Multiple Egg Baskets

BMO cuts 5-year mortgage rate to all-time low

2012-01-13T09:48:00.002-05:00

The Bank of Montreal has temporarily cut its five-year fixed mortgage to 2.99 per cent — the lowest posted rate from a major bank in Canadian history.

BMO announced Thursday it was slashing the rate by a half a percentage point, in a move expected to boost competition among the big banks vying for real estate customers.
Some conditions are attached to the offer, which ends Jan. 25, including that lump sum payments are limited to 10 per cent of the principal each year. The mortgage is also based on a 25-year amortization period.
Other banks are expected to follow suit. On Wednesday, Toronto-Dominion Bank moved its posted six-year rate 132 basis points lower to 3.79 per cent and the posted seven-year fixed rate 91 basis points lower to 3.99 per cent.

The five-year rate is the mortage industry's benchmark, as it is by far the most common term for a first-time homebuyer. Borrowers can often negotiate a better rate from a bank based on their credit history, but the posted rates at banks are seen as a benchmark for their mortgage offerings.
The promotion comes amid forecasts that the Canadian housing market might cool off in 2012.
In its quarterly forecast, Royal LePage said Thursday it expects the average home price in Canada to increase by 2.8 per cent — less than the inflation rate — in 2012.

Facebook Strategy For Your Small Business

2012-01-06T20:38:00.000-05:00

Do you have it backwards when it comes to Facebook?

Here’s what no one in the social media space seems to want to say: Facebook is a difficult place to reach new eyeballs organically if you do not already have good brand awareness.

There I said it. If you are trying to use Facebook to reach a new audience, organically (i.e. without paying for Ads), from scratch – you are facing an uphill battle.

Yes, the stats on how many Facebook users exist are mind-boggling. In reality most of those people will never actually encounter your brand on Facebook, unless you pay good money for them to. How many small business pages do you know that actually have millions of ‘fans’?

The fact is that Facebook is in the business of earning revenue – mostly through the ads they get page owners to buy. So for that reason they deliberately make it challenging to grow a page organically. So unless you have a strong personal Facebook network of friends that you are willing to leverage on behalf of your business page, you are looking at an uphill battle in actually reaching brand new eyeballs.

So Where Does Facebook Fit Into Your Strategy?

Surveys show that people generally fan pages they are already customers of, and usually for discounts. The same research shows that few people are interested in joining a page to become part of a community.

1. I suggest that you use Facebook to connect with your existing customers AFTER they’ve already bought from you – rather than trying to use Facebook to mine for leads. This is the path of least resistance. Since they already know you, they are more likely to interact with your page – crucial for organic growth on Facebook.

2. Use other methods (SEO, PPC, blogging, offline methods etc) to bring in prospects, generate leads and make sales.

3. The time you might spend slugging away on Facebook could be better spent growing your following and brand visibility elsewhere – preferably on platforms you own, such as your blog, and developing other marketing channels (even tweeting gives you better access to a new audience). Your Facebook page can be a resource to direct people to for promotions and additional interaction after they discover you elsewhere.

4. Examine your online sales process and work with your offline sales staff to integrate a way to ask the prospect or customer what social networks they are on. Build fields for this data into your online contact forms and if you have an offline sales staff you will have to work with them to collect that info when talking with prospect and clients.

5. Make someone on your staff responsible for finding these people on Facebook, connecting with them and inviting them to your Page. This will actually require the use of a personal profile since you cannot message anyone directly through a Page.

6. Find a place in the sales/follow-up process to let your customer know that your company has a Facebook page and give them reasons why they should become a fan. As per the research above -the incentive should probably emphasize exclusive discounts and promotions.

7. Consider Facebook as a tool in your ‘referral engine’ – if your Fans are happy customers, Facebook makes it easy for them to recommend you to friends and to provide your business with ‘social proof’ i.e. people saying nice things about you. This is where you have the opportunity to organically grow your audience, powered by happy customers.

8. Make sure you feed your Page with the right content for your audience. You probably know the needs of your customers pretty well, but check in with your Facebook Insights to make sure you are catering to the correct demographic audience, and to the type of content that elicits interaction, especially as your audience grows beyond your familiar customer base.
How has your small business successfully used Facebook for marketing?

http://www.smbceo.com/2010/05/25/facebook-strategy/

2011-11-30T22:45:00.001-05:00

The Cash Free Way to Increase Your Cash Flow

2011-11-27T16:21:00.001-05:00

Have you always wanted to start your own business, or earn more income, but you just never seem to know where to start? Were you always afraid of investing your own money into something that just may never profit? Have you been searching Amazon.com for those magical how to get rich books such as the Wealthy Barber or Boom, Bust & Echo?

I will show you how to not only create your own business, but more importantly without having to invest any money. That’s right – no money. You’ll be shown how to make online services such as Google, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Amazon, PayPal, Twitter and BOX.net work for you. Don’t worry about the technical details for each of these services because you will be provided with a step-by-step demo that brings all of these pieces together into one complete final solution. You will then be able to apply your new knowledge and abilities toward your own product and starting earning more money today.

“The Cash Free Way to Increase Your Cash Flow” is a time proven and successful method for generating revenue without having to incur any out of pocket expenses. I have been following the model, which I will describe in full detail, for over the past five years and it has provided me with additional cash flow each and every month.

The actual amount of increased cash flow is going to largely depend upon the subject, price point of your product, and your efforts to market your item.

I will walk you through the step-by-step development of a real world use case that you can then apply to your very own product or service. I will even help you to determine what product or service you can create in case you don’t have one presently in mind.

By the end of this book you will be able to summarize the strategy by using the following diagram.

If the diagram looks really simple to understand then you have just understood the main point – the process is simple!

If you’re tired of letting opportunities pass you by then why don’t you get started by reading the first chapter “The 5W’s”.

The Cash Free Way to Increase Your Cash Flow -- e-book!

2011-11-26T16:43:00.000-05:00

The Cash Free Way to Increase Your Cash Flow -- e-book!

I am pleased to invite you to my first blog post about my upcoming book called "The Cash Free Way to Increase Your Cash Flow". It will be available as an e-book on this site in December 2011. In my book we will cover revenue generating options that will increase your monthly cash flow. The ideas are easy to implement and I will provide you with a step-by-step example to get you up and running in no time.

So if you need to increase your monthly cash flow then you will benefit from my e-book.

Watch this blog for the "The Cash Free Way to Increase Your Cash Flow" e-book soon.

Cheers

-- WT Paige

The move to Google Apps

2011-11-22T19:29:00.002-05:00

Ryerson University could soon join the growing number of universities across the continent to farm out email services to a private company as a way to improve service and cut costs, a move that has raised privacy and security concerns.

If approved, Ryerson’s in-house computing service — including email — will be transferred to the Google Apps Education Edition system as early as fall 2012.

The switchover will provide faculty and students with a “richer, more robust, more secure system” with more storage space and interactive research tools, said Julia Hanigsberg, vice-president of administration and finance, adding that the existing system “has not been able to keep up.”

Hanigsberg said Ryerson staff began to consider the potential switchover last year and launched the advisory committee on academic computing to explore the university’s options. She hopes to receive feedback from the committee before Christmas.

Lakehead University became the first Canadian university in 2006 to switch its email and computing service over to a private company — Google Apps Education Edition — a move that stirred privacy concerns.
Lakehead’s faculty union, backed by the Canadian Association of University Teachers, filed a grievance with the university in 2006, stating that Gmail system failed to protect their privacy and academic freedom.

Since Google is an American company and subject to American law, the university would not be able to protect email content from the U.S. government. Under the U.S. Patriot Act, the government could compel Google to provide data without informing the university.

Labour arbitrator Joseph Carrier dismissed the claim in 2009 for a number of reasons, including that the collective agreement did not guarantee absolute privacy.

“While I am sympathetic to their plight and the fact that big brother could be watching over their email communications ... One should consider email communications as confidential as are postcards,” Carrier said.
University of Victoria privacy expert Colin Bennett called it a “chilling effect” — where faculty and students censor their communications because they worry email content and research work is not secure or being monitored.

“It’s more of a perception, than an actual fear. It does have an effect on academic freedom,” Bennett added.
Hanigsberg said Ryerson faculty or students who are hesitant in switching their email accounts to Gmail will be given the option of keeping their Ryerson accounts.
But “for the majority of people, it’s a bit of a no-brainer,” she said, noting Gmail’s popularity among staff and students.

Hanigsberg added that the committee found privacy risks associated with using Google apps for education in Canada to be “very minor.”

“It’s hard for me to see the downside,” she said. “We just can’t compete with Google or Microsoft,” she said.

Egypt IMF loan

2011-11-22T19:26:00.000-05:00

Egypt's finance minister Hazem El-Beblawi has said the government is strongly inclined towards accepting a previously rejected IMF loan of around $3bn to reduce the costs of domestic borrowing, AFP has reported. The loan was being revisited to curb the need for domestic lending, which he described as "expensive," he said. The IMF sent a mission to Egypt earlier this month but made no mention of the loan.

How to live for a $1 a day

2011-11-14T18:20:00.002-05:00

Guntur, southern India, is a city short of money but not of entrepreneurs. Stroll through the main thoroughfare of the largest slum at 9 in the morning, and outside every sixth house you will pass a woman sitting behind a kerosene stove, ready to prepare dosa—rice-and-bean pancakes—for passersby with a rupee to spare. An hour later, each woman will be onto her next job. One woman earns cash by sewing fancy beads onto cheap, plain saris. Others are laborers, rubbish collectors, or pickle-makers.

