The NCAA Men’s basketball Final Four is this weekend, and my bracket is completely shot. Some great basketball, as well as some very disturbing video (luckily the Louisville player should recover from a hideous compound fracture that caused more than one TV viewer to lose their lunch). I do enjoy watching these games, however, all good things must come to an end. More interestingly are you aware of the court case Ed O’Bannon vs. the NCAA ? This case may change how the NCAA and University Sports do business, and in my opinion about time. The NCAA has billion dollar TV deals, yet the players in the games don’t see too much of that money, I think things are going to have to change, and maybe the courts will have to make that happen.
Oh and in another note, Mike Rice is now the former coach at Rutgers after videos of him throwing balls at players, shoving players and using an Anti-gay slur came to the surface. LeBron James summed it up well when he tweeted:
Well put Mr. James, well put.
What holds the cosmos together, but no one knows if it exists, or has been able to prove its existence? Why Dark Matter of course (no that is not the name of some new WWE Wrestler), and evidently at $2 Billion piece of equipment on the space station makes it easier to believe in Dark Matter.
It’s Tax Time here in Canada, and you had better get your collective tail in gear and get your return in! Deadline is April 30, 2013 (if you file once a year, if you file quarterly, you have other dates to worry about), so don’t be like a co-worker of mine who hadn’t filed tax returns for the past 5 years or so. If you follow the CRA Twitter Feed you’ll see a lot of folks get stiff fines for not filing (even if they don’t owe money).
My Weekly Recap
Another fairly odd thematic week on the home front, my guess is the long weekend scrambled my brains a little:
My Writings for Week Ending April 5thIf it’s Dark It Must Matter! | ||||
Financial RebootExcuse me but have you rebooted your financial world lately? Maybe it’s time to think about doing just that? |
5 Reasons Money Buys HappinessDid anyone really take this one seriously? I felt I owed it to my readers to live up to my “Clown Prince of Personal Finance” moniker. |
Inflation Up a Little in February in CanadaThe CPI for February was up a little again, but not a great deal. How much longer will this last? I have no idea. |
Lack of Owing Money Buys Happiness ?Now this one I do believe. If you are out of debt, you are more likely to be happy, and if you are in debt you are more likely than not, unhappy. |
Personal Finance Napkin ScribblingsI actually use the phrase “creative process” in reference to this site, yes, I did! |
Links for the Week
There are still repercussions to be felt from the Federal budget now a few weeks old, and we all await the Omnibus legislation which may carry many hidden policies within :
Top Stories of the Week of April 5th
Spring is Here but Evidently the Ground Hog Lied!
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Confessions of a Tax Accountant -2013- Week 1One of the sure signs of Tax Season is the BBC putting out some more helpful tax hints and the interesting things he sees during tax season, well worth a read. |
Watch This Golf Cart-Hovercraft Fly Over Hazards Like They’re NothingIf it is Spring shouldn’t we be talking about Golf? Popular Science shows what fun can happen when you add a Hovercraft to your Golf Game (Bubba Watson sure likes it). |
How You Can Squeeze Fitness Into Your Life (no matter how busy you are)The Financial Blogger hits an important topic, which is staying healthy. It won’t matter if you have millions in your retirement funds if you drop dead at 51! Find time to exercise!
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The Hysteria Over Bail-ins (and a Giveaway)The Canadian Capitalist returns from hiatus with some calming words for those worried about the Government not insuring our savings (enough). There is also a UFile giveaway to enter as well. |
Trying to Beat a CasinoMichael James has found a way to beat the house? No, in fact he points out that you can’t actually do that, no matter what flawed technique you choose. |
How the 2013 Budget Will Affect ETFsThe Canadian Couch Potato points out that though vague the budget did go after specific tools that have been used in some ETF’s and what the ramifications will be of some important rule changes. |
Government employees in Canada earn 12 per cent more, on average, than equivalent private-sector workersThat is what the Fraser Institute says, at least. Interesting read here, especially for an overpaid Civil Servant like me.
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Mangling MathGail Vaz-Oxlade points out that girls shouldn’t be afraid of math, and I agree. My Mum is a Mathematician (and even taught Math), so ladies Math is not a “male thing”, in fact I know a lot of males who are petrified by Math too! |
Beware of Federal Budgets Becoming Less InformativeLarry MacDonald points out that the Budget Speech was quite vague as was the budget itself and the details will be in the Budget Omnibus bill, so look closely at that when it is introduced. |
Equities built to last for your portfolioMark at My Own Advisor gives us some tried and true investments for the long-term. Also some hints on where to place these investments (TFSA? RRSP? Matress?) |
Cashing Out Your Pension: The Small Benefit RuleMillion Dollar Journey talks more about what you can do to protect your pension. Wish I’d read this before I left Nortel.
