Rob Carrick

Aug 21: Best from the blogosphere

August 21, 2017

By Sheryl Smolkin

If you want to take a break from swimming and sunning in the waning days of summer, here is our latest selection of personal finance vides for your viewing pleasure.

There was a lot of panic recently after the Bank of Canada finally raised its overnight rate after seven years. In her  latest video, Jessica Moorhouse gives a quick recap on what this interest rate hike was all about and what you should do about it (especially if you’re in debt!).

The Globe and Mail’s personal finance columnist Rob Carrick offers several ideas to reduce the impact of the interest rate increase on your finances. If you have a mortgage, he suggests paying down the principal, even with money you were planning to put into an RRSP.

Click here to listen

And finally, Kornel Szreibjer, host of Build Wealth Canada interviewed Randy Cass CEO of Nest Wealth, a robo advisor service. Robo-advisors are a class of financial advisers that provide financial advice or portfolio management online with minimal human intervention. For more ways to listen to the podcast click here.


Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

Written by Sheryl Smolkin
Sheryl Smolkin LLB., LLM is a retired pension lawyer and President of Sheryl Smolkin & Associates Ltd. For over a decade, she has enjoyed a successful encore career as a freelance writer specializing in retirement, employee benefits and workplace issues. Sheryl and her husband Joel are empty-nesters, residing in Toronto with their cockapoo Rufus.

Aug 14: Best of savewithspp.com summer blogs

August 14, 2017
SHUTTERSTOCK

This second installment of the best of savewithspp.com focuses on some of my favourite summer blogs.

By late August, the “getting out of school for the summer” euphoria has worn off and both kids and their parents are looking for inexpensive things to do.  Summer activities for kids on a budget has lots of great ideas from a community parks tour to an all day pajama party to backyard camping.

Staying on budget can be a challenge at any time of year. But when souvenirs and snacks beckon on vacation or the hotel you booked ends up being much more than you expected, your bottom line may suffer an unexpected hit.

A 2016 study from BMO  reports that as temperatures soar so does our spending, and while many don’t feel guilty about enjoying the season, half (52%) admit that their summer habits have negative long-term effects on their savings.

Back to school shopping: A teachable moment was posted in 2013. It highlights that getting ready for the new school term is an ideal time for you to help your child learn the difference between “needs” and “wants.” It is also an opportunity to teach them basic financial literacy skills like budgeting and managing their money.

In September of the same year we featured Your kid’s allowance: Financial Literacy 101.  According to The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, exactly what you need to teach kids about money depends on the ages of the children. We include their suggestions on what financial lessons are appropriate for different age groups.

And finally, How Not To Move Back In With Your Parents reviews Rob Carrick’s book written in 2014. But the message still holds true. I said it then and I’ll say it again now. Every new parent should get a copy when they leave the hospital with their precious bundle of joy and beginning at a young age children should be taught the basic principles of financial literacy outlined in the book.


Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

Written by Sheryl Smolkin
Sheryl Smolkin LLB., LLM is a retired pension lawyer and President of Sheryl Smolkin & Associates Ltd. For over a decade, she has enjoyed a successful encore career as a freelance writer specializing in retirement, employee benefits and workplace issues. Sheryl and her husband Joel are empty-nesters, residing in Toronto with their cockapoo Rufus.

June 12: Best from the blogosphere

June 12, 2017

In the mid-1990s when I obtained my Master of Laws (LLM) from University of Leicester via a distance degree I traveled back and forth to Europe for five extended study weekends. That’s when I first got an Aeroplan number and a CIBC Aeroplan Visa and began aggressively collecting points.

As a result we were able to get almost free flights to many wonderful places including South America, Italy and the U.K. But recently convenient flights have cost more points and additional fees have increased so it has become more and more difficult to use up Aeroplan points in a cost-effective way.