The scene is described by two MIT economics professors, Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, in their recent article, "The Economic Lives of the Poor." They set themselves the task of explaining how very poor people make money and how they spend it.

The "very poor" are those who live on less than $1 a day. That benchmark—a rare piece of brilliant marketing from the World Bank—is both more generous and more frugal than it seems. Generous, because the benchmark dates from 1985 and has since been adjusted to take account of inflation. But frugal because the dollar is adjusted for purchasing power. In other words, a Kenyan farmer might have 50 cents a day to spend but still not count as "very poor" because 50 cents in Kenya buys more than $1 would in the United States. However you look at it, a dollar a day is a tiny income.

Perhaps surprisingly, then, even the poorest find the resources to let their hair down. Duflo and Banerjee, looking at economic surveys of the very poor from 13 different countries, conclude that about one-third of household income is spent on stuff other than food. The alternatives to simply trying to consume more calories include shelter, of course, but even the poorest find some money to spend on things such as tobacco, alcohol, weddings, funerals, or religious festivals. Radios and televisions are also popular. Looking at food spending itself, although the very poor do focus on the cheapest grain—millet—they also spend on wheat, rice, and even sugar. This is expensive and offers little nutritional benefit, but it certainly makes lunch taste better.

The very poor even seem to have some consumer power. For example, in the countries where free public schools are especially bad, some parents scrape together the resources to send the children to private schools. The teachers may be largely unskilled themselves, but at least they show up.

The same is true for health care. A pair of World Bank economists, Jishnu Das and Jeffrey Hammer, examined the quality of public and private health care in Delhi, India. They found that while publicly employed doctors tended to be far better qualified than the private doctors, the private doctors tried much harder, spending more time, asking more questions, and examining patients more carefully. Competition works even for the poor.

It would work better yet if the poor were less destitute. One of the problems is that so much of this entrepreneurial activity is carried out on too tiny a scale to make much cash. Scaling up would be more efficient but requires capital equipment. That's hard to come by in a world where bank loans are scarce (this is why people, including the Norwegian Nobel committee, get so excited about microcredit), and cash savings are at risk from inflation and theft. It would be better, too, if it were easy to set up a legal business. According to the World Bank's "Doing Business" reports, the poorest countries often boast red tape that means it takes months and costs a small fortune to set up in business.

But do not despair entirely. In 1981, 40 percent of the world's people lived on less than $1 a day, according to Shaohua Chen and Martin Ravallion of the World Bank. The figure plummeted to 21 percent by 2001 and may be as low 15 percent by 2015. We can hope.

How to make money selling $0.99 cent BlackBerry Apps!

2011-10-19T18:27:00.000-04:00

How To Make Money Selling BlackBerry Apps

The dramatic increased growth of SmartPhones, such as iPhones and BlackBerrys, over the
last three years has created numerous opportunities for independent developers to express
their creativity and talents. Now, the growth trend is expected to continue with the the current
success of BlackBerry’s App World storefront, and the anticipated release of RIM's new
PlayBook mobile device. RIM has opened the doors for "weekend warrior" developers to
develop mobile apps and best of all --- make money!

I have been personally successfull in developing and selling BlackBerry applications in
RIM's BlackBerry App Store for the last several months. I've had some days where over
500 individual downloads for one of my BlackBerry apps has put a smile on my face. I find it
extremely rewarding to develop an app that is of interest to someone else. Therefore, I'd like to
share my experience and my personal strategy that can help you to get started developing and
make money selling $0.99 cent BlackBerry apps.

My e-book will give you greater insight into what tools are required to get started, how does
the app submission and payment process work, help in determining what apps to develop,
BlackBerry code samples written in Java, and tips on how to manage and market your
BlackBerry app development services. I will also let you in on my biggest BlackBerry App
development tip --- how I have been making money selling BlackBerry apps with no overhead
charges.

That's right! Everything that I have produced from BlackBerry App World is 100% profit!
I'd like to share this experience and knowledge with and I will even stick to my own $0.99 cents
strategy.

If you would like to learn more then please download my e-Book today. It may well be the best
$0.99 cents that you have spent yet!

Oh, and I guess that I should also tell you that the formula that I'm using for BlackBerry App
development sales isn't just a new strategy that I have created. I've been doing the exact same
strategy for the last 5 years with other software, and I'm consistently ranked on the 1st page in
the top 5 search results.

Car Loans

2011-10-11T18:47:00.000-04:00

A customer says to the car salesperson "I'm paying cash, so I expect a bigger discount!" The car salesperson nonchalantly shrugs and says "It doesn't matter if you pay cash or get an auto loan, we get our money either way!"
The REAL TRUTH is, the car dealership WILL try to talk you into letting them arrange car financing for you!
You see, the finance office in a car dealership is a Very Lucrative Profit Center! Very often a car dealer will make more profit from the car financing than they do from the car sale itself! Each car dealership has a Finance Office. The larger dealerships may have several. The person in charge of this office is called the Business Manager, or the F & I Manager (F & I for Finance and Insurance) or simply the Finance Manager. This person will usually look and act more like a conservative banker than a hard core salesperson... but don't be fooled!
To sum it up succinctly, the Finance Manager's sole purpose is to see to it that you walk out of that dealership with the HIGHEST Monthly Payment Possible!
This person will be presented to you as someone who will arrange an auto loan for you at the lowest rate possible...as if they are looking out for your well-being. . . but don't believe them for a second! Even if you are paying cash, or arranging your own car financing, you still have to sit down with the Finance Manager, because he or she also does the paper work and title papers associated with the deal! So there is no avoiding this person!
So Be Prepared!
And if you are paying cash, or have arranged your own car financing, either through a bank, a credit union or through the Low Cost Financing Alternatives right here on this website, any Finance Manager worth his or her salt will try to talk you out of it by telling you all the so-called advantages of letting them arrange the auto loan for you! They will have at their disposal computer programs and charts designed to convince you! Don't fall for any of it! It's All Crap!
The dealership, and consequently the Finance Manager who by-the-way, works on a commission, make their money in the Finance Office primarily in four ways:

1. The Car Financing Itself. The banks will Kick-Back a certain percentage of the Amount Financed to the dealership! The higher the interest rate the F & I person can talk you into, the higher the Kick-Back! The Kick-Back could be as high as 10% or MORE!
This means that on a $20,000 loan, the auto dealership could be making as much as $2000 or More off of you just for arranging the auto loan! And guess who's paying that extra $2000?
Any ideas?
YOU ARE!!!
On a 66 month loan, $2000 could raise your payment as much as $40 a month! That's a lot of YOUR MONEY lining the car dealer's pockets when it doesn't have to!
Now, just to be fair, the car dealership doesn't always make that much. Then again, at times they could make more! But even if they are Making $500 or $1000 Off Of You it's still YOUR MONEY lining their pockets! Money that's raising your monthly payment; money you can easily save!
The only time the dealer doesn't make much money from car financing is when you take advantage of the low rates advertised by the manufacturer. Like the 0.0%, 1.9%, or the 2.9% or whatever. And in order to get these rates you usually have to give up the Rebate! In this case the dealership will be paid $50 or $100 by the car manufacturer. So this is a safe situation for you!
BE PREPARED!
Compare rates and grab the best auto loan deal right from the privacy of your own computer! Get Free auto loan quotes from the following lenders:

The following is an excellent source for auto loans for people with an "Excellent" all the way to a "Bad"Credit Rating:
AutoLoanSolutions

Here are three excellent sources for people who have a "Poor" or "Bad" Credit Rating:
AutoLoanSoup, and MyAutoLoanFinder.com

Specialize in helping individuals obtain bad credit car loans for the purchase of new or used vehicles. Apply to them and compare. You're under no obligation to accept any of their offers. If you're not sure what your credit rating is get your Get all 3 Credit Reports plus 3 Free Scores Now!

2. The Second Main Area for Profit in the Car Finance Office is Selling Extended Warranties. They are available for both new and used cars. There are many different warranty companies and many different levels of coverage available.
A few companies are good, most are not!
For a more in-depth discussion about what to look for in an extended warranty, and how to be sure you pick a good company, visit Extended Warranty Tips right here on this web site!
If you decide to purchase a warranty from a car dealer understand this: The dealer is marking-up the price anywhere from $400 on up to $2,000 and MORE every time they sell you a warranty!
An extended warranty is an excellent idea. You never know when a car is going to break down. One major repair could very easily cost more than the price of the warranty itself!
Buying a quality extended warranty from a company you can trust will give you great Peace-Of-Mind.
You can avoid the Big Dealer Markup on extended warranties by getting FREE PRICE QUOTES on New and Used vehicle warranties from the following extended warranty companies: Extended-Vehicle-Warranty.com and SmartAutowarranty.com

3. The Third Area That Will Cost You a Fortune in the Car Finance Office is Credit Insurance.
There are two kinds of Credit Insurance that the Finance Person will try to sell you. Credit Life Insurance is the first. This covers you in case you should die before your auto loan is paid off! If you have an auto loan in your name with Credit Life on the loan and you die before the auto loan is paid off, The insurance will pay off the balance of the loan.
If there are two names on the car loan like a husband and wife for example you can get Joint Credit Life to cover both people.
The second kind of Credit Insurance is called Disability or Accident and Health. This coverage is very expensive, and it covers you in the event that you become disabled through sickness or injury and are unable to work.
This coverage will make your payments for you until you get back to work. You usually have to be disabled for at least 15 to 30 days before you become eligible. Also, there is much fine print for pre-existing conditions.
So Be Warned!
The dealer will usually earn about 50% of the insurance premium on these two coverages. And believe me, this can add up to $1000s. . . AND IT'S YOUR MONEY!

