Why would anyone celebrate the opening of an IKEA in Halifax? One reason is there are no IKEA stores in the Maritimes. The closest one is in Quebec, and there are companies that will charge to ship IKEA kits to folks in the Maritimes, but now that is all changed. The Halifax IKEA is now open, and now Maritimers can enjoy meatballs, hot dogs and using Allen keys to build things. Remember to follow the instructions! Follow Squawkfox’s instructions on How to Survive a trip to IKEA. Evidently IKEA stuff is hard to put together so they bought a start up to help you ?
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Why do I know so much about IKEA and the Maritimes? I once made an IKEA run for my daughter from Ottawa to Wolfville to drop off her furniture. Would have been nice to have an IKEA closer by, back then.
President Trump unveiled his new tax plan this week, and it looks interesting, but as with all revised systems, the devil is in the details. In the USA, you can tell the former Canadians, because when an American complains about how high their taxes are, Canadian is the one that chuckles quietly in the background. The Highest tax rate in this new system will be 35% (maybe), in Canada the Federal Highest Tax Bracket is 33%, but remember we do have provincial tax to go with that. Whenever I hear tax reform is coming, I remember to hide more money in my mattress (figuratively speaking).
Pumpkin spice ETF? What is that? Well it is the only place I have not seen those descriptors used. Isn’t pumpkin spice just nutmeg?
Recent Writings
I keep hearing how advice from the past is no longer valid for investing, but I disagree. With Three Investment Credo from the Past I point out that three good points from the past in investing are still quite valid. You can lose money with any investment, keep this in mind.
Good Money Podcasts outlines a few great Podcasts, from Canada, but also points to the Debt Free in 30 Podcast specifically. I was on with Doug Hoyes, and we talked about what happens when a 47 year old gets laid off. Which 47-year-old? Who do you think? Doug is in bankruptcy, and there is always jobs there.
Micro Blogging on Finance
I think Doug is taking a little poetic license on this one, although some say it just might be!
Autumnal Equinox of Money
The autumn is here, the days are getting shorter, and hopefully you have started planning for Christmas and the New Year ahead.
- Kerry from Squawkfox wrote a great piece on 5 Steps to an RDSP. She mentions me in the article, which is very kind of her. Anything to make these important saving vehicles easier for folks to use them.
- Did you make a boo-boo on your tax return, or maybe didn’t declare some income? The Blunt Bean Counter is here to tell us about the Proposed Changes to the Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP). Might be better to come clean now.
- Evidently Equifax CEO Richard Smith is out after stunning data breach, how surprising. The good news he didn’t get his bonus for this year either, however there are reports that he got to keep his pension, which seems a bit much to me. Maybe his data was part of the breach?
- Two tales of unusual nuptials, one being held at a Canadian Cultural Icon, Order up! Two triple-triples and a wedding: Couple gets married at Tim Hortons , and the other a frugal place in Australia, Couple weds at Costco: ‘It just made sense’. True love conquers all! 👰
- Glad to see FAIR Canada and Osgoode Hall Law School launched Canada’s first-ever Investor Protection Clinic, might be worthwhile dropping by if you live in the GTA.
- Michael James did a very good review of Doug Hoyes book Straight Talk on Your Money. Michael seems to have enjoyed the book, and I have listened to the Audiobook and also enjoyed it a great deal. You can find the Audiobook on iTunes or on Audible.
This Quarter Random Thoughts
- Summers end, Taxes, Doomsday Insurance, Uber and #MoneyTalk (September 15th)
- Rates Up Trend, Summer Holidays, High Gas and #Moneytalk (September 8th)
- Farewell PC Financial, Summer Holidays, Bat Guano and #MoneyTalk (August 18th)
- Paying Children to Move out, Sears, and #MoneyTalk (July 28th)
- Rate Reactions, Mortgage Double Ups, Bad Cycling and #MoneyTalk (July 21st)
- Keep Calm and Pay Off Your Debt and #MoneyTalk (July 14th)
2nd Quarter Random Thoughts
- #Canada150, B of C Rates, and #MoneyTalk (June 30th)
- Donuts, Graduations, Summertime and #MoneyTalk #Canada150 (June 23rd)
- Bank Profits, Loose Money, Used House Salesfolk and #MoneyTalk (May 26th)
- Avocado Toast, Victoria Day, Ransomware and #Moneytalk (May 19th)
- RDSP, DTCs, Mother’s Day and #MoneyTalk (May 12th)
- Thanks Prince Phil, More Old Than Young and #MoneyTalk (May 5th)
- MLM, Balanced Budgets, and #Moneytalk (April 28th)
- Overheated Housing Market, Rent Controls and #MoneyTalk (April 21st)
- Ladies on Panels, Good Friday, Friendly Skies, Loose Money and #MoneyTalk (April 14th)
- Tax Time, Housing Bubbles, Financial Easter and #MoneyTalk (April 7th)
1st Quarter 2017 Random Thoughts
- April Fools, High on Life and #MoneyTalk (March 31st)
- Ho Hum Budget, Brackets Busted and #MoneyTalk (March 24th)
- Naughty Banks, March Madness, Big Snow and #MoneyTalk (March 17th)
- Teller Upselling, Auto-filling Taxes, Spring Forward and #MoneyTalk, (March 10th )
- Lent Begins, Loose Money and #MoneyTalk (March 3rd )
- RRSP Season, Tax Time, and #MoneyTalk (February 24th )
- Farewell Vinyl Café, Snow, Monopoly and #MoneyTalk (February 17th )
- RRSP , Tax , TFSA , RESP, and RDSP Time and #MoneyTalk (February 10th )
- Year of the Fire Rooster, Financial Groundhog Day and #MoneyTalk (February 3rd )
- Alternate Financial Facts, 1984 and #Moneytalk (January 27th)
- Bungled Mortgages, Friday the 13th and #Moneytalk (January 13th)
- Merry New Year, CPP, EI and #MoneyTalk (January 6th)
