Archive for June 2013
The History of Pension Plans in Canada
Pension plans are in dire straits in Canada. The number of workers covered by defined benefit pension plans has fallen by over 30 per cent in just the last decade. This trend doesn’t look to change anytime soon. What’s behind this steep decline? Low interest rates combined with volatile investment returns are partially to blame…
Read MoreHow to Extend the Life of your Hot Water Heater
With our house closing in on five years old, there are some home maintenance issues that are starting to crop up. Things like the HRV (air exchanger) motor giving out, window seals breaking, and a few more weeds in the grass. The most recent problem was a leaking hot water heater, so I called a…
Read MoreBenefit of Joint Accounts, Claiming Medical Expenses, Basics of Nutrition and More!
Recently married (benefit of joint account?) @ Canadian Money Forum Non-Financial Investments That Can Help Your Financial Situation @ Sustainable Personal Finance What You Need to Know When Claiming Medical Expenses @ Canadian Finance Blog What happens to your spending in the summer? @ Retire Happy Blog What Low Interest Rates Mean for New Homeowners…
Read MoreKnowing When to Buy Dividend Stocks
With my debt and savings habits under control, lately my thoughts have been more so on investing strategies. One investment strategy that I believe in, as you may know, is dividend investing. Dividend investing can mean a couple things. It could include investing for yield or dividend growth. Investing for yield is simply basing purchase…
Read MoreTop Canadian Stock Screeners
For those of you interested in picking your own stocks, one challenge is finding the right companies to invest in and, more importantly, buying stocks at the right price. For instance, if you like dividend paying stocks, some may choose to screen for low book values or payout ratios instead of buying based on yield. …
Read MoreEmployer Bankrupt? Try the Wage Earner Protection Program!
Dealing with a job loss is never easy. The financially-adept deal with the change fairly well as they may be safe with an emergency fund to take them through for a few months or more. Others who prefer to live like the grasshopper rather than the ant add disconcerting questions such as “how do I…
Read MoreHow Stop Loss Orders Work
Many seasoned investors and traders follow the mantra “ride your winners and sell your losers fast” . This is for good reason as stocks tend to be slow to rise, but quick to fall. To mitigate the risk of stocks dropping quickly, many investors use Stop Loss orders to automatically reduce losses or protect their…
Read MoreMBNA Smart Cash Credit Card – Best Credit Card in Canada?
I’ve written about credit cards many times before listing my favorite cash back credit cards to my favorite rewards or points based credit cards. Some people may consider credit cards to be “evil” but really, credit cards don’t have a bias. They are a simply tool and they are only as “useful” as the person…
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