For those of us not directly affected, maybe it is time to check your home insurance policies to see whether this kind of event is covered or not. It would be less than prudent not to do that right now. I wonder what this might do to home insurance rates.
Listen up! Sunday is Mother’s Day, and you better remember the woman who has been, and still is, the center of your world. She’s the one who has guided you to where you are today. If you no longer have your mother, my sympathies go out to you. But if you still have your mother, have you planned what you will do for her on Sunday? And why wait until Sunday to do it? Don’t procrastinate. Show some appreciation and gratitude to the most important woman in your life!
New fathers remember this advice I gave a while ago
A helpful hint for new Fathers out there, you may have the idea that your wife is NOT your Mother so you don’t need to get her anything, you are mistaken. She is your children’s mother, and if you don’t get her something expect a very cold and quiet Sunday (and the argument, “You aren’t MY Mother!”, really seems to exacerbate the whole thing), not that I am speaking from personal experience.
My Writings for the Week Ending May 6th
A lovely spring week in Ottawa, with the Tulips starting to bloom (the squirrels have eaten mine already), but some interesting articles written as well.
With Fees and Penalties I wondered if some existing fees might disappear like the rewind fees on VHS tapes? I somehow doubt many are going away any time very soon.
Debt Consolidation and Tattoo Coverups has me making a connection between bad tattoos and debt (remember I have previously said that Debt is Like Fat and Debts are Like Weeds), and I think the point is well put.
A Money Thought
Don’t buy stuff just because it is on sale! –Anon
No More Half Measures (financially)
Brobible tends to have a lot of entertaining content, and they had a great one with NFL Vet Explains Some Of The Dumb Sh*t Players Blow Money On And This Is Why Most Go Broke (NSFW), I just keep thinking my lifetime aspirations are just too low! If anyone is still keeping score on the Nortel Bankruptcy (speaking of squandering funds), the lawyers are still winning, with an announcement this week Ontario’s top court denies bid by U.S. bondholders in Nortel bankruptcy case. What does it mean? Not much, just more money for the lawyers. Speaking of High Tech bubbles, the WSJ has an interesting heuristic for those looking to invest in Hight Tech companies, Is the Tech Bubble Popping? Ping Pong Offers an Answer, I kid you not, and I think they might be on to something.
I don’t usually espouse one credit card or another (much), however Tom at the Canadian Personal Finance site gives us Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card Review, sounds like a good choice? Want another way to save money? Reddit had an interesting idea with Saving Tip: Try to Have 2 $0 Spent Days Per Week.
Our friends at the Fraser Institute had a look at Daycare and whether it has positive (or negative) effects on children, and came up with an interesting report, Child Care in Canada: Examining the Status Quo in 2015. Seems to imply that Daycare doesn’t help prepare kids for school any more than if they stayed at home? Interesting.
Are you tired of using TD E-Series Funds? The Canadian Couch Potato wants to help you out (if you are) with Ask the Spud: Switching From e-Series Funds to ETFs. As usual a helpful guide, if you are thinking of making this change. Another reason to like Warren Buffett is he seems to hate Hedge Funds, and says so in this Blomberg article Buffett Hits Hedge Funds While They’re Down, Faulting Fees. Who can afford hedge funds? Note Mr. Buffett uses simple Index Funds to make his point. Looking for some simple portfolios to invest with? Robb from Boomer and Echo (I believe the owner of a brand new RGIII Browns jersey) gives you plenty of examples 11 Model Portfolios To Simplify Your Investments (note he does not mention investing in Johnny Manziel anywhere). If you are investing remember to keep close track of how your investments do, but you don’t have to publish them like Mark from My Own Advisor does (monthly) as he does this month March 2016 Dividend Income Update.
You might want to read the Canadian Couch Potato and Boomer & Echo’s articles after you read Michael James’ Reader Question: Changing Asset Allocation, where he does mention his philosophy on changing assets in a portfolio. Nelson at Sustainable Personal Finance hits a good point with Just Say No To Mortgage Life Insurance.
Big Mac Economics
This makes economics that much more understandable (kind of)
2016 Random Thoughts
- January 7th, Market Meltdown, TFSA, WildCard Weekend and #MoneyStories
- January 14th, Cheap Oil, Cheap Dollar, Dead Folk, and #MoneyStories
- January 21st, Loose Money, High Household Debt, Weak Loons and #MoneyStories
- January 29th, Doomsday Clocks, Rogue RRSP Receipts, Cash Crops and #MoneyStories
- February 4th Bouncing Loonies, RRSP Season, Superb Owls and #MoneyStories
- February 12th Lent is Here, Bricked iPhones, Love Day and #MoneyStories
- February 19th Digging Out, Ransomware, RRSP Time and #MoneyStories
- February 26th RRSP Time and #MoneyStories
- March 4th Welcome Americans and #MoneyStories
- March 11th Bank Rate Stays Put, Spring Forward and #MoneyStories
- March 18th Financial March Madness, Budgets and #MoneyStories
- March 25th, Easter is Here and some #MoneyStories
- April 1, Money Fools, Ronnie, and #MoneyStories
- April 8, Tax Time, Spring Delayed, Panama Papers and #MoneyStories
- April 15,Loose Money, Free Stuff, Hockey and #MoneyStories
- April 22,Disabilities, Tax Time, The Queen and #MoneyStories
- April 29, Pitter Patter Tax Time, RESPs are For Rich Folk and #MoneyStories
My Twitter feed is where I re-tweet many great articles by some of my featured writers (and make the occasional odd or off-color commentary on life (in 140 characters or less)). I am also on reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest , Flipboard, Instagram and other Social Media sites (look for the BigCajunMan userid) as well. If you have social media accounts, don’t forget to vote for my posts (see the nifty dashboard on the bottom of each article, where you can cast your votes).As they say in Quebec, vote early and vote often!
No, you don’t have to post updates like I do, but it’s reinforcement for me to stay the course to eventually realize one of our investment goals – passive income for life. It’s coming along and the monthly updates are evidence of that.
Absolutely folks – donate to Red Cross!
Thanks for the mention,
Mark
As I have said before, you are a brave soul.
I gave up buying Browns QB jerseys after Tim Couch. Still have that #2 hanging in my closet. Thanks for the mention!
But this time it is different!
My wife tells me that Mother’s day is a day for fathers to take the kids and give mom a break for the day to do things she wants to do. And she goes on to say that Father’s Day is a day for fathers to embrace their fatherhood and take the kids somewhere to spend the day with them. Thanks for the mention.
I feel like I have heard that before somewhere… oh yeh, from my wife!