Archive for May 2015
City Councils: Please Ban Door-to-Door Sales
No homeowner appreciates unsolicited visits from companies selling door-to-door. In fact, a survey conducted by the Trading Standards Institute (U.K.) found that 96% of the 9,000 people questioned were opposed to uninvited door-to-door sellers. As I write this, home alarm companies, such as Vivint, and energy companies, such as Just Energy and Direct Energy, have…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Caring For Aging Parents Edition
This message is brought to you by BMO Wealth Management Your parents took care of you – they put a roof over your head, fed and clothed you, and taught you the things that made you the person you are today. It’s difficult to imagine that one day the people who have always been there,…
Read MoreToday’s Retirement Reality
We all like to compare ourselves with our peers to see how we measure up to everyone else. Here are some retirement statistics from the most recent Canadian Census, Statistics Canada and various surveys. Age statistics In Canada in 2014 the average age was 58. The baby boom demographic, representing those born between 1946 and…
Read MoreWhat Should You Do With A Windfall?
Have you received an inheritance? Are you a lucky lottery winner? Maybe you gained a sizeable amount from the sale of property or a business, or received severance pay? Do you know what to do with your windfall? There are many reports of fortunes squandered by people dipping too quickly or liberally into their windfalls.…
Read More12 Tips To Save Money On Car Insurance
Canadians tend to be complacent when it comes to their finances. You bank at the same place where you first opened an account. You get your car insurance through the same company year-after-year, blindly accepting their annual increases because it’s a pain to shop around But the fact is we need to shop around regularly…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Parenting Your Boomerang Kids Edition
This message is brought to you by BMO Wealth Management Are your kids moving back home because of high debt, a tough job market or maybe they’re just not ready to break out on their own? It’s a situation many parents face. The ‘boomerang generation’, so called for returning home after only a brief time…
Read MoreWhy Did You Choose Your Career?
Early on in my career, I had aspirations of running my own hotel, or group of hotels, somewhere in Canada or abroad. A decade working in the hospitality industry taught me a lot about running a business, leading people, and doing what it takes to succeed. I read every business and leadership book that I…
Read More5 Myths About Insurance
Insurance is one of those budget items that you hate to pay, but you’re really happy to have it if you need to make a claim. There are, however, popular misconceptions that many people believe that will, unfortunately, cause them to be underinsured or improperly insured. Do you believe these common myths about insurance? 5…
Read MoreThe Battle Between Your Present And Future Self
Determining your financial priorities is like having a battle between your present and future self. Decisions that make your present-self happy and content might have dire consequences for your future-self. Conversely, you don’t want to torture your present-self for the chance to be happy and prosperous in the distant future. We’re raising a young family and with…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Visiting Seattle Edition
I went to Seattle this week for a work-related conference. We stayed at the beautiful Grand Hyatt downtown and had plenty of time to explore the city over the three days, including the famous Pike Place Market where we ate at Lowell’s overlooking the Olympic Mountains and Port of Seattle. I also went to my first major…
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