tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-209069492024-01-11T07:36:24.057-05:00The digest of an average Canadian's personal finance decisions, rants and occasional insights as I document my progress toward financial goals.Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1142817952391108612006-03-19T20:14:00.000-05:002007-02-26T16:20:47.540-05:00

Along the lines of the post this week by The Dividend Guy, yet another analyst quote (this one from Financial Sense Online) - we almost need a meme/contest for bizarre analyst quotes - that has you scratching your head for meaning:The second year of the Presidential Cycle is usually bearish close to 50% of the time.Nice form. I suppose its bullish close to the other 50% of the time, no :)?

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1142602812293196602006-03-17T08:09:00.000-05:002007-02-15T09:48:42.133-05:00

Unlike in the US, where there are over 1800 companies that offer Dividend Re-Investment Plans (DRIPs) and related Optional Cash Purchase (OCP) plans, the number in Canada has arguably flat lined or is on a decline. Due to mergers and acquisitions Canadian DRIP investors have recently seen plans for Terasen (formerly B.C. Gas) and Dofasco effectively end. And so it was with great anticipation (

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1142483281506940312006-03-15T23:00:00.000-05:002007-02-07T06:30:20.560-05:00

Canadian Capitalist has posted a very thought- (and discussion) provoking piece on the continuing debate between RRSP and non-registered investing. I actually read end-to-end the report by research group Philip, Hager and North he included as a link.The report, authored in August 2005, notes as one of its conclusions that "Changes in the progressive tax rates could impact which savings scenario

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1141790372501426642006-03-08T21:33:00.000-05:002007-02-28T02:00:56.920-05:00

With Toronto Hydro's recent announcement that it will be blanketing downtown Toronto with WiFi service (free of charge for six months, but then ...), I wonder how long it will be until Internet service becomes truly commoditized/utilitized - sold, offered and serviced not too differently than we think of water, gas or electricity. No more fancy promotions, jazzy packaging, etc., just another

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1141785031709738252006-03-07T21:12:00.000-05:002007-02-15T11:19:02.930-05:00

Since coming across a post on dripinvesting.org, the topic of discussion has remained with me for the last few days like - if you will excuse a cliche analogy - a splinter in my mind.Consider this:How large is too big? Can a company like a GE or an XOM [Exxon Mobil] ($345B and $372B in market cap, respectively) grow at 10-15% for a year? Five years? Twenty? At 12% we're talking about 3.5 trillion

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1141703733401962172006-03-06T22:36:00.000-05:002007-02-20T12:59:27.486-05:00

I found another great resource site yesterday - Dividend Based Investing (at dividendgrowth.org). With an emphasis on Canadian companies the author, who spent 16 years in the investment industry, promotes dividend growth investing, a practise that combines growth and value approaches by looking for stocks that are undervalued but which have high and sustainble growth rates. Citing work by other

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1141541020413056322006-03-05T01:26:00.000-05:002007-02-13T05:01:10.976-05:00

Through the share exchange board at dripinvesting.org I recently secured single shares in Aliant (AIT), Suncor (SU), Fortis (FTS), Enbridge (ENB) and RioCan REIT (REI.UN). A single share of each allows me to register for the respective Dividend/Distribution Re-investment and optional cash purchase plans for these companies - all without fees of any kind.So with the sale price determined by the

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1141359891720260062006-03-02T22:59:00.000-05:002006-03-02T23:24:51.743-05:00

Some would argue that as a whole, the telco 'sector' - BCE, Manitoba Telecom, etc. - is facing its twilight, with a glut of competition for their traditional and internet services from smaller regional providers and a new-but-growing roster of voice over IP (VOIP) services. Even the discussion here about widespread flight to cheaper long distance is indicative of the kind of pressure these

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1141272764043211962006-03-01T22:57:00.000-05:002006-03-01T23:12:44.093-05:00

Budget SummaryIt was a woeful month for savings – only $280.88 in February against a plan of $695, which, relative to my earnings represented a savings rate of only 5.9%. The biggest hit was a bit of unexpected car repairs, though I also paid down some additional debt and was over budget most noticeably in gifts and books and magazines. On the positive side, my employer renegotiated new

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1141181649062549662006-02-28T21:43:00.000-05:002007-02-20T13:01:26.400-05:00

The fact that there are so few investment books written with a Canadian focus of the caliber of The Investment Zoo is in no small part a fair reflection of the fact that there are correspondingly few Canadian investor-authors that compare not only to Jarislowsky’s financial success but also his emphasis on corporate ethics, shareholder interest and responsible philanthropy. Sadly, I have found

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1140882591935640332006-02-25T10:40:00.000-05:002007-02-20T06:08:26.410-05:00

I'm at a point quite reminiscent of childhood, where I'm rushing (if only mentally) to the mailbox everyday on the way home from work, eagerly turning the key, and peering inside the dark metal bin (we are using a super box) . After years of mail = bills or junk, and a shift to more electronic communication, once again I find myself much more interested in(snail) mail than I have been for some

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1140881973312388822006-02-25T10:30:00.000-05:002006-07-08T10:16:36.566-04:00

The Toronto Star reported that consumer gas rates are indeed, likely to fall this spring, according to Enbridge. While great news for the vast majority of consumers, those that signed fixed-price contracts under 'the sky is falling' pretences (um, myself included) will, at least for a while, have to pay more as the promise of higher rates and a mathematical savings remains elusive, at least for

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1140662925503439292006-02-22T21:05:00.000-05:002007-02-04T14:53:41.720-05:00

