Random Thoughts

Let the games begin! Today the Rio Olympics start, and hopefully it will all go off relatively well. Speaking as a Montrealer that lived through the 1976 Olympics and the financial aftermath, hopefully Rio has not written a cheque that will take decades to pay off. I still remember seeing Lasse Viren running up Rockland Road during the Marathon.

I am on vacation this week, so I have been watching with a high level of confusion what is going on in the U.S.A.. There are even pundits claiming Mr. Trump might actually be trying to throw the election? Seems far-fetched, but I believe the main-stream media wants all of this, and would relish a Trump Presidency, just because folks would be watching the news every night! All we have in Canada is a shirtless PM wandering around caves, and then surfer PM appeared as well? #WTF?

Sometimes we forget the importance of taking time off, and as I get closer to retirement, I am starting to figure out, I am going to need to figure out how to enjoy myself, and not think about work. I learned when I got laid off, that nothing is that important at work (since the things I was worrying about the week before I got canned, didn’t matter 5 minutes after I got laid off). Learn to enjoy, and take time off, I am still figuring it out (maybe I will take up surfing?)

My Writings for Week Ending August 5th

I am on vacation this week, and I finally wrote my review of the one financial tool I keep using, even though the developers seem to have abandoned it, and I vent my frustration in Quicken 2016 Canadian Edition Review . Don’t buy it. Investor Junkie has a much more positive view on things in this review, but give this year a pass (unless you must get it).

A Money Thought

As usual Kerry from Squawkfox hits the nail on the head with this tweet.

From 2016 but still some useful financial articles and a big stinky plant too!

In most places in Canada, this is a long weekend ahead (except in Quebec), but in Ontario, we are so lazy we don’t even have a name for it. Here in Ottawa, it is Colonel By day, near Toronto it is Simcoe Days, elsewhere, who knows? I appreciate that the Ontario government is busy trying to Tax Taxes, or make large payouts for programs that never happened (i.e. the Ontario Pension Plan), but could we not just name this silly thing and be done with it?

The ongoing political circus in the United States is nothing short of a reality show. However, it has been a blessing in disguise for Canada’s tourism industry. With all sides claiming that if the opposing side wins, Americans will be flocking to Canada, we might have to consider building new cities to accommodate them. Let’s not forget, immigration is what made Canada great, and everyone is welcome here. But remember guests, please wipe your feet before entering and always be polite to your hosts.

Remember the “Free Windows 10 upgrade” is now at an end for folks. Funny my Mac comes with a free OS, that seems to load from anywhere, but that is me just being a “Neo Zoom Dweebie” isn’t it? Do your upgrade or be forced to fork out some money.

Speaking of smelly things, evidently, A Corpse Flower Has Started to Bloom After a 10 Year Wait at the New York Botanical Garden, why would you want to go there?

My Writings for the Week Ending July 30th

I posted two things this week, the first one, a commentary on the data from Stats Canada, Zap! Electricity Prices Pushes Inflation in June, and the price of electricity in Ontario is beyond ridiculous. I grew up in Quebec, and for all the commentaries you wish to make about La Belle Province, they got the electricity thing right (on the backs of 1st Nations and Newfoundland, admittedly).

For those of us with kids that are in Post-secondary programs, about now is when we get the Tuition Bill for the fall, and I had a look at one from Queen’s and was floored by the additional fees, so, naturally, I had to write about it in, The Business of University Fees. I should start my own University bet I could make some money (yes that was a Trump jab).

A Money Thought

Every time I browse /personalfinance, I end up reading posts by people half my age complaining about making twice as much as I do. from Showerthoughts

Reddit

According to our friends at Stats Canada more Canadians are in Pensions (up by almost 1.2%), which surprised me. This would suggest all this palaver and gum-flapping about Canadians not having enough money to retire was just Media over-reaction, however if you read the report a little closer, there is a telling statement:

In 2014, just over 4,380,000 employees were in defined benefit pension plans, down 0.5% from 2013, and down 8.3% from a high of 4,776,000 in 1992. Defined benefit plans accounted for 70.0% of employees belonging to an RPP in 2014, a drop from 71.2% in 2013, and down from over 90% in the 1980s.

So the Defined Benefit Pension Plan is slowly dying off (except in the Public Sector) and the Defined Contribution (and the hybrid mutations of that concept) are where there is growth. This makes more sense, most private sector companies cannot afford a defined benefit pension system (whether the Government can afford their pension system remains to be seen).

For those of us with kids, that aren’t making too much, the new Child Tax Credit (CTC) just kicked in. The good news it is tax-free, but if you make too much money, you get nothing. There is an old (but still helpful) video from Preet about this exact topic at the end of this article.

My Writings for Week Ending July 22nd

In summer mode, I am actually accumulating more unfinished titles in my writing pile, but What is Couch Potato Investing? came up as a question a co-worker (who is an occasional reader) asked me what it meant, and to my surprise I have talked about the topic a lot, but I have never really given as simple overview of what it meant, so there it was. I have written about the concepts of Couch Potato investing, but this article let’s folks understand the basics (I hope).

A Money Thought

Given Mr. Trump is now the Republican Candidate for the President, I have been researching some of his more interesting quotes, I like this one from “Trump University Entrepreneurship 101: How to Turn Your Idea into a Money Machine”

If you’re not satisfied with the status quo in your career, read this book, pick one key idea, and implement it. I guarantee it will make you money. —Donald J. Trump

I am reading the book for free on-line, so I feel I am already ahead of the game (i.e. I saved money by not buying the book).

The Bank of Canada’s opinion is that Brexit is going to hurt the Canadian Economy (and its possible recovery) this year, which isn’t really news, but it is an interesting observation. This and a bunch of other information was reported by the Bank of Canada, when they reported they will not be doing anything to their key overnight rate. The Canadian economy continues to be in a very fragile state, and raising interest rates is unnecessary (or ill-advised, depending on how you read the report) at the moment. There exact statement was:

Inflation in Canada is on track to return to 2 per cent in 2017 as the complex adjustment underway in Canada’s economy proceeds. The fundamentals remain in place for a pickup in growth over the projection horizon, albeit in a climate of heightened uncertainty.

We do seem to be living in very uncertain times.

So far we have no lock out or Postal Strike, while they keep talking,  but should you really be waiting for the fat to hit the fire? Remember to sign up for Direct Deposit with the Government (although allegedly those cheques will keep going?). Get your bills delivered by E-mail as well (most of your major bills will do that). For your packages, well that might be an issue.

As a practicing Anglican, I was appalled to see that when a motion at Synod (think of Church Parliament) is either defeated or passed by a single vote, there is not an automatic recount. While Anglicans are nice folk (in general), we do seem to have some very odd ways of dealing with issues.

What will Oktoberfest do now? Evidently Polka King Walter Ostanek won a lottery grand prize of $1M, who will be playing Roll out the Barrel or Too Fat Polka in Kitchener in October? Someone call Uncle Franz! Ach, du lieber Gott in Himmel !

My Writings for Week Ending July 15th

I am slowly getting through my archive of nearly started articles (still over 220) and My Four Best Investments was written on the way back from my daughter’s graduation from Trent University. This isn’t meant as a jab at those who choose not to subsidize their kids post-secondary education, just that if I hadn’t invested in my kids’ education, I most likely would have blown it on something else.

0% Financing On Cars, That’s Good, Right?

Preet has been busy this week and he has a new white board session outlining why 0% financing on your car might not be your best deal. I buy used cars, and you never get 0% financing on those.