paid to take an occupational, trade or professional examination that isrequired to obtain a professional status recognized by federal or provincialstatute, or to be licensed or certified as a trades person, to al…
      - 50 days ago, 28 Mar 12, 7:30pm -
    • Ontario Trillium Benefit
      Ontario Sales Tax credit (OSTC), Ontario Energy and Property Tax credit (OEPT) and Northern Ontario energy credit (NOEC) are credits for Ontarians earning low and moderate  income. These programs will be combined as Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) f…
      - , 16 Jan 12, 7:23am -
    • New 2011 Children's Art tax credit
      You may be able to claim children's art tax credit in 2011 and going forward. Here is a blog  post about it from Smart Canadian blog site.Children's Art tax credit
      - , 13 Jan 12, 5:37pm -
    • Ten Basic Facts about Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs)
      Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) is a new registered general savings vehicle that was introduced in 2008 federal budget that allows Canadians to save money in the account tax-free throughout their lifetime. The income and earnings in the TFSA plan a…
      - , 13 Jan 12, 5:18pm -
    • TFSA and tax slips
      I received a question from a reader whether he would receive tax slip for his TFSA contributions or withdrawals or income earned in TFSA. No there will not be any tax slips for TFSA except for some estate beneficiary scenario. Any contribution to T…
      - , 13 Jan 12, 5:16pm -

    Financial Uproar

    • The Financial Uproar Car Buying Guide
      Because not all of us can afford to hire someone to carry us on a rickshaw, it’s the Financial Uproar guide to buying cars. And I would know, since I’ve bought exactly one of them. It’s been repeated so many times it’s practically cliche. You…
      - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 5:20am -
    • How Twitter Actually Hurts Your Finances
      Now, don’t be alarmed by the title of this post. Nelly loves him some Twitter, and I’m not about to quit anytime soon. My feed has devolved from delivering actual financial content to a bunch of inappropriate jokes… kinda like this blog. Hey, y…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 5:20am -
    • Are We Still Having The 15 vs. 30 Year Mortgage Debate?
      Do you guys know what rhymes with debate? Masturbate. HEY. I NEVER CLAIMED TO BE MATURE. Anyway, I know that literally every other blogger in history has done this post. I’m altogether too lazy to check back to confirm this, so you’ll just have t…
      - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 5:20am -
    • Retail’s Death Has Been Highly Exaggerated
      The title of this post was inspired by a famous Mark Twain quote, credited to the author back in 1897. I’m at the cutting edge of pop culture here, people. On April 26th, after the stock markets had closed for the day, Amazon (AMZN) released earnin…
      - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 5:20am -
    • Sunday Morning Dump: Cinco De What?
      According to the powerful and attractive PK from Don’t Quit Your Day Job, this link dump should be Cinco De Mayo themed. It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard, with one big caveat – I have no flippin’ idea what Cinco De Mayo is. Wikipedia…
      - 11 days ago, 6 May 12, 5:20am -

    Credit, Eh

    • Credit Card Review: Platinum Plus MasterCard from MBNA
      It's rare that you see a Canadian credit card with a 0% balance transfer offer. However, MBNA has a balance transfer card, and it's a good deal -- even by looser American standards. The Platinum Plus MasterCard from MBNA features a 0% APR for 10 mont…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 11:23am -
    • Personalise Your Credit Card with Your Favourite Hockey Team
      One of the great things about technology is that it provides us with the ability to personalise almost everything. Mugs, pens, books, and just about anything else you can think of can be personalised. This trend even extends to credit cards. Some Can…
      - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 5:46pm -
    • Have You Thought about a TFSA?
      One of the most intriguing financial tools offered in recent years is the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). If you aren't taking advantage of the opportunities allowed by the TFSA, you could be missing out on opportunities to grow your wealth in a tax…
      - 9 days ago, 8 May 12, 10:55am -
    • 3 Cool Ways to Reduce Your Debt Faster
      When it comes to debt reduction, you want to be at the top of your game. There are many different ideas when it comes to debt reduction, but the best thing to do is think cool. You don't need a fancy strategy, and debt consolidation isn't necessary.…
      - 12 days ago, 5 May 12, 9:02am -
    • Canadian Debt – Your Tax Dollars at Work [Infographic]
      When we think of public debt, our thoughts often jump directly to the United States -- when we're not thinking of the sovereign debt crisis in Europe. And, while Canada doesn't have the same debt problems of the United States, we could head that dire…
      - 15 days ago, 2 May 12, 8:34am -