Another product the F & I person may try to sell you is Gap Insurance. Gap insurance covers the difference between the value of the car and what you owe on it in case the car is stolen or declared a "total loss" from a wreck.
Most people who finance or lease a vehicle owe more on it than the vehicle's actual book value. So if the car is totalled from an accident or from being stolen your insurance company will only pay the book value to pay off the claim. If you owe more on the vehicle than they give you there's a "gap" that you must pay off.
Gap insurance covers this "gap" or difference so you don't get stuck owing money on a car that you don't have anymore. It's a good thing to have, but you do not want to buy it from the car dealer! They will mark the price up $300 to $500 and more over the actual cost of the coverage! I've said it before "That's Your Money!"
A much less expensive alternative is to purchase Gap Insurance online where you don't have to worry about being ripped off by your car dealer. To find out if it's right for you and to get a Free price quote visit Gap Insurance.

4. The Finance Manager Will Try to Sell You a Variety of Other "Afretmarket" Products.
Everything from Rustproofing and Paint Sealant to Window Etching and Alarm Systems. Needless to say, all of these items will carry a huge markup, thereby lining the car dealer's pockets even further with Your Money!
All of these things we've been talking about make your payment go higher and higher! And don't forget, in addition to the individual commissions the dealer earns on each product, he is also earning a percentage of the Amount Financed! So the more stuff you put on the loan, the higher the Amount Financed and the more of Your Hard Earned Money goes from Your Pockets Into the Dealer's Pockets!
It's like the car dealer gets a double commission when you add this stuff to your auto loan! DON'T DO IT!

If you're going to finance a car, here are a few pointers to keep you from paying too high of a payment:
1. Get all 3 Credit Reports plus 3 Free Scores
2. Get Free Online Auto Loan Quotes From the Following Lenders:

The following is an excellent source for auto loans for people with an "Excellent" all the way to a "Bad"Credit Rating:
AutoLoanSolutions

Here are three excellent sources for people who have a "Poor" or "Bad" Credit Rating:
AutoLoanSoup, and MyAutoLoanFinder.com

By getting Loan Quotes from the above lenders you'll know what kind of car financing is available to you, then you can decide if you want to go with one of them or if you want to use the quotes as a negotiating tool with your local bank or credit union! By the way, the car dealers hate it when you arrange pre-approved financing, but it's the smart way to go. 3. NEVER negotiate a car deal based on payment! If the salesperson asks you what payment you'd like to have tell him or her not to worry about the payment. You want to negotiate a price on the car. Not a payment!
Beware of the "Packed Payment!" If you let the car dealer arrange the car financing on your purchase, and you negotiate the deal based on a payment then very likely the payment that you agree to will be much higher then is needed to cover the cost of the vehicle.
You see, the higher payment creates a "pack," or room in the payment to add in things like credit insurance, an extended warranty and other items like window etching, security systems, rustproofing, paint sealant and other high profit items that they can squeeze in....of course without you knowing you're actually paying more for the extra stuff! They'll just tell you it's all included in the price!
Bottom line? Don't negotiate on payment. Only on the price of the car! Do it any other way and you will be spending too much!
****Sidenote****
When negotiating a car deal don't let on to the salesperson that you have your own car financing in place. If you tell your salesperson up front that you have already arranged an auto loan, and he or she relays this information to the Sales Manager, the manager might make the decision to hold out for more profit on the car deal (the Front End) thinking that they're not going to make as much on the Back End (Finance Dept. profit)!
****Sidenote****
Some years ago I was a salesman in a Ford dealership when I had a young couple who wanted to buy a Ranger 4X4 pickup. I asked them if they would buy the truck for $450 a month! They said "Yes!" They didn't care about the interest rate or the length of the loan!
For $450 a month for 66 months, (a "packed" payment) we made a Very Big Profit on the truck, plus the Finance Manager included a high interest rate, an over priced extended warranty and credit life and disability insurance! He made a killing too!
If this couple had come in prepared and educated, they could have gotten the same truck for about $250 a month!!!
Can I say this enough? BE PREPARED!
So PLEASE, use the information on this website to educate yourself before you step one foot on a car lot! Afterall, It's Only Your Money!

5 Tips for an Easier Financial Life for Women

2011-09-27T22:37:00.000-04:00

My Multiple Egg Baskets blog is starting to attract more attention with some lululemon wearing women at work. I don't know...I find it hard to listen to someone that promotes the lululemon brand when it's time to wear some casual sweats. Mabye I'm just a simple guy. However, my conversations with these women had led me to write this blog about 5 Tips for an Easier Financial Life for Women from their perspective.

No matter what we do, taxes and financial tribulations will never go away.
Unfortunately this can be a nightmare for some, especially since they not only take out large amounts of money but they also ruin lives. It is essential for any woman to know tips on how to avoid financial problems. Millions of women do not handle their own taxes; therefore they are left vulnerable and open to many troubles that may arise.

It is important to note that women need a larger amount of retirement money. This goes hand in hand with the notion that women generally live longer than men. If this is indeed the case, women will need to be more financially stable. Here are fundamental tips when deciding how to handle your financial situations:

1. Taxes

It is important to know all you can about your taxes. While it is great to have someone help you, it is also necessary for you to know what is going on. For instance, if something was to happen and you didn’t handle them, you may never know until it was too late. Many women face crimes and never realize it until they get summoned to go to court. This is due to not filing for taxes or other criminal related acts.

2. Retirement Planning

Always think of retirement! Although younger adults rarely have this on the mind, it is beneficial for you to always plan for it. If your company does not have a pension plan, it is smart to set up your own special fund. By putting in a certain amount of money each month, it will quickly add up over time. This will allow you to have a stable fund for when you do retire.

3. Know all Benefit Programs of Your Employer

If you do have a company with great benefits, it is important to know everything you can about them. Many do not know how to fully take advantage of all of their resources. Therefore, using these benefits as much as you can will help you in the long run.

4. Pay off your loans!

Being in debt will only harm you in the long run. You need to either create a plan on your own to reduce spending, or see a financial expert. Although many are ashamed and hesitant to do this, it will actually help you get out of debt faster. These professionals can come up with a wonderful plan and will break it down by month. This way you can start paying your way out of debt, but without having to live on the street. This will also give you a better outlook, rather than feeling depressed about the current situation.

5. Make a Budget

Developing a budget can help anyone, no matter how well they are doing. By giving yourself a budget, it will allow you to save for other important things. For instance, if you need to start a college plan for your child, you can put the additional shopping money in a fund. Other examples include saving money for rent, or using extra money for a much needed vacation.

How to Reduce your Electricity Bills?

2011-09-27T22:36:00.001-04:00

The power of electricity can be best realized when you utilize it effectively. With the demand of the electricity skyrocketing and the supply drooping, saving a single unit of power becomes very significant. Here are a 15 effective tips to save electricity and thus save the money.

1. Switch off the lights, TV, computer, etc., when not in use.

2. Use fluorescent lamps instead of incandescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps not only help to save the electricity, but they also provide a better lighting and are cost effective too.

3. Use dimmer controls in your incandescent lamps so that you can adjust the intensity of the light.

4. Minimize the use of air coolers and air conditioners. Instead, use the fans, whenever possible.

5. Electric iron is a real power hog. If you use it carefully, you can save a considerable amount of energy. Instead of doing daily ironing, do it on a weekly basis.

6. Operate the air conditioner in the minimum temperature range possible in order to save power. Keep it under medium or low operation condition and set the temperature a little higher. Take the help of nature to save the electricity. Try to utilize the warmth of the sun whenever available in the winter, and the coolness of the garden in the summer instead of crouching near the air conditioners always.

7. The ideal temperature to operate a refrigerator is between 36 to 42o F. If the temperature is kept lower than this, it would be simply a wastage of power.

8. While operating your heaters in the winter, reduce the temperature level to a couple of degrees lower than that in the normal conditions.

9. If you are using laser printers in your office or home, keep a watch on it. It can draw your electricity bills up by hundreds of watts! Try to save maximum power by using it minimum, and keep the power switch off while not in use.

10. Use of smaller gadgets will help reducing the power to great extent. A microwave oven can be preferred to a regular electric oven, and so is an electric kettle to a stovetop one.

11. Minimize the use of hair dryer.

12. Control the use of smaller gadgets such as electric clocks, telephone answering machines, DVD players, cable TV converters, etc. Though they seem insignificant, the compounded effect of these instruments in multiplying your electricity bill cannot be ignored.

13. Keep a watch on the electricity meter. Have a regular estimation of the meter reading yourself to detect any unexpected power leakage from the circuit.

14. Use the modern gadgets that apply the energy-saving technology.

15. Do not open the door of the electric oven or the refrigerator unnecessarily.

Tips on Using Credit Cards Wisely

2011-09-27T22:36:00.000-04:00

Credit cards can be both a curse and a blessing. If you don’t use them wisely they can lead you into debt and exhaust your monthly income. On the other hand, if you do use them wisely then you can improve your credit rating and improve your monthly cash flow.

Create a Strong Credit History

Using credit cards is a great way to develop a positive credit history. To create a strong credit history you will need to make periodic purchases, and you will need to make on time payments. The best way to do this is to use the credit card to pay for purchases that you would normally make during the month using cash. Then at the end of the month pay off the balance completely. This way you build a positive credit history without accumulating interest charges.

I follow this strategy with my CIBC Visa Aeroplan card. I put everything on it and then pay it off in full at the end of the month. I'm averaging several free flights with Air Canada each year.

