Published in December 2009, smack in the shadow of the recession, this roundup blends Christmas prep with financial anxiety. Interest rates were low, unemployment was stabilizing, and Canadian money blogs were at peak popularity. Many concerns then scams, debt, overheated optimism remain stubbornly relevant today.
No this is not a Daniel Cook episode, but another Friday round-up from the world of Financial Blogging. In a week where we saw that Interest Rates did not budge, and some encouraging news about jobs last week, maybe it is time to stop being so pessimistic? Nah, that’s not my style.
- Go Ahead, Change Your Banks! is a common cry from me.
- Still Cheap to Borrow? December 2009 we got far too used to this.
- Organizational Behaviour & Money a little bit off topic, but something to think about?
- November 2009 Employment Numbers: A Festivus Miracle! I still got a lot of problems with you!
- Random Thoughts: Advent Begins last week’s giant list of cool things.
Christmas is Coming
The goose is getting fat (but hopefully no one is making Foie Gras, or we'll all be in trouble). With less than two weeks until that happy day, what have the Financial Bloggers got cooking?
- In an odd twist of cross referring to, the Canadian Capitalist is offering 4 free copies of Gail Vaz-Oxlade's Til Debt Do Us Part 2010 Planner as a gift to his readers. Go over and leave a comment and you might get a Good Financial Planning Gift for Christmas!
- Michael James writes about another despicable Door-to-Door Scam perpetrated by alleged Hot Water Tank salesfolks. These vultures came to my door, and I simply sent them away (now I am glad they did).
- Preet at WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo announced his contest winner and pointed out a Good Deal for Christmas Trees at Ikea. Wonder if you need an Allen key to put them up?
- Larry MacDonald points out that even at Christmas financial scams are seen, with Yet Another financial fraud exposed. This kind of heinous fleecing of our elderly is sickening to read about.
- Canadian Financial DIY points out that even in this festive season Ordinary People are Still Getting Squashed by Crippled Mortgage Market in Canada and the UK. He has an excellent point of view for both markets.
Keep up that Christmas shopping, you are helping stimulate the economy, in your own way. Also remember to keep the receipts too (in case your mother really didn't want a Deluxe Left-Handed Cheese Straightener or a Wii Fit).
❄️ BONUS: Good 2009–2010 Links You Might Have Missed
Here are period-appropriate resources that pair perfectly with the 2009 vibe:
Bank of Canada — 2009 Rate Announcements Archive
https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2009/
(A wild ride of “unchanged, unchanged, unchanged…”)
Gail Vaz-Oxlade (archived)
Money rules, debt paydown fundamentals
https://web.archive.org/web/20091201000000*/http://gailvazoxlade.com
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (2009 materials)
Old-school brochures about avoiding fraud
https://web.archive.org/web/20091201000000*/http://fcac-acfc.gc.ca
Michael James on Money (archived 2009 posts)
Some absolute gems and early scam breakdowns
https://www.michaeljamesonmoney.com/2009
Canadian Capitalist (archived)
Early ETF wisdom long before ETFs became “hot”
https://web.archive.org/web/20091201000000*/http://canadiancapitalist.com
LOL – an enjoyable read. I feel like a schizophrenic when I read these posts one after another.
Thanks for the mention. I’m hoping for a deluxe left-handed brie straightener for Christmas.
Thanks a lot for the mention – have a great weekend.