Therefore, several years ago I traded in my Aeroplan VISA for a Capital One MasterCard that offers two points for every dollar spent and travel rewards of $1 for each 100 points accumulated.  I haven’t looked back since then.

But many of you who have stuck with Aeroplan through thick and thin will be affected by the announcement that beginning June 30, 2020. Aeroplan will no longer be the loyalty program for Air Canada.  Instead Air Canada has decided to launch its own loyalty program upon the expiry of its commercial agreement with Aimia, the operator of Aeroplan.

Many details of how the program will be phased out remain unclear, but the collection of media articles and blogs below may answer some of your questions.

A two-part series on Rewards Canada explores what we know now and questions that remain outstanding.

  1.  Air Canada to launch own loyalty program in 2020! Aeroplan should continue to be a partner includes excerpts from the Aeroplan news release and questions whether the new Aeroplan will have access to Star Alliance members’ award inventory or if it will become exclusive to Air Canada’s new program.
  2. Further thoughts, insight and tips on the split between Air Canada and Aeroplan suggests that perhaps Air Canada will pad their loyal flyers account with some miles to begin with, or they may put in place some sort of transfer option. However it seems from the news provided by both Aeroplan and Air Canada there will be no way to transfer between the two programs, at least for the time being.

The Globe and Mail’s Rob Carrick explores rewarding replacements for those of you who are bailing on Air Canada. He says, “Figure out which program works best for you and start watching for special introductory offers to lure new clients. Competition between programs will heat up as we move closer to Air Canada’s departure from Aeroplan.”

Stephen Weyman on HowToSaveMoney.ca says Aeroplan has committed to keeping your miles safe and will allow you to continue redeeming them for flights on Air Canada even after the 2020 deadline. But what could change is the cost in miles for doing so. He says, “I expect the cost will increase substantially, so if you want to fly Air Canada or Star Alliance, you should try and redeem most of your miles before 2020.” Weyman also explores which Aeroplan credit card is really the best.

And finally, read about how a family of four collected one million travel reward points in 12 months and is travelling the world on business class . Global News multimedia journalist Emanuela Campanella writes about Pedro Pla, 35, from Puerto Rico and Grace Cheng, 36, from Singapore who began their odyssey with their two toddlers in January 2017.

“We made it our family goal at the start of 2016 to collect a million air miles through travel hacking. In order to reach this goal, we had to research and plan meticulously so that we were able to maximize the earning of credit card points or miles per dollar of spending,” Pia says. “The bulk of our one million miles was earned from the ground, which means that we earned them as credit card rewards points or miles when we use our credit cards to pay for purchases.”


Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

Written by Sheryl Smolkin
Sheryl Smolkin LLB., LLM is a retired pension lawyer and President of Sheryl Smolkin & Associates Ltd. For over a decade, she has enjoyed a successful encore career as a freelance writer specializing in retirement, employee benefits and workplace issues. Sheryl and her husband Joel are empty-nesters, residing in Toronto with their cockapoo Rufus.

April 24: Best from the blogosphere

April 24, 2017

By Sheryl Smolkin

It’s show time again! For your viewing pleasure, in this monthly feature we present links to a selection of personal finance videos.

For students who may be filing an income tax return for the first time (and there is still one week left), CRA offers a series of 10 short videos. For example, Segment 2: Do I have to file is geared towards helping Canadian students determine whether or not they need to file an income tax and benefit return.

Globe and Mail columnist Rob Carrick shares four steps for millennials to get started as  investors, including where to put savings for a home down payment and where not to invest  savings.

Preet Bannerjee, author of Stop Over-Thinking Your Money: The Five Simple Rules of Financial Success (Portfolio Penguin, 2014) offers five simple rules of financial success. Rule #1 is to “disaster-proof” your life.

And finally, a video from the Canada Deposit and Insurance Company interviews three couples about their financial hopes and dreams and ways that they are protecting their hard-earned money.


Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.