    Finance Fox

    • How To Buy a Used Computer
      Buying a second-hand computer is not only green, but it will save you quite a few bucks well. However, much like buying anything else, you need to do your research beforehand. Somewhere and through someone we’ve heard horror stories about buying se…
      - 1 day ago, 16 May 12, 6:32am -
    • Car Buying Guide – Part 2 – Financing Your New Vehicle Purchase
      Lease or Finance? The quick response to the question of whether it’s best to lease or finance a new car is to simply pay cash. It’s the most simplest option, and also happens to be the least expensive one as well. But, like most Canadians, I wasn…
      - 2 days ago, 15 May 12, 6:59am -
    • Sunday Link Charity # 23 – Mothers Day 2012 Edition!
      To all you moms out there: Happy Mother’s Day! There is no more important job in the world than that of being a mother. I’ve been blessed with a great Mom, a beautiful soul, and the hardest working person I know. Work? Nothing comes close to the…
      - 4 days ago, 13 May 12, 10:00am -
    • Car Buying Guide – Part 1 – I Bought a New Used Car
      Personal finance has a lot of rules, and one of the cardinal rules of it is NEVER EVER buy a new vehicle. This cardinal rule is backed by two arguments; A) New cars depreciate faster and B) Used cars are cheaper and easier to afford. I’ve always fo…
      - 7 days ago, 10 May 12, 10:40am -

    The Blunt Bean Counter

    • How much Control do I have from the Grave?
      Last week I wrote a blog post on the virtues of spending some of your kid's inheritance on a family vacation while you are alive. That post reflected my personal philosophy that a parent(s) who is/are fairly certain that they will have more cash than…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 10:39pm -
    • A Family Vacation- A Memory worth not Dying for
      I have written several times on the topic of whether parents, who have the financial means, should provide partial gifts while they are alive, as opposed to just leaving an inheritance to their children or grandchildren.I am a proponent of providi…
      - 9 days ago, 8 May 12, 4:30am -
    • Duck Quackers and Binge Writing
      With the latest A&E reality show about a family of duck call manufacturers in the bayou, it is not beyond comprehension that A&E’s next series will be a bloggers intervention series. Assuming the series is made and the first episode profiles me;…
      - 17 days ago, 30 Apr 12, 4:30am -
    • Taxing the Rich in Ontario
      I had neither the energy nor the intention to write another blog post this week. However, I cannot resist piping in on the Ontario Liberals imposing a 2% surtax on those in Ontario earning more than $500,000. I mean, the Liberals only want to "pa…
      - 22 days ago, 25 Apr 12, 10:10am -
    • You put it off Long Enough- Time for your Annual Financial Check-up
      Hopefully, most readers of this blog go to their doctor for an annual check-up; although unfortunately for many guys, annual seems to mean once every five to ten years. However, I digress from the topic at hand. Another check-up many people tend to…
      - 24 days ago, 23 Apr 12, 4:28am -