Using Credit Cards to Grow Your Business

If you own a business then you can use credit cards to increase your purchase power and improve your company’s cash flow. Credit cards can be used to purchase equipment and supplies when you need them, and then allow you to pay for these items over time. To maximize the benefit of your business credit cards you will want to find credit cards with low interest rates and you will want to pay off the balances as quickly as possible. This will help you keep your line of credit open for business purchases.

This would be an ideal scenario for a low interest rate credit card. I have a Scotiabank Cash Back Visa credit card. I get a small percentage back on my purchases. It's not much but the main point is that the interest rate is very low.

When Not to Use Credit Cards

In addition to knowing when to use your credit cards, you should also learn when you shouldn’t use your credit cards. Credit cards shouldn’t be used when you are emotionally unstable. Impulse buying can be very addictive, and it can lead to serious debt problems. Credit card purchases should optimally be strategically selected. You will also not want to give out your credit card number to unsolicited telemarketers. There are many scams circulating that involve asking for credit card numbers over the phone.

Finally, you don’t want to use your credit card in a country that is known for credit card scams and identity theft. If you will be traveling abroad make sure that you check with the Canadian Consulate in that country about how safe it is to use your credit card in that country.

Financial tasks on tablets

2011-09-21T20:53:00.002-04:00

For Android tablets, the common reason for buying them may be for entertainment and leisure. Did you know that Android tablets are also proven useful in the financial world? Android has offered so many finance apps in the market which are very much relevant and useful to your every day financial needs. Whether you want the latest finance news or you need to make monetary computations, finance-related Android apps have got it all for you. Here is a list of the five best Android finance apps in the market:

1. Finance
Ever wanted to have a personal financial planner but you just can't afford to pay for one? Simply called Finance, Android has come up with a powerful app which strips you of the need to hire a personal planner. Finance is an app which is capable of providing you with the most recent updates about the stock market. The best feature of this app is that it provides you with stock quotes which are very much reliable because they are quoted real-time. This app also syncs well with your stock portfolios which are loaded in Google Finance.

2. Real Estate Droid
If it is your dream to be a real-estate businessman someday or to be a licensed real estate broker, then this finance app is the best deal for you. Real Estate Droid comes with features which can, for one, search houses for sale. Once you find a catch, you can search information about its neighborhood with real-time updates. With this app, you can also check out mortgage quotes made by real lenders and compute for mortgage loans. You can always take advantage of the built-in loan calculator.

3. Financisto
Financisto is a finance app that is very much capable of doing many things. For one, it lets you add multiple types of bank accounts and even a multiple number of accounts per type. This means that you can add checking and savings accounts together into your file manager. For both types, you can add more than one account. With Financisto, you can also monitor which among your payments are recurring. Once you see the pattern, you can schedule them to make sure you don't lag with your payments. This app can also help you create either a short-term or long-term budget.

4. Karl's Mortgage Calculator
If Real Estate Droid is not enough for your mortgage needs, then you can always opt for a more specialized finance app, which is Karl's Mortgage Calculator. By using this app, you can calculate how much mortgage you should be paying in the future and you can even visually see the results with its easy-to-read charts and graphs. This app can help you compute for your future payments, given the principal loan amounts, interest rate and terms. Karl's Mortgage Calculator, however, is limited to supporting interest-only amortization and Canadian computations.

5. PayPal
Almost everybody knows of PayPal now. With the PayPal Android app offered in the market, you can do all things you normally do on your PayPal account. The bonus point here is that apart from being able to pay an item, you can also help hasten its delivery process. So, if you're dying to take hold of that most recent Victoria Secret scent, then you don't have to wait for the normal number of shipping days just to have it. You can always make it two or three days earlier with this app. With PayPal app at your reach, you can always access your PayPal account anytime you want.

This article was written by Danny Ashton, who when not writing about the android tablet is found hiking in the Scottish highlands.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Mitchell_Ashton

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6428544

Alberta Environmental Fees

2011-09-21T20:51:00.000-04:00

Alberta Environmental Fees

The Province of Alberta passed legislation (Alberta Regulation 94/2004) establishing a funding system for the collection and recycling of designated electronic products. The legislation requires manufacturers such as Dell Canada Inc. ("Dell") to collect a Provincial Environmental Fee for certain electronic devices sold into the Province of Alberta.

Under the current law and regulations, the following Dell branded & third party products sold into Alberta wiIl be subject to a Provincial Environmental Fee:

All desktop and server computers; rack servers
All notebook computers
All computer monitors
All printers
All Televisions (including monitors that are television adaptable)

The Fees associated with the legislation are as follows:



Television (18" and smaller)	$4.00
Television (19" - 29")	$10.80
Television (30" - 45")	$18.80
Television (46" and larger)	$24.00
Desktop/server computers/rack servers (CPU. keyboard, mouse, cable, & speakers)	$4.40
Printers/printer combos	$4.80
Laptops/electronic notebooks	$1.20
Computer monitors (LCD & CRT)		$6.00

In compliance with the Alberta legislation, Dell plans to add the Provincial Environmental Fee to your invoice based upon products selected and a ship to location of Alberta.

Dell's authorized Resellers are responsible for understanding the legislation and complying with it to the extent the law might be applicable to them. Generally, Dell will collect the fee from it's Resellers at point of sale and remit this fee to Electronics Recycling Alberta on the Reseller's behalf. If a Reseller is registered with Electronics Recycling Alberta and they complete the Remittance Responsibility Certificate and submit it to Dell at the time of ordering, they may collect and remit the fee on their own behalf.

To obtain a copy of the Remittance Responsibility Certificate visit www.dell.ca/canadaenvironmentalfee/abrrc ( 90KB)

For more information on the legislation visit the Alberta Recycling Management Authority website at www.albertarecycling.com

Samsung tablets

2011-09-09T09:29:00.001-04:00

Samsung is set to launch its first tablet based on a new version of Windows at a Microsoft event next week in a bid to hedge its bets in the tablets space following Apple's attempts to block its Android-based products.
Sources at the Wall Street Journal say the South Korean vendor will launch a tablet running Microsoft's as-yet-unseen Windows 8 platform at a developer event in California next Tuesday.
The news comes ahead of an imminent decision by a German court on whether to uphold a shipments ban on Samsung's Android-based Galaxy Tab 10.1 over alleged infringements on patents used in Apple's iPad. The case is one of 19 lawsuits in nine countries that Apple and Samsung have brought against each other, says the report. If the judge extends the injunction, pending trial next year, Samsung could "miss out on sales of a generation of tablets" in Germany, its largest market in Europe.
"Samsung at least has to have a double bet rather than relying 100 percent on Android," said Chang Sea-jin, a business professor at the National University of Singapore and author of a book on Samsung. "That will give them a bargaining position with Google and expose them to a broader group of customers."
Next week's rumoured launch of a Windows 8 tablet would also mark Microsoft's latest effort to crack the tablets market after a number of false starts. According to Reuters, an HP prototype showed-off by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at CES in 2010 did not even make it onto the shelves.
Moreover, as tablet sales are now eating into sales of traditional PCs - where Microsoft's software dominates - a successful tablets strategy is deemed essential for the firm's future health.
"Investors are hungry to see how they are going to join where the market's going," Todd Lowenstein, portfolio manager at HighMark Capital Management, told Reuters. "They've been lagging and they need to catch up and surpass what's going on, to demonstrate they truly are an innovative company."
According to Reuters, the first generation of touch-enabled tablets running Windows 8 are expected to reach the market in about 12 months._____________________________________________

___________________________
Sent from my BlackBerry handheld.
Envoyé à partir de mon BlackBerry.

Going green and saving money

2011-09-06T18:11:00.002-04:00

It is easier and less expensive to build new green than to renovate green. With new builds you can do some additional things to maximize the return on green construction. Some these things may include: orient the home to the sun for maximum heat gain; structure the frame and plumbing to support a roof garden; and extend the roof eaves to reduce summer heating.
With renovations, your neighbour may not want to look at your windmill or have your photo cell array blocking his sun; you may not want to pay for your home to be restructured for the new loads of a green roof or to be oriented to the sun. That’s why it can be difficult to reach net zero with a renovation.
With green renovations, additional planning is required. Not only do we have to consider the usual requirements of the homeowner, we have to consider the green aspects also. Some of the green aspects will cost more now, but they will save money over time. The green items to be considered could include: do future green upgrades get planned for now? Does the existing structure require work to accommodate wind mills and photo cell arrays? Are certified installers required for some of this work? Does salvaging of existing materials for reuse drive costs higher? If geothermal heating and cooling is being considered, is there sufficient space for its installation?
A variety of green practices and items are already part of the current building code. They include: the dreaded 6l toilet; low flow faucets; increased insulation values in walls and ceilings; and depending on the heating system’s HRV. All of these items can be improved on from a green perspective with things like dual flush toilets, added insulation and air sealing, and ECM motors for the furnace.
Green renovations do involve the various items available for new homes, but they may require modifications or additional thought before inclusion in your renovation. You will have to be prepared for some building officials and contractors to question some of your items.
Some officials will be skeptical of some items and will not allow them as not being code compliant. As the building code is now objective based, not descriptive, you may have to educate the officials to allow your green selections. You may ask, what can be included in a green renovation? It turns out that many of the things in green new homes can be adapted to your renovation. Some of these items can be:

ICF foundations
Composite floor, roof, and wall framing
Low e film, argon gas, and triple pane glass in windows
Compact fluorescent and LED lights
Lots of natural light
Reduced and/or no formaldehyde cabinetry
Low or no VOC paints and finishes
Composite material exterior finishes
Recycled material roofing metal, rubber, cement
Wood or linoleum floors
Heat pumps ground, water, and air

Some other new items you may want consider for your green renovation include:

Solar water heaters
Heat recovery systems, i.e. Waste hot water heats incoming cold water before it enters the hot water tank
Photo cell panels
Computer modeling of energy requirements

Making your renovation more green can be an easy process by selecting a different product or as hard as redesigning your home. Quite often these selections will have a higher initial cost, but as they typically last longer and use less energy; and you will save money over time.

