Financial Post - Money

So much 'money down the drain'

Fri, 25 May 2012 08:29:51 PDT

Devastated by bad investments, an Ontario couple struggles to make ends meet on $10,000 a month

Why you should study personal finance, not Shakespeare

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:49:00 PDT

Can you name 3 of Shakespeare’s plays? What if you were asked how your mortgage payments would change with a 1.5% increase in interest rates?

Free rent if you live here

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:52:04 PDT

As more historic U.S. buildings fall into disrepair, locales are considering curatorship programs where residents get to live for little or nothing in turn for renovations

Are employee benefits the next thing to go?

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:06:43 PDT

Your umbrella of benefits may be a thing of the past as employers turn instead to a defined contribution plan where we choose from a menu of options -- and pay accordingly

13% of Canadian youth unemployed: StatsCan

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:33:28 PDT

Canada’s youth are more likely to be working or seeking an education than many of their counterparts in other G7 nations, the country’s leading statistical agency suggests

Is there ever a bad time to invest in a rental property?

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:51:26 PDT

Fabio Campanella: Direct investment in real estate requires a time commitment, experience, and patience but the long-term results can be superb when done properly

Senators have status update for Saverin: Pay your taxes

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:32:47 PDT

Two U.S. senators, angered by what they said was Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s deliberate tax avoidance, want legislation to stop him and other exiles from re-entering the country

Couples who bank together stay together

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:27:49 PDT

The least romantic topic on any couple's list is the one that should be at the very top of it: Money

Personal Finance this weekend

Fri, 18 May 2012 11:30:57 PDT

Did you miss anything in this weekend’s Personal Finance section of the Financial Post? Here’s a round-up of our coverage, just in case

Retirement abroad has its costs

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:26:48 PDT

Family Finance: Moving back to Toronto from Guatemala for retirement might mean a reduced standard of living, but then again, they might just live longer

Half of Canadians plan to retire with mortgage: survey

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:10:21 PDT

The one thing Canadians won’t be retiring anytime soon is their mortgage debt, according to a new BMO survey, which shows 51% of Canadian homeowners plan to carry their mortgage into their retirement years

Beware of debt settlement scams

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:12:28 PDT

In debt-settlement programs, the client is often left holding the bag for a debt far greater than the original amount, and out of pocket thousands of dollars in fees, writes Brenda Shanahan

Scrooge’s slant on smartphone payments

Tue, 15 May 2012 07:35:44 PDT

Jason Heath: 'It might just be that online banking, automatic debits and mobile payments have detached us from our money and turned us into zombies who give it away too easily'

The psychology of debt

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:20:55 PDT

The decision to spend or save, splurge or hoard money really comes down to a consumer's confidence about the future or their fear of it

Gifts from mom and dad help this couple stay afloat

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:05:04 PDT

Family Finance: A new car and thousands of dollars a year from their parents help this family afford to keep mom at home with the kids

Not all dividends are taxed the same

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:53:06 PDT

Dividends from non-Canadian companies are treated as foreign income and are taxed at full marginal rates

Student debt: U.S. students finding leniency

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:27:10 PDT

American educators and policymakers are looking for new solutions to a mountain of student debt that has reached the $1 trillion mark. Some are getting payment holidays, others have their debt forgiven

Got a house? You need a will

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:09:39 PDT

Garry Marr: While a new survey suggests 58% of Canadians don't have a signed will, there are signs that the housing boom and the wealth it has generated has encouraged more people to put their plans in writing

Teachers' Pension Plan CEO offers ‘dose of reality’

Mon, 07 May 2012 13:49:12 PDT

Comment: Ontario taxpayers received a painful dose of honesty from the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan President and CEO who admitted the funding formula is broken and that revolutionary changes are needed

New grads face high levels of debt, continue to rely on parents

Mon, 07 May 2012 06:27:28 PDT

North American students graduating in 2012 face debt loads significantly higher than their parents did and are more likely than ever to rely on their parents’ financial support

