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CLBs, Weak Loons, Tax Time, Superb Owls and #BestThisWeek

The predicted snowmagedon for New York didn’t really appear, however, Boston took it on the nose as did the Maritime provinces, Ottawa continues to be storm free (for now). Ottawa’s weather has been cold but lacking in precipitation, but we still have February and March to get through yet.

A signature success/Un succès sur toute la ligne
Can I have this one?

This week we heard about SmartSaver which looks like a good program to make sure that the folks who the CLB (Canada Learning Bond) was designed for, receive the money they deserve. I also got mentioned by Rob Carrick so lots of new eyes have been wandering across the site, let us hope a few of you have stayed around to continue visiting.

The Canadian Dollar is now below 80 cents US, and how this changes the economy remains to be seen. Imports will start getting more expensive (again), but will this help Canadian Manufacturing? It also means that there won’t be an NHL team in Quebec City for a good long time (this will hurt the Canadian NHL teams in terms of having to pay their payroll in US Funds, but earning their income in Canadian Funds).

It is also time to start thinking about your taxes, joy! You better start making a list of all the forms you will need to be able to file your return, and try to get it in as soon as possible (unless you owe money, but even then, you can file early and then only pay on the last day (on-line at your bank)).

Evidently there is a celebration of Owls this weekend, and a quest to find the one that is the most Superb? It’s called the Super Bowl? Oh, well that makes more sense then, good luck to both teams, and I hope they both lose (being a Giants fan).

My Writings for Week Ending January 30th

Something must be in the air, I wrote 5 articles this week? Haven’t done that for a good long while :

Read More »CLBs, Weak Loons, Tax Time, Superb Owls and #BestThisWeek
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Looser Money, Plummeting Loons and #BestThisWeek

The Bank of Canada threw us all a knuckleball this week when they announced a quarter point drop of their key overnight rate (on Wednesday). The rate is now at 3/4%, dropping a 1/4, and it seems the Bank assumes the economy needs even more stimulus.

The telling statement from their announcement is the final paragraph of their statement:

The oil price shock increases both downside risks to the inflation profile and financial stability risks. The Bank’s policy action is intended to provide insurance against these risks, support the sectoral adjustment needed to strengthen investment and growth, and bring the Canadian economy back to full capacity and inflation to target within the projection horizon.

Money RESP
Shrinking Money (never machine wash money)

This suggests that the very commodity-reliant, Canadian economy is going to take a hoof in the “lower abdomen” thanks to plummeting oil prices. Lower inflation, but higher unemployment seems to be on the event horizon.

The Canadian dollar continues to plummet, thanks to very low oil prices, which may slow down the cross-border shopping insanity that has been going on for a while. Maybe we shall see more of our American family dropping by in Canada this summer? Is this lower interest rate simply going to accelerate the drop of the Dollar’s value? Some experts feel this is going to cause a Canadian dollar back around the 70 cent level (compared to the US dollar), we shall see whether that comes to pass.

My Writings for Week Ending January 23rd

The cold of Ottawa in January constantly begs the question, why do we live here?

Read More »Looser Money, Plummeting Loons and #BestThisWeek
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Canadian Economy on the Edge, Frigid Temps and #BestThisWeek

It’s evident that the Canadian economy is on the verge of a major bust due to the sharp decline in the price of oil. The situation is dire, and there’s a high probability that it may plummet soon. Layoffs in Alberta are just the beginning of the ripple effects that will soon be felt across the country. The US economy could experience a surge due to the lower oil prices, leading to a significant divergence in the neighbouring economies’ trajectories. This scenario poses several challenges that need to be addressed urgently.

  • A quickly weakening Canadian Dollar means many imports are going to get very expensive (very quickly). The other side of that sword is Canadian exports (that are not commodity based) suddenly get cheaper (to the rest of the world).
  • American investments in your RRSPs will strengthen with the weakening dollar, but Canadian stocks may take a hit, due to the weakening economy.
  • Interest rates? Could go either way really, given imports will increase in price, but gas prices continuing to drop may offset.

Buckle up folks this is going to be a very rough (economic) ride ahead.

In Ottawa we have been having our standard bitter cold (not bitter cold like in Alert, but still cold), which means the Rideau Canal skateway is open, and driving is quite exciting with all of the black ice. Too bad it’s going to cost more to vacation down south this winter (again with the weakening Canadian Dollar).

Repeat Site note: If you feel so inclined my site now has a cert, so you can now read https://www.canajunfinances.com if you so choose. I am still knocking the kinks out of things, but it should work just fine for you.

My Writings for Week Ending January 16th

I turned 54 this week, life continues on, but I am 1 year closer to my retirement. Maybe (and more likely, maybe not):

Read More »Canadian Economy on the Edge, Frigid Temps and #BestThisWeek
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Frigid Temps, Plunging Oil, Paris and #BestThisWeek

The Winter has come to Ottawa, with frigid temperatures, that remind us that the concept of Global Warming is a bit of a misnomer, but climate change might be nice (a little warmer in January please). When your wheels freeze squared you know it is a cold day in Canada.

Thanks to a glut of oil on the market, gas prices continue to plummet to 20th Century levels. Here in Ottawa, we have seen 88.6 cents per litre gasoline and there are rumours of even deeper price cuts coming very soon. This is not very good news for the Canadian economy, with many layoffs in the Oil Patches, and Oil related businesses. What is causing this? I really don’t know, but it is causing troubles for countries like Russia and Venezuela, I wonder if someone is trying to make this happen? Interesting political intrigue if that is the case.

Normally I wouldn’t write about the horrific events in Paris, but seeing as I am a member of the media (note the small m) I am appalled by the events. Je suis Charlie, has become the battle cry for those in France, and I am glad to see the outpouring from the Political Satirists around the world. When 12 people are murdered in this fashion, for the reasons put forward, it is simply an abomination.

Site note: If you feel so inclined my site now has a cert, so you can now read https://www.canajunfinances.com if you so choose. I am still knocking the kinks out of things, but it should work just fine for you.

My Writings for Week Ending January 9th

The raw cold reminds me why I love the summers so much, and how I should cherish those days:

  • Last week I wrote a quick note about Quicken and transferring Mutual Funds which really wasn’t about Quicken, it was more of a step by step on how to transfer I series Mutual Funds at TD to the much lower MER E-Series Funds
  • Happy Financial New Year is me again reminding you of the importance of starting the new year on the right foot (or left foot if you wish) and some of the things you should be thinking about.
  • Are the money media folks going into Financial Jargon Overload ? I think some of the TV outlets are way over the top, but most financial writers try to not overdo some of the more, shall we say, trite claptrap we here in other areas.
  • Random Thoughts on 2014, Welcome to MMXV and #BestOf how well did 2014 really go?
Read More »Frigid Temps, Plunging Oil, Paris and #BestThisWeek
The Dutchie

Random Thoughts on 2014, Welcome to MMXV and #BestOf

They year 2014 ended with a wimper, but there were plenty of interesting articles written and read for year MMXIV.

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