Understanding Your Retirement Benefits: Part 2 – OAS
Canadian seniors have two national income support payments – Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). These are not pension plans as such because they are non-contributory and financed out of general revenues. Employment history is not a factor in determining eligibility. You can receive OAS pension and benefits even if you…
Read MoreLet’s Get Blunt About Your Financial Affairs: Book Review and Giveaway
Most people don’t like paying taxes, and reading about taxes has to be up there on the list with having your teeth drilled. Not so for the readers of Mark Goodfield’s blog, The Blunt Bean Counter. Mark shares his expertise on tax and financial matters in a clear, often humorous, and – yes – blunt way.…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: NFL Is Back Edition
It’s my favourite time of year – the start of a new football season. Outside of being crazy busy at work and juggling numerous side projects in the evening and on weekends, I’ll still find time to watch football on Sundays (and, much to my wife’s chagrin, also on Mondays and Thursdays). It’s tough being a…
Read MoreBest Credit Cards In Canada
I’ve spent several years reviewing credit cards and trying to determine which card is best. What I’ve learned is that when it comes to finding the best credit cards in Canada there’s no one-size fits all answer. That’s because the card that suits you best is uniquely determined by how much you spend, in which categories you…
Read MoreMoney Saving Tips For Families
We’re always asked for money savings tips. I think we should all be aware of the most common ones by now – turn off the lights, short showers, brown bag your lunch, etc. etc. Serious savers are doing these already. Here are a few other tips you can consider. 1. Stop wasting food Food prices…
Read MorePlease Call for a Quote: Unlocking the Mystery of Disability and Critical Illness Insurance
I’ve been gathering information on disability insurance and critical illness insurance for a self-employed client in Ontario. It’s frustrating that this information isn’t more widely available online. I wondered if it was because each policy is just so unique to the individual, but I thought there must be a standard formula by age, gender, and…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Labour Day Edition
Ever since the NDP gained power in Alberta, my Facebook newsfeed has been filled with strong opinions from my right-leaning friends about the provincial government’s “disastrous” decision to increase minimum wage to $15/hour. Now, with the federal election looming, raising the minimum wage has become part of the national conversation. One post showed a picture of McDonald’s…
Read MoreIntroducing The Travelling Boomer
This is a guest post from Paul Marshman, author of The Travelling Boomer, as part of our retirement series. I’m one of the baby boomers who saw their careers cut short by the recent recession. But luckily, I was one of the few who was prepared for that fateful day. And since then, I’ve been…
Read MoreBudget Like A Small Business CFO
A small business, as defined by the Canadian Revenue Agency, has an annual revenue stream between $30,000 and $5 Million. Of all the individual Canadians that filed tax returns more than 99.98% fell into that same income bracket. However, unlike individuals, small businesses account for their income and expenditures on a consistent and regular basis.…
Read MoreAnnouncing The Winners Of Our HUGE Anniversary Contest
Our massive five-year anniversary contest wrapped up yesterday and we were blown away by the number of responses and comments from our readers. When the contest closed we had a total of 2,935 entries from 509 unique entrants. And no wonder there were so many entries in the contest. We had some amazing prizes up for grabs –…
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