Wednesday our friends from the Bank of Canada kept their loose money policies in place. They seem to think core inflation is softening and there is no need to tighten money policies for the next little while, which is a good thing, given I don’t think any Worldwide economy could withstand a big interest rate jump (except maybe possibly the Antarctic Economy, but again, only my opinion). A weaker world economy means that loose money policies continue. How much longer can this last is my only question?
To quote their statement:
Reflecting all of these factors, the Bank has decided to maintain the target for the overnight rate at 1 per cent. While some modest withdrawal of monetary policy stimulus will likely be required over time, consistent with achieving the 2 per cent inflation target, the more muted inflation outlook and the beginnings of a more constructive evolution of imbalances in the household sector suggest that the timing of any such withdrawal is less imminent than previously anticipated.
I think they have said that for the past few months.
You know it’s cold when the talking head on the Weather Network comes out and says, “The Temperature today was HOLY SH*T COLD!”. The last two weeks in January are traditional in Canada as being the coldest of the year (at least in the parts of Canada near the 49th parallel). My car has made some very interesting noises starting, and hopefully she can hold it together for another couple of weeks until the traditional warming up starts.
Finally, the federal government has “lost” more information on Canadians (according to the CBC) thanks to a USB key with info “going walk about”. There are 5,000 more folks who have had their personal info “lost” by an errant USB key? You’d think there should be rules about the handling of this information? Yes there are, however, I guess they aren’t being followed very closely. My guess is we won’t hear about the details of how someone was allowed to save this information on a USB Key, and how the key got misplaced, hopefully there will be closer tabs on our personal information?
Weekly Recap
Hopefully everyone kept their brass monkeys (and any other pets you might have) in this week:
My Writings for Week Ending January 25th
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Cost per Use and Your FinancesAnother way to hopefully make you use your new treadmill a little bit more? |
CRA Child Disability Benefit (How To)Paying forward to hopefully help a few parents with disabled kids get all the money that is due to them |
Service and FeesA few clarifications from the previous post and emphasizing that you need not (necessarily) pay to get the services you need. |
Voo Doo Emergency FundsMy tribute to Ben Stein and what some folks think passes for an Emergency Fund |
Links for the Week
Bruce Cockburn has a great song about The Coldest Night of the Year, somehow listening to that song didn’t really warm me up much. Maybe there should be a punk version of it? “The Mother F**kingly COLDEST Night of the Year”? :
Top Stories of the Week of January 18th | |||
Casinos and GovernmentAn interesting comment on this post wants to compare Movie Theaters and Casinos, to which I said out loud,WTF? |
3 Golden Rules to Rid Yourself of DebtMark wants to add two more rules to “Spend less than you make” for some reason, but luckily doesn’t mention Good Debt. |
Salary or Dividend? A Taxing Dilemma for Small Corporate Business OwnersThe BBC goes on a writing frenzy on this topic this week, with three separate posts, and all well worth reading. |
Who Should NOT Have an RRSP?Gail Vaz-Oxlade goes on an interesting angle suggesting that there are folks who really shouldn’t be thinking about RRSPs (surprisingly I am one of them) |
Group RESP Plans are Loaded with FeesThe Canadian Capitalist reappears with a set of excellent points about the traditional Group RESPs that are still being sold to this day (and their fee structures) |
Does a 60/40 Portfolio Still Make Sense?Does having 60% of your investments in the market and 40% in bonds still work? Spud Canuck writes an interesting study on this. |
New Science Identifies Brain Damage In Living Football PlayersPopular Science talks about an interesting subject leading up to the Super Bowl, and that is how badly are football players brains being scrambled and how can we tell before they are dead? |
App Lets Stolen Smartphones Snap Thieves In the ActWhat a great idea (reported by MIT Press) to have the stolen object report and identify the thief? Now that is my kind of technology! |
Are stock market investors getting too greedy?Larry Mac subtitle says it all, “When the bulls start to run it’s time to hide”, but is it? When is the best time to get out of the market? Ask me in 6 months. |
Switching Careers Midlife: Is It Worth It?Robb Boomer 🙂 asks about whether a mid-life career change is a good thing. It has kind of worked for me, however, I didn’t really have a choice either. | Your advert here send an e-mail for info to bigcajunman at canajun finances dot com ! |
Professional real estate analyst weighs in on Canadian real estate (Podcast)Preet has a return guest visit with Ben Rabidoux on the Podcast to talk about Real Estate and is it time to crack open our skulls and eat the grey goo. Maybe it’s time for another BCM visit to the Preet Show? |
Tweet of the Week
If you have been relying on the Microsoft free anti-virus software, it might be good to know that it is not really up to snuff just yet:
I would also strongly suggest that you add @BluntBeanCountr to your Twitter feed as Mark is tweetin’ some good tax tips:
Financially Unrelated Video of the Week
Wouldn’t it be nice to open your wallet and find another wallet in it with more money? Well this video is kind of like that:
Best of 2013
Some of the best of posts from 2013
- CPP Reform, Snow, Christmas, Boxing day and #FreeFormFriday Did the CPP reform of 2013 fix much? Kind of, but Christmas was coming too.
- No Verizon, Microsoft Phones, NFL Kick Off and Friday #ShoutOuts Verizon won’t enter the Canadian wireless market, meaning Mobilicity may disappear and consumers will pay ridiculous monthly charges. Learn why with this blog post!
- Mandela gone, Canada “Post”, Gail on the Shelf and #FreeFormFriday Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013, after a long illness.
- Christmas is Coming, Christmas Lay Offs, Electric Fees, Commie Pope and #FreeFormFriday Celebrate Christmas with more online shopping – BMO and many other companies announce layoffs during the Holiday season.
- Giveaways, Vacations, No Sun and Friday #ShoutOuts Win a software worth almost $100 and go on the vacation of your dreams! Enter my intelligence test and get the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. #vacation
- Stock Frauds, Senate Expenses, Twitter wrong and Friday #ShoutOuts Canadians beware of stock fraud? U.S. Justice department investigates alleged penny stock swindler. Senator Pam Wallen scrutinized for spending. Find out more about the scam!
- Black November, Bitcoins, Tablets, Unloseable Lottery and #FreeFormFriday So Black Friday is upon us, however, it seems to be losing a lot of it’s “thunder” thanks to the “sales” starting earlier.
- Mad Dog, English Men, I’m OK and #Shoutouts Maurice Mad Dog Vachon was a tough son of a gun, but did he have a financial impact too? Read on to find out.
- Toronto Circus, Prince Charles Retires, More Word Puzzles and Friday #ShoutOuts This whole Toronto thing really is just a reality TV show gone off the rails, isn’t it? The three-ring circus that is unfolding in the media
- Identifiable, the Iron Sheik, Remembrance Day, More Word Puzzles and Friday #ShoutOuts So my concerns that if I put my natural face on my Social Media accounts were just paranoia.
- Incestuous Bloggers, Word Puzzles, RDSP Menu, All Saints Day and Friday #ShoutOuts Sometimes blogs become a little closed in and don’t recognize new folks and we become incestuous bloggers.
- Senate Fun, Apocalypse Averted, Asteroids and Friday #ShoutOuts News Canadians can’t ignore: investigate the scandal and discover if the Harper Government’s demise is near!
- Kicking the Can, Throne Speech, Windows 8.1 and Friday #ShoutOuts Seems our friends down south had so much fun with almost upending the world economy, they’d like to try to do it again in January.
- Government #Defaults, Fake Reviews, Turkey Time, Fall Colours and Friday #ShoutOuts Given that for some odd reason shutting the government down wasn’t enough our friends down south are now attempting to disrupt or possibly completely f*ck the world economy by defaulting in a few days.
