Posts by Robb Engen
Bank Slogans And Taglines, Translated
One of the more memorable – or laughable – bank slogans was Scotiabank’s “you’re richer than you think”. The poorly timed ad campaign ran through the financial crisis of 2008-09, including commercials at Cineplex theatres across the country. The response was not kind – moviegoers heckled, swore, and tossed drinks as the tagline appeared on…
Read MoreFinding The Hidden Gold In Your Tax Return
While most people use a tax program to complete their tax return, the program is only limited to the information you enter and you may not be fully maximizing your tax refund. As an accountant, I come across plenty of small credits that are often overlooked by people because they aren’t aware they apply or…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Earn Save Grow Edition
I started a new blog a few weeks ago (as if I didn’t have enough on my plate). Earn Save Grow is still very much a personal finance site, but it will focus less on frugality and more on topics like how to increase your income, and how to save wisely in the areas that…
Read MoreOur $35,000 Basement Renovation: Why We Paid Someone Else To Do It
One of the regrets we had with our first home is that in the eight-and-a-half years we lived there we never got around to finishing the basement. We vowed not to make the same mistake when we built our new home nearly three years ago. So after we had the basement framed last summer we…
Read MoreTangerine: Update On The Bank Formerly Known As ING Direct
When we last checked in with ING Direct CEO Peter Aceto he said the company had until May 2014 to shed the ING name and rebrand itself. The online bank was purchased by Scotiabank in November 2012 and recently announced its new name – Tangerine – which is ready to officially launch on April 8th,…
Read MoreWhy Age-Based Savings Benchmarks Are Dumb, But We Look Anyway
Whether it’s healthy or not, we all make comparisons in many aspects of our lives – where we live, what we do for a living, what kind of car we drive, even how we raise our kids. But society doesn’t talk openly about money and so we look to the experts to set benchmarks and…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Cognitive Bias Edition
Lately I’ve been interested in behavioral finance – the effect our emotions and inherent biases have on the financial decisions we make. How many of us have been reluctant to sell an investment at a loss, and rationalize that we’ll sell once it “comes back” and we break even? That type of behavior is called…
Read MoreMy RRSP Portfolio Update: 2014
I’ve revamped my RRSP strategy several times over the last few years but now the goal is crystal clear: Use up all of my unused RRSP contribution room within two years and then contribute enough each year to max out my RRSP going forward. Contributing to a defined benefit plan at work means I receive a…
Read MoreIncome Splitting 101: Tips On Keeping It In The Family
South of the border, the heads of U.S. households can elect to file joint income tax returns, pooling their income and deductions. This option brings considerable tax savings to families in which one spouse has a significantly higher income than the other; their joint tax bracket will likely be lower than it would be otherwise.…
Read MoreMy Loyalty Never Got Me A Free 42″ TV
Anyone in marketing can tell you that it costs a company more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. That’s because few of us like change, particularly the type of change that can disrupt our day-to-day lives. It’s a hassle to switch banks, or internet and cable providers, so…
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