Mar 27: Best from the blogosphere

March 27, 2017

By Sheryl Smolkin

It’s that time of month again. Here are a series of personal finance videos for your viewing pleasure.

Rob Carrick at the Globe and Mail says an overlooked way to prepare for retirement is to establish the groundwork for working beyond age 65 when you are still in your 40s and 50s.

Another interesting Globe and Mail video offers valuable advice on avoiding financial fraudsters including how to protect your computer and online passwords.

Bridget Casey from Money after Graduation posted three ways to spring clean your finances last April, but her suggestions are still relevant a year later. She says one of the first things you should do is get your free credit report.

In this video from CBC The National, Christine Burak and Natalie Kalata report that Canadians are living longer healthier lives but they are having more difficulty saving for a longer period of retirement.


Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.


Feb 20: Best from the blogosphere

February 20, 2017

By Sheryl Smolkin

Get out the popcorn! It’s time for our selection of monthly personal finance videos.

First of all, if you don’t have a company pension plan for your employees, you need to know about the SPP business plan. Find out why the Sutherland Chiropractic Clinic set up SPP for their employees.

Globe and Mail personal finance columnist shares some great ideas for protecting yourself from online scammers.

In Save Your #@%* Money with these RRSP, TFSA, and RESP recipes Melissa Leong brings you an amusing look at the ingredients it takes to successfully save in these registered vehicles.

Preet Bannerjee explains how disability insurance works and why it is so important in this Money School blog.

And finally, if you have made financial mistakes along the way, it doesn’t mean you have irreparably ruined your financial future. Blogger Bridget Casey (Money After Graduation) makes a case for forgiving yourself for financial regrets.

Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.


Jan 23: Best from the blogosphere

January 23, 2017

By Sheryl Smolkin

Here we go with another series of video blogs that will help you to organize and manage your finances. Some of them are not recent, but they have definitely withstood the test of time.


In Budgeting Without Losing Your Mind, Young Guys Finance says budgeting doesn’t necessarily mean punishing yourself so you can’t spend any money. Instead he vues budgeting as an awareness tool that will help you to identify what you are spending money on and cut back on what you don’t really need.

Because Money, co-hosted by Financial Planner and opera singer Chris Enns, interviews Kyle Prevost from Young and Thrifty. Join them for a rousing trivia game that is impossible to win and find out how hard it really is to get financial literacy into the high school curriculum.

When you tune in to a Freckle Finance video for the first time, you will quickly understand why the presenter has adopted this unusual handle. In this episode she explains what a GIC is and how it compares to other investments.

At the end of the year, Rob Carrick from the Globe & Mail took a look at which financial institutions have the best deal on high interest savings accounts. However, be forewarned – it’s still slim pickings out there!

And finally, if you want to figure out how much you are really worth, tune in to How to calculate your net worth with Bridget Eastgaard from Money after graduation.


Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.


Nov 14: Best from the Blogosphere

November 14, 2016

By Sheryl Smolkin

First of all, I’d like to thank Tom Drake who blogs at canadianfinanceblog for starting the Facebook group Canadian Money Bloggers. Through this group I’m meeting lots of personal finance bloggers for the first time, who will make SPP’s weekly Best from the Blogosphere even more interesting.

Because the reaction to our October 17th blog with video clips was positive, it will now be a regular monthly feature. You will find the second in the series below.

Jessica Moorhouse has co-opted her normally shy and retiring husband Josh to co-star in a video in which they discuss why the decision not to combine all of their finances helps to maintain their marital bliss.

On Tea at Taxevity, Actuary Promod Sharma interviews guest Gary Hepworth, an Elder Planning Counsellor and Advocate about three main components of planning for aging: a housing plan, a financial plan and a healthcare plan.

Bridget Eastgaard from Money After Graduation  answers the question from a reader, Should I use a Line of Credit to pay off Credit Card Debt?

In Won’t more working seniors squeeze millennials out of the work force? Rob Carrick chats with Lisa Taylor, president of Challenge Factory, about why seniors who want to keep on working do not typically take jobs away from young people.