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Do you know your credit score? Well, you shouldPreet points out in the Globe and Mail that knowing your credit score is important, however, if you go and ask about it, it might cause you to get some very odd phone calls afterwards. |
Best of 2013
Some of the best of posts from 2013
- CPP Reform, Snow, Christmas, Boxing day and #FreeFormFriday Did the CPP reform of 2013 fix much? Kind of, but Christmas was coming too.
- Mandela gone, Canada “Post”, Gail on the Shelf and #FreeFormFriday Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013, after a long illness.
- Christmas is Coming, Christmas Lay Offs, Electric Fees, Commie Pope and #FreeFormFriday Celebrate Christmas with more online shopping – BMO and many other companies announce layoffs during the Holiday season.
- Black November, Bitcoins, Tablets, Unloseable Lottery and #FreeFormFriday So Black Friday is upon us, however, it seems to be losing a lot of it’s “thunder” thanks to the “sales” starting earlier.
- Mad Dog, English Men, I’m OK and #Shoutouts Maurice Mad Dog Vachon was a tough son of a gun, but did he have a financial impact too? Read on to find out.
- Toronto Circus, Prince Charles Retires, More Word Puzzles and Friday #ShoutOuts This whole Toronto thing really is just a reality TV show gone off the rails, isn’t it? The three-ring circus that is unfolding in the media
- Identifiable, the Iron Sheik, Remembrance Day, More Word Puzzles and Friday #ShoutOuts So my concerns that if I put my natural face on my Social Media accounts were just paranoia.
- Incestuous Bloggers, Word Puzzles, RDSP Menu, All Saints Day and Friday #ShoutOuts Sometimes blogs become a little closed in and don’t recognize new folks and we become incestuous bloggers.
- Senate Fun, Apocalypse Averted, Asteroids and Friday #ShoutOuts News Canadians can’t ignore: investigate the scandal and discover if the Harper Government’s demise is near!
- Kicking the Can, Throne Speech, Windows 8.1 and Friday #ShoutOuts Seems our friends down south had so much fun with almost upending the world economy, they’d like to try to do it again in January.
- Government #Defaults, Fake Reviews, Turkey Time, Fall Colours and Friday #ShoutOuts Given that for some odd reason shutting the government down wasn’t enough our friends down south are now attempting to disrupt or possibly completely f*ck the world economy by defaulting in a few days.
- Government Shutdowns, Hockey Returns, New iPhone and Friday #ShoutOuts Explore the debate surrounding the US government’s shutdown with insight into potential resolutions outside of the standard back pay for civil servants.
- Financial Bloggers, 35 Million Strong, Odd CRA Cheques and Friday #ShoutOuts I had a very good time at CPFC13 where I got to moderate a panel of Investing Smart folks, and I learned a great deal from a few outstanding presenters,
- A Better Friday and #CPFC13 Not a regular Friday after this week and my preparations for the coming weekend, I didn’t really get enough time to put together my regular Friday Random Thoughts, but here is a shortened version.
- Friday the 13th, Private Royal Mail, Canadian 1% and Friday #ShoutOuts Watch out for bad things on Fridays – it’s Friday the 13th! Don’t subscribe to the concept? Tuesday is the most evil day. September 11th was a Tuesday! Don’t forget about ladders and black cats either. UK privatizing the Royal Mail? A price tag of £3B pounds!
- King Louis, Braun Follies, Lice and Friday #ShoutOuts Greetings and Happy Birthday to Prince George Louis Alexander Windsor (and future King of Canada), welcome to the media “sh*te storm” that will be your life.
- Loose Money, Faster Sites, the Heat is On and Friday #ShoutOuts The new Bank of Canada Governor announced on Wednesday no change in the interest rates for now, with the overnight rate continuing at 1%.
- Floods, Explosions, See Thru Lu Lu’s and Friday #ShoutOuts Looks like the Engineer is now being “thrown under the train” as it were (i.e. the finger of blame is being pointed at him by his CEO).
- Egypt, July 4th, Sweltering Summer, Alfie and Friday #ShoutOuts Interesting how the Egyptian military throwing out an allegedly democratically elected President is being hailed as a great democratic change.
- Canada Day, 4th of July, Flooding and Some Random Thoughts A hard week in 2013 for my family with the passing of my Mother-in-law to Cancer. One day that disease will be done.
- Fathers, Corruption, Horton’s Hedgings and Friday #ShoutOuts Hopefully everyone enjoyed Father’s Day, I know I did, very nice day, lovely meal and some peace and quiet.
- Stanley Cup, Turbans, Car Tracking and Friday #ShoutOuts The Stanley Cup finals have started, and hopefully all the games aren’t going to go that late into the night, or I will need to start working the night shift at work.
