Archive for September 2013
Three Rewards Credit Cards Worth A Look Today
There has been plenty of upheaval in the rewards cards space over the past 12 months. It started when TD bought MBNA Canada’s credit card business and promptly slashed the benefits on what was arguably the best cash back credit card in the country, the Smart Cash MasterCard. More recently, Capital One discontinued its Aspire…
Read MoreWhy I Save Outside Of My Defined Benefit Pension
The Financial Post featured a story recently about a man in his late 40’s who had the luxury of two defined benefit pension plans. The first pension was earned at the young age of 38, after twenty years of military service; the second plan is from his current employment with the federal government. In total,…
Read MoreThe Plight Of Generation Y
There’s been a lot discussed in the media recently about Generation Y and all the difficulties they are facing today. See this Globe and Mail article, for example. Who are these disadvantaged youngsters? There are differing time frames, but the generally acceptable one refers to the generation born during the 1980’s and early 1990’s –…
Read MoreMore Money For Beer And Textbooks Podcast
I had the pleasure of being a guest on the More Money for Beer and Textbooks podcast recently where I was interviewed by Kyle Prevost from My University Money. The topic was student banking and we talked about whether University students should get a credit card while they’re in school and what pitfalls they can…
Read More3D Printers – Niche Product or Mainstream Must Have?
Ethical discussions involving 3D printers seem to be top of mind for reporters these days as various media outlets report on the printing of guns and even bones by technology that was previously inaccessible to the consumer. What started out as an industrial prototyping and design tool, the 3D printer has started making its way…
Read MoreWhen Doing What You Love Doesn’t Pay The Bills
We’re taught to follow our passions, but what happens when doing what you love doesn’t pay the bills? A post-secondary degree is almost essential to get a decent job in Canada, but there’s a significant earnings gap for graduates depending on their chosen field of study. Related: What If You’re Not University Material? A CIBC…
Read MoreAn Easy Way To Estimate Your CPP Benefits
Raise your hand if you’ve spent any time thinking about what kind of money you’re likely to get from the government when you retire. Now raise your hand if you don’t really know how much money that will be, or how to figure it out. …twenty-seven…twenty-eight…twenty-nine…almost everyone, then. How To Estimate Your CPP Benefits A…
Read MoreWhy The Saskatchewan Pension Plan Is Worth A Look
If the company you work for doesn’t offer a pension plan or group RRSP, or you are self-employed, and you’re not interested in spending a lot of time reading and researching about investing, consider the Saskatchewan Pension Plan. Related: Lifetime Pension vs. Commuted Value You don’t have to reside in Saskatchewan to join this pension…
Read MoreOur Home Insurance Bill Is Up 30 Percent!
Thousands of homes were damaged when the Bow and Elbow rivers flooded in Alberta this summer. Provincial government estimates show well over $5 billion will be needed to rebuild infrastructure. Bad weather and catastrophic events have been the norm in recent years, and now it’s starting to show up in our home insurance bills. Insurance…
Read MoreWhat’s Next For ING Direct: My Interview With Peter Aceto
It’s been nearly a year since Scotiabank officially acquired ING Direct, snapping up the online bank for $3.1 billion back in November. Scotia promised to keep its hands off ING’s operations, opting to keep the bank as a separate, standalone entity. For the most part, Scotia’s been true to its word. Earlier this year, ING…
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