Posts by Canadian MoneySaver
Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) are designed to help Canadian parents save for their children’s post-secondary education. An RESP is a savings account that a parent, guardian, grandparent or other relative/friend (called a subscriber) over the age of 18 can open for a child under the age of 18 (called the beneficiary). An RESP can be used to cover any education-related expenses once enrolment in a qualifying post-secondary program can be confirmed. Eligible expenses can include tuition, books and transportation. The federal government provides a 20% Canadian Education Savings Grant (CESG) grant on the first $2,500 contributed annually, up to a lifetime maximum of $7,200 per child. Low- and middle-income families can also qualify for up to $2,000 from the Canadian Learning Bond (CLB).
If you count actual jobs, I have now spent more than 36 years in the investment industry. If you start from my first stock trade, I have spent 47 years watching, analyzing and trading stocks. Even after so long, there is still lots to learn. That’s why I love the market—every day is different; every day creates an opportunity to either make—or lose—money. My goal—and yours—is to be on the right side of that equation.
While you will never know everything there is to know about the market, and in fact, when investors think they know everything, they are clearly destined for trouble, experience does help. Over the past 47 years, I have picked up a few pointers and guidelines. They don’t always work, but they tend to work more often than not.
I am going to share with you some of my favourite investment/trading guidelines. Remember, these are just for you. It is simply our way of trying to help you, the individual inve
It’s not exactly a newsflash that buying a first home in today’s Canada is only a pipedream for many. Prices soared to new highs across the nation during the heights of the Covid pandemic and, although we are now well off of those highs, the subsequent rampant run-up in interest rates has vastly decreased how much potential buyers can and should borrow. Making things even worse, 2022’s stock market decline chipped away at many potential down payments and the current stratospheric level of inflation means that a portion of many pay cheques earmarked towards home savings have been diverted to things like gas and groceries. The reality is that for many young Canadians, their only chance of getting into the housing market any time soon is from either playing the lottery or with a little help from someone else.
Foodflation!! We are all facing it! In this episode, Ellen Roseman talks to a Canadian Researcher in food distribution and policy and otherwise known as The Food Professor, Sylvain Charlebois. They discuss food inflation, tipflation and even shrinkflation and how to fight them. They also talk about Canada's Food Price Report and Skip The Dishes Inflation Cookbook.
When my brothers and I were young, my grandmother gave each of us a single share of Bell Canada for birthdays and graduation gifts. We were excited to receive the telephone company’s shares, then trading in the range of $40 to $50 each.
But the importance of investing for the long-term was lost on me. If I had learned that lesson, I wouldn’t have cashed in my 25 Bell shares before I turned 25.
Let’s face it. The world is set up for couples. From Noah’s Ark to Bumble, it’s all about pairing up. Sure, there are benefits to staying single, like sleeping on whatever side of the bed you fancy, but added financial security isn’t one of them. For singletons, few things are as annoying as “smug marrieds.” Not only do these couples flaunt their cozy togetherness, but they get access to financial perks only available to twosomes.
Planning to financially support a loved one with a disability is a three-stage process. The first stage gets the most attention but stages two and three are often ignored or delayed unnecessarily.