Car Loans Canada

2011-09-05T21:13:00.000-04:00

Car Loans Canada is the place to turn for people with bad credit in Canada who want and need a car. You might think that it is not possible to buy a car if you have anything short of spotless credit, but this just isn’t the case.
Canada car loans are out there and available, you just need to know where to look. This is where we come in! Read our articles on bad credit audio financing, how to rebuild credit, getting a car loan after bankruptcy and other articles to learn how you can get the car you need now.
The good news is that having bad credit in Canada doesn’t mean you have to forget about having a car. Click on any of our articles to learn more about your options, as Car Loans Canada can connect you with dependable and trustworthy dealerships and lenders who specialize in helping people just like you.
Our company can make the process of finding the right car loan for you easy, streamlined and, of course, secure. Information is power, and having the right information can save you money. Check out our website, apply online by filling out a car loan application, and you will soon find yourself behind the wheel of a new car. Yes, it is that easy!

Real Estate Leverage

2011-08-30T18:50:00.001-04:00

Real Estate Leverage is simply the used of borrowed money used in purchasing real estate. Equity is the amount of money that the real estate is worth above the amount of money owed. For example, let’s say that you have $100,000 available to invest in real estate and the average price of a home in your area is also $100,000 and the average rent for that home is $1,000 per month just to keep the numbers simple.
You could purchase one home for $100,000 cash and then rent it out for $1,000. This would give you a return on investment of 1 percent per month 1,000 / 100,000 = .01) or 12 percent a year. The average real estate appreciation since 1968 has been 6.34 percent per year. Some years it is less and some years it is more, but for this demonstration we will use 6 percent to keep it simple. Add 12 percent and 6 percent and you will have an 18 percent Return On Investment (ROI) for your $100,000. Not a bad return and much better than you would get at a bank or deposited in a CD.

Now let’s add leverage into the equation. If you purchase the same home with only 10 percent down ($10,000) with an interest rate of 6 percent then your Return on Investment would look like this. $1,000 rental income minus $450 interest divided by $10,000 down payment for a return on investment of 4.5 percent per month or 54 percent per year plus 6 percent in appreciation is equal to 60 percent ROI per year. Remember you only used $10,000 of your own money and you leveraged $90,000 and your profit per year would be $6,000.

Since you still have $90,000 in case available you could purchase 9 more homes. Then you would still have a Return On Investment of 60 percent but your profit per year would be $60,000 instead on $6,000 and you would also have leveraged $900,000.

I have not discussed taxes, maintenance, insurance or any other expenses associated with owning real estate. The expenses would be proportional for each home that you owned whether it is one home or ten homes.
The amount of money that you get from your real estate investments is always offset by the amount of debt you have; rent checks from tenants need to go toward mortgage payments and other debt. With real estate leverage it's important to make sure that the income generated from real estate is enough to cover the negative cash flow of the real estate debts during the bad times. Renters can and will damage properties, vacancies will happen from time to time.

If you finance with a variable interest rate mortgage or if the tax appraiser raises the value of several of your homes, you could be in a negative cash flow within just a couple of months with no way out.
Investing in real estate without significant cash reserves is, shall we say, not recommended. An investor without reserves might as well send an engraved invitation for disaster. Investing in real estate is a daunting task. There are hundreds of elements which must come together in harmony for a transaction to close.
Using real estate leverage is a great way to increase your own personal wealth and to build a large and healthy portfolio if it is done wisely. The more real estate leverage you have the more property you can acquire by using this debt or leverage.

It's not difficult to understand the concept of real estate leverage and if used properly can not only make for sound investments but can also make for a healthy financial portfolio.

FICO scores

2011-08-22T20:38:00.003-04:00

Surprise! There's not just one credit score. Although the most widely used score is the FICO score, another credit score could show up on your disclosure. The new rules don't require lenders to identify the brand of credit score.

"I think you'll have a slice of lenders who will proactively tell the consumer what brand the score is," says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com.
For everyone else, there are ways to decipher the score's origin. If the range is between 300 and 850, it's a FICO score. Still, it could be a specific FICO score, such as one designed for credit card issuers, and not the one available on myFICO.com. If the range is 501 to 990, it's a VantageScore, which was developed by the three credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If the range is anything else, it's an obscure model not used by many lenders, says Ulzheimer.

"Call the lender and find out what score it is," Ulzheimer says. "I think that's a reasonable request."

TouchPad tablets sold out at Best Buy?

2011-08-22T15:21:00.000-04:00

America sure does love a bargain: Hewlett-Packard's decision to drop the price to as low as $99 for its TouchPad tablets touched off a weekend buying rush that the company called "overwhelming." Ian Sherr has details on digits.

The price point or $99 fire sale of HP that can compete with Apple's iPad. It was a great weekend for the retailers but will consumers actually benefit by purchasing a product that can no longer receive updates or any technical support? It's a bad purchase in my eyes.

Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton dies after second cancer battle

2011-08-22T15:18:00.000-04:00

OTTAWA - Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton has died.
The party issued a statement this morning, just weeks after a gaunt Layton held a news conference to announce he was fighting a second bout of cancer.

The party says Layton died peacefully at 4:45 a.m. ET today at his Toronto home, surrounded by family and loved ones.

Funeral details have not yet been announced.

Like some political Moses, Jack Layton led his people out of the wilderness, only to die within sight of his own Promised Land.
In the preface to his 2006 book, "Speaking Out Louder," Layton wrote a passage that turned out to be eerily prescient:

"Oftentimes, life's highs and lows are inextricably linked. That has certainly happened to me and, occasionally, the ups and downs were virtually simultaneous."
In eight years as leader of the NDP he took his party to heady heights, but fell himself to a tragic disease at the age of 61.

The end came with a terse announcement.

"We deeply regret to inform you that the honourable Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, passed away at 4:45 am today, Monday August 22," said the statement from his wife, Olivia Chow, and children, Sarah and Michael.
"He passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family and loved ones."
Funeral details have not yet been announced.
Layton rebuilt his party, muted its internal squabbles, united its fractious factions and weaned it from old-style dogma to present a face more palatable to middle-class voters.
He starred in the most successful election in the history of his party and won the title of Opposition Leader, which had eluded his more storied predecessors.
Layton hobbled across the hustings last spring, leaning on a cane against the pain of a surgically repaired broken hip. He shrugged off the effects of treatment for prostate cancer. His dogged campaigning as Le Bon Jack won him a majority of the seats in Quebec, a cherished but illusory goal for New Democrats for decades.

He slew the Bloc Quebecois and saw the long-dominant Liberal party reduced to a battered hulk.
Layton was ready for a new Canadian political alignment that would pit left against right across the moribund Liberal middle.

But the victory cup was dashed from his lips by the onslaught of another, more brutal cancer that wasted him to skin and bones — and killed him just 16 weeks after election day.
Layton went, in one short summer, from triumph to tragedy and left behind less a political legacy than a political question: What if?
He was a man who carried politics in his genes. A great-grandfather was a Father of Confederation. His grandfather, a Quebec provincial cabinet minister in a Union Nationale government. His father, a Tory cabinet minister under Brian Mulroney.
He was a believer. He made that clear in the first sentences of "Speaking Out Louder:"
"Politics matters. Ideas matter. Democracy matters, because all of us need to be able to make a difference."
Layton was born in Montreal on July 18, 1950. He grew up in Hudson, Que., an Anglo community complete with a celebrated yacht club. It was a small town, but hardly typical of small-town Quebec.
He was a child of the placid Fifties in a well-off family in a well-to-do town. He was a teen and university student of the Sixties, with all that went with a decade that has claimed the word "turbulent" as its singular descriptive.

Layton took his BA at Montreal's McGill University in the late 1960s, when radicalism blew through campuses like a stiff gale. The rebellious vigour of the times led him to political activism. He doffed the conservativism of his family and embraced socialism.
"Events in the Sixties and Seventies were formative for me," he wrote in "Speaking Out Louder."
"My path grew out of the tumultuous days of the October Crisis."
He became an activist, canvasser and organizer for a community movement in Montreal as a student.
By the time he earned his master's degree at Toronto's York University in 1972, his political genes had clearly activated. He had studied under Jim Laxer, a key figure in the Waffle movement that rocked the NDP at the time.

Layton taught at Ryerson University in Toronto. But by the time he received his PhD in 1984, he had already largely abandoned academic theory for community activism and then the practicalities of municipal politics.
"I was hooked on local politics and neighbourhood engagement," he wrote.
First elected in 1982, he served on Toronto and Metropolitan Toronto councils for 20 years, honing his instincts and skills at the level of retail politics. He was a politician in the mould of a people's tribune, with rolled-up sleeves, 14-hour days and seven-day weeks. Every hand was there to be shaken, every story was there to be heard, every windmill was there to be charged.
His politics were those of the poor, the homeless, the alienated, the disenfranchised. He served as vice-chair of Toronto Hydro, chair of the Toronto Board of Health and president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He twice ran federally and lost.
Layton's first marriage to high-school sweetheart Sally Halford, which had produced two children, ended in 1983.