I was visited by a salesperson from Universal Power yesterday looking to have me sign a long-term (5-year) agreement for fixed price electricity. I'm not terribly impressed by the scare-tactic approach, widely used in selling electricity and natural gas (ok, so it worked on me when I bought my gas plan ...). I realize our electricity rates are artificially regulated in Ontario, but I'm really

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1140579816619917112006-02-21T22:28:00.000-05:002006-02-22T17:47:49.636-05:00

As a logical conclusion to my review of banking options, I followed through on my assessment and opened a new President's Choice Financial account for my everyday banking. I do want to thank everyone that provided feedback on this - I'm glad it was pointed out, for example, that CIBC really doesn't service PC Financial for in-bank services. As suggested, I will keep my existing TD Canada Trust

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1140578845413276052006-02-21T21:18:00.000-05:002006-02-21T23:53:29.003-05:00

This week's festival is hosted by Retire at 30 .I particularly liked the post by Jim from Blueprint for Financial Prospectity featuring an actual cost analysis of compact florescent bulbs vs. standard incandescants. Perhaps a minor point, but the value for me was the effort spent to move beyond the anecdotal and measure a real-life savings.

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1140490129769890662006-02-20T21:29:00.000-05:002007-02-11T07:05:10.533-05:00

Yes, a little dodgy, I know, and perhaps only a few rungs of credibility above the myriad of 'make money at home' schemes that fill pop-ups ads and clog my spam-filter on a proverbial basis.That being said, after travelling through few a few links from a post on MyMoneyBlog, I came across InternetPaidSurveys.com, something of an aggregator for market surveyors of all colors. (There is even a

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1140384339458420092006-02-19T15:36:00.000-05:002007-02-21T00:29:50.766-05:00

I've often mused that there are really only two types of hairstyles for men over the age of 30; the highschool haircut (meaning any style that that you or anyone you knew in high school ever enjoyed), or the 'I give up', also known as the 'I surrender'.While the former is obvious, the latter is basically the ubiquitous, shortly cropped treatment for those in follicle recession. Sporting the 'I

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1140231150610958262006-02-17T21:44:00.000-05:002007-02-21T07:45:45.440-05:00

There is, in the heart and mind of certain investors, a watershed moment when the DRIP concept crystallizes and becomes an unquestionable thing of beauty. More than just another investment method, DRIPs represent, for these investors, a grass-roots triumph of the small investor over the entire fee-charging and sometimes exploitive personal finance arena and an opportunity to mathematically 'beat

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1140063701024514632006-02-15T22:43:00.000-05:002007-02-21T02:00:47.563-05:00

Almost there, honest.As I mentioned before, I've come to rely heavily on online banking. TD Canada Trust has recently won a number of awards for their online banking solutions, so I fully expected theirs to be a tough act to follow.As a very brief summary, both BMO and PC Financial offer 'online banking tours' that allow you to get a good feel for their services. I like the BMO user interface

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1139975758757998982006-02-14T22:47:00.000-05:002006-02-15T12:34:58.503-05:00

I'm currently remote on a business trip but quickly wanted to highlight the Festival of Frugality #10 and the Carnival of Personal Finance being hosted by Boston Gal's Open Wallet and The Dividend Guy, respectively.I also want to add Canadian Capitalist has continued the Nest Egg vs. Cash Flow investing discussion with a new post on his site. I'm personally finding this discussion very

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1139885803366053332006-02-13T20:56:00.000-05:002006-02-14T09:05:55.570-05:00

The good: I still recall being somewhat suspicious of all the gas providers that came knocking in the weeks after people began moving into our new subdivision. However, with the 30% rate hike that took effect in January, I sure am glad I signed up when I did with a 3-year fixed rate plan with Select Power. This took effect just as natural gas rates rose in January by 30% and while I'm saving

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1139798625907774222006-02-12T21:13:00.000-05:002007-02-15T08:21:14.813-05:00

So in looking at a new bank for my everyday needs, I wanted to figure out which offered the better incentive program - either PC Points (PC Financial) or Air Miles (Bank of Montreal). Grocery savings were the 'unit of measure' in comparing the point systems (frugal!). PC Points earn one grocery dollar per 1000 points, while a $20 Dominion gift certificate can be earned with 140 Air Miles.(Geek

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1139630581025734712006-02-10T22:40:00.000-05:002007-02-20T12:22:23.833-05:00

This afternoon I happened across the weblog of Garth Turner, (my) Member of Parliament via a link in the Toronto Star. While I can appreciate the level of transparency and grassroots participation Mr. Turner is trying to offer his constituents, with respect to his very public criticism of some appointments to the new cabinet, we all know that, like any other job, sensitivity to 'company

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1139541666300328962006-02-09T21:31:00.000-05:002007-02-20T13:03:46.353-05:00

Now that RSP season is in full swing, many publishers are providing special features and extra material geared towards investment strategy, retirement planning, and general good personal finance behavior. As pointed out by Canadian Capitalist, the Toronto Star is no exception. That being said, I read Ellen Roseman's article in today's edition (How Much Do You Need to Retire?) with that same mix

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20906949.post-1139461731729068952006-02-09T00:07:00.000-05:002006-02-09T23:55:32.923-05:00

Picking up the thread from the previous post on this topic, I spent some time comparing fees. Using my current TD Canada Trust Infinity account as the control, I looked at BMO and PC Financial.My first observation is that BMO offers many plans, with basic permutations based on account activity requirements, overdraft needs, and travel and out-of-Canada services. PC Financial on the other hand,

Humble Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820919468726283563noreply@blogger.com4