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Game of Thrones Financial

Winter, Inflation and Christmas are Here and #MoneyTalk

Christmas is finally here, and we can then unleash the orgy of spending known as Boxing Day/Week/Month! The sales will start on Christmas Eve, and will continue until there is no snow on the ground. Boxing Day sales used to be interesting, when I got money for Christmas, but now, they bore me. Luckily inflation is here as well!

When did giving a car for Christmas become a thing? One year we got a Vic-20 and I thought that was a huge extravagance. I was planning on giving everyone a Bitcoin, but that got a little out of hand a bit too quick.

Winter is here, to quote Game of Thrones. Days will start getting longer in the Norther Hemisphere but still look for the Debt White Walkers, Rising Dragon-fire Interest rates and the Foreclosure Wildlings, which are now loose.

Game of Thrones Financial
The White Walkers Want Your Money

Did you buy bread at Loblaws or those associated stores? They want to pay you $25 because they gouged you by price fixing. Loblawcard.ca was the place to go and register to get your card. I will be donating mine to my local foodbank.

Guess What? Inflation is back on the table. The Consumer Price Index is back at 2.1%, with transportation dragging the index up for November.

Inflation by Category for November 2017

I bet you are asking, what part of the transportation index contributed the most?

The gasoline index contributed the most to the rise in the CPI in every province except for Newfoundland and Labrador, where a lower gasoline price increase was partly attributable to a reduction in the province’s gasoline tax which took effect in June 2017.

Remember how gas was cheap a while ago? Here is confirmation that yes, it is back up for the Holidays! (not that I would be implying price-fixing in Gas prices either).



My Recent Writings

The past few weeks I have spoken with a few folks, and answered some email from people who are getting very discouraged about the DTC policy changes (apparently) at the CRA. With this in mind I wrote Apply for the DTC Please as a reminder that if you don’t apply you will never get the Disability Tax Credit.

Also, at the end of this post is something most of my readers have been waiting for, my top 3 Christmas Music Songs of all time. Yes, I do have a soft Christmassy side too.

Micro Blogging on Finance

Here is a social media post that has Bitcoins, Bankruptcy and if you click the link you have to use Google Translate to read it! That is a festive Tweet in my books.

Read More »Winter, Inflation and Christmas are Here and #MoneyTalk
far in debt

Canadians Owe More , Polar Temps, CPP Survivor Benefits and #MoneyTalk

Stats Canada tells us that for every $1 of disposable income we owe $1.71, so Canadians Owe More is a very true statement, and other stories.

DTC Problems

DTC Changes, Christmas Present Ideas, Fraud and #MoneyTalk

It seems the CRA and the Minister of Finance are not on the same page. The Minister told Parliament that there had not been any change in Disability Tax Credit (DTC) policies towards Diabetics or any other group. However, the National Post disagrees. They seem to have found an e-mail that seems to imply that the CRA has change their policy towards Diabetics and the DTC. Whether this is true or not, there does seem to be a perception with some of my readers that it is getting harder to get the DTC, especially for parents of kids with Autism.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

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My suspicion suggests that the CRA is cracking down on Disability Tax Credit cheats, which I am OK with, but let us hope that folks aren’t getting to vociferous during this crackdown.

If you are having issues getting your Disability Tax Credit , contact Autism Canada about the troubles you are having.

Disability Tax Credit Problems
Are You Having Disability Tax Credit Problems ?

Christmas is about two weeks away, and there are a bunch of great finance books out there written by friends that would make excellent gifts. Nothings says Christmas more than a book that tells folks to stop over-spending (after they have over-spent). Tales from a Bankruptcy Trustee could become your new Christmas Eve tradition, or better still, How the Zombies Saved Financial Christmas (or the Leafs Season, not sure which).

My Recent Writings

I went into my archive of over 300 unfinished stories for Pension Income Splitting. It will be a money-saving technique I will use in my retirement, hopefully the tax laws won’t change by the time I retire.

Rampant Upselling was a reaction to a visit to have my Oil Changed at one of the Quick Oil Change places, and being accosted for all of the services that they offer. I have a regular mechanic, but I didn`t have time to make an appointment. Yes these places seem to do a good job, but be prepared to be badgered about every possible service they offer.

Micro Blogging on Finance

Our happy Bankruptcy Trustee friend has his own list of Christmas gifts.

Read More »DTC Changes, Christmas Present Ideas, Fraud and #MoneyTalk
Old Cell Phone

Unlocking Phones, Raiding Parents’ RRSP, Household Debt and #Moneytalk

Today is the first day of Unlocking Phones in Canada. The CRTC’s rules about how Cell phone providers must give the phone to you unlocked comes into play today. You can also get your phone unlocked for free, if you have a contract with the firm. Isn’t this a great day? Wonder when we start getting cheaper rates and unlimited wireless internet? Guess that one is going to take a little longer?