He would eventually team up with Olivia Chow, another municipal power-broker. Together they would become the go-to couple of the left in Toronto politics. They rode a tandem bicycle along the waterfront, entertained, led rallies, marched in parades, ran for office and won.
Chow would follow Layton into the House of Commons in 2006. And she would be beside him in the dark summer of 2011.

In his rise, Layton gained a reputation as a brash, aggressive, even abrasive figure.
On a trip to Calgary for a meeting of the federation of municipalities, he raised local hackles with dismissive comments about the city, its appetite for new buildings at the cost of older properties and even its ritzy new city hall. There was an outcry in the local media and Art Eggleton, then mayor of Toronto, dispatched his own apology for Layton's comments.

He also gained a reputation as a master of the political stunt and the over-the-top comment. Some joked that the most dangerous place to be around city hall was between Layton and a microphone, where one might get trampled.
Rightly or wrongly, the image of a loud lout shouting into the mike from the left side of any issue clung to him after he won the NDP leadership in 2003.
It was a leadership contest that pitted Layton and the trendy new left against Bill Blaikie and the traditional, Prairie populist wing. Blaikie was a United Church minister in the best traditions of NDP and CCF champions of old. Layton was an academic and a firebrand. Blaikie was a Manitoban, Layton was from Toronto, font of all evil for many Canadians, especially westerners.
Layton won on the first ballot and went into renovation mode. He began to rebuild and re-brand his party. He was a people person whose BlackBerry kept him linked to hundreds of organizers, fund-raisers, recruiters and policy wonks. He worked through meals and vacations, pushing himself and his goals.
He toned down the wild rhetoric, although he raised an uproar in the 2004 election campaign by accusing then-prime minister Paul Martin of responsibility for the deaths of homeless people because he failed to produce affordable housing.

Despite that, Layton won his Toronto-Danforth seat in Parliament in 2004, an election that left Martin's Liberals with a minority government. The NDP raised its seat total to 19 from 13.
It was a start. Layton criss-crossed the country to raise the party profile and in doing so, became the public face of the NDP. The trademark grin, the brush moustache, the earnest optimism, the trademark head tilt were the tools of his trade. The hellfire rhetoric cooled. This was reasonable Jack, optimistic Jack, the Jack of the kitchen table, not the street corner.
The approach seemed to strike a chord with regular folk.
In 2006, Layton's campaign produced 29 seats, but boosted its vote to 2.59 million. Momentum was building.

In 2008, Layton campaigned not as a third-party leader, but as a prime minister-in-waiting. The vote total slipped slightly, but his campaign won 37 seats, just six short of its then all-time high under Ed Broadbent.
By 2011, Layton was ready for a breakthrough. Despite the prostate cancer diagnosed in early 2010, despite the mysterious hip fracture, he was everywhere. In Quebec, his working-class French and his call to action on behalf of the ordinary family struck a note with voters grown weary of the Bloc and leery of the Liberals.
On May 2, about 4.5 million people cast ballots for the NDP, giving the party 103 seats — 59 from Quebec — and making Layton leader of the Official Opposition.
Just over two months later, looking pale and gaunt, he called a news conference to say he was suffering from another, unspecified cancer and he would temporarily step down as party leader. Nycole Turmel, rookie MP and veteran labour leader, took over in the interim.

Deuteronomy 34 says God took Moses up to a high place and showed him the Promised Land in the distance.

"I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord."

Closing costs

2011-08-17T22:58:00.001-04:00

I want to review some of the costs you can expect to pay associated with any new home loan. With any luck, the builder or seller will agree to pay at least some of these expenses for you. But regardless of who pays them, these costs are part of the price of buying your next home, so let's take a look. They are closing costs, loan discount points and prepaid items.

Closing costs are the actual expenses that the lender incurs in the origination of a new home loan. Some of the costs are related to your loan application, such as the expense of newly updated credit reports on all applicants. Other fees are related to the house itself, such as the appraisal of the property. Others are payment to the lender for processing your application, such as the loan origination fee. All these costs are lumped into a broad category called "closing costs." Unless the seller offers to pay them for you, this area of expenses is charged to the buyer, and often runs between 2 and 3 percent of the amount being borrowed. Because different states have different fees and taxes that are a part of these costs, it's impossible to generalize nationwide. So it's important that you talk with a reputable lender ahead of time about what costs you can expect to pay in your part of the country.

Loan discount points are, in essence, a form of prepaid interest. One discount point is exactly equal to one percent of the amount being borrowed. It is paid in cash at closing to the lender as a form of interest. Discount points have the effect of lowering the stated interest rate you will pay on the loan you obtain. For example, a lender might offer you a 30 year fixed rate loan at 8% with zero points or the same loan at 7.5% with 2 discount points. Because the points are considered interest, the yield to the lender is approximately the same. So why, you are asking, would I want to pay points? You probably won't, but sometimes new home builders or employers will offer to pay up to a certain number of points as an incentive, and I want to make sure you get everything that's coming to you.

Last, there is the issue of prepaid items. Most home lenders want you to set up what is called an "escrow" account. This is nothing more than a savings account that the lender holds. Every month you will, in addition to your regular loan payment, deposit a sum for property taxes and for homeowner's insurance into this account. And when the next bill comes due for taxes or insurance, your lender will make the payment for you. The reason that all this matters today is that, on the day of your purchase, you will be required to set up an escrow account with about 9 months worth of taxes and about 2 months worth of insurance payments. In addition, you will have to pay for the first year's insurance policy in full. These costs are called prepaid items, and you must pay for them yourself.

Because regulations and customs vary from state to state, the amount you need at settlement may be more or less than the amounts I have discussed here. Talk to a reputable lender to get an accurate estimate of how much you will need to buy your next home.

Using leverage to purchase investment properties

2011-01-03T14:36:00.000-05:00

The Power of Leverage

This column is dedicated to teaching subscribers the principles of real estate investing, based on our personal experience and knowledge. Feel free to validate any of this information with your own sources.
Keep in mind we do not provide financial advice -- you should see a financial planner and accountant for that.
Some of North America's wealthiest men have said the following:

"Real estate is the basis for all wealth."
- Theodore Roosevelt
"Buying real estate is the best, safest way to become wealthy." - Marshall Fields
"90% of all millionaires became so through owning real estate." - Andrew Carnegie

So exactly WHY is real estate so good? In a word... leverage. Dictionary.com defines leverage as "investing with borrowed money as a way to amplify potential gains". How are potential gains amplified? Let's look at some examples. Example #1 - Buy a house with all cash

Purchase price	= $200,000
Down payment	= $200,000
Sale price	= $300,000
Profit	= $100,000
ROI	= Profit / Down Payment
	= $100,000 / $200,000
	= 50%

Example #2 - Buy a house with 25% cash

Purchase price	= $200,000
Down payment	= $50,000
Sale price	= $300,000
Profit	= $100,000
ROI	= Profit / Down Payment
	= $100,000 / $50,000
	= 200%

Example #3 - Buy a house with 10% cash

Purchase price	= $200,000
Down payment	= $20,000
Sale price	= $300,000
Profit	= $100,000
ROI	= Profit / Down Payment
	= $100,000 / $20,000
	= 500%

Notice that as the down payment is reduced, the return on investment increases. That is the power of leverage -- controlling a large investment with a small amount of money. While the masses are lucky to make 10% per year on their mutual funds, the wealthy are making triple digit returns and more with real estate.

Replace a furnace in Ontario

2010-12-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

Replacing a furnace is a headache especially if you are in a no heat situation during the month of December. I've reviewed the following doc from CMHC to help filter out the sales pitch stuff from Direct Energy in order to help make an education decision. $4,000 isn't chump change to be throwing around.

Lowest gas prices in ontario

2010-11-18T08:04:00.001-05:00

Lowest Regular Gas prices for Ontario96.9Canadian Tire1125 Elgin St WCobourg, ONWed8:01 AM98.9The Trading Post8662 CR-45Alderville, ONWed4:56 PM99.6Ultramar1052 Clonsilla AvePeterborough, ONWed3:51 PM99.6Pioneer1781 Lansdowne St WPeterborough, ONTue7:52 PM99.9Ultramar866 Ward StBridgenorth, ONWed4:16 PM
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30 sec Real Estate Analyzer v2.0

2010-11-15T10:31:00.000-05:00

The 30 Sec Real Estate Analyzer app has been updated. Check it out. I downloaded it and its pretty cool. I've sent the developer some suggestions on how to improve it but it's worth checking out.

You can view more here:

http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/16843?lang=en

Asset protection

2010-11-10T16:20:00.001-05:00

asset protection trust (APT)Trust established in an offshore haven which has enacted laws to protect legitimately earned (clean) money deposited there. The principal purpose of an APT is to safeguard an asset from claims against it in the home country of the depositor. It is a special form of irrevocable trust in which the title to the asset (deposit) is transferred to a trustee who manages the asset on behalf of named beneficiaries. Also called family protective trust in UK.asset protection trust (APT) is in the Accounting & Auditing, Banking, Commerce, Credit, & Finance, Disaster Planning & Risk Management and Investing subjects.asset protection trust (APT) appears in the definition of the following term: family protective trust (FPT).
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five C's of credit

2010-11-09T17:59:00.000-05:00

five C's of credit

Judgmental factors which (in theory) bankers use to evaluate the quality of a personal or small business loan application. First four of these are normally under the control of the applicant whereas the fifth is not: (1) Good reputation and track record (character) that indicates a willingness to meet one's obligations, (2) Stable and adequate capital base, (3) Capacity to generate cash flows adequate to cover debt-service, (4) More than adequate valuable assets for pledging as collateral, and (5) economic and other conditions conducive to the applicant's plans. In practice, however, the order of the importance of these factors often is: collateral, capacity, capital, conditions, and character.