    The Investment Blog

    • newWarren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) Stock Portfolio – Update 2012 Q1
      Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway stock holdings for Q4 2011 was filed on 5/15/2012.  There was a lot of activity during the quarter of the 2012, with new stakes in General Motors and Viacom, and increases to Bank of New York Mellon, DaVita Inc,…
      - 2 hours ago, 17 May 12, 8:28am -
    • Highlights From Liz Claman’s Interview With Buffett, Munger, Gates
      On Monday, May 7 2012, FOX Business Network’s (FBN) Liz Claman spoke with Berkshire Hathway’s CEO & chairman, Warren Buffett, vice-chairman, Charles Munger, and Microsoft chairman & Berkshire director, Bill Gates.  For those of you who don’t k…
      - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 7:27am -
    • FBN’s Liz Claman Interviews Warren Buffett, Charles Munger, Bill Gates on Monday!
      **UPDATE 5/9/2012: Highlights from the interview FOX BUSINESS NETWORK EXCLUSIVE SIT-DOWN WITH WARREN BUFFETT, CHARLES MUNGER AND BILL GATES FOX Business Network’s (FBN) Liz Claman will interview Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hath…
      - 14 days ago, 3 May 12, 11:51am -
    • Successful Investing Series [Issue #02] – Read Quarterly & Annual Reports
      Now that March has passed, companies have finished reporting annual results for last year and are busy preparing to release Q1 results in the April-June time frame.  Its a good opportunity to catch up on reading the reports that are related to your…
      - 38 days ago, 9 Apr 12, 6:10am -
    • China Slowdown And Credit & Real Estate Bubble
      For the past few years I’ve mentioned in memos to investors and briefly in my more recent 2010 currency review / 2011 outlook article about the world’s over-dependence on China’s fast growing economy, and apprehension about their growing credit…
      - 56 days ago, 22 Mar 12, 7:12am -

    Recommended Broker

    • newThe storm is still to come?
      Regulator fearing 40% housing decline… Economists from TD Canada Trust have been pointing for quite some time now that according to their metrics housing in Canada is overprices by 10-15%. Diana Petramala confirmed that again in the latest report o…
      - 22 hours ago, 16 May 12, 12:53pm -
    • Bidding wars: the sequel
      What others say about bidding wars My first post of this topic drew more than 5,000 regular readers of Globe and Mail. Some were critical, others supportive. It is a topic worth revisiting from time to time. Like it or not, bidding wars are part of o…
      - 3 days ago, 14 May 12, 4:49pm -
    • Rules, not rates will kill the housing market
      Who will suffer in the end? A cloud of uncertainty is hanging over the mortgage industry in Canada. High level tough talk from both the Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty and the top man at Bank of Canada, Mark Carney, about the household debt and the…
      - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 10:34am -
    • Make your bedroom “sleep friendly”
      What does it take to sleep well? I came across an interesting book about the French writer Marcel Proust. For health reasons he has spent the last 14 years of his life in bed.  No wonder, in his famous (and voluminous) “In search of lost time” h…
      - 9 days ago, 8 May 12, 3:23pm -
    • Make your home smarter
      High-tech help for your indoor flowers Some people are lucky – they have that “internal sense” of knowing when to water the flowers, how much fertilizer to put, how much exposure to sun they need. Others have trouble to keep a plant alive. They…
      - 10 days ago, 7 May 12, 1:57pm -

    Rewards Cards Canada

    • Why Cash Back Beats Travel Rewards
      Nearly 60% of Canadian consumers have a rewards credit card, and many of those are linked to travel rewards programs like Air Miles and Aeroplan.  These two popular programs have been a staple in many Canadians’ wallets for decades, but recent c…
      - 8 days ago, 9 May 12, 11:43am -
    • MBNA TrueLine MasterCard Review
      As a rewards card junkie, the last thing I care about when comparing credit card features is the interest rate.  I just want to know how much cash back or travel points I’m going to receive based on my spending.  At the end of the month, I’ll p…
      - 22 days ago, 25 Apr 12, 2:38pm -
    • MBNA Platinum Plus MasterCard Review
      MBNA Canada has a solid line-up of credit cards ranging from cash back and travel rewards, to low interest rate and balance transfer cards.  While this site is dedicated to helping you find the best rewards in Canada, it’s important to recognize t…
      - 23 days ago, 24 Apr 12, 9:46pm -
    • New ScotiaHockey NHL Visa Card
      Scotiabank created a unique way to enrich the hockey experience for their customers and Canadian hockey fans alike with their new rewards credit card, the ScotiaHockey NHL VISA card. This new offering from Scotiabank lets Canadian hockey fans persona…
      - 36 days ago, 11 Apr 12, 2:58pm -
    • Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card Review
      With online shopping at an all-time high, and credit card usage rising, Canadians can now benefit from the new Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card, recently launched by Chase Credit Card Services Canada. Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card With the Amazon.ca Rewards…
      - 45 days ago, 2 Apr 12, 9:27am -

