Around the Blogosphere

Earlier this week, Million Dollar Journey blogger Frugal Trader wrote a letter to his wife explaining how their finances work in case he passes away and she needs to succeed him as the household CFO. It’s an interesting topic, and one that former Boomer & Echo correspondent Sandi Martin covered here last year. Although his wife has little-to-no…

Michael Lewis is one of my favourite financial authors. He has a unique blend of on-the-ground experience (he was a bond trader on Wall Street before resigning to write Liar’s Poker), plus the talent and ability to turn a complex story into a compelling narrative. His best work, in my opinion, was The Big Short, which…

Earlier this week Marie reviewed a new book by Mark Goodfield called, Let’s Get Blunt About Your Financial Affairs. We received an overwhelming number of responses to the book review and giveaway. In total, we had 121 entries vying for the chance to win one of three copies of the book. We used a random number…

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…

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…

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…

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…

It’s no secret that ordinary investors have been getting screwed over by the investment industry for decades. If you want proof, look no further than Fred Schwed’s nearly 75-year-old classic book, Where Are The Customers’ Yachts?. This week I stumbled upon another gem, this one published in The Globe and Mail 10 years ago by…

I celebrated my 36th birthday on Friday (my 3-year-old asked if I was turning 76, but that’s beside the point). A birthday is a good time to reflect on the past year and I’ve realized how much my life has changed each and every year since we started this blog. Boomer & Echo has been a…

I’ve long been a proponent that people should pursue their dreams and not settle for a less-than-inspiring career. However, in many cases, doing what you love doesn’t necessarily put food on the table or pay the bills. Take this woman, recently featured in the Financial Post, who wanted to quit her public sector career at…