Archive for April 2016
Weekend Reading: FOMO Edition
Millennials are experiencing FOMO – or the fear of missing out – a social angst driven phenomenon that appears when something exciting or interesting may be currently happening elsewhere. FOMO, a close relative of YOLO, is fuelled by social media and the desire to stay constantly connected with what others are doing. When it comes…
Read MoreFrom The Boomer & Echo Mailbag: Renovating For Resale
From the questions we are receiving, it seems that some of our readers are on the move. They want to get the best bang for their buck when selling their residences. Q. Which home improvements have the highest return on resale value? Q. We are in the process of selling our “starter” house and moving…
Read MoreFinancial Planning For Couples: Planning Your New Financial Life Together
Your loving give me a thrill, But your loving don’t pay my bills “Money (That’s What I Want)” – The Beatles Financial planning for one person can be complicated enough. When you get into a long-term relationship with someone else and combine your households, you join your financial lives as well. Just because your beloved…
Read MoreFacebook vs. Kijiji: Secondhand Economy Smackdown
When we moved into our new house my wife and I vowed to keep our home clean and clutter-free. We’re not minimalists, exactly, but the last thing we wanted was a basement or garage full of stuff we don’t need or use. We’ve kept up that promise, for the most part, but as our kids…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Sad To See You Go Edition
It’s always a bit sad when someone unsubscribes from our newsletter, especially when a long-time reader moves on. But I couldn’t help but get a warm feeling this week after receiving a notification that one of our loyal readers unsubscribed: “You helped inspire me toward retirement with good financial planning over a several year period. I’ve been…
Read MoreWithdrawing From Your Retirement Nest Egg
You’ve been saving all your working life and now that you have entered your retirement phase, it’s time to start drawing from your savings. In some circumstances there will be people who will be able to live off their dividends and interest alone. Most retirees, however, will have to start spending the money they have…
Read MoreThe Ins and Outs of Income Trusts
Canadian income trusts were a beneficial alternative corporate structure for companies due to their lower tax liabilities. They are known as “flow-through” vehicles because taxation was avoided by paying out all earnings, less expenses, as dividends directly to unitholders. Income trusts first became popular investments in the early 2000’s when interest rates declined. The main…
Read MoreShopping For Car Insurance: What’s Holding You Back?
While all motorists are required by law to have car insurance, most people couldn’t be bothered to shop around and make sure they’re getting the right coverage at the best price. If you’re anything like me, you might not have even changed insurance companies since you first started driving! How do you know when it’s…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Get Rich Slowly Edition
One of the founding fathers of personal finance blogging – J.D. Roth – returned to his roots this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Get Rich Slowly. J.D. hits the highlights in taking readers through his own journey to financial freedom, starting 10 years ago buried with $35,000 in consumer debt and living paycheque…
Read MoreTD Direct Investing WebBroker Platform Review
I’ve been using TD’s discount brokerage since 2009 when I made the switch from mutual funds to DIY investing. At that time, the TD Direct Investing WebBroker platform left much to be desired. The legacy web design of TD WebBroker was clunky and difficult to navigate (with 55 different navigational links!), trades cost $29 each way, and…
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