The term on my mortgage is up for renewal in a couple of months. I have to decide between fixed or variable. The good news is that interest rates are lower today than when I bought my condo almost 4 years ago so no matter what I choose my monthly payments should become lower. My strategy is to… Read More »
The government of Cyprus (a small island country near Turkey) announced they want to charge a one time tax on all their citizens’ savings and checking accounts, up to 9.9% of their balance (O_o) This is so the country can qualify for a $13 billion bail out package which they so desperately need. It certainly sets a very controversial precedent for… Read More »
About a year ago I bought some HVU.TO. It was my first time dabbling in the futures market and it was quite risky. The HVU, or Horizons BetaPro S&P 500 VIX, is an ETF that tries to double the gain or loss of the VIX index which is a benchmark for volatility in the stock market. Normally when… Read More »
I got a call earlier this week from a fellow who works for a diamond brokerage firm. I gave them my contact information when I went to a resource conference earlier this year. He wanted to tell me that their Vancouver office is holding a seminar later this month about investing in diamonds. Fancy colored diamonds in particular. I thought… Read More »
I’m sure many have heard that divorce can be financially devastating for a couple. But in a country that has over a billion people, couples are divorcing like their future retirement plans depend on it. And in a way, it’s true. China is home to some of the most unaffordable real estate in the world. If you think housing in… Read More »
Happy International Women’s Day Today is March 8th so let’s celebrate women’s economic and social achievements. I watched an 11min interview featuring a couple of representatives from TD Bank. Ms. Caranci is an economist and Ms. Caskey is a portfolio manager. They mentioned that studies from Credit Suisse and other notable institutions show that corporations with more female board members outperform those… Read More »