Saint David’s Day, Big Posts, RRSP Time, the Dating Game and #FreeFormFridays

This week saw my 2500th (or so) post, and I seem to be still at it after about nine years of writing. Thanks for the kind words from those who left them. I hope I can keep this up for a while longer.

Tomorrow we can celebrate Saint David’s Day, the patron saint of Wales. Find some daffodils, and turn on some Rugby (unfortunately, no Six Nations games this week). Saint David is the less drunken Gaelic patron saint. If you wish to enjoy some authentic Welsh cuisine, start with some Leek Soup, followed by a plate of Faggots and Mushy Peas.

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus!!!

It is RRSP time, and I was even mentioned in the Toronto Star (under my actual name, and there is even a picture of me, Mrs. C8j and the little C8j). I remember interviewing Spousal RRSPs and whether they are still relevant (they are), but no one told me that it had been published. There are a few articles in this post talking about RRSP season.

Look for me in the pages of Moneysense sometime reasonably soon and espousing the need for better RDSP traction in the banking system.

Jim Lange (no, not the guy from The Love Boat, Ted Lange), former host of the Dating Game, passed away this week. I must admit I did watch the dating game when I was younger, a fascinating glimpse into the American Experience.

My Weekly Recap

My Writings for Week Ending February 28th Luckily in Ottawa, the Rideau Canal is Still Open
CPI Up A Little to Start 2014 in Canada Statistics Canada points out that prices are going up slowly, but note that Electricity prices are going up quickly, and this month, Gas is going up again.	Public Service: Government Cheques Going Away I was asked to post a Guest Post about the fact that Government cheques will be going away soon and will be replaced by direct deposit. You have been warned!	Post Number 2500 Holy Cow Yes, that is me in that picture as well, keep that in mind if you ever wonder what I look like (crazed lunatic).	Off-Topic : Sometimes One Sentence is Enough Sometimes one sentence is enough to get someone to do something or stop doing something, so be careful with your words.

Swiss Army Knife Section

It is so bloody cold in Ottawa (still) I may be breaking out the Swiss Miss Instant Cocoa (with mini-marshmallows):

• I found in the Huffington Post possibly the Greatest Obituary Ever, I just hope someone writes a similar one for me (but not shortly).
• Million Dollar Journey explains a tricky idea Building Your Own Home? Here’s How Construction Mortgages Work! It is not as easy as you might think it should be.
• Mark at the Blunt Bean Counter continues his multi-week rant with How Much Money do I Need to Retire? Heck if I Know or Anyone Else Does! – Part 6 , boy don’t piss off accountants (or Sam Jackson).
• The Canadian Couch Potato answers the lyrical question Ask the Spud: Is There an Optimal Portfolio? And the answer is, maybe.
• Mark from My Own Advisor brings us some RRSP Fast Facts and Our Game Plan, always nice to see what other folks are doing in this area
• Have you got your taxes done? Michael James gives us a UFile Review and Giveaway, even though I know he loves doing his taxes with paper and pen.
• Frequent commenter Financial Crooks asks Why Doesn’t PC Financial Make More of an Effort to Work Like a Real Bank (and Issue Proper T5s)? They don’t want to waste paper?
• Canada Mortgage News talks of housing bubbles some more with 2 sales in GTA this weekend went for 128% and 138% of List price!! All I can say is Holy Crap!
• Given these sky rocketing prices Gail Vaz-Oxlade talks about RRSP Mortgages should you invest in your own mortgage?
• I am mentioned in What Canada’s Financial Experts Say About Mortgage Insurance from our sponsors at LSM Insurance (that big box up on the right hand side).
• Mark over at 2nd Career Search laments that we Get Paid More to Spend Than Save, very true.
• Preet wrote a while ago about the continual question TFSA or RRSP (in the Globe and Mail).

Land of MY Fathers

The Llanelli Male Voice Choir sang the Welsh National Anthem. Llanelli holds a special place in my heart, even though I haven’t been there for a long time:

Inspirational Video High School Basketball

Seth Kraft was a senior and student coach, and he was given a special gift on Seniors Night:

Random Thoughts for 2014

Lots of these kinds of Best of articles in 2014. Here is a list of them.