Want to buy a cottage? Weigh the costs versus the rewards

Fri, 04 May 2012 08:47:23 PDT

If you’re thinking about buying a cottage or U.S. recreational property, think through all the financial and lifestyle issues before taking the leap

Making your tax refund count

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:52:31 PDT

It may seem like getting a tax refund is like winning a lottery but it really is just your own money that has been loaned to the government, writes Garry Marr

Financial mismatch could make for cushy retirement

Fri, 04 May 2012 08:40:04 PDT

A couple due to be married soon are also preparing to retire. With her large income and his small one, doubts arise over their ability to maintain a high standard of living in retirement

Fee-based financial planning isn't for everyone

Thu, 03 May 2012 07:16:58 PDT

Fabio Campanella: While I do believe the fee-based method can lead to a more objective relationship between the advisor and the client there are still several drawbacks to the fee-based approach

Don’t fall for these scams

Wed, 02 May 2012 07:56:17 PDT

Yes, you've heard it before but if a deal sounds too good to be true.... it probably is. Ted Rechtshaffen looks at some common shortcuts to losing your money

Should you pay off your mortgage before you retire?

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:16:33 PDT

Linda Stern: Pay off the house before you retire. That's the conventional wisdom. But is it right? Maybe not. It may even make more sense to keep that mortgage as long as you possibly can

Parents struggle with the 'money talk'

Tue, 01 May 2012 07:03:53 PDT

Parents have just as tough a time talking money with their kids as they do teaching them about sex, to the point where they lie about or avoid money topics on a regular basis, a new study finds

Retirement: Ensuring a life-long income stream

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:13:46 PDT

When you consider that you could be spending 20 years or more in retirement, chances are high that you will encounter several ups and downs in the market, and so it’s important to weigh your risk exposure relative to your need for secure income

Family Finance: Losing at leveraging

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:52:57 PDT

Some really bad advice: This couple has already lost more than $100,000 on a bad investment and is facing a continuing decline, but the payments on their loan aren't going anywhere

Resetting retirement: Getting used to a longer working life

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:20:59 PDT

'The question is not how we get people to save more money so they keep on retiring the way they do but more of how can we get peoples’ minds around staying in the workforce,' says actuary Fred Vettese

We know what you're doing this weekend

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:51:23 PDT

Time is running out for millions of Canadians that still haven’t filed their 2011 tax return, statistics suggest that almost half wait until the last week

When your credit card is denied

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:25:24 PDT

Financial institutions are feeling the pressure of keeping up with armies of hackers who steal personal information, swipe card numbers and load those accounts with false charges

Why the Bank of Canada shouldn't raise rates

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:44:03 PDT

Canadians' long party at the debt punchbowl is winding down, says Scotia economists, and higher interest rates could slow the housing market and economy more than policy makers expect

Really last minute tax tips

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:08:45 PDT

With just days to go before the April 30 tax deadline, we have some really last minute tips for procrastinators

Financial SOS: Getting out of the debt trap

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:20:20 PDT

Send us your debt stories and our experts will help search for a way back to financial security

Hidden fees: Ask for the full picture

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:23:18 PDT

Hidden fees are a major irritation for investors. If your adviser didn’t provide you with a detailed breakdown of the fees you are paying, ask for it now

Superheroes have money troubles too

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:19:25 PDT

Spider-Man needs to think about caring for his elderly aunt, Iron Man needs to get serious about getting charitable and it might be time for Mole Man to put something away for a rainy day, writes Garry Marr

These gains not so capital

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:52:40 PDT

How much tax, if any, should we pay on capital gains? The question has received renewed attention recently, with U.S. discussions about whether taxes should be raised on the wealthiest 1%

Family puts pampered pets first

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:09:56 PDT

Family Finance: These Toronto condo dwellers spend $650 a month for their pets. Luckily the rest of their lives are rather frugal

Bank of Canada takes aim at home equity lines of credit

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:06:20 PDT

The central bank sounded the alarm on growing household debt on Wednesday, raising concerns in particular about the growing tendency of Canadians to take out lines of credit using home equity