    Canadian Mortgage Advisor

    • Canadian Banks and the Canadian Homes – Not so safe
      CREA reported that Home sales up 0.8% from March to April. Not as great as all of us wanted. The twist comes in the end of the story – If we Keep Vancouver out of calculation of national average price… Read more ›
      - 1 day ago, 15 May 12, 11:59pm -
    • Earnings, Bonds and Greece – What next?
      Today 5 year bond yield went down – With Greece slipped deep inside debt debacle and European Union in political pandemonium – It was not expected from Canadian bond market. Again, with Canadian weather and finance – anything is possible.… Re…
      - 2 days ago, 14 May 12, 11:34pm -
    • Consumer Credit – Who Wants To See Negative Growth?
      Everyone is talking about high growth in consumer credit in recent years. Now the question is who wants consumers to stop borrowing? Sure not the lenders. Would it be the Government or the consumer themselves? For now let us leave… Read more ›
      - 3 days ago, 13 May 12, 11:30pm -
    • Bank of Canada – How they decide?
      John Murray, deputy governor of the Bank of Canada spoke at Mortgage Brokers Association of British Columbia conference (MBABC) last week. As a norm the BOC speeches are very informative and interesting. His speech was no exception to that. He… Rea…
      - 4 days ago, 13 May 12, 10:40pm -
    • Weekly Dose of Vitamin-M
      This was a week of Bubble. Clearly there are two teams. Yes-Bubble and No-Bubble. Both are calling their best shots but no clear winner yet. The game getting interesting and scary. Mortgage News Customers Who Have Chosen 25-Year or Less… Read more…
      - 6 days ago, 11 May 12, 9:37pm -

    Miiockm

    • A credit card is a tool. Learn how to use it.
      The personal finance world is rife with bloggers that went way into debt in their early university years, only to overcome it finally after many years of struggle. In a way these people learned a lesson which should have been understood before they e…
      - 28 days ago, 19 Apr 12, 7:00pm -
    • April 2012 Net Worth Update +1.53% - $30k Milestone!
      I had thought I was going to easily break the $30k mark this month but it turns out that I barely squeaked by with only $2 to spare.April 1, 2012TFSA - $15,335.97 (+0.17%)TD Waterhouse TFSA e-series- $4,997.13 (+0.62%)Stocks - $3,890.92 (+10.3%)(s…
      - 46 days ago, 1 Apr 12, 1:30pm -
    • Know your Coffee - Caffeine Content
      Unrelated to Personal Finance but it's an issue that I need to clear up.My goal here is to dispel a number of popular myths that I regularly hear repeated about coffee and its caffeine content.Myth #1Espresso has a lot more caffeine than a regular cu…
      - 57 days ago, 21 Mar 12, 3:31pm -
    • Spending Report: Mar 11 - Mar 17, 2012

      - 59 days ago, 19 Mar 12, 9:48pm -
    • Weekly Spending Reports
      I have gotten the idea from Krystal Yee at  Give Me Back My Five Bucks  to show weekly spending reports. One of my main goals will be to track how many days I eat out in a week. Not only does it cost me money but it's unhealthy as I tend to eat ju…
      - 68 days ago, 10 Mar 12, 5:35pm -