Archive for March 2015
Managing RRSP/RRIF Withdrawals: Part II
Most financial advice we get is based on the premise that our post-retirement income will be less than pre-retirement income, and many of us do make less in our senior years. The RRSP is a great savings vehicle that provides financial incentives to contribute. The deductions defer the income tax we must pay to a later…
Read MoreAre You Frugal – Or Just Plain Cheap?
Frugal people and cheap people both love to save money. But there is a difference between being frugal or thrifty, and being cheap and stingy. Frugality makes you a more conscious spender. Being cheap means you try to avoid paying for anything. Related: 30 signs you grew up in a frugal family Frugal people have…
Read MoreCRM2: A New Age of Enlightenment for Investors?
Imagine a time when everyday citizens were oppressed and deceived by a select few institutions of authority. They were told how to think, how to act, and what was best for them. But after years of suffering, new ideas began to emerge based on science, reason, and scepticism that challenged authority and helped reform society. These…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Look in the Mirror Edition
Alberta Premier Jim Prentice got into some hot water this week regarding comments he made during a CBC radio interview about the province’s potential $7-billion revenue shortfall in the upcoming budget year. Prentice said that Albertans have enjoyed the best public services in the country but haven’t built a revenue model to sustain them. “In…
Read MoreDiversifying Assets for a Balanced Portfolio: A Boomer & Echo Financial Makeover
Sean Cooper (30) is a full-time pension advisor for a global pension benefits consulting firm earning $50,000 per year. He also earns approximately $20,000 per year as a freelance financial writer. Sean has channeled much of his income into paying off his mortgage. His goal is to reach financial independence by his mid-30’s. Current Assets…
Read MoreThrowback Thursday: Buying a Home in 1974 vs. 2014
Back in 1974, a typical home in Calgary was an 1,100 square-foot bungalow that cost $40,000 – or about 2.8 times the average household income. By 2014, the typical Calgary home had ballooned to 1,700 square-feet and sold for $470,000 – a whopping 6.3 times the average household income. So who had it easier – the…
Read MoreCustomer Service: More Brickbats Than Bouquets
You interact with various customer service personnel throughout your day, and most of the time it’s acceptable – the store clerk who points you in the right direction, the pleasant and efficient cashier, the telephone customer service agent who sorts out your billing problem – but it’s not really memorable. The really memorable encounters are…
Read MoreAre Low Rates Punishing Savers? Hardly
It’s easy to see how savers feel punished in today’s low interest rate environment. You have to look hard to find a daily savings account that pays more than one percent. Fixed income investments aren’t much better, with 5-year GICs barely touching 2 percent. All of this means that parking your short-term savings will do little more…
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