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Teller Upselling, Auto-filling Taxes, Spring Forward and #MoneyTalk

Upselling Teller
Spring Forward This Weekend (but it isn’t Spring quite yet)

The CBC had a report this week from a TD Teller, who says that he or she is expected to reach goals selling (sometimes unwanted) customer services. This teller stated,  ‘I will do anything I can to make my goal‘. Am I surprised by teller up selling ? Absolutely not, every teller I have dealt with lately has engaged me about new services at the bank. I get harder sells at my bank than I have at car dealerships.  As Michael James has said, Canadian Banks are losing income streams, so they must work hard to get new income streams. Expect teller up selling , just have a polite (but firm) negative response ready.

I am not sure how to politely tell the teller, Sod off, I don’t need credit insurance!, or “No I don’t want to get another credit card“.

Auto-filling has come to the world of Canadian Income Taxes, isn’t it great! I did get a cautionary comment from a reader, to be very careful and make sure the CRA has all of your tax slips before you auto-file. Strangely you can’t blame the CRA for not having all your forms ready.

How goes your Lenten Financial journey? Mine so far is stinking it up big time, but there is time to adjust and fix my plans. Remember it is a journey, not a true false test.

My Writings for the Week Ending March 10th

A quieter week than last week with only 1 article, but an important reminder that it is Tax season with, Tax Tips to Remember 2017 (which is for tax year 2016). Lots of new wrinkles in the system, make sure you get back all the money you are owed. I have had discussions with other financial writers about the TFSA being misnamed. The TFSA makes people think it is a Tax Free Banking Account , which it can be, but not necessarily. Is it just semantics? Not if you are trying to save money.

A Money Thought

An excellent Dilbert cartoon about your level of Risk Tolerance

Read More »Teller Upselling, Auto-filling Taxes, Spring Forward and #MoneyTalk
Tax Free Banking Accounts

Tax Free Banking Account ?

Is the TFSA really just a Tax Free Banking Account , as many institutions seem to sell their customers? No, but many folks seem to think this is the case.

get your taxes done

Tax Tips to Remember

Now that RRSP Season is over (for fiscal year), here are some Tax Tips to help you get your returns completed, and in to the CRA. Some Simple Tax Tips Every year there are nuances… Read More »Tax Tips to Remember

Lent

Lent Begins, Loose Money and #MoneyTalk

Lent for 2017 has begun, and as usual, I hope folks use this period to enrich and change their lives (spiritually and financially). This is an excellent time to try new lifestyles, financial ideas, and concepts. The period is only 40 days, which allows for a short-term experiment.

The Bank of Canada has decided the Inflation scare from Stats Canada is to be ignored for now. The happy world of loose money continues on, but for how much longer? The Bank did comment on the current economic state:

“In Canada, recent consumption and housing indicators suggest growth in the fourth quarter of 2016 may have been slightly stronger than expected. However, exports continue to face the ongoing competitiveness challenges described in the January MPR…. In this context, Governing Council judges that the current stance of monetary policy is still appropriate and maintains the target for the overnight rate at 1/2 per cent.”

The days of incredibly loose money policies may be numbered, but I have been saying that for about 10 years.

Ontarians will be paying less for electricity soon (17% less?), but will be paying for it later. What will lower hydro bills in Ontario do to the Inflation numbers? Will this somehow salvage the Liberals’ chances in the next provincial election?

RRSP season is over, but it has also begun again for 2018. What if you put a little away every pay cheque, and adjusted your tax at source to reflect that? That way, you will not be loaning the government money this year.

It is Crashed Ice weekend here in Ottawa. Crazed skaters go up and down a roller coaster of an ice track, racing each other? Luckily it has cooled off. What better way to help celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday?

My Writings for the Week Ending March 3rd

It was a busy week for me, with plenty to write about. I started off with Gasoline Pushed Inflation to 2.1 %, which of course is from our friends at Stats Canada. The good news is that fresh fruit and veggies are cheaper. With RRSP season coming to a close on March 1st, I felt it important to remind folks about 5 Things to Remember about RRSPs. Finally with Lent starting on March 1, I gave a few good ideas of things to try out during Lent with, Money and Lent : Clutter too ?

A Money Thought

I sometimes like making flow charts, and this is one of my favorites. Yes the box shapes really mean something.

Read More »Lent Begins, Loose Money and #MoneyTalk
Lent 40 bags

Money and Lent: Clutter too?

Lent can be a time of growth, and it is an excellent time to meld money and lent together to fix up your financial world, and try new things out.

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