Posts Tagged ‘Commentary’

A few items in the financial news caught my attention recently and I wanted to share my thoughts on the topics of TFSA contribution limits, Canadian household debt, and provincial tax rates. Here goes: 1. TFSA annual contribution limit to increase to $10,000. The original TFSA rules in the Tax Act specify that the annual contribution…

2014 had some attention-grabbing financial stories that are no doubt being featured in most business news year-end recaps. Here are some random events that I found of interest. 1. Burger King gobbles up Tim Hortons Canadian’s beloved Tim Hortons chain agreed to a merger with Burger King creating the world’s third largest fast-food company –…

Retailers stopped accepting cheques several years ago as consumer preferences shifted from paper to plastic.  Many feared that the final nail in the coffin for cheques came when the federal government announced plans to phase out cheques for Canada Pension Plan payments and tax refunds by April 2016.  After that it will be direct deposit…

Canada has quite a good system of helping to reduce poverty in our senior citizens.  OAS is payable to most.  GIS is available for low income seniors, plus every province and territory has a variety of support programs. But what about a guaranteed minimum income amount for all adults? This fall Swiss voters will vote…

I read a lot and often come across ideas and concepts that are not really explained to my satisfaction.  Here are some things that I often think about. Beating the Index Many financial writers and advisers are touting the benefits of the passive investing strategy of an index-based portfolio for low cost and good performance. …

There’s been a lot discussed in the media recently about Generation Y and all the difficulties they are facing today.  See this Globe and Mail article, for example. Who are these disadvantaged youngsters? There are differing time frames, but the generally acceptable one refers to the generation born during the 1980’s and early 1990’s –…

“Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.”- Jennifer Yane. In a recent BMO survey 42% of Canadian baby boomers said that if they could go back in time, they would have started saving up for retirement much earlier in life. Baby Boomer Mistakes As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and many…

Apple’s Steve Jobs proclaimed that we are entering the “Post-PC era” back in 2010.  This refers to a time when a PC is no longer needed since everything can be done from a tablet connected to the Internet. Post-PC technologies include tablets, touch screens and cloud computing.  Die hard Apple fans might agree with his…

Many investors are concerned that the aging baby boomers will adversely affect equity markets and home prices by dumping their stocks and selling their homes, leading to a sharp decline in prices for both. Changing Demographics: Economic Implications The aging population will definitely have economic and financial consequences.  As older workers retire, the limited availability…

At this time of year many corporations are announcing their profits and governments are handing down their budgets.  On the one hand, the economy seems to be forging ahead.  On the other hand, governments are preaching restraint.  In the meantime the media loves nothing better than doom and gloom and uses fear tactics that cause…