Father’s Day, Graduation, Financial Planners and some Random Thoughts

Father’s Day is upon us. Have you thanked your Dad for all the light he got ya? Have you told him how great it was to have the heat on? Have you just called him to say, “Thanks, Dad”? What the heck are you waiting for? Your Dad always told you to tell your Mother what a great job she was doing, and your Dad made sure you got your Mom a Mother’s Day gift (and didn’t forget your Mom’s birthday either), so slap the big man on the back and maybe a bottle of his favourite liquor. Thank the big man, but if you don’t he won’t mind, that’s what Dads do, they aren’t worried if you forget them, that is the way we roll in the Dad world.

I got to watch my investment pay dividends with my oldest daughter graduating from University this week (from the same school that produced David Chilton, I found out). I got to drive around my old stomping grounds of Waterloo with the 80’s hits cranked out on my radio (if you saw a Laredo with a guy with grey hair singing along with Billy Idol‘s Dancing with Myself, that was me). Dads also enjoy watching their kids reach their goals, which makes the Big Men feel good.

If you haven’t listened to Mostly Money, Mostly Canadian this week, go out and do it now. Preet has a very good interview with “Kevin” about how not all Fee-based Financial Planners are equal. There seems to be a view that if  you pay for the service, you are guaranteed that it will be good, this kind of disproves this.  Father’s don’t like bad financial planners, the Big Men don’t like clowns fooling with our money.

Lots of Tom-Foolery in Ottawa in Parliament, with spending reports about MPs and Senators by the Auditor General coming out, and now the budget marathon discussions. Dads really don’t like government folks over-spending and acting like fools, that’s the Big Man’s money they are messing with, stop fooling around and do your damn job!

If you are still stumped about what to give the Big Man remember my Sure Fire Father’s Day Gift List, and if that doesn’t work, buy your Mother some flowers, your Dad will appreciate it, The Big Man is Happy when the Little Lady is Happy!

Weekly Recap

With all the running around this week, I was lucky to get any posts out:

• With Formula 1 and Sunday’s Best, I bring out some of my older posts that I have put out on my Twitter feed (which you SHOULD join now).
• For those who don’t read my other Blog about the Business of Blogging, I wrote about my Page Rank Slap Down by Google (for this blog).
• Hopefully the economy is “taking a breather” with Employment Numbers for May about the Same, but then again, who knows?
• I got philosophical with Money Can Fix (most) Everything, but that wasn’t really the message I was trying to send.
• The Big Man was proud with That is What $50,000 Looks Like? Yes, it’s a deadly sin, but who cares, pride in your kids is never a sin, Big Men are allowed to be proud of their kids!
• Fathers, Diamond Jubilees, Postal Issues and Random Thoughts Father’s Day is now on the event horizon (not this coming weekend, next weekend, however, Father’s Day isn’t that advertised, so I figured I’d get an early start on my site). 

Links for the Week

It was heartening to know that Canada Post can deliver packages even without proper mailing addresses (and irregardless of the package content), what is the postage for a human foot?:

• My Own Advisor has his own plans for a Prolonged Low Interest Rate Environment, he may get drummed out of the The Loyal Order of Financial Bloggers, he should be talking about how rates will be going up TOMORROW!!!
• Larry MacDonald claims that Housing Crash Predictions are using wrong indicators, hope you are right Larry!
• Canada Mortgage News warns Beware of your Banks “Special” Renewal offer, it will cost you dearly. What, Banks are not completely above board? Goodness me!
• Femme Frugality (my #1 commenter this month so far) helps us out with How to Sell Your Textbook, given I threw most of mine out, not as useful for me.
• Mr. Money Mustache might be playing a trick on us, I don’t think I trust him with Get Rich With: Good Old Fashioned Trust. Trust is earned, hence why I am not rich.
• Sustainable Personal Finance espouses the Staycation: Better for Your Wallet and the Environment, I’d rather ruin the environment myself, and have a good time (without my kids or looking at all the work that needs to be done on my house).
• The Blunt Bean Counter was noted in the Globe and Mail this week (well deserved) , however he gave thanks to our buddy Preet, when in fact it was the All Knowing Rob Carrick who mentioned him, oh well, there is no such thing as bad publicity.
• Canadian Financial DIY brings up an always interesting topic Labor-Sponsored Rip-off, have a read see if you agree.
• Michael James keeps devising interesting and new ideas for trying to hide money from our friends at the CRA (legally of course) so this week he came up with another idea for Building Assets for the Lower-earning Spouse. There seems to be some contention about this being legal as well.
• The Canadian Couch Potato gives us a quick how-to on A Homemade Principal-Protected Note, seems a little daunting to a simple soul like me, but I might just try it, just to see if I can or not.
•  Boomer and Echo give us a Guest Post about Money Advice for New College Grads (staying with the graduation thematic premise).
• Miranda at Planting Money Seeds wonders When Will she Get Back her Kindle (Adventures in Stupidity)? I don’t know, is all I can answer.
• Gail Vaz-Oxlade announced We’re Preggers, but after reading, I was glad to find out that this was a story and not her in specific (well glad is the wrong way to put it, but I think you know what I mean).
• Preet is off at the 24 hours of Le Mans, after hanging out at the Montreal Grand Prix (where he saw a lot hanging out at the Student protests), you should check out his Podcast (the link is at the top of this post).

The Ultimate Father’s Day Video

This is the greatest Father’s Day video ever. Anybody who doesn’t view this as the ultimate Father/Son moment just doesn’t understand Dads: