The world changes today, with the full release of the 7th chapter of the ongoing Star Wars Saga (at least that is what the Media Hype Machine might have you believe). I am old enough to remember going to the Snowden cinema in Montreal to watch the original release (chapter 4) in the ’70s. I like the movies, but I am just not that psyched to want to go to the movie just yet. I’ll wait until January after I have heard all the spoilers online. There is a very festive Star Wars clip at the end of this post too.
Have you finished your Christmas shopping frenzy? I am sure I have not, but that is part of the holiday season for me (the Christmas week panic).
Interesting to see that Shaw Communications has bought Wind Mobile (or is proposing to do so), which could mean more competition in the mobile phone industry, which is never a bad thing (in my opinion). Shaw says they won’t be changing Wind’s low-cost plans, and that would be a very good thing, especially if they improve the coverage map, but that remains to be seen.
Scheduling note: since next Friday is the big day, don’t expect to see anything from me, other than my typical Christmas Address, but there will be my traditional end of year festivities.
My Writings for Week Ending December 18th
Our tree is up, but there are still far too many things to do before the big day. I think I may have misunderstood the message on this one on TFSA Transfers. The spirit of Dickens’ Christmas Carol got to me with Financial Hauntings
On the sister site, there was a new security update as well.
Facebook Post of the Week
I posted on my regular feed an old article that Larry MacDonald did in 2008 with me as the subject and now everyone at work is asking me about investing questions? Larry is writing a follow-up in the Globe.
Advent is almost over
Mark from the Blunt Bean Counter was a guest on a podcast and if you are wondering what he looks like, make sure you check out his follow-up the article about it, Getting Your Financial Affairs in Order The American political system fascinates me sometimes, and evidently, it worries Mark from 2nd Career Search, who wrote about. Increasing American Democracy .
Million Dollar Journey provided an impressive financial freedom update. The NYMag asks Is There a Biological Purpose for Profanity? I f*cking well hope so, is all I can say. Speaking of profanity at least there is Beer in some Grocery stores in Ontario, again about f*cking time.
Mark from My Own Advisor brings us 5 signs you’re a financial disaster, is it a bad thing I recognize some of those in me?
Did you realize that Mutual Funds have classes? I knew a little about this, but luckily Marie from Boomer and Echo elaborated more on this with Easy As ABC? Understanding Different Mutual Fund Classes. I knew about E-series, that is for sure.
Michael James continues on with his contrarian ways with ETF Investment Tips I Don’t Follow, where he finds a few things on a good list of stuff that he won’t do with his ETF investing.
TFSA Rules on a White Board
Preet explains the new TFSA rules to us on a whiteboard, very informative
Star Wars Yule Log
Nothing says Christmas more than a funeral pyre, I always say, and this video is 5 hours long
2015 Random Thoughts
- January 2nd Random Thoughts on 2014, Welcome to MMXV and #BestOf
- January 9th Frigid Temps, Plunging Oil, Paris and #BestThisWeek
- January 16th Canadian Economy on the Edge, Frigid Temps and #BestThisWeek
- January 23rd Looser Money, Plummeting Loons and #BestThisWeek
- January 30th CLBs, Weak Loons, Tax Time, Superb Owls and #BestThisWeek
- February 6th Superb Decisions, Gas Going Up, Rugby and #BestThisWeek
- February 13th RRSPs, Valentines, 50 Shades of Debt and #BestOfThisWeek
- February 20th Lent Begins, Freezing Temps, Apples and RRSP and #BestOfThisWeek
- February 27th RRSPs, Saint David, Right Arm and #BestOfThisWeek
- March 6th Illness, K-Cups, Interest Rates and #BestOfThisWeek
- March 13th March Madness, Taxes, Friday the 13th and #BestOfThisWeek
- March 20th Spring has Sprung, Ten Years, The Madness and #BestOfThisWeek
- March 27th Death of EPost, More Madness, and #BestMoneyStories
- April 10th Senators, Retiring Rich and #BestMoneyStories
- April 17th Playoffs, Tax Time, Beer tax and #BestMoneyStories
- April 24th RRIF Allowances, Bursary Changes, Budgets and #BestMoneyStories
- May 1st Tax Extensions, Golf Season, Bank Fees, May Day and #BestMoneyStories
- May 8th Alberta Valium, Mother’s Day, Che Guevara, Pay Day Loans and #BestMoneyStories
- May 15th Starbucks, Monty Burns and #BestMoneyStories
- May 22nd Coach Money, CPP Up 18 pct, Losing $15B and #BestMoneyStories
- May 29th Easy Money, Better Cell Deals, Dirty Football and #BestMoneyStories
- June 5th Starbucks, Hacked Government Folk and #BestMoneyStories
- June 12th Voldemort for PM, HSBC Cuts 50K, Hockey Talk and #BestMoneyStories
- June 19th Aeroplan Student Loans, Dad’s Day, Kill CSBs and #BestMoneyStories
- June 26th Summer is Here, Canada Day, Christmas and #BestMoneyStories
- July 3rd 2 Day Work Weeks, 4th of July, Greece, and #BestMoneyStories
- July 10th Glitches, Greece, Recessions and #BestMoneyStories
- July 17th Loosest Money, Weddings, Greece and #BestMoneyStories
- July 24th, Family Allowance, Diving Dollar, Access Sharing and #BestMoneyStories
- July 31st, Elections, Heat, Cheap Oil, and #BestMoneyStories
- August 7th, Cheap Gold, Cheap Oil, Weak Dollar, Election Week 1 and #BestMoneyStories
- August 14th, RDSPs, Thrifty NFLers , Election Ho Hum and #BestMoneyStories
- August 21st, Rhinos Return, No Good Debt, Election Banter and #BestMoneyStories
- August 28th, Boom Goes the Markets, Market Cheese, and #BestMoneyStories
- September 4th, Back to School, RESPs, Banks Behaving Badly and #MoneyStories
- September 11th, That Day, I Miss Jack, Easy Money and #MoneyStories
- September 18th, Surplus, What Surplus, NBA Frugality, National Debt and #MoneyStories
- September 25th, The Pope, Autumn, Elections, Volkswagen and #MoneyStories
- October 2nd, An Older Canada, Farewell Max, and #MoneyStories
- October 9th, Turkey Day, Elections and #MoneyStories
- October 16th, CPFC15, Election Day, Jays and #MoneyStories
- October 23rd, Election Reflections, Loose Money and #MoneyStories
- October 30th, Spooky Prices, Falling Back, and #MoneyStories
- November 6th, Financial Literacy, New Cabinet, Hydro One and #MoneyStories
- November 13th, Remembrance, Friday the 13th, Financial Literacy and #MoneyStories
- November 20th, Paris, Black Friday, Financial Literacy and #MoneyStories
- November 27th, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Regretful Tuesday and #MoneyStories
- December 4th, Loopy Hydro, Loose Money, Disabilities, Advent and #MoneyStories
- December 11th, Advent, TFSA Drops, Negative Interest and #MoneyStories
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Thanks for the mention BCM. Hope you had a great weekend. BTW – I just read your M&MM article in the Globe – nicely done 🙂
Mark
The photo is an odd one, but yes, it proves how good a writer Larry is to make me not sound like a financial poltroon of a ninny.
Beer in the grocery store sounded better before I found out it was only 6-packs and that the prices would not be any lower than at the beer store. Thanks for the mention.
Yeh, as usual it is a half-baked solution, but it is a start too.