• Cuba, Rubles, Christmas and #BestThisWeek – getting close to Christmas but Ian McKellen can teach us about impulse control.
• Snow, Christmas, Enhanced and #BestThisWeek talk of more festive ideas, like how to save money at Christmas.
• A Gentleman, Day of Disability, Christmas, Rugby and #BestThisWeek noted the passing of Jean Beliveau and John Oliver’s views on Lotteries.
• Black Friday is Here, Advent, and #BestThisWeek speaks of the blessed Black Friday and associated sales but also includes a Fanfare for the Common Man.
• Lake Effect Snow, Web Cameras, Travel Insurance and #BestThisWeek November brings snow in Toronto, as we see, and other financial ideas.
• Asteroids, Tax Cuts, Lemurs and #BestThisWeek how many times has the Earth almost been hit by an asteroid? Too often to remember.
• Lame Ducks, Financial Literacy, Working for Free and #BestThisWeek lame duck leaders never really get that much done, no matter how they negotiate.
• Happy Halloween, Income Splitting and #BestThisWeek a wonderful financial time of the year is Halloween? Maybe income splitting is a better subject.
• Ottawa We Shall Remember, Bank of Canada and #BestThisWeek after a bad week in Ottawa, with senseless violence.
• Crashing Markets, Ebola, Low Loonie, Cheap Gas and #BestThisWeek even in 2014 the markets were a little volatile.
• Hockey, Turkey, Leaves, Carry On Bags and #theBestFin4TheWeek is it right that the hockey season starts before Thanksgiving?
• October, Hello Ebola, Give Blood and #theBestFin4TheWeek October arrived unexpectedly this week, almost unnoticed. As we have entered the final (calendar) quarter of the year 2014, it may be time to start considering a year-end review of your financial plans.
• Autumn , United Kingdom, Beer Money, and #theBestFin4TheWeek the colours in Ottawa during Autumn are truly spectacular.
• Pins, Alibaba , Apple Pay , Lecosse , and #theBestFin4TheWeek remember when Alibaba the IPO happened, those were heady days.
• Home Despot, iPhones, and #theBestFin4TheWeek
• Back to School, Tim Burger King, Knee Defenders and #theBestFin4TheWeek will the dutchie ever come back? I can only hope.
• Broken Humerus, Ebola, Anniversaries, Blood and #theBestFin4TheWeek remember when we thought Ebola was going to wipe us out?
• It is Done, Ice Bucket Challenge, Media Perceptions and #theBestFin4TheWeek
• WW1 Centenery, More Hacked Passwords and #theBestFin4TheWeek
• The Long Weekend with no Name, Defaults, and #BestFinancialForTheWeek
• Unmasking Super Heroes, Dogs of Summer and #BestOfFinancialForThisWeek
• All Stars, Al Stars and the #BestOfFinancialForWeek the world cup was a big thing in 2014 as was Bastille day too.
• Brazilian Defeats, Tour De Chunnel, and #BestOfFinancialForWeek you mean Brazil can lose at the world cup?
• Tennis, Racing, Inflation and #BestofFinancial Canada Day is the start of the summer for most Canadians, and financial stories too.
• The Stand, Football Biting, Naughty Banks and #BestofFinancial even in 2014 the banks were misbehaving with shenanigans.
• Elections, Dad’s Day, World Cup, Friday the 13th and #BestofFinancial somehow the Liberals won the 2014 Ontario Provincial Election
• No Rate Hike, Better Performance, Montreal Grand Prix and #Bestof-Financial back in 2014 we were worried about rates, but they were already pretty low.
• Elections, Farewell Knowlton, May Done, and #Bestof-Financial Knowlton Nash was the voice of news for Canada for a while.
• Internet Memory, Grand Prix of Monaco and #FreeFormFridays the Internet has memory?
• Time Off, Elections, Victoria Day and #FreeFormFridays Victoria Day is always a fun weekend.
• Frosts, Elections, Farley Mowat and #FreeFormFridays it does get cold in May!
• Rain, Budgets, Bloggers Meeting, May Day and #FreeFormFridays When financial bloggers meet what happens?
• Beware the Financial Jabberwock, Netflix Expansion, Model Trains, Backups and #FreeFormFridays a thematically odd article.
• Easter is Here and a Saturday #BestOf for the Weekend a time of renewal, new beginnings in life and financially as well.
• RIP Flaherty, Heartbleed, Tax Time, Quebec Elections and #FreeFormFridays the former finance minister did a lot of good for the economy.
• #Selfies, Quebec Election, Big Joe, Awareness, and #FreeFormFridays would Big Joe Mufferaw have been a good fit for the Redblacks? We’ll never know.
• Don Quixote, Tax Time, Cheap Mortgages and #FreeFormFridays gotta hate tax time.
• Spring Has Sprung, March Madness, Celebrity Blogger and #FreeFormFridays talking about Spring in March in Ottawa can be a bit early.
• Pi Day, March Break, Two Ferns, Snow and #FreeFormFridays given pi is infinite, how much pie can we expect?
• Quebec Elections, Eating Sugar, Suing Parents, Big Rocks and #FreeFormFridays those elections in Quebec are never dull.
• Saint David’s Day, Big Posts, RRSP Time, the Dating Game and #FreeFormFridays always a good time to put a Welsh Choir Clip in an article.
• Hockey Day, Tax & RRSP Time and #FreeFormFridays Hockey day in Canada? Well it does happen, right around RRSP time too.
• More Olympics, Budgets, Love Day and #FreeFormFridays Valentine’s Day: Celebrating Love and Dealing with Financial Whining.
• Olympics, Not Super Bowls, Creationism and #FreeFormFridays 2014 Olympics Opening Ceremonies and Soshi Stadium’s Doppleganger: The Super Bowl.
• Senators, Weak Loonie, Superb Owls and #FreeFormFridays Rugby is a Hooligan’s game played by a Gentleman.
• Polar Vorteces, Olympics, Mayors and #FreeFormFridays The Polar Vortex brings Winter in Canada. But don’t worry – -30C highs in Ottawa in January are normal.
• Giveaways, Oil tanks, Eagles and #FreeFormFriday Have you checked your oil tank if you heat with Oil? What will your insurance do if the tank ruptures?
• Truly Canadian Issues, Ultra HD TV, Car Loans and #FreeFormFriday Get your lock de-icer and unlock your Super Mailbox cubicle like I did – Canadian Tire to the rescue!
• Some #RandomThoughts from 2014 Some of the best of, best of posts on my random thoughts weekly post.
• CPP Reform, Snow, Christmas, Boxing day and #FreeFormFriday Did the CPP reform of 2013 fix much? Kind of, but Christmas was coming too.