Saving Strategies
Fixed Income Faceoff: Bond ETFs vs GICs vs High Interest Savings Accounts
For income-oriented Canadian investors the choice between a Bond ETF and a GIC or high interest savings account has become more important than ever. With interest rates at historic lows (and not looking up any time soon) picking the best option for the “safe” part of our portfolio can make a substantial difference to the…
Read MoreWays to Maximize the Canada Child Benefit (CCB)
After filing my income tax return in mid-April (yes, I tend to procrastinate), I noticed on the bottom of the screen the amount that we will receive for the Canada Child Benefit. While we’ve been receiving this benefit since the Trudeau administration has been in power (2016), what really got me thinking is that we’ll…
Read MoreThe Mini-Split Heat Pump Experiment – Will it Save You Money?
Way back in 2008, we completed a custom home that we still live in today. In that same year, I wrote a post about my regrets of not going with a heat pump to save money on energy bills. I’m not sure if you use electric heat where you are from, but if you do,…
Read MoreUsing GIC’s for your Short Term Savings
**This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of EQ Bank. However, as always, all opinions are my own. For a more detailed overview, you can also read my full EQ Bank review. I get a number of daily requests for sponsored posts but I generally ignore them unless it’s a product that…
Read More4 Ways to Get Your Credit Score (and Credit Report) for FREE
This post was originally written in 2016, but with new free products (see Borrowell below), and a friend asking about how to obtain credit scores, I thought there was value in updating this post. Credit cards and mortgages are a hot topic in the personal finance world. Since both are essentially loans, credit issuers and…
Read MoreHow to Save Money – 28 Ways to Save Money (2018)
I’ve written about my saving strategies and frugal living before, but I’ve decided to write an updated post in a numbered list format on how to save money and the various ways to save money on a day to day basis. This post was inspired by similar posts on other blogs like CashMoneyLife. Included below are 25…
Read More7 Smart Ways to Spend your Tax Refund
This is a re-post but highly relevant. Enjoy! As most people filed their tax return before the income tax deadline, it’s now a matter of waiting for that juicy tax return. Most consider tax refunds to be “free money” that was unaccounted for. And it’s true, you can do whatever you want with the money. However, in…
Read MoreSave Money with USD to CAD Foreign Exchange using Norbert’s Gambit
With the U.S Dollar (USD) gaining strength in the global currency game, it has resulted in the Canadian Dollar (CAD) losing some ground. While this means that shopping in USD is more expensive for Canadians, it’s great news for those who have some of their nest egg or generate income in USD. While it’s a…
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