Cuba, Rubles, Christmas and #BestThisWeek

Interesting to see that the U.S. will try to normalize relations with Cuba after 50 years. This will mean for Canadians that Cuba will not be quite as cheap as it has been, and worse it will be a lot busier. Should be interesting to see if this turns into a political hot potato for Democrats during the next elections, as the Republicans are already calling it the worst mistake since Chamberlain appeased Hitler in 1939. I am sure the Cuban economy will enjoy the eventual influx of Yankee tourists.

The Russian ruble is dropping in value like a stone, thanks to many factors, but the EU and American sanctions cannot be helping things out, that, and the fact that Oil Prices are ludicrously low. Interesting to see how this all shakes out, and whether this disables or slows down the Electric Car industry ( I hope not, I think Electric cars are the right way to go) and other alternate energy businesses.

Sad to see my alma mater having a cheating scandal during final exams, does seem like a very odd story.

Christmas is next week, a time for folks to get together with friends and family and enjoy the Festival that typically starts the Christian Church’s year. For those who don’t attend Church, enjoy the time with your loved ones or someone you love, don’t worry about the presents, or the rest, it is all about family and friends.

Come on by, there will be some new content, and maybe some old favourites will return as well.

My Writings for Week Ending December 19th

Christmas is practically here, what are you doing to be Christmassy this year :

• Having problems with your resolutions, here is a novel idea  Financial New Year Resolution, Start Now! That way you can fail that much earlier, no wait, that isn’t what I wrote (was it?).
• I do miss John Houseman’s authoritative tones on TV, but with Make Money the Old Fashioned Way, Earn it, I wondered does anyone really earn their pay in the investment world?
• Do you want to know my sure-fire investing scheme? Boy you are gullible, when do you think I’d tell anyone if I figured out how to make a fortune (unless it was to get everyone to send me money, on how to make a fortune).

This Week’s Finest

Seems like the North Korean military will be dictating which movies we are allowed to watch this Christmas, might I suggest Team America: World Police :

• Mark from the Blunt Bean Counter points out that The Family Tax Cut – Should Joint Filing be next ? It seems to work in the US, but given how twisted folks are getting over this limited tax cut, what political minefield might be opened with joint filing?
• Brighter Life points out Twelve Key Documents You should Gather, all important, do you have all of them?
• Mark from 2nd Career Search boasts about A $550 Retirement Gift For YOU From Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (if you live in the US at least), an interesting perspective on the lower oil prices (maybe the Saudi King is also leaving a lump of coal in Vladimir Putin’s stocking too?)
• Phys.org points out that More Pupils Would Study Math if told of Increased earning potential, sounds good to me (a Math Graduate, so I am biased as well).
• Those who complain the most, accomplish the least –Anon
• Marie from Boomer and Echo asks an important question about whether you can buy something, it depends, but How do You Define Affordability ?
• Michael James pointed to this last week, but I think it should be repeated, it is Ralph Nader’s Ten Reasons Why I Don’t Have a Credit Card, a very interesting read, indeed.
• Mark Thoma from the Fiscal Times points out Why the Next Recession Will be Different, and discusses the mistakes economists have made in this area, refreshing to read about folks who admit their errors.
• Our old friend Sustainable Personal Finance points out You are NUTS to Buy a Vacation Property, and from what I can see, they are on the ball on this one.
• According to Forbes (in the US) Credit Card Debt is now Exceeded by Student Loan Debt, which begs the question, how is that all going to get paid?
• Dan at Our Big Fat Wallet gives us an update of his 2014 Financial Goals, always important to do an end of year check to see if you have achieved your goals, and if not, why not?
• Not sure that Barry from Money We Have might be having a poke at me with Money Well Spent, just because Mrs. C8j cuts my hair!
• I have 2296 Twitter followers? As Barry has said, I am a #Beast
• Kerry from Squawkfox gives us a strong description of What the Markets did in 2014, with nice graphics as well.
• I am still meaning to do a review of Wealthing Like Rabbits , however Michael James has done one this week. I think his review is pretty close to what I think of it (so far).
• Mark from My Own Advisor shares with us his 2014 Financial Goals December Update, he is a brave soul writing about such personal finances.

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Ian McKellen Teaches us to Resist Urges

Not only does he teach us about resisting urges (for Cookie Monster cookies, for consumers at Christmas, impulse buying) he also reminds us that the final Hobbit movie is in theatres (indirectly):

