Today, I read a very sad story about a 76-year old man who sold his home when his mortgage payment went up. Presumably, the story was about the impact of rising mortgage rates and the lack of affordable housing in Calgary. In reality, what I took from the article was an appreciation of just how […]
Based on my understanding of them, the Baby Steps have two main problems. One, the Baby Steps encourage people to work longer than they might otherwise wish. Two, people will pay higher than necessary management expense ratios (MERs). One of the more controversial figures in the personal finance section of the Internet is Dave Ramsey. […]
When I was younger, I was convinced that student loans are an anchor. I believed that the best course of action was to eliminate them as soon as humanly possible. Full stop – no further discussion needed. Paying off student loans ASAP was a sign of being a mature adult. One did not carry debt […]
This summer, I was lucky enough to have a socially-distanced visit with some friends. As we enjoyed our cheesecake, the host mentioned that he was worried about what would happen when his boss retired. My friend explained that his boss’ child would likely take over the company. This likelihood was causing a good deal of […]
The question often arises about whether it’s better to invest your money or to pay down debt. My position is that you should do both. The reality is that the younger you are, the more time your money has to compound if invested. From the tiniest acorn did the mighty oak grow, and all that. […]
Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard people talking about the right of offset. As I understand it, the bank who lends you money has the right to take money out of your bank account, held at the same bank, if you don’t pay your debts on time. Wait! What? Start from the beginning, Blue […]
Right from the get-go, I’m going to ask those of you who already know this to forgive me for stating the obvious. Minimum payments benefit the lender way, way, way more than they benefit the borrower. Beware the minimum payment! When you borrow money from the lender, you’re taking out a loan. And when you […]
One of the best things about being a Singleton is that you alone are responsible for your financial choices. You need not debate each purchase nor do you need to compromise with anyone about how your household’s money will be spent. You have the freedom to choose which of your life’s goals to pursue and […]
Debt is a cancer to building intergenerational wealth. The phrase intergenerational wealth conjures up images of the very, very rich who are able to bestow entire empires upon their progeny. Truthfully, the concept doesn’t require anything quite that elaborate. My definition of intergenerational wealth is the ability to provide financial assistance to your offspring in […]