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

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Old Cell Phone
Unlocking Phones like this will never happen

The minister of National Revenue reinstated the Disability Advisory Committee. This might be a good thing, but hard to tell. I believe this is a reaction to the media coverage of Disabled Folks losing their DTC. What is this committee going to do?

“The Committee will advise the CRA on how we can better inform people with disabilities and various stakeholders about tax measures and important administrative changes. The Committee will also review the CRA’s administrative practices and make recommendations on how we can enhance the quality of our services for people with disabilities.”

So my guess about them reacting to folks losing their DTC in the media is on-target.

The Real Estate world seems to be wetting their pants over possible drops in sales, so now they have come up with a new ferkokten idea, allowing buyers to borrow from their Parent’s RRSPs? I love my kids, but that is possibly the most meshuge idea ever. Put money away for my retirement, but decide I’d rather keep working so my kids can have a house? I keep reading that phrase and it doesn’t make any sense. Whoever thought that up is the definition of Chutzpah.

The amount of hype the Real Estate industry is creating is getting to the levels of the Cigarette Companies in the late 1960’s. A family in every house, a car in every garage and a chicken in every pot as the National Dream may well be over.

Did I say bubble? With Bitcoin smashing through $1000 maybe it is time to think about investing in it? What you nuts? Here is an interesting statistic for you, Bitcoin mining consumes more electricity than 20+ European countries. People are wasting that much electricity for this? Wow.

Do those Boomers have money for their kids to borrow? Stats Canada put out a study that suggests:

“The level of household debt relative to income in Canada remains high by historical standards and continues to rise, driven by growth in mortgages and home equity lines of credit.”

This is bad news for all the bubbles out there. Eventually the Debt bubble will go pop, with either higher rates of interest or creditors tightening rules for lending. Listen closely folks the next financial bang might be very loud. Remember the good old days when Mortgages were 10% and we thought that was low? Should call my friend Mr. Hoyes to see how many bankruptcies he’d expect if interest rates went to that level?

My Recent Writings

With the maniacal shopping of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I figured I’d go to the one day out of it that speaks to me and that is Giving Tuesday. Everyone has their go to charities, and with Giving Tuesday, My List I give you my list of the charities I am giving to this year. I didn’t mention my Church on the list, but that is the other charity I donate to.

Micro Blogging on Finance

Today is the big day! The caveat I read is that your unlocking phones must be done under contract with one of the Cell Phone providers, but what about me, I am not on a contract, I am month to month? We shall see I suppose.

Read More »Unlocking Phones, Raiding Parents’ RRSP, Household Debt and #Moneytalk
Black Friday

What is Your Price, BLACK FRIDAY, Phoenix and #MoneyTalk #FLM2017

A very odd Twitter exchange erupted this week between Robert Browne, Gail Vaz-Oxlade, Kerry K. and a few other folks about what is your price? What amount of money will cause you to walk away from your blogging morals and do it just for the money? It is interesting because that exact question was asked over dinner between myself, Mr. Browne, Mrs. Browne and Michael James, and the number seems to be $1 Million (to begin with).

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

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What would we do for it? Someone stated:

“For a mil, I’d walk up and down Yonge Street wearing a sandwich sign for a payday loan place. Naked. In February.”

I stated I’d have to be paid $1.25M to watch this exhibition.

what is your price
What is Your Price ?

To quote one of my favorite heel wrestlers from the 90’s, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase:

Whoever says they would never, just hasn’t thought about how much money it would take.

It is Black Friday today, where mayhem and deals run rampant. I am not really sold on the concept of all these great deals, but I am sure there will be mayhem. I have nothing on my list to purchase, but I may do some on-line window shopping. Look at Anti-Virus software and maybe Quicken, both worth having.

The Phoenix Pay system was in the news again. The Auditor General’s report confirmed what anyone in the Civil Service knew, the system is a mess, and will take a lot of money and time to repair it (at least 2 years and another $540M). That is a pretty high price for taxpayers and there is no guarantees it will be fixed by then. It has not lived up to the promised money savings,  but the blame can be shared across the board.

My Recent Writings

A couple of articles by me over the past few weeks, still not back to more than 1 a week, but things may change in the new year.

I went to the financial confessional with Why Waiting 6 Months to Update Your Financial World is a Bad Thing (and it is). I felt sorry for myself and let things go, and paid a price for my self-pity.

My instincts are to work hard to save small amounts of money, for some reason, and Banking and Saving Fees outlines another important way I am saving $3 an ATM withdrawal. Maybe I should spend more time worrying about Macro Finance issues?

Micro Blogging on Finance

It seems the folks at Telus and Rogers are having problems complying with the December 1st deadline for selling and unlocking cell phones for free, and are now asking for an extension on this and the other parts of the CRTC’s policies? Let us hope the CRTC says, No!.

Read More »What is Your Price, BLACK FRIDAY, Phoenix and #MoneyTalk #FLM2017
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