After attending my youngest daughter’s graduation, I decided to check on my son’s RESP to see just how much money we have so far for his post-secondary education, and thanks to that, I found out… Read More »Automatic Withdrawal Audits
What would you pay $213.52 for? I paid for the new Shingles vaccine, and I feel it was money very well spent . The new Shingles Vaccine was not covered in Ontario for a long time.
I am disturbed to read about a new scam being perpetrated by scum bags, who call unsuspecting folks and claiming that that the victims owe a great deal to the CRA and it must be paid right now. The scam is quite unbelievable if you hear it, but it has caught a few folks already. The CRA has a page for this specific type of scam, so please check this CRA Scams Web Site (by the CRA) and learn how to recognize this kind of scummy behaviour. The CRA are nice folk, but they are a government agency, have definite rules of conduct with the public, and can’t directly harass on the phone (I don’t think). Some simple hints that this is a scam:
Please, don’t be fooled or duped.
Staying with scumbags there were folks in Toronto that were contacting new Parents to try to sell them RESPs. Evidently Rouge Valley Health System had their patient personal info stolen, and this is where these folks got the info to contact the new mothers. Don’t buy stuff over the phone, if you didn’t ask for it in the first place.
Farewell to Canada AM which goes off the air today, after 43 years. The morning show format seems to be dying off, but I haven’t really watched Canada AM for a while (sorry guys).
Will Tragically Hip farewell tour tickets become the next Tulip Bubble for Canada?
A busy week for me at home, so only one new post put in place for the week.
Bad Financial Planners Can Help points out that even if you start with a terrible financial plan, if you review it, revise it and keep it up to date, you might end up with a very good plan. Remember any plan is a living thing, and will need to change with time.
This hour has 22 minutes still continues to be funny, however, in this instance, I fail to see the humor of this (as a parent who has already talked about moving back in with your parents).
Bad financial planners can help even if they create a horrible plan. From a horrible plan, you may be able to create a better plan, but you need to know it is bad.
The Bank of Canada’s key overnight rate stayed at 0.50% this week, so nothing much will be changing in terms of interest rates for a while longer (it seems). The statements made are:
In Canada, the economy’s structural adjustment to the oil price shock continues, but is proving to be uneven. Growth in the first quarter of 2016 appears to be in line with the Bank’s April projection, although business investment and intentions remain disappointing. The second quarter will be much weaker than predicted because of the devastating Alberta wildfires. … The economy is expected to rebound in the third quarter, as oil production resumes and reconstruction begins. … Inflation is roughly in line with the Bank’s expectations… Canada’s housing market continues to display strong regional divergences, reinforced by the complex adjustment underway in the economy. In this context, household vulnerabilities have moved higher. Meanwhile, the risks to the Bank’s inflation projection remain roughly balanced. Therefore, the Bank’s Governing Council judges that the current stance of monetary policy is still appropriate, and the target for the overnight rate remains at 1/2 per cent.
Things seem to be OK for now, and maybe the economy will pick up in the 3rd quarter, although I am intrigued about the statement of a “… complex adjustment underway in the economy…”. Is that a lowering of house prices? Wildly vacillating gas prices? Ludicrously expensive broccoli ? I doubt it, but it is a thought provoking statement.
I did have a Happy Victoria Day, as I usually do. Did you realize that nothing is closed in Quebec on Victoria Day? We in Ottawa know this as we usually speed across the river to get beer on Victoria Day.
Our friends at Stats Canada pointed out we have Expensive Food and Shelter in April in Canada. Nothing really that new and exciting here, except that fresh food is getting darn expensive.
On the technology front I picked up a new computer (desktop) for my son and I learned about Bloatware and Cheap PCs. Assuming this is just harmless stuff can get you in trouble, make sure you clean your computers out and run anti-virus software.
I always like useful financial sayings from movie characters.
Read More »Loose Money and #MoneyTalkThe most valuable commodity I know of is information.
Gordon Gekko (Wallstreet)
