Spring Has Sprung, March Madness, Celebrity Blogger and #FreeFormFridays

Today is the first complete day of Spring! You would never guess that might be the case here in Ottawa, with still large amounts of snow, and cold temperatures, but it is Spring (gosh darn it!).

March Madness has begun as well, much to the Chagrin of my wife (basketball all day all weekend!). Yesterday I published my bracket, which I hope folks do not view as my recommendations, I simply included it as part of the post to show that I am a hypocrite, as well as a Basketball fan (i.e. complaining about how NCAA athletes are working in “indentured servitude” and then watching the games).

If you haven’t picked up a copy of this month’s Money Sense magazine you are missing another opportunity to see a picture of me, and read my views on RDSPs (yes, you can come here and get that for free). The article was written by David Hodges and their is a picture of me and my son (who’s name is Rhys not RhysE as is published in the magazine) which is quite good. I have had a few of my blogging peers comment that I am now a celebrity blogger, somehow I think not. I am thinking of adding a block with a graphic with the following:

Big Cajun Man as seen in the Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star and Money Sense Magazine!

It hasn’t really caused my web servers to crash due to the new readership, oh well.

Farewell to Jim Flaherty to as Finance Minister, as well. Couldn’t have been an easy job, given the times he had the job, and his health issues. Thanks for being fiscally conservative Jim, I think, that is what the country needed at the time.

My Weekly Recap

My Writings for Week Ending March 21st Spring Has Spring, the Grass Has Riz !
Should You Consolidate Student Loans into Your Mortgage? The whole idea of consolidation makes me ill, so adding in a loan that has interest payments that are tax write offs, to a mortgage (in Canada) makes no sense.	Read Your Home Insurance Renewal Notices Things have changed in Canada this year, so read over what is (and is NOT) covered in your home insurance policies this year.	Retirement Dos and Donts There are no Trolls working at the CRA that I have seen (maybe they work under a bridge somewhere, but from my vantage point none work in their buildings).	Let the Madness Commence ! Who gets paid for all these basketball games? It sure is not the players!

Swiss Army Knife Section

As basketball goes, they play it in Switzerland, but haven’t heard of any NBA players being from Switzerland:

• What are the odds of picking every game correctly in a March Madness Pool? Regressing states No, The Odds Of Picking A Perfect Bracket Aren’t 1 In 9.2 Quintillion but they are still pretty darn high (no wonder Mr. Buffett is offering a Billion Dollars for anyone who does).
• People make money investing by their skill, or do they? The thought father: Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman on luck and the role it plays in lots of things.
• Kyle was the winner of the Financial Calculator Giveaway contest, hopefully he is enjoying it.
• Barron’s give us a seedy nasty story of An Insider’s Tale of a Stock Promotion Plan , this is why I shy away from individual stocks these days.
• Concern has been raised in Quebec that if the PQ wins the election and calls another referendum it might be to join the Russian Federation. Vlad Putin is looking for better hockey players evidently.
• Len Penzo touches on a subject I have touched on as well with, 100 Words On: A Surefire Way to Beat the Lottery – Guaranteed.
• Mark at My Own Advisor brings us Our TFSA and RRSP Considerations for 2014 giving his philosophies on his accounts, and why he has chosen the strategies, that he has.
• Michael James pokes the Public Service Pension bear with Malcolm Hamilton on Public-Service Pensions, should be interesting in a few years to see what happens with this.
• Mark from the Blunt Bean Counter gives me a helpful pointer with Reporting of Internet Business Activities for 2013, luckily I haven’t filed yet.
• Barry at Money We Have gives us  The Family Finances Talk which is almost more awkward than the Sex talk, these days.
• Mark from 2nd Career Search may be moving north so he has been looking into  Solving US to Canada Investing Problem and he has some very good advice here.
• Finally Preet continues his Podcasting ways with More on The Financial Advisors Act of Ontario with @DanHallett (Podcast)

LEGO Dreams

A young lad from Iceland (with Autism) has big LEGO dreams (Titanic size):

Jordan vs. Motumbo

Did Michael Jordan ever dunk over Dikembe Motumbo? I think the answer is Yes.

Farewell Jim Flaherty

CBC’s point of view on Minister Flaherty stepping down:

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