- Government Shutdowns, Hockey Returns, New iPhone and Friday #ShoutOuts Explore the debate surrounding the US government’s shutdown with insight into potential resolutions outside of the standard back pay for civil servants.
- Financial Bloggers, 35 Million Strong, Odd CRA Cheques and Friday #ShoutOuts I had a very good time at CPFC13 where I got to moderate a panel of Investing Smart folks, and I learned a great deal from a few outstanding presenters,
- A Better Friday and #CPFC13 Not a regular Friday after this week and my preparations for the coming weekend, I didn’t really get enough time to put together my regular Friday Random Thoughts, but here is a shortened version.
- Friday the 13th, Private Royal Mail, Canadian 1% and Friday #ShoutOuts Watch out for bad things on Fridays – it’s Friday the 13th! Don’t subscribe to the concept? Tuesday is the most evil day. September 11th was a Tuesday! Don’t forget about ladders and black cats either. UK privatizing the Royal Mail? A price tag of £3B pounds!
- King Louis, Braun Follies, Lice and Friday #ShoutOuts Greetings and Happy Birthday to Prince George Louis Alexander Windsor (and future King of Canada), welcome to the media “sh*te storm” that will be your life.
- Loose Money, Faster Sites, the Heat is On and Friday #ShoutOuts The new Bank of Canada Governor announced on Wednesday no change in the interest rates for now, with the overnight rate continuing at 1%.
- Floods, Explosions, See Thru Lu Lu’s and Friday #ShoutOuts Looks like the Engineer is now being “thrown under the train” as it were (i.e. the finger of blame is being pointed at him by his CEO).
- Egypt, July 4th, Sweltering Summer, Alfie and Friday #ShoutOuts Interesting how the Egyptian military throwing out an allegedly democratically elected President is being hailed as a great democratic change.
- Canada Day, 4th of July, Flooding and Some Random Thoughts A hard week in 2013 for my family with the passing of my Mother-in-law to Cancer. One day that disease will be done.
- Fathers, Corruption, Horton’s Hedgings and Friday #ShoutOuts Hopefully everyone enjoyed Father’s Day, I know I did, very nice day, lovely meal and some peace and quiet.
- Stanley Cup, Turbans, Car Tracking and Friday #ShoutOuts The Stanley Cup finals have started, and hopefully all the games aren’t going to go that late into the night, or I will need to start working the night shift at work.
- Baseball “Cheats”, D-Day, Fun with Fiji and Friday #ShoutOuts It seems baseball is embroiled with yet another “performance enhancing drugs” scandal with a few very well-known names being implicated by yet another “wellness clinic”. Are the accusations true?
- Obliterating Rock, Floods, Senators and Friday #ShoutOuts If you are reading this after 4:35 PM May 31, 2013 I guess we survived another close fly by of a “Civilization Killer” lump of Rock.
- Senators, Twisters, Water and Friday #ShoutOuts To say the entire Senators Expenses Event is more ridiculous than a Christmas Panto (usually an excuse for men to dress up as women
- Mothers, Hab Nots, Trains, and Friday #ShoutOuts What does a Walrus, Model Trains and Mother’s Day have to do with each other? Not that much but more financial stories too.
- Taxes Done, Drones, Playoffs and Friday #ShoutOuts Hope your taxes were in on Tuesday, because if not, you might be in trouble (especially if you are part of the $29 Billion dollars still owed to the government in Taxes).
- Disk Crashes, Daffodils, Password Trappers and Friday #ShoutOuts High Tech always proves that it is much like Mother Nature, in that, you should never ignore it or take it for granted, because things can change very quickly at the most inopportune times.
- Loose Money, Trudeau-mania II, Nut Bags and Friday #ShoutOuts If you missed it on Wednesday the Bank of Canada continued to keep their key overnight rate at 1%.