Coldfx

2010-11-04T18:32:00.000-04:00

So now that flu season is here then what are you doing to ensure that your health stays strong and doesn't impact your ability to work?
Taking coldfx has worked for me in the past. Give coldfx a try and see if you can avoid a long flu season.
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OLAP

2010-11-03T16:45:00.001-04:00

Today's business term is: online analytical processing (OLAP)

Software that allows a user to interact with a very large online database (data warehouse) and request and receive practically any report in the desired format.

anticipatory breach

2010-11-02T20:23:00.001-04:00

anticipatory breach

Unequivocal repudiation of a contract, before the commencement of its performance. An anticipatory breach gives the aggrieved party an immediate legal right to sue for damages as if it were a fundamental breach of contract, and releases it from its obligations under the contract. Two types of anticipatory breaches are: (1) Express repudiation, a clear refusal by a party to perform a contract. (2) Implied repudiation, an act of a party that puts the performance of a contract out of its own power to perform (such as when a party sells off its tools or other assets required in performance of the contract).

Re: Getting organized can equal Savings

2010-11-02T13:10:00.001-04:00

Was that blank message organized?

As I look for halloween candy in my kids loot bag I find more empty wrappers than chocolate. Can we relate that to our finances? An unknown pot of goods makes it very difficult to manage. Keep organized with your finances and hopefully you will be rewarded with chocolate goodies that ryhme with nickers!
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-----Original Message-----
From: tmacfarlane@email.com
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 17:08:08
To: Meb<tmacfarlane1.meb1@blogger.com>
Reply-To: tmacfarlane@email.com
Subject: Getting organized can equal Savings

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Getting organized can equal Savings

2010-11-02T13:08:00.000-04:00

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consolidation loan

2010-10-30T12:25:00.001-04:00

consolidation loan

Installment loan that pays off two or more older-loans with a new loan. A consolidation loan usually has a longer payback period, and an installment amount that is lower than the combined total of the installment amounts of the paid off loans.

Hst and contracts

2010-10-28T16:53:00.000-04:00

Have you been keeping an eye on the monthly fees for your service contracts? How are you capturing and reporting on your service contracts?

The addition of the hst to service contracts has left several record keeping methods in dire needs of a tune up.

If you have not been adding the monthly increase of the tax to your monthly record keeping for your service contracts then you are for spootacular surprise when you reconcile your books.

If your in ontario then be sure to revisit your tax values being used to calculate costs.
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Free Download -- 30 Second Real Estate Analyzer BlackBerry App

2010-10-25T21:42:00.000-04:00

http://blackberryspecial.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-use-30-second-real-estate.html

The "30 Second Real Estate Analyzer" BlackBerry app is currently available for free download from BlackBerry App World.

The BlackBerry application can be used by investment property seekers to help find cash positive properties. The application is only the beginning of your analysis and you will have to complete an indepth analysis of the revenues and expenses before committing to purchase any property.

Simply enter in the expected purchase price of the property and the anticipated monthly rents. Once you hit calculate the application will provide you with an initial analysis of whether or not you should add this property to your short list or does it identify it is a Red Alert. A Red Alert means that the property is already cash negative before even getting into all of the additional expenses.

Enjoy the free download and stay tuned for the next release which will provide more analysis power and real estate investment education.

Happy hunting!

The art of personal finance

2010-10-21T08:01:00.001-04:00

Can you consider personal finance to be an art form? What I mean is if you believe that the discipline of credit card spending, coupon clipping, groupon reviewing or even price matching is a skill that develops over time.

For example, what sepaerates your personal finance skills from the person next to you? Each person has their own personal finance style that makes them unique. I love to price match and review before making any purchase. Its not the art of war, but the art of saving that is a critical skill.

How do you define your personal finance art form?
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Td trust

2010-10-20T07:49:00.001-04:00

News Releases TD Canada Trust changes residential mortgage rates Canada NewsWireCanada TORONTO, Oct. 12 /CNW/ - TD Canada Trust has changed its mortgage rates, effective October 13, 2010. The changes are as follows: <<
Fixed Rates To: Change:
-----------
6-month convertible 4.45% N/C
1-year open 6.70% N/C
1-year closed 3.40% -0.10%
2-year closed 3.55% -0.15%
3-year closed 4.10% -0.15%
4-year closed 4.94% -0.10%
5-year closed 5.29% -0.10%
6-year closed 5.70% -0.10%
7-year closed 6.09% -0.10%
10-year closed 6.40% -0.10%

Special Fixed Rate Offers To: Change:
-------------------------
1-year closed 2.50% N/C
4-year closed 3.79% -0.10%
5-year closed 3.89% -0.10%
7-year closed 4.75% -0.10%
10-year closed 5.09% -0.10%
>>

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Bank of canada mortgage rates

2010-10-19T12:19:00.000-04:00

Bank of Canada maintains overnight rate target at 1 per cent OTTAWA - The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 1/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 3/4 per cent. The global economic recovery is entering a new phase. In advanced economies, temporary factors supporting growth in 2010 - such as the inventory cycle and pent-up demand - have largely run their course and fiscal stimulus will shift to fiscal consolidation over the projection horizon. While the Bank expects that private demand in advanced economies will become sufficiently entrenched to sustain the recovery, the combination of difficult labour market dynamics and ongoing deleveraging in many advanced economies is expected to moderate the pace of growth relative to prior expectations. These factors will contribute to a weaker-than-projected recovery in the United States in particular. Growth in emerging-market economies is expected to ease to a more sustainable pace as fiscal and monetary policies are tightened. Heightened tensions in currency markets and related risks associated with global imbalances could result in a more protracted and difficult global recovery. The economic outlook for Canada has changed. The Bank expects the economic recovery to be more gradual than it had projected in its July Monetary Policy Report, with growth of 3.0 per cent in 2010, 2.3 per cent in 2011, and 2.6 per cent in 2012. This more modest growth profile reflects a more gradual global recovery and a more subdued profile for household spending. With housing activity declining markedly as anticipated and household debt considerations becoming more important, the Bank expects household expenditures to decelerate to a pace closer to the rate of income growth over the projection horizon. Overall, the composition of demand in Canada is expected to shift away from government and household expenditures towards business investment and net exports. The strength of net exports will be sensitive to currency movements, the expected recovery in productivity growth, and the prospects for external demand.
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waste reduction week in ontario

2010-10-18T20:51:00.001-04:00

This Week is Waste Reduction Week in Ontario and across Canada.

Waste Reduction Week, run through the Recycling Council of Ontario, aims to inform and engage people about the environmental and social ramifications of wasteful practices. It strives to educate, engage and empower everyone, especially students to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.

Waste Reduction Week is about ideas to reduce waste in all facets of daily living, creating the solutions to the many environmental challenges we face including climate change, water pollution and preservation of natural resources.

Ontario has created an informational video regarding Waste Reduction Week which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2gP7jWdrVY

If you would like more information on how the Ontario Ministry of the Environment is working to improve our environment you can contact me or visit the following link: http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/

Thank you,

Grahame

Grahame Rivers

Press Secretary

Office of Hon. John Wilkinson

Ontario Ministry of the Environment

o. 416 314 6736

c. 416 275 9149

e. grahame.rivers@ontario.ca

t. @riversgr

Types of business models

2010-10-18T15:58:00.001-04:00

sole proprietorshipSimplest, oldest, and most common form of business ownership in which only one individual acquires all the benefits and risks of running an enterprise. In a sole-proprietorship there is no legal distinction between the assets and liabilities of a business and those of its owner. It is by far the most popular business structure for startups because of its ease of formation, least record keeping, minimal regulatory controls, and avoidance of double taxation.
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Business term: synergy

2010-10-17T11:05:00.001-04:00

synergy

State in which two or more agents, entities, factors, processes, substances, or systems work together in a particularly fruitful way that produces an effect greater the sum of their individual effects. Expressed also as 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.' For example, two (or more) employees who excel together but are ordinary when working alone are said to have synergy.

Cash positive

2010-10-14T16:42:00.001-04:00

I'm working on a blackberry app to be sold on blackberry app world that will allow you to enter a purchase price and anticipated rent value. This will allow you to determine if the initial assessment of your listing should be sent to your shortlist or taken off the table right away.

The blackberry app will be connected to mls.ca and realtor.ca listings in later versions.

Once rim approves the blackberry app then I will provide the link to blackberry app world for you to review. It is currently being listed as a free blackberry app.
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Eco tax ontario

2010-10-13T08:01:00.001-04:00

We recently had an email sent to us to provide more info on the eco tax in ontario. Here it is in full.

Hi, My name is Jonathan Rose and I work at the Ministry of the Environment.

I recently noticed your blog and thought I would say hi and provide some additional information about our simplified municipal hazardous waste program.

This simplified program removes the confusion surrounding the eco-fees rolled out on July 1. Those fees are gone permanently. They will not be coming back. We are partnering with municipalities to divert fire extinguishers, rechargeable batteries, pharmaceuticals and sharps, CFL light bulbs, and products containing mercury. Consumers can now take them back to their municipal depot or their local Environmental Days easily and free of charge. This is the best way to ensure we divert more products from our landfills in a way that's transparent and easy for consumers.

We held a media event in Toronto this afternoon. You can find our press release, a video and what every Ontarian can do to protect the environment athttp://bit.ly/dzmu64and of course, if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them.

Thanks,
Jon
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Living within your means

2010-10-08T18:22:00.001-04:00

Don't bite off more HOME than you can chew. How much house can you comfortably afford?

