On July 15, 2023, the Toronto Star published a lengthy article, written by Richard Warnica, about the unregulated services of a debt consultant. While the story focuses on an individual and a particular debt consultancy firm, the context applies to a broad swath of the...
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Emily Emily sat at her kitchen table, staring at the third credit card bill. It was maxed out, just like the other two. Overwhelmed and angry at herself, panic started to creep in. How did she end up in this situation? She used to pay off...
Read MoreAfter the cloudy days of preparing and filing your tax return, many Canadians look forward to the silver lining of a tax refund. Last year I wrote about The Problem with Tax Refunds, arguing that rather than a benefit, refunds represent an interest-free loan to...
Read MoreAmong the biggest items of financial news this month, March 2023, has been the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) followed by Signature Bank. This has Canadians wondering about the security of their deposits at our banks. Deposits at banks that are members of the...
Read MoreAre you looking for New Years Resolutions? If your ideas involve financial concerns, you have come to the right place. Below are nine different options to consider for 2023. All will require a bit of work to accomplish, but equally, all will leave you in...
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In the wake of the re-opening of the economy following the COVID-19 lockdown, inflation was inevitable. Despite the low levels of unemployment, many Canadians are finding that their income is not keeping up with their expenses. Nevertheless, the desire to engage in gift-giving during this...
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It is a cliché that Canadians are loyal to their banks. While it is true that banks or credit unions are necessities of life, we do not need to stay loyal to one bank brand. In this blog post, I will discuss some ways in...
Read MoreFriends of mine were talking about downsizing after they retired. The idea of having a smaller space to maintain was appealing. However, they decided against it for the time being, arguing that having more bedrooms and a bigger backyard was beneficial now that grandchildren were...
Read MoreYou may have seen an article published on April 29 by CBC about “angry and frustrated” teachers who find themselves in the unfortunate position of having their tax refunds delayed. This is because the Eligible Educator School Supply Tax Credit that many teachers had claimed...
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Canada welcomes significant numbers of immigrants each year. However, many people choose to leave Canada for other countries, too. I have relatives and friends who live in the United States, Japan, and Australia, to name just three countries. I lived in Japan myself for a...
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