Archive for April 2008
April 2008 Net Worth Update (+1.65%)
Another month has gone by already which means it's time to do a quick financial checkup. Lets start with the markets. It seems that the markets have stabilized and even on an uptrend. I'm not sure how long this is going to last, but I'm not too worried as most of my money is in…
Read MoreSmith Manoeuvre Portfolio – April 2008
Since the beginning of MDJ, I have talked about the Smith Manoeuvre. For those of you just joining us, The Smith Manoeuvre is a wealth strategy that utilizes a home equity loan to invest in income producing assets. The result is a tax deductible loan and portfolio that increases as you pay down your mortgage.…
Read MoreFinancial Infidelity – The Leading Cause of Divorce?
I was doing my regular web money reading and came across an interesting article on MSN Money Central about marriage infidelity. No, not that kind of infidelity, I'm talking about financial infidelity. What is financial infidelity? This is where one spouse in the relationship overspends without the other spouse knowing. I can see this being…
Read MoreGetting Organized for Tax Season
As the tax deadline is approaching, the procrastinators out there are scrambling to get their receipts in order to file their income taxes. Yes, I am one of those procrastinators, but this year tax preparation has been easier than previous years. There have been years where my receipts were a mess and difficult to locate. …
Read MoreAsk the Readers: Giving Money as a Gift, How Much?
If you’ve ever given money as a gift, how much did you give? This is a tricky question and probably something that not a lot of people talk about. How much money is appropriate as a gift for various occasions? For weddings, we typically give enough to cover the cost of our meal in addition…
Read MoreThe KISS Principle
Continuing on from my post about "The best time to start is now", I'm going to expand on the concept with the KISS principle. The KISS principle is something that I "try" to live my life by. No, it's not about kissing girls (or is it?), KISS in this case stands for "Keep It Simple…
Read MoreHaving a Newborn – Getting Down to Business
Man, newborns sure do poop a lot. I always knew that a lot of diaper changes would be required, but they go through diapers like they own stock in “Pampers“. Anyways, poop is not the topic of this post, it’s the financial business that must be carried out after a baby is welcomed into the…
Read MoreNew Car every 10 years or Used Car every 5?
David asked an interesting question in the comments section of “Best and Worst Used Cars of 2007“, the question was: .. is it cheaper to buy a used car every 5 years, or a new one every 10 – 12? I currently have a ‘95 Dakota (needed a new rear diff this year (caused by…
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