And finally, as part of his Money School series, Prem Bannerjee tackles the potential pitfalls when it comes to figuring out How to split a bill at a restaurant.


Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.


Oct 17: Best from the blogosphere

October 17, 2016

By Sheryl Smolkin

Building on the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand word, in this edition of Best from the Blogosphere we direct you to video channels and specific personal finance videos you may want to follow regularly.

First of all, keep an eye on the series of videos from Saskatchewan Pension Plan, and in particular this one, which clarifies issues raised in a recent quiz posted on savewithspp.com. Other video blogs discuss how to become a member of SPP, how to start a company plan with SPP and why fees matter to your investments.

Money School with Preet Bannerjee tackles a whole range of topics including Employer Matching Retirement Contributions. Are you leaving money on the table?

Only buying a house is a bigger financial commitment than buying a car. The message in this humorous Get Smarter About Money video blog is that you have to look at the cost of ownership from operating costs, insurance, maintenance and financing to understand the big picture.

The Globe and Mail’s Rob Carrick is featured in the “Carrick Talks Money” series of video blogs. If you can’t figure out whether or not your investment advisor is making money for you, take a look at Where can I find out how much I’ve made or lost since I opened my investment account?

And last but not least, Bridget Eastgaard from Money After Graduation discusses two ways to pay off debt in The Debt Avalanche vs The Debt Snowball. Find out which is the best approach for you!

Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.


Oct 3: Best from the blogosphere

October 3, 2016

By Sheryl Smolkin

The leaves are turning and the weather is changing. As fall visits us briefly before the long cold winter sets in, it’s time to re-visit recent posts from some of our favourite personal finance writers.

On Boomer and Echo, Marie Engen offers 5 Ways To Stretch Your Retirement Dollars. My favourite is to sign up for senior discounts. In Calgary an annual transit pass for seniors is just $95. BC Ferries gives a 50% discount on passenger fares (Monday to Thursday, except holidays). Retailers such as Shoppers Drug Mart have senior discount days. A number of universities and colleges offer free tuition, at least for non-credit courses.

Sara Milton writes on Retire Happy about Financial warning signs: Are you prepared for the worst?. She says before financial disaster hits, there have  usually  been warning signs for some time. Just like on the dashboard of a car, an individual’s financial “check engine” light was lit up like a Christmas tree and, either he/she didn’t notice or  deliberately ignored it in the hope that it would somehow fix itself and switch off.

While investors may be reluctant to sell stocks because the sale will trigger tax inclusions, Pat McKeough reminds us on the Financial Independence Hub thatCapital gains tax is one of the lowest taxes you’ll ever pay. For example, if an investor purchases stock for $1,000 and then sells that stock for $2,000, they have a $1,000 capital gain. Investors pay Canadian capital gains tax on 50% of the capital gain amount. This means that if you earn $1,000 in capital gains, and you are in the highest tax bracket you will pay about $247.65 in Canadian capital gains tax on the $1,000 in gains.

For most young people in college or university student loans are a necessary evil. But they can become a tremendous burden after graduation. How I worked my way through university by Robin Taub on Forward Thinking profiles Corey Barss (age 25) who grew up in Brantford and attended Ryerson University. By saving money while he was in high school and working nearly full-time as a cook and server at the Ryerson campus pub while he was in university, he was able to graduate with only $30,000 in student loans. Even when he got a full-time job he continued work 12 hours/week at the pub in order to become debt free in three years.

And finally, the Globe and Mail’s Rob Carrick writes that one of the most important financial literacy lessons young people can learn is how to deal with banks. In Millennials, banks are not your friends his message to students is that banks aren’t your friend, and neither are they your enemy. They’re companies you do business with and that means you have to have to go in prepared to defend your own interests. He says students should look for ways to bank for nothing, and he gives  important factors to consider when evaluating student bank accounts.

Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.