Archive for August 2015
Announcing 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 –…
Read MoreMini-Retirement Breaks During Your Working Life
A number of times in my life I’ve found myself between jobs. Usually this is a euphemism for unemployment, which at times it was for me, but typically it was a natural mini-retirement break between activities. An example of this was when I lost my job at a tech company at the end of the…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Market Comeback Edition
Last week’s theme was market madness, with headlines filled with dire predictions of the end of our lengthy bull market. I received many emails from readers and clients who were wondering what to do. Is this the start of a major decline? Is it a buying opportunity? My answer: I have no idea. If you’re comfortable with…
Read MoreGas Prices, Food Costs, And The Stock Market Drop
So here I am, sidelined by a miserable summer flu that still has a strong grip on me even at the end of week two. My head is so foggy that I’m reduced to watching TV’s inane summer programming, the Mike Duffy trial, election promises, and talking heads explaining our current economy. With this in…
Read MoreUnderstanding Your Retirement Benefits: Part 1 – CPP
Imagine celebrating at your retirement party without a clue as to how much you can expect to receive in pension income. It sounds incredible, but many people who will end their career in a few years are in just that situation. When you work for an employer you receive your salary, but once retired your…
Read MoreOur Kids’ Summer Activities, Ranked
Like most parents with young children, we’ve spent the majority of summer trying to keep our kids out of our hair entertained. It’s a challenge to constantly find new activities while at the same time trying to keep the expenses within reason. We’ve had a fairly busy summer, and now that back-to-school time is (thankfully)…
Read MoreWeekend Reading: Market Madness Edition
It was a bad week for the stock markets, highlighted by Friday’s 500+ point Dow Jones meltdown. Meanwhile, the price of a barrel of oil dipped below $40, leading to this cheery headline and photo in Business Insider yesterday: DOW SINKS INTO CORRECTION, OIL CRASHES BELOW $40: Here’s what you need to know: Rob Carrick also commented…
Read MoreI’d Rather Be Fishing: My Early Retirement Story
This is a guest post from reader Jamie, who shares his early retirement story as part of our retirement series. I lived and worked in Port Hardy, B.C. since 1984. On January 13th of this year I came to work on a midnight shift to find that it was my turn to pick holiday time. Vacations were…
Read MoreThe Real Cost Of Buying Your Home
Purchasing a home is one of the fundamental desires of most people. It will likely be the biggest purchase you will make in your lifetime. However, our homes are more than just financial assets and they are more than just places to live. Our homes are personal. They are integral parts of how we see…
Read MoreOf Course . . . But Maybe
Comedian Louis C.K. closed his 2013 comedy special Oh My God with a hilarious (albeit crude) bit called, “Of course . . . but maybe.” I thought it would be fun to apply the same thinking to personal finance and some of the situations we run into every day. On sense of entitlement Of course…
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