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Random Thoughts for 2014

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

• World Cup Side-Effects, Seinfeld Cars, and #BestofFinancial What happens around the World at half time of the World Cup Final? Is it like Flushed away? Is there a sudden tsunami? Who knows?
• Cuba, Rubles, Christmas and #BestThisWeek – getting close to Christmas but Ian McKellen can teach us about impulse control.
• Snow, Christmas, Enhanced and #BestThisWeek talk of more festive ideas, like how to save money at Christmas.
• A Gentleman, Day of Disability, Christmas, Rugby and #BestThisWeek noted the passing of Jean Beliveau and John Oliver’s views on Lotteries.
• Black Friday is Here, Advent, and #BestThisWeek speaks of the blessed Black Friday and associated sales but also includes a Fanfare for the Common Man.
• Lake Effect Snow, Web Cameras, Travel Insurance and #BestThisWeek November brings snow in Toronto, as we see, and other financial ideas.
• Asteroids, Tax Cuts, Lemurs and #BestThisWeek how many times has the Earth almost been hit by an asteroid? Too often to remember.
• Lame Ducks, Financial Literacy, Working for Free and #BestThisWeek lame duck leaders never really get that much done, no matter how they negotiate.
• Happy Halloween, Income Splitting and #BestThisWeek a wonderful financial time of the year is Halloween? Maybe income splitting is a better subject.
• Ottawa We Shall Remember, Bank of Canada and #BestThisWeek after a bad week in Ottawa, with senseless violence.
• Crashing Markets, Ebola, Low Loonie, Cheap Gas and #BestThisWeek even in 2014 the markets were a little volatile.
• Hockey, Turkey, Leaves, Carry On Bags and #theBestFin4TheWeek is it right that the hockey season starts before Thanksgiving?
• October, Hello Ebola, Give Blood and #theBestFin4TheWeek October arrived unexpectedly this week, almost unnoticed. As we have entered the final (calendar) quarter of the year 2014, it may be time to start considering a year-end review of your financial plans.
• Autumn , United Kingdom, Beer Money, and #theBestFin4TheWeek the colours in Ottawa during Autumn are truly spectacular.
• Pins, Alibaba , Apple Pay , Lecosse , and #theBestFin4TheWeek remember when Alibaba the IPO happened, those were heady days.
• Home Despot, iPhones, and #theBestFin4TheWeek
• Back to School, Tim Burger King, Knee Defenders and #theBestFin4TheWeek will the dutchie ever come back? I can only hope.
• Broken Humerus, Ebola, Anniversaries, Blood and #theBestFin4TheWeek remember when we thought Ebola was going to wipe us out?
• It is Done, Ice Bucket Challenge, Media Perceptions and #theBestFin4TheWeek
• WW1 Centenery, More Hacked Passwords and #theBestFin4TheWeek
• The Long Weekend with no Name, Defaults, and #BestFinancialForTheWeek
• Unmasking Super Heroes, Dogs of Summer and #BestOfFinancialForThisWeek
• All Stars, Al Stars and the #BestOfFinancialForWeek the world cup was a big thing in 2014 as was Bastille day too.
• Brazilian Defeats, Tour De Chunnel, and #BestOfFinancialForWeek you mean Brazil can lose at the world cup?
• Tennis, Racing, Inflation and #BestofFinancial Canada Day is the start of the summer for most Canadians, and financial stories too.
• The Stand, Football Biting, Naughty Banks and #BestofFinancial even in 2014 the banks were misbehaving with shenanigans.
• Elections, Dad’s Day, World Cup, Friday the 13th and #BestofFinancial somehow the Liberals won the 2014 Ontario Provincial Election
• No Rate Hike, Better Performance, Montreal Grand Prix and #Bestof-Financial back in 2014 we were worried about rates, but they were already pretty low.
• Elections, Farewell Knowlton, May Done, and #Bestof-Financial Knowlton Nash was the voice of news for Canada for a while.
• Internet Memory, Grand Prix of Monaco and #FreeFormFridays the Internet has memory?
• Time Off, Elections, Victoria Day and #FreeFormFridays Victoria Day is always a fun weekend.
• Frosts, Elections, Farley Mowat and #FreeFormFridays it does get cold in May!
• Rain, Budgets, Bloggers Meeting, May Day and #FreeFormFridays When financial bloggers meet what happens?
• Beware the Financial Jabberwock, Netflix Expansion, Model Trains, Backups and #FreeFormFridays a thematically odd article.
• Easter is Here and a Saturday #BestOf for the Weekend a time of renewal, new beginnings in life and financially as well.
• RIP Flaherty, Heartbleed, Tax Time, Quebec Elections and #FreeFormFridays the former finance minister did a lot of good for the economy.
• #Selfies, Quebec Election, Big Joe, Awareness, and #FreeFormFridays would Big Joe Mufferaw have been a good fit for the Redblacks? We’ll never know.
• Don Quixote, Tax Time, Cheap Mortgages and #FreeFormFridays gotta hate tax time.
• Spring Has Sprung, March Madness, Celebrity Blogger and #FreeFormFridays talking about Spring in March in Ottawa can be a bit early.
• Pi Day, March Break, Two Ferns, Snow and #FreeFormFridays given pi is infinite, how much pie can we expect?
• Quebec Elections, Eating Sugar, Suing Parents, Big Rocks and #FreeFormFridays those elections in Quebec are never dull.
• Saint David’s Day, Big Posts, RRSP Time, the Dating Game and #FreeFormFridays always a good time to put a Welsh Choir Clip in an article.
• Hockey Day, Tax & RRSP Time and #FreeFormFridays Hockey day in Canada? Well it does happen, right around RRSP time too.
• More Olympics, Budgets, Love Day and #FreeFormFridays Valentine’s Day: Celebrating Love and Dealing with Financial Whining.
• Olympics, Not Super Bowls, Creationism and #FreeFormFridays 2014 Olympics Opening Ceremonies and Soshi Stadium’s Doppleganger: The Super Bowl.
• Senators, Weak Loonie, Superb Owls and #FreeFormFridays Rugby is a Hooligan’s game played by a Gentleman.
• Polar Vorteces, Olympics, Mayors and #FreeFormFridays The Polar Vortex brings Winter in Canada. But don’t worry – -30C highs in Ottawa in January are normal.
• Giveaways, Oil tanks, Eagles and #FreeFormFriday Have you checked your oil tank if you heat with Oil? What will your insurance do if the tank ruptures?
• Truly Canadian Issues, Ultra HD TV, Car Loans and #FreeFormFriday Get your lock de-icer and unlock your Super Mailbox cubicle like I did – Canadian Tire to the rescue!
• Some #RandomThoughts from 2014 Some of the best of, best of posts on my random thoughts weekly post.
• CPP Reform, Snow, Christmas, Boxing day and #FreeFormFriday Did the CPP reform of 2013 fix much? Kind of, but Christmas was coming too.

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My Twitter feed is where I re-tweet many great articles by some of my featured writers (and make the occasional odd or off-colour commentary on life (in 140 characters or less)).