Can You “Sweep Up” With Online Sweepstakes?

I read an article about the “Contest Queen,” aka Carolyn Wilman, who has won over $250,000 in prizes from entering sweepstakes. She has been a regular winner since 2004, with prizes ranging from a bottle of pop to a trip for four to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics – just one of 16 trips she…

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Getting Personal: The Evolution Of Loyalty Programs

Scanning the weekly flyers and clipping coupons is a great Canadian tradition but – like the landline telephone, VCRs, and analog TV – coupons and flyers are on their way out. Retailers are moving their loyalty programs online and developing smart phone applications to get more personal with their offers. Rapid advances in technology, coupled with…

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Weekend Reading: Losing The Signal Edition

When I started working as a hotel sales manager we used MiKE phones on the old Telus push-to-talk network. I didn’t own a smart-phone until 2007, when our hotel group decided to arm its sales staff and senior management with the new Blackberry Curve. Email on-the-go was a game changer for sales staff, who were no longer tied to their…

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Home Buyer’s Regret?

A discussion on Rob Carrick’s Facebook page today started with a question about debt – how big a priority is it for you to reduce debt? Top priority Important, but not my main financial goal I’m chugging away at debt repayment, and that’s fine No debt I answered (2): We put any extra money toward…

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The Conflict Of Interest In Sales

There’s been a lot of talk recently about commissions (especially embedded fees) paid to financial professionals. In the past it was often hard to pin down just what financial advisers were making off their clients and how fees were calculated. Public pressure has made the fee collecting process more transparent, but there are still questions…

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Weekend Reading: Backyard Playground Edition

For a while I resisted the idea of turning our backyard into a playground for our kids (ages 6 and 3). Virtually all of our neighbours either have a swing-set, trampoline, or elaborate playhouse in their backyard. I didn’t want to spend the money, and I justified it with these not-so-rational reasons: I never had a swing-set…

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The Steep Cost Of Consumer Loyalty

Retailers collect an obscene amount of data on their customers and they use loyalty programs such as Air Miles and Aeroplan to gain additional insight into our shopping habits and spending patterns. Consumers want to know what data is being collected about them and want retailers who offer loyalty programs to ask for permission before tracking them online or…

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Could You Feed Your Family On $5 A Day?

Grocery bills are on the rise and I’m always looking for ways to save money. I was recently intrigued when I read about a $5 a day meal planning program until I realized the writer was American. I don’t think it’s possible to shop the same way in Canada. Our food prices are a lot higher, and…

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Weekend Reading: Impact Of Banning Commissions Edition

Back in 2012, the Canadian Securities Administration (CSA) published a discussion paper and request for comment regarding the mutual fund industry fee structure in Canada. Areas of concern included: Lack of understanding and control over fees Potential conflicts of interest Lack of alignment between adviser compensation and services Limited options for do-it-yourself investors Outcomes from…

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