Stream of Consciousness Friday

A while back, I got an e-mail from a reader asking me to name some Canadian Financial writers, and I was ashamed to say all that came to mind was Garth Turner and Brian Costello (not that I am sorry to remember Mr. Costello). I am a huge Elvis Costello fan, so I was not surprised that I remembered Brian Costello either (why I remembered Garth Turner is in the bloody news so much these days). To paraphrase Brian Mulroney, there’s no “political hack” like an old “political hack” (in fact, the exact phrase used by Mr. Mulroney referenced another member of parliament, and it was a little more derogatory). Oh, Brian M., I miss your honesty and commentaries!

Naturally, I was shocked that I could not mention other Canadian Financial writers (other than the fine blogging crew that I already link to from this self-same blog), so I went to the Ottawa Library Web Site and looked up these two writers of books and came across many different writers with the query here. Those names include Gordon Pape, Rob Carrick, Ellen Roseman, Alex Doulis and many more.

As for Mr. Turner, I did mention him in a previous posting about his comments about Nortel in 2001, which has proven a little in error in hindsight. We all make mistakes, so I wouldn’t completely ignore his financial insights, temper them with this knowledge as well.

I guess the moral of this story is to keep sending me e-mails so I can think of things to write about. Also, Fridays are hard to figure out something to blog about, so my apologies if this article seems a little disjoint. Oh, and my favourite Elvis Costello album is “Armed Forces” if you are asking.

From the Past Week

• Why are BMO and CIBC reissuing Credit Cards Credit Card Security It seems that BMO and CIBC are both sending out new credit cards to their customers, even before they are expired. 
• Tempus Fugit: Less Time With the Family? Our amigos at Stats Canada are saying that we are spending more time at work and less time with our families (for those unsure Tempus Fugit is Latin for Time Flies) .
• DRIP: How’s that again? How do Dividend ReInvestment programs work? Pretty straight forward, except there are a few different “flavors” of programs.
• DRIPS: It Really Works! DRIPs or Dividend ReInvestment Plans are a great way to build wealth, and reinvesting dividends into your portfolio is a great way to do it.
• Taxes coming soon! Taxes Coming I keep having to remind myself of that one.
• Sunday Thought: Lent is almost here Lent is almost here: Find out how you can add something into your life and make a difference to everyone around you. 
• Dear Count Jim Flaherty If you keep talking about allowing for family income splitting, you had better deliver or you’ll have a backlash coming at you for the next election.
• Unemployment up in January in Canada Not the kind of thing you want to read what with all of the negative news you are hearing around Ottawa with the High Tech Firms like Alcatel or Nortel announcing lay offs as well.
• RRSP Season It is RRSP time, is it time to cheer? Not as much, but still an important part of your retirement plan.
• My House Didn’t Appreciate in December? That is what Stats Canada says, that in Ottawa/Gatineau my house did not appreciate in value from November to December.
• Free Advice Got an interesting e-mail from a reader who was asking me very specific questions about how the tax system works up here in Canada.
• Cut Debt or Cut Taxes? That’s the interesting question that the current Government needs to answer.
• Easy Bake Oven Recall!!!!! Yes the beloved light bulb cooker is now a danger and is being recalled says our amigos over at Engadget.
• Stats Canada says we like commuting?
• Case Study: Block Heater On a frigid morning such as this in Ottawa, I smile and thank my mechanic for convincing me to put a block heater in my Honda.
• Einstein: Doubling is the trick! Einstein doubling is the trick? Einstein did not “invent” the rule of 72, he merely observed it and made it popular, but still fun to think about eh?
• Einstein: The Rule of 72 Einstein may not have invented the rule of 72 but he did make it popular.
• Einstein and Finance ? I did a few articles a while ago, and I will be pointing to them along the way, but what the heck does Einstein and Finance have in common?
• Sunday Thought: Lent is coming Yup, that happy time in the Christian calendar when we can choose to change ourselves for the better. 
• Rant: Ontario Clean Air Tests What was the point of the Ontario Clean Air tests for cars? 
• The Smith Manoeuvre The Smith Manoeuvre is an interesting idea, not for the the feint of heart, which in an obtuse way allows you to deduct your mortgage interest (kind of).
• Shopping at the Boutique In my house shopping at the boutique is a code phrase for going shopping at the local thrift store.
• An interview with…
• Don’t forget your UCCB! Another blast from the past, back in the day when my son was young enough to get the old UCCB system, just a reminder to declare the income! UCCB ?
• When is the next Market Crash? Stock Market crashes always seem to be around the corner, yet they don’t seem to happen as often, or do they?
• Consumer Price Index Up!
• Financial Resume: Credit Cards
• Financial Resume: Investments
• Cars: from my Financial Resume
• Financial Resume (cont’d)
• Your Financial Resume
• Give Blood!
• Even with Same Sex Marriages, People Aren’t Getting Married?
• The Business of Snow
• What’s your Pension Worth?
• More Houses AND they cost More too!
• How do you find a contractor for renovations? For my regular readers (you know who you are), this past summer I spent a while hunting down roofing contrators in the Ottawa area, to get my roof replaced. 
• Quicken helps a little
• Whoo Hoo Unemployment down to 6.1% in Ontario
• Find the Dead Giveaway on this Phishing Most phishing attempts have flaws in them, some obvious, others more subtle, but you must be conscious of these attacks, and be very careful.
• Oh dear! We live in a Class Society? Oh No!
• Personal: PC Financial Points Pay Out
• Gift Cards, the New Currency?
• A New Year Brings Tax Breaks? For 2007
• Happy 2007
• Rant: Option Irregularities at Apple
• End of Year 2006 !
• Boxing Day? Big Bloody Deal!
• Merry Christmas 2006
• Buying Cheques From a Bank, I am a Shmuck What kind of a schmuck buys cheques from a bank?
• Chutzpah: Now that’s a raise
• More jobs and higher pay…
• If the Olympic Stadium gets paid off, any debt is payable!
• My ’94 Honda is Worth What?
• But I don’t know who to give to this Christmas?
• Ben’s Deli Gone, but Never Forgotten
• End of Year Snapshot
• The IMF Thinks We Should Raise GST and Lower Income Taxes?
• Weekly Wrap Up Finally!