- Snowmaegedon, the Masters, Windows and Friday #ShoutOuts Today, we are experiencing a late version of winter, with a nasty snow/ice/rain storm that proves that just when you think it is Spring, you might be mistaken.
- Final Four, Dark Matter, Tax Time and Friday #ShoutOuts The NCAA Men’s basketball Final Four is this weekend, and my bracket is completely shot.
- Budgets, Dark Side of the Moon, Eight Years Later, Palm Sunday and Friday #ShoutOuts Minister Flaherty gave us a very vague budget (2013) yesterday. For Hockey Moms, reasons to rejoice, given tarifs on Hockey equipment, Golf Clubs, Baby Clothes and a few other things are now gone.
- Pope Picked, Pi Day, St. Patty’s Day and Phriday #ShoutOuts Seems our Catholic brethren have chosen a new Pope (Francis) this week, thus ending one of the greatest talent hunts of the year.
- Thanks Stompin Tom, Loose Money Continues, Tax Time, Pope Picking and Friday #Shoutouts Stompin’ Tom Connors a true Canadian treasure has left us, and I for one am sad to hear it.
- St David’s Day, Snow, RRSP Season Over, Tax Time and Friday #Shoutouts Happy Saint David’s Day to all my Welsh brethren today.
- RRSP Time, Winners, Tax Time, Short Weeks and Friday #Shoutouts Yes, it’s that magical time when your Savings Institution pressures you to top up your RRSP account so you can take full advantage of the savings on your taxes.
- Lent , Pope Out, the Senate, RRSP Time and Friday #Shoutouts Lent is finally upon us, have you started making your plans? No? Me neither, I just haven’t had a heck of a lot of time to think about this kind of stuff.
- Lent , Pancake Tuesday, and Love Day Soon and Friday #Shoutouts For those of you unaware, Lent begins next Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) February 13th, so here is yet another chance to restart (or start) your financial plans for the coming year.
- Groundhog Day, Farewell Penny, No Vine and Friday #Shoutouts Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, so then we shall see how well a ground hog can prognosticate the weather (about as well as I can prognosticate financial stuff is my guess).
- Loose Money Continues, Polar Temps, More Info Lost and Friday #Shoutouts Wednesday our friends from the Bank of Canada kept their loose money policies in place.
- Hockey, Armstrong, Idle Folk, Lost Loans and Friday #ShoutOuts What happened the week of January 18th in 2013? Some NHL stuff, but a lot of interesting financial stuff too!
- Drop the Puck, Death Pills, Strikes and Friday #Shoutouts For those die hard NHL fans (like me) there will be hockey soon.
- Bye and Thanks for all the Fish, CBC Questions, Holiday Hours and Friday #Shoutouts Well it has been fun, but I guess it all had to end some time, it’s been a good run.
I work in healthcare and I don’t get to take people’s person records home with me because I would rather work at home in my pajamas with a mug of coffee laced with Baileys.
Why did the information have to leave the government building? We will never know.
I assume we will never be given an official explanation, just that a bunch of folks are now going to have to get new SIN numbers.
Thanks for the mention.
I suppose my post could have been:
Make money. Save some. Spend the rest.
Did you think folks will read that? 🙂
Have a good weekend,
Mark
I don’t know sounds pretty complicated, maybe if you had some puppets that look like old folk it might sell.
Thanks for mentioning my dad’s post 😐
Aaahhh… I love gettin this stuff wrong… just shows on the Internet no one can tell you are a Pelican.
Thanks for the mention. I was in a movie theater last night, but they still have no slot machines.
Shhh… don’t give the Lottery commission any ideas!!!
BCM, thx for inclusion, even though you put a dent in my income telling everyone to complete the disability claims themselves and implied many people have a visceral hatred of accountants 🙂
Great job on the disability blog posts, great public service.
I said SOME people, not ALL people (like for lawyers). As for the money and time lost, now you can spend more time watching the Blue Team? Keep up the Good Tax Tweets too, very informative.