Happy New Year, and with this new year we can finally say, “Hindsight is 2020”. Sorry for the Dad Humour, but that is only way I can laugh at 2020. Truly a year that will be one we talk about for a long time.
Planning any great New Year Resolutions? I think they are for suckers, you can change any time of the year. I’ll bet the Gyms take a big beating as most are closed and all those folks who want to get in shape for the New Year can’t sign up for a year long subscription. I am not dissuading you from making a Financial Change, just be realistic. Start with small changes, they add up slowly.
Many folks think that the New Year will be a panacea for how bad 2020 was, but I am skeptical. This year has potential to be better later on in the year, but the Winter has potential to be as bad as 2020. Hope is a good thing, as I have mentioned before, but don’t get your hopes too high.
Will we all be working at home more, after things settle down? Maybe, but don’t be so sure it will continue as it did during the Pandemic. I can work remotely, but many teams cannot for many reasons. I am hoping for a hybrid solution for me. Less days in the office, would be nice, but I am not sure it will happen that way.
I turn 60 this year, so that makes me a Senior, I suppose. Given I am part of the privileged class (old white guys), I don’t feel that privileged. Must be subscribing to the wrong magazines?
| Inflation (year over year November 2020) | 1.0% â¬†ï¸ |
| Bank of Canada Overnight Rate December 24 th | 0.25% |
| Unemployment Rate (as of November 2020) | 8.5% |
| Real GDP By Expenditure (Q3 2020)(quarterly change) | 8.9% |
| Population of Canada (Est July 1, 2020) | 38,005,238 |
| CIBC current prime rate | 2.45% |
| BMO current prime rate | 2.45% |
| Scotiabank prime lending rate | 2.45% |
| TD prime lending rate | 2.45% |
| Tangerine prime lending rate | 2.45% |
COVID19 Data Canada
Click here to find an up to date graphic from the Government of Canada
| Total Cases | 572,982 |
| Total Deaths | 15,472 |
Past Writings
As the year closes, I realize I have not driven too much this year. I will write more this coming year, but not sure on which topic. More on RDSPs, but maybe a few other topics. Maybe I’ll try to become an #Influencer? 💩
- The Perils of Automatic Payments outlines why you need to audit your automatic payment situation. If you use PayPal or allow companies to take money from your bank account, you need to know who is doing it. I was astounded to see how many were set up on my PayPal.
- Merry Christmas 2020 are my Christmas wishes for this year. I also linked to all my previous Holiday Wishes. I have been doing this a long time.
- Weirdest Boxing Day Ever? Certainly from the retail store perspective it was. In Ottawa most stores only did curb side sales. The Costco near me was not busy at all. On-line things may have been different.
Good Bye 2020, and Good Riddance?
This belief that 2021 has to be better than 2020, is naive. For some folks 2020 was a great year (ask Jeff Bezos). It is all a question of perspectives.
- 2020 year-end financial clean-up, might be a little late now, but maybe something to remember for the end of 2021? The Blunt Bean Counter is a person who would know about these things.
- What the #)$*#@)($ is happening with Bitcoin’s insane record run? CNN asks the question that is on my mind as well. How is this all working? Is it a bubble or something else?
- 13 Ways to Invest in Yourself is a good concept from Kiplinger. You need to invest in yourself and make it better.
- CPP Timing: A Case Study is Michael James doing what he does best, which is crunching those numbers for you. You don’t want to do it, but he has done it for you!
Password Security
PC Magazine published a list of the most common passwords. I have written previously about insecure pins, but these are wild. Take advantage of the year end to update your passwords!
Internet Gouging?
Ellen Roseman points out that Canadians are getting gouged, and not just at the pump.
Dancing Robots?
Great now even Robots dance better than me?
All Those Happy New Years
Yes, for many years I have wished you a Happy New Year
- Happy New Year 2022 and #MoneyTalk recapped a lot of 2021 and hoped that 2022 was going to bring some hope.
- A happy new year for 2021 ? Well it started pretty grotty, but it might get better.
- I must have had an inkling about 2020, as I didn’t wish you a Happy New Year to start things. Hopefully with this post I have helped make the year better?
- In 2019 I was too practical with Tangible Financial New Years Resolutions but still worthwhile thinking about it, eh?
- For Happy New Year 2018 I had a great photo of being stuck on the 401 during a snowstorm, and links to previous New Year Messages.
- 2017Â I pointed out that you start paying CPP and EI again, so your net pay is going to be lower.
- 2016 Happy New Year, just didn’t happen, not sure why, must have been having a grinchy holiday?
- 2015 Happy New Year and I included a really bad joke about it being the year of the RAM in the Chinese Calendar.
- 2014 Happy New Year again I pointed out that CPP and EI rates were increasing as well, I really am a kill joy.
- 2013 was a Happy New Year, a celebratory Sunday was the photo to start the year.
- 2012 I used to post best of Twitter posts, and it seems to have fallen on a Sunday as well.
- Merry New Year! It All Starts again… was how 2011 started, and I included a bunch of resolutions in that article.
- 2010 New Year began with me in a new job, which was very nice, given I had been unemployed for a while.
- 2009 started a little bleak, in that I was unemployed, and was looking for a job, during a major economic crisis.
- Belated Happy and Prosperous New Year was how 2008 started, the economy was booming, employment was high, but there were hints of the systemic failure that was coming soon.
- Good Bye 2008, outlined the eventful year that it was for me. Things got better, but a lot didn’t go right that year.
- A New Year Brings Tax Breaks? The tax breaks appeared in 2007 but later disappeared, unfortunately.
- 2006 I was still figuring out what this whole thing was going to be, but I did show some signs of a ranting good time.
Yes, I really did start in 2005.
Random Thoughts from the Past
- Vaccines, Here Comes Christmas and #MoneyTalk (December 11th)
- COVID19 Opening Up, Middle Aged Canada and #MoneyTalk (July 17th)
- Happy Canada Day #MoneyTalk (July 1st) 🇨🇦
- Fathers Day , COVID, Unsubscribe & #MoneyTalk (June 19th)
- Boxing Tuesday, Opening Up and #MoneyTalk (May 16th)
- Opening up, May Day, COVID19 and #MoneyTalk (May 1st)
- Unemployment Spikes, Easter and #MoneyTalk (April 11th)
- Covid-19, Stay Home and #MoneyTalk (March 27th)
