Stompin’ Tom Connors a true Canadian treasure has left us, and I am sad to hear it. Tom’s music resonated with me, even though I sometimes get sick of hearing “The Hockey Song”, but then again, who can get tired of “A Sudbury Saturday Night”? Hopefully, he’s got a maple kicker for his stompin’ wherever he has gone:
Well the girls are out to bingo And the boys are gettin stinko
We think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday Night
They don’t write them like that any more.
On Wednesday the Bank of Canada announced that it is going to keep their overnight rate the same, and doesn’t foresee any big increases any time soon. To quote the report directly:
Total CPI inflation has been somewhat more subdued than projected in the January MPR as a result of weaker core inflation and lower mortgage interest costs, which were only partially offset by higher gasoline prices. Low core inflation reflects muted price pressures across a wide range of goods and services, consistent with material excess capacity in the economy. Core and total CPI inflation are expected to remain low in the near term before rising gradually to reach 2 per cent over the projection horizon as the economy returns to full capacity and inflation expectations remain well-anchored.
Cry Havoc and let loose the legions of debtors! — (not from the BoC)
It’s tax time again, too. Are you collecting all of your receipts, or have you already submitted your taxes for 2012? Good for you if you have. I am still in the hunter-gatherer phase, where I attempt to collect all of the important receipts that I need. It’s good to review your return from last year to remember all of your deductions and maybe make a checklist.
Pope picking time comes to Vatican City again, with lots of Black and White smoke, Cardinals and news services attempting to make this long, arduous process seem hip, exciting and dramatic. While it is intriguing at times to see who is picked, it is mostly a dull thing (much like watching a Canadian political convention (without the funny hats (well, maybe a few funny hats)).
My Weekly Recap
My snow blower is back working, which, of course, means Ottawa may not get any more snow until next winter:
- Keep it in Your Pants! Keep it in your pants when it comes to your wallet at least. Don’t whip it out willy nilly, keep your spending under control.
- Taxes: When Should They Start? Mrs. C8j came up with this one, an interesting question too (actually a group of questions): When should you start filing tax returns for your kids?
- CPP Splitting A Different Process One of the important things that I learned on my “so you think you can retire” course last week was that if you wish to split your Canada Pension Plan benefits it is a very painful.
- St David’s Day, Snow, RRSP Season Over, Tax Time and Friday #Shoutouts Happy Saint David’s Day to all my Welsh brethren today.
Links for the Week
I doubt the Hockey Song will ever go out of style, but remember that Stompin’ Tom had many other songs too ( Big Joe Mufferaw mentions Ottawa):
Top Stories of the Week of March 8th
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Renaming the TFSA: TFSPMichael James makes a very good point that the A portion of the TFSA FLA is confusing to some folks. Some seem to think because of the “A” you can only have a savings account as a TFSA? NO!!! Is the simple answer. |
Suggestions and Strategies to Facilitate the Tax Preparation Process for You and Your AccountantThe BBC gives us some helpful hints on how to get a gold star from your accountant (if you want to have a happy accountant that is). | Setting Up a DRIP for a Stock or ETF at BMO InvestorLineBeth Crooks a frequent commenter gives us a simple step by step on how to set up a DRIP for a stock using BMO. |
Questions for financial experts and their RRSP game plansMark from My Own Advisor talks about an article he read in the Globe and Mail. My RRSP game plan is rely heavily on two separate pension plans and hope that my RRSPs grow without me doing too much. |
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Warren Buffett’s sense of humourLarry MacDonald points out that the Wizard of Omaha is not just filthy, stinking rich, he also has a sense of humor. Is it safe to give a man his age the starting gun, is my only question? |
Take This Quiz To Find Your Likelihood Of Dying By 2023Fun topic eh? Well it is from Popular Science so it is not just another insurance salesman scam. |
Great Money Advice For Canadian College & University Students On How To Avoid Student LoansMike Holman discovers the book “More Money for Beer and Textbooks” and really likes what he reads. I think I’ll have to get a copy of this book myself and have a quick read. |
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Call Me Maybe: Why my $783 unlocked iPhone is a ringin dealSquawkfox shows that maybe buying a $780 iphone and not having it locked is cheaper in the long run. Hadn’t looked at the numbers this way, interesting. | March 2013 GoalsKrystal Yee gives us her March financial goals, a brave stake in the ground (I couldn’t do that). | ||
Act Like a One-Income Family & SaveGail Vaz-Oxlade points out a winnings strategy used by a few couples I know, which is live on one income and save or pay debt with the other income and you will be set for lif |
5 Misconceptions About Retirement PlanningBoomer points out some of the fallacies that Canadians are living under in terms of their ability to retire. One not mentioned is that Low Ash Cat Food is not a good staple for your retirement year meals (just an FYI from me). |
Want Fast Cash? Paid Blood Donations Come to CanadaTom Drake points out there is another way to make more money than being a financial blogger. |
Larry Swedroe explains how to Think, Act, and Invest like Warren Buffett (Podcast)I have not listened to Preet’s Podcast yet, hopefully Larry does talk about having a sense of humour as well (oh and be filthy, stinking rich too). Larry’s book on Buffett is on my “read this dummy” list. |
Help Us, Help Students More Money for Beer and TextbooksThis sure must be a good book given even Sustainable Personal Finance reviewed it and thought it good. | |||
A Stompin Tom Video to Think About
Tom’s lyrics might be a little raw, but still a Canadian treasure:
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.
Between Stompin’ Tom and Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers I learned more about Canada than in Grade 9 geography. May he find peace.
A many thanks for the kind tip of the hat.
Thanks for the mention BCM.
RIP STC.
Enjoy the weekend!
Mark
Thanks for the mention. I liked the “stinko” lyrics.
Goodbye Rubberneck! So long Boob! Go and blow your inner tube! lol
Yep, remember his songs well. This song made me giggle when I was younger lol … still does! RIP
Thx for the link. Loved the keep in your pants post. Query if you were using Viagra would everything fall out of your pants?
Depends if it lasts for more than 4 hours, doesn’t it?
If it lasts more than 4 hours you need to seek medical treatment and there is a very large needle to deflate the situation.
Thank you for mentioning my post. I can’t believe Obama got Star Trek and Star Wars mixed up. I thought he was cooler than that.