Weekend Reading: Because Money Edition

We recorded episode three of the Because Money video podcast on Wednesday and welcomed special guest Kerry K. Taylor, the blogger behind Squawkfox.com, to the program to discuss frugal Christmas gifts, the “one toy in, one toy out” rule, and money saving tactics at the grocery store.

You’d think after three episodes I’d be a seasoned Google Hangout pro by now, but I still managed to Quantum Leap myself out of the podcast on three separate occasions (because technology?).  Oh boy.  I did manage to find my way back into the conversation and had fun talking family finances with the panel.  Check it out:

Weekend Reading

Here’s a look at some of my favourite personal finance articles from around the web this week:

Why the Bank of Canada can’t raise interest rates

BrighterLife.ca » Today’s economy · Inflation continues to run close to the Bank of Canada’s 1% minimum. In this territory, an overnight rate cut is more likely than a hike. Could the Bank of Canada be forced to lower interest rates before it’s in a position to raise them? Open this article

Modifying the Canadian pension system

Retire Happy · More than seven million Canadians will retire over the next two decades.  Retirement will be a very bleak place for the unprepared, and indications are that many boomers (and others) will be very poorly prepared.  Open this article

How to spend & save wisely

CityNews · November is Financial Literacy Month and personal finance guru Gail Vaz-Oxlade gives tips on how to be smart with your money. Open this article

Are pricey engagement rings ‘over-valued baubles’ or a sign of true commitment?

Financial Post · The Vancouver couple met on Plenty of Fish last year. In March, Pasquale Angelino Zampieri gave Jessica Bennett an engagement ring comprised of 3.9-karat diamonds set around a 5.7-karat sapphire. It cost $16,500. Open this article

Why Canadian homes are more unaffordable than ever

The Globe and Mail · Low interest rates are a form of economic junk food.It’s true in the housing market, where low rates have glossed over a striking decline in affordability in the past two decades. Open this article

Warren Buffett’s 10 Year Track Record Kinda Sucks

Financial Uproar ·  How can you not love Warren Buffett? You don’t get to eleventy trillion dollars (author’s estimate) in assets without doing a thing or two right. Much has been said of Buffett’s record over the past 60 years. But how has it been lately? Open this article

Violating the Foundational Tenets of Personal Finance for Fun and Profit

blog.springpersonalfinance.com · The point: There’s no universal equation into which you can plug your details and receive a perfectly optimized solution to all your personal finance questions. Open this article

Finding Financial Freedom by Living on the Cheap

OutOfYourRut.com · I’d like to take a look at cutting living expenses as part of a comprehensive strategy. It’s not an exaggeration to say that you can find financial freedom by living on the cheap. Open this article

The 4% Draw Down Theory

Canajun Finances · Should you try to create a nest egg that you can live off without having to touch it (live off the interest or dividends) or do you create a block of money that you then “draw down” until it is gone? The answer of course is, it depends, however,…Open this article

How to Cancel Accounts When a Loved One Passes Away

Canadian Finance Blog · It’s always difficult when a loved one passes. Emotionally, there’s a lot to deal with. But that’s not usually a surprise. Many of us expect a period of emotional recovery. What’s surprising for many people is the fact that there is a lot of paperwork that comes when a loved one dies. Open this article

Have a great weekend, everyone!