Hope everyone is enjoying the festive last week of RRSP season and for those who enjoy getting that last-minute Income Tax break buzz, you have until Monday next week to get your last minute RRSP contributions in place, to get a break on your 2014 taxes. As I mentioned this week, maybe we should have this kind of excitement for TFSAs? It’s not necessary as the limits carry forward for you (another reason to like the TFSA more than the RRSP).
Sunday is Saint David’s Day for my Welsh brethren. Wales plays France on Saint David’s Eve, let us hope for a festive win to help usher in this happy day. Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus.
Dydd GwÅ·l Dewi (Sant) hapus
I gave blood again this week, and due to a small pimple on my regular “giving arm” I gave with my right arm this time. Always an exciting time, but it worked just fine, and I can now feel pious for Lent, knowing I helped someone out. Have you given blood lately? If you can, why not?
The Rideau Canal has set a record for a number of days open this year. We in Ottawa hope it won’t still be open in May.
My Writings for Week Ending February 27th
I did enjoy the festive feel for this final week of RRSPs, and my twitter feed was peppered with useful RRSP commentaries :
- Didn’t hear if anyone used my RRSP Bingo card for their RRSP purchases, I hope someone had fun with it.
- What order do you do your savings RRSP then TFSA ? I have a different idea, but if you are a regular reader you can guess my point of view on this.
- Lent Begins, Freezing Temps, Apples and RRSP and #BestOfThisWeek
This Week’s Finest Financial
This week continues to be interesting, in that many folks are concentrating on the impending RRSP deadline while other folks are ignoring it altogether. My mind continues to be blown from Cookie Monster’s statement that “Lobsters are Mermaids to Scorpions”, I just can’t get my head around that idea. While trying to unblow my mind, I did read Mark from Blunt Bean Counter’s warning RRSP Withdrawals – Two Tax Traps, and I agree you really shouldn’t be taking money out of your RRSP except for a few specific reasons (no, I need a new speedboat is not one of those reasons). Thinking of trying to do an RRSP swap? Not sure what the current status of that is, but the Canadian Capitalist wrote back in 2011 about TD Waterhouse Disallowing RRSP Swap Transactions, anybody know whether we can do this now? Wondering where to invest your RRSP money? Million Dollar Journey gives us a list of places NOT to put your money with The Dogs of the TSX 2015 (and some of these have fleas). The Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives (or Captain Obvious) made the bold statement that High Mutual Fund Fees could Delay Your Retirement Plans, in other news, the sun could rise tomorrow.
Are you thinking of starting a small business down south? Mark from 2nd Career Search talks about Setting up a Small Business in 2015. Marie from Boomer and Echo wants to know whether you are a Risk Taker ? (like those that might start a small business say).
On the technology side of the coin, how hard would it be to hack your brand new car? With $15 in Radio Shack parts this kid can do it, oh my. What is the future of easy payment? How about a skin tattoo with NFC built in? Seems Lenovo (no they aren’t an IBM company any more) slipped Superfish malware into their laptops, which can cause you lots of security headaches, wonder why they did that? Our amigos down south, now have Net Neutrality (or at least whatever the FCC thinks it is), which allegedly outlaws “fast lanes” and paid performance upgrades (from the server side), what it all means we shall see. In Canada, monopolies still rule and the CRTC is ok with that.
Michael James disagrees with Jon Chevreau about whether Wealthy Canadians are Double-Taxed, but he does have some other points of view about the tax system too. Barry at Money We Have discusses when do you Do Your Own Taxes or Hire a Pro, and of course the answer is, that depends. Speaking of Taxes Mark from My Own Advisor brings us Tax tips every Canadian Should Know, some very good reminders here.
If you were watching the Global Morning show in Toronto on Monday you might have seen Preet talking about he $250K 300 square foot “micro” condos being sold in Toronto, I’d like to point out that is the size of the master bedroom in my house, could you live in a 20′ x 15′ room? I guess that might be a spacious place to live, if I was a gerbil.
Deep RRSP Thoughts
Friend of the Canadian Financial Place Som Seif gives us a quickie on savings and RRSPs (from the Globe and Mail):
Great to be mentioned, thanks very much! Good on you to donate blood BCM.
Have a great weekend!
Mark
Thanks for the mention!
My taxes are starting to get a little more complicated but I’m still doing them myself. In a few years I may use a pro.
Sorry about misreading your article that I pointed to in my Friday roundup. I’ve fixed it now. Thanks for the mention.
No worries, I thought I had written that… had to go back and check! 🙂 I think the TFSA is getting a bad rap, it should at least be the “Emergency Fund” that all financial bloggers keep yapping about…