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Canajun Finances Home » Frosts, Elections, Farley Mowat and #FreeFormFridays

Frosts, Elections, Farley Mowat and #FreeFormFridays

Frost warnings continue in the Ottawa Valley, warning folks who have planted things that their newly planted stuff may die thanks to Ottawa’s tough weather. For those who have planted in Ottawa, you are gardening dangerously. Most horticultural books state that for the Ottawa region you shouldn’t be planting anything until the May long weekend, and I plan on following those orders.

The Ontario Election continues on with great disinterest. Rob Ford is getting much more media attention than the candidates, which seems fair, since most candidates are simply trying not to say the wrong thing (whereas Mr. Ford appears to revel in his “bull in the china shop” media strategy).

Saddened to read that Farley Mowat passed away (although I thought he had died a few years ago). Cantankerous, out spoken, pipe smoking and story-teller extraordinaire would be how I best describe him. I modelled my writing after his novel Always Cry Wolf (what? it was Never Cry Wolf? Never mind).

My Writings for Week Ending May 9th

The Ontario election has got me on pins and needles, as you can see by how much I wrote about it:

This Week’s Finest

The Financial Jabberwock has been slain but he may return one day :

  • This week I called my insurance company to renew my car insurance and they gave me a discount for having snow tires? Who doesn’t have snow tires in Ottawa? Never look a gift tire in the mouth I suppose.
  • Michael James has an interesting question about Why Don’t More Bank Machines Give Out $50 Bills? I remember when they used to give out $5 bills.
  • The Ontario election much like a visit to the Zoo, very exciting, lots of noise but eventually you get overwhelmed by the smell
  • Mark over at the Blunt Bean Counter asks us to pity The Burden of Singledom (he didn’t write it but it is interesting). You mean folks that don’t have to pay for University, Kids Sports and clothing feel burdened? They better never have kids!
  • Best #SPAM comment so far, “Say yes to this message and we will help save a fictional dog!” , I want to say #YES!
  • Michael Regan at Bloomberg Business asks Rule of 20: Is the Stock Market Fairly Valued? Fair is always a relative statement, in my mind. If I am not filthy stinking rich on my investments, then my investments are under-performing.
  • I trust you got your Tax Return sent in to the CRA and are now anxiously awaiting your audit refund?
  • Any investment device that is going to outlive me I am wary of, as is Mark from My Own Advisor with his statement A 50 year bond is bad news for investors. Why would I buy something that wouldn’t mature until after I am dead?
  • The Tories statements about shortages in the job market were based on including jobs advertised in Kijiji ? We going to include that in the CPI next?
  • Rob over at Earn, Save, Grow talks about one of my favorite topics (hell I have a menu item dedicated to it) RESPs: How to get a guaranteed 20 percent return

I Miss Preet

We do too, but here is a great video on defined benefits, that has a Khan Academy feel to it, wonder if that is his actual hand?

What About the Khan Academy

Strangely they have a quick outline on Pensions as well!

Random Thoughts for 2014

Lots of these kinds of Best of articles in 2014. Here is a list of them.

mnt22

Feel Free to Comment

  1. Thanks for the mention, Alan! I’m in the easy stage of the RESP cycle right now – can’t wait to see what the withdrawal process will be like in 12-15 years.

    1. Learn how the withdrawal process works for your bank NOW, just so it is easier when you want it. Also remember this is really only going to be able to cover the Tuition portion of your bill!

  2. Thanks for the shout.

    Most of us probably have some kind of travel insurance already but it’s always best to double check your coverage. Like regular insurance every policy is different.

    The biggest thing to note though is OHIP doesn’t cover much so you’re making a big mistake travelling without travel medical coverage.

  3. I find the discussion of the temporary foreign workers surreal. Some talk of skills shortages. No doubt there are some skills shortages — maybe brain surgeons or rocket scientists or things like that. But we have foreign workers at a McDonalds. You’d have to be brain dead to think that working at McDonalds is a skill Canadians lack. All McDonalds would have to do is increase pay slightly to get workers. This is about keeping costs down, and has nothing to do with skills shortages.

    Thanks for the mention.

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