- Baseball “Cheats”, D-Day, Fun with Fiji and Friday #ShoutOuts It seems baseball is embroiled with yet another “performance enhancing drugs” scandal with a few very well-known names being implicated by yet another “wellness clinic”. Are the accusations true?
- Obliterating Rock, Floods, Senators and Friday #ShoutOuts If you are reading this after 4:35 PM May 31, 2013 I guess we survived another close fly by of a “Civilization Killer” lump of Rock.
- Senators, Twisters, Water and Friday #ShoutOuts To say the entire Senators Expenses Event is more ridiculous than a Christmas Panto (usually an excuse for men to dress up as women
- Mothers, Hab Nots, Trains, and Friday #ShoutOuts What does a Walrus, Model Trains and Mother’s Day have to do with each other? Not that much but more financial stories too.
- Taxes Done, Drones, Playoffs and Friday #ShoutOuts Hope your taxes were in on Tuesday, because if not, you might be in trouble (especially if you are part of the $29 Billion dollars still owed to the government in Taxes).
- Disk Crashes, Daffodils, Password Trappers and Friday #ShoutOuts High Tech always proves that it is much like Mother Nature, in that, you should never ignore it or take it for granted, because things can change very quickly at the most inopportune times.
- Loose Money, Trudeau-mania II, Nut Bags and Friday #ShoutOuts If you missed it on Wednesday the Bank of Canada continued to keep their key overnight rate at 1%.
- Snowmaegedon, the Masters, Windows and Friday #ShoutOuts Today, we are experiencing a late version of winter, with a nasty snow/ice/rain storm that proves that just when you think it is Spring, you might be mistaken.
- Final Four, Dark Matter, Tax Time and Friday #ShoutOuts The NCAA Men’s basketball Final Four is this weekend, and my bracket is completely shot.
- Budgets, Dark Side of the Moon, Eight Years Later, Palm Sunday and Friday #ShoutOuts Minister Flaherty gave us a very vague budget (2013) yesterday. For Hockey Moms, reasons to rejoice, given tarifs on Hockey equipment, Golf Clubs, Baby Clothes and a few other things are now gone.
- Pope Picked, Pi Day, St. Patty’s Day and Phriday #ShoutOuts Seems our Catholic brethren have chosen a new Pope (Francis) this week, thus ending one of the greatest talent hunts of the year.
- Thanks Stompin Tom, Loose Money Continues, Tax Time, Pope Picking and Friday #Shoutouts Stompin’ Tom Connors a true Canadian treasure has left us, and I for one am sad to hear it.
- St David’s Day, Snow, RRSP Season Over, Tax Time and Friday #Shoutouts Happy Saint David’s Day to all my Welsh brethren today.
- RRSP Time, Winners, Tax Time, Short Weeks and Friday #Shoutouts Yes, it’s that magical time when your Savings Institution pressures you to top up your RRSP account so you can take full advantage of the savings on your taxes.
- Lent , Pope Out, the Senate, RRSP Time and Friday #Shoutouts Lent is finally upon us, have you started making your plans? No? Me neither, I just haven’t had a heck of a lot of time to think about this kind of stuff.
- Lent , Pancake Tuesday, and Love Day Soon and Friday #Shoutouts For those of you unaware, Lent begins next Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) February 13th, so here is yet another chance to restart (or start) your financial plans for the coming year.
- Groundhog Day, Farewell Penny, No Vine and Friday #Shoutouts Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, so then we shall see how well a ground hog can prognosticate the weather (about as well as I can prognosticate financial stuff is my guess).
- Loose Money Continues, Polar Temps, More Info Lost and Friday #Shoutouts Wednesday our friends from the Bank of Canada kept their loose money policies in place.
- Hockey, Armstrong, Idle Folk, Lost Loans and Friday #ShoutOuts What happened the week of January 18th in 2013? Some NHL stuff, but a lot of interesting financial stuff too!
- Drop the Puck, Death Pills, Strikes and Friday #Shoutouts For those die hard NHL fans (like me) there will be hockey soon.
- Bye and Thanks for all the Fish, CBC Questions, Holiday Hours and Friday #Shoutouts Well it has been fun, but I guess it all had to end some time, it’s been a good run.
Thanks for the mention! LeBron’s tweet was funny.
Cheers,
Mark
Thanks for the shout out! And yes, it has been a long hiatus!
Thanks for the mention. I’ll be interested to read the Fraser Institute Study.
Nothing earth shattering, just that Public Servants have a very nice Pension and Benefits Package, which costs lots of money (but the pension is dropping in cost due to new rules about contributions (however they don’t really mention that)).