Category Archives: PERSONAL FINANCE

Dear Government: The banks won’t help you! Witness rising mortgage rates.

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Mal Spooner

It seems the U.S. and Canadian governments are counting on the banking industry to help them distribute aid to those most hurt by the coronavirus lock-down.  DON’T! Despite the central banks lowering interest rates to historically low levels, the mortgage … Continue reading →

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Renegotiating mortgage? Get extra to buy bank stocks and collect dividends.

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Mal Spooner

Between trips to Costco to stock up on supplies, or while working from home you may want to consider doing something given the market meltdown rather than just sitting on your haunches and letting opportunities slip by.  Don’t get me … Continue reading →

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NO INFLATION? But it feels like everything costs more.

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Mal Spooner

We’re getting some mixed signals on the price front.  The U.S. CPI just came out, and seems benign enough: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1 percent in February on a seasonally adjusted basis, the same … Continue reading →

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Your lower mortgage PYMT or the Next Financial Crisis.

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Mal Spooner

Mirroring the U.S. effort to fight the economic disaster expected from the coronavirus, the Bank of Canada lowered interest rates by 1/2% as well – to “get out ahead” of the storm.  Governor Stephen Powell said “the downside risks to … Continue reading →

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Bonds (ETF’s, Mutual Funds) at Risk even in a Recession

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Mal Spooner

It’s very difficult to teach young adults about how bonds work – although I believe I’ve done a pretty good job of it.  It’s even more difficult to educate adults that had an aversion to math when they were at … Continue reading →

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Crazy high-paying Canadian dividend stocks. Why not?

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Mal Spooner

Experience teaches us many things.  Portfolio managers with many years under their belts get anxious when markets are bubbly.  At times like these, we often look for relatively safe places to make a few bucks. A formula that’s served me … Continue reading →

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Why professional advisers best online trading and robo-advisers.

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Mal Spooner

This post (it’s more like a rant) has been a long time coming.  The idea was inspired by the ridiculous (and expensive) ads you see bitching about the ‘high fees’ associated with investment advisers and mutual funds etc. After spending … Continue reading →

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TFSA versus RRSP – for younger people TFSA wins hands down.

Posted on February 15, 2020 by Mal Spooner

Should your savings be going into an RRSP or a TFSA? It really depends how well you’re getting paid, and whether you’re the type of person who tends to spend what they earn (on a Harley, expensive guitars and cars).  … Continue reading →

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Why are mortgage rates REALLY falling? Will this increase home prices?

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Mal Spooner

A recent article posted on CBC Business News was entitled “Why worries about the coronavirus are pushing mortgage rates down.” Below is the explanation: Fixed-rate loans are highly influenced by bond yields, because a mortgage lender makes money on the spread between … Continue reading →

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