Last week, we said goodbye to the Olympics and as well, to the Tragically Hip. I was never a rabid Hip fan, but I enjoy a great deal of their music (and if you listen closely to the lyrics, you might just learn something about Canada). Some might say, life goes on , but that doesn’’’t mean we can’’’t feel sadness about the passing of time. Also, the summer is also almost over.
How much are you willing to pay to save your life? The entire price of EpiPen silliness in the U.S. really does make me wonder if big drug companies assume they are like banks and can charge whatever they want, and there will be no repercussions. As a stockholder in Pfizer (still) I suppose I am a hypocrite for making that comment. However, Pfizer’s big money-maker is still Viagra, and if you want to gouge men who want to have a drug which has a possible side effect of “… an erection lasting more than 4 hours…”, then so be it.
I was disturbed to read the Ontario Ombudsman’s report “Nowhere to Turn”, where the Ombudsman called for systemic overhaul to help adults with developmental disabilities in crisis. The quote in the report that concerns me is:
There is still marked inconsistency in how limited funds are prioritized and distribute and families struggle with interminable waitlist delays, leaving some so desperate that they have abandoned their loved ones.
Ontario Ombudsman
My Writings for Week Ending August 26th
I started the week writing about inflation, and the arithmetic cogitations that make the numbers appear good, but the calculations that tell a different story, with Electricity Prices Continue to Sizzle in July. Electricity prices continue to go up (especially here in Ontario), while gas prices appear to be dropping which are nullifying the effects of the electricity price jump. Fun with Numbers.
I also had a lovely conversation with one of my favorite folks, Kerry from Squawkfox, and she was doing research for some work she is doing for the Globe and Mail. The topic of RESPs came up, and I remembered that I had started an article RESP Proof of Enrolment and its importance to the cashing out of the RESP funds, so I finished that one off. I typically get inspired when I chat with smart money folks, so thanks Kerry.
An Excellent Question
An interesting question from a follower:
When you blow at high dough
Are you thinking about estate planning? Mark from the Blunt Bean Counter is still on summer hours, but brings us from his archive, How your Family Dynamic can affect your Estate Planning . Estate planning may not be #1 on your list of things to do, but it is still an important part of financial planning.
Preet is back and he wrote an article for the Tangerine Forward Thinking newsletter, Unequal incomes between partners who pays for what? That can be a sticky question with some couples. Glad to see that friend of this site Kerry from Squawkfox is back on-line, and gives us Smart Cookie: A vegan gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe. Mark from 2nd Career Search has returned to Canada, and he is writing a series on the differences of lifestyle, read Differences Between Canada and the USA.
I am a big lover of the technology, and barry from Money We Have attempts to clarify some of the newer technologies with FinTech in Canada Explained.
Is it possible to have a 1 fund investment plan? Mark from My Own Advisor points out there are surprisingly a few OK choices in this area, Simple all-in-one investing solutions. Marie from Boomer and Echo discusses another part of your investing plan with, Becoming A Better Investor: Socially Responsible Investing.
The Fraser Institute has published its yearly statement about how much families in Canada pay in taxes, and Michael James has a few questions about their methodology, as he writes in The Average Canadian Family’s Taxes.
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
- May 6, Fort Mac, Mothers and #MoneyTalk
- May 13, Panama Papers, Google & PayDay Loans, Full Moons and #MoneyTalk
- May 20, Victoria Day, The People’s Elbow, Haircuts and #MoneyTalk
- May 27, Loose Money and #MoneyTalk
- June 3, CRA Itunes Pmts, RESP Scams and #MoneyTalk
- June 10, Portal to Hell Opens in Ottawa, BoC FSR and #MoneyTalk
- June 17, Fathers Day, Trump Housing Bubble, and #MoneyTalk
- June 24, Brexit, Fete National, Enhanced CPP and #MoneyTalk
- July 1, Happy Canada Day and Best Mid-Year Financial Stories
- July 8, Brexit Market Mayhem, Millenial Bashing and #MoneyTalk
- July 15,Brexit Hurts, Loose Money, Postal Strikes, Recounts and #Moneytalks
- July 22,More Pensions, New CTC, and #MoneyTalk
- July 31, Unknown Long Weekend, Windows 10 and #MoneyTalk
- August 5, The Olympics, Topless Spelunkers, and #MoneyTalk
- August 12, Women Rule, Less Jobs and #MoneyTalk
- August 19, Obnoxious 30 Year Old Retirees, Olympics and #MoneyTalk
I’d be happy if the Olympics were spread out over a month instead of 2 weeks, but that probably wouldn’t work as well for others. Thanks for the mention.