For most people the answer is a house with a purchase price of no more than 4x their annual household income. Rationale: the cost of a home includes much more than the monthly mortgage payment. It's also property tax, insurance, upkeep, etc.

Typically these costs run 2%-3% of the price of your home each year. Assuming a 20% down payment, a 5 year fixed rate mortgage, amortized over 35 years, and interest rates in the 4%-5% rate, the 4x your income rule of thumb will translate into total housing costs of roughly 30% of your gross income.

Don't let your CAR drive you to the poor house. The same logic applies to your car.

Most people can comfortably afford a car that is one-third of their annual income. If you make $60,000 you can comfortably afford a car that costs $20,000. If that seems low - now you know why so many people are in financial trouble. They are driving it. A car has many other costs than simply the monthly payment. There's insurance, gas, parking, maintenance, etc.

If you follow this rule of thumb, your total transportation costs should be 10% or less of your gross income. Read
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Competition watchdog, real estate association reach agreement on flexibility - Winnipeg Free Press

2010-09-30T21:38:00.001-04:00

* Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.

Real estate getting more competitive.

Click the following to access the sent link:

Competition watchdog, real estate association reach agreement on flexibility - Winnipeg Free Press*


Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click here for more information.

*This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/breakingnews/competition-watchdog-real-estate-association-reach-agreement-on-flexibility-104112434.html

Personal finance and personal time

2010-09-29T08:12:00.000-04:00

How much is your time worth? I know someone that is so busy with two kids that they don't have enough time to organize their own tools for their own service truck.

I've developed a blackberry app that will allow real estate investors to weed out the bad deals from good prospects worth further research. I call it the 30 second real estate analyzer. It will allow you to enter the purchase price and expected rent values and then provide a stop light view telling you stop, caution, or proceed with more detailed number crunching.

So if you are a real estate investor then check it out at http://blackberryspecial.blogspot.com.

Happy investment hunting!
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What is internet marketing?

2010-09-28T12:14:00.001-04:00

Marketing efforts done solely over the Internet. This type of marketing uses various online advertisements to drive traffic to an advertiser's website. Banner advertisements, pay per click (PPC), and targeted email lists are often methods used in Internet marketing to bring the most value to the advertiser. Internet marketing is a growing business mainly because more and more people use the internet every day. Popular search engines such as Google and Yahoo have been able to capitalize on this new wave of advertising.internet marketing is in the Advertising, Marketing and Sales and Internet and Worldwide Web subjects.
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Ndp and hydro rates

2010-09-24T07:59:00.001-04:00

Can you believe that the ndp want to increase hydro rates? Maybe they should be living off of the grid.
I'd like to see their rationale instead of blindly accepting it.
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Ocri and mobile apps at the mercury lounge

2010-09-23T18:37:00.001-04:00

I attended an event today about making mobile apps as a profitable business venture. The event was hosted by rim (research in motion) and it was very enjoyable. The beef sandwiches were also quite tasty!

The main topic was if the panelist thought if a 99 cent app would be a profitable business model for mobile developers and businesses. The resounding answer was 'yes'.

I'm curious about the spinoff requirements for a mobile app industry. What will be the new jobs that are required in order to keep mobile apps going?

Would you target a 99 cent app over a 100 app on blackberry world or the iphone store? Would you focus on iphone, ipad or blackberry development?
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Island Home For Sale

2010-09-22T21:08:00.001-04:00

http://islandhomeforsale.blogspot.com

Island Home for Sale

Mls.ca Realtor.ca and a la services

2010-09-22T07:28:00.000-04:00

So I'm finding out the hard way that a la carte real estate services are not offered fully across Canada. There seems to be heavy usage in Ontario but the rest of the country is lagging behind. I'm looking to find a realtor that will list my property on Realtor.ca and Mls.ca for a fixed fee. This differs from a normal realtor service where they get 5% commission. The new model that is slowly being pushed out in Canada goes something like this:

* fixed flat fee for 30-90 days
* 0-.0025% commission on sale price
* listed on MLS.ca and Realtor.ca
* cross promoted on the realtor's website

If you know of a company that does this service then send me their info and I'll list them here.

mls.ca realtor.ca and a la carte service

2010-09-21T22:23:00.001-04:00

The federal Competition Bureau has launched an aggressive attack on the Canadian Real Estate Association, challenging its rules governing the Multiple Listing Service and calling for a radical change in how homes are sold in Canada.

"Our concern is that [CREA] are improperly and unlawfully leveraging [their control over MLS] in order to impose these restrictions and to deny competitive forces and to deny good old-fashioned market competition," said Competition Commissioner Melanie Aitken. "This case is focused pure and simple: Let consumers have the choice, let agents have the opportunity to satisfy and serve those choices."

The MLS has been around for more than 50 years and only registered agents are allowed to list homes on the service. The MLS trademark is owned by CREA, which has nearly 100,000 members, and each real-estate board operates the service in their region. Roughly 90 per cent of all residential real-estate transactions in Canada involve MLS data.

The bureau has asked the federal Competition Tribunal to strike down a series of rules CREA adopted in 2007 that tightened the MLS listing requirements.

Ms. Aitken said the rules stifled competition because they restricted the type of services real-estate agents offered, which resulted in higher fees for consumers. Agents who wanted to offer a wider range of services, such as flat fees instead of traditional commissions charged by full-service agents, have been excluded from the MLS by CREA, she added. "What that means is consumers don't have any choice, it's either all [services] or nothing," she said.

CREA president Dale Ripplinger called Ms. Aitken's decision "surprising and disappointing," and said her allegations about the MLS restrictions were "simply false."

"We do not agree with the bureau's position that certain CREA rules are anti-competitive, either as a matter of fact or as a matter of law," he said in a statement. CREA has insisted the 2007 changes were meant to protect the integrity of the MLS and ensure consumers had accurate information.

Mr. Ripplinger added that CREA had always expressed a willingness to work with the bureau to clarify the MLS rules. He said the association notified the bureau last week that it had drafted rule changes.

Ms. Aitken said CREA's efforts did not go far enough. "Unfortunately, CREA's leadership has taken the view that they don't accept what we think is absolutely necessary to protect Canadians, to inspire the kind of competition we all deserve," she said.

Many industry players said the bureau has been building a case against CREA for three years and federal officials approached several real-estate agents up to half a dozen times seeking information.

"This is big news for us," said Steve Neil, a Vancouver agent who runs HomeBuyAndSell.com and has pushed for changes. "There is no question it will change things in the next several years."

Discount brokers, who mostly operate online, have long argued that CREA's rule changes were designed to put them out of business and protect full-service agents who rely on commissions, which average about 5 per cent in total on a residential sale.

Before the 2007 changes, some discount brokers offered to list homes on MLS for a fee, typically less than $700. The homeowner then handled the sale.

The CREA changes required all agents to inspect homes before listing them on the MLS and work with other agents throughout the sale. As a result, discount brokers say they could no longer offer their low-fee services and had to charge more to carry out the various CREA requirements.

Mr. Neil, for example, charges customers $299 to list their home on MLS, plus $79 for each week the house is listed. When the house is sold, he charges a fee of 0.25 per cent of the sale price. Mr. Neil said if the bureau wins its case, he would likely lower his fees and change his services.

"We would offer probably a sort of à la carte -type menu of services; if [customers] want them they can pay for them," he said. He also believes several American online services would expand into Canada.

"The consumer demand is phenomenal for this service," added Donald Hewie, a real-estate agent in Ottawa who has also been pushing for changes. "This could be the beginning of the end for CREA."

But others, such as Phil Soper, CEO of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, say consumers already have a significant amount of choice, and the bureau's move could create a "frontier mentality" that might leave consumers worse off.

"CREA has gone to great lengths to understand the bureau's concerns," he said.

By breaking off settlement discussions and publicly challenging CREA's practices, the bureau also appears to be signalling new and harder stand against anti-trust targets.

Shortly after Ms. Aitken was named commissioner of the bureau last year, she identified anti-competitive conduct as a priority for the regulator, which has been plagued for years by a poor enforcement track record.

MLS at a glance

The MLS - or multiple listing service - is a database of information about houses that are currently for sale.

Information is gathered by local real estate boards and compiled by the Canadian Real Estate Association, which owns the MLS system.

Years ago, the information was distributed to real estate agents on paper; then the service moved to an electronic form.

For more than a decade, some - but not all - of the information has been made available to the public on a CREA website (realtor.ca). But some details, such as past sale prices of properties, are restricted to licensed agents.

To get a listing on MLS, a seller must agree to have a licensed real estate agent handle all aspects of a transaction, including the presentation of offers and negotiation of the deal.

The Competition Bureau wants sellers to be able to list for a simple fee, and then deal with buyers themselves or go through a discount-priced agent.

Lock in to a fixed rate?

2010-09-21T11:35:00.002-04:00

The assumption is that mortgage rates will increase in canada over the next 12 months. The dates and amount of increase are the million dollar questions.

Are you currently in a variable and watching the market each day? At what point will you lock into a fixed rate?

The main penalty is the ird and if its cost is greater than your planned savings then beware of breaking the mortgage. The numbers show that a 1year mortgage is traditionally the most effective but the annual paperwork can be a pain in the bum.
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Credit cards and low interest

2010-09-20T16:01:00.002-04:00

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How to buy stock

2010-09-19T20:23:00.000-04:00

Investors most commonly buy and trade stock through brokers.

You can set up an account by depositing cash or stocks in a brokerage account. Firms like Charles Schwab and Citigroup’s Smith Barney unit offer brokerage accounts that can be managed online or with a broker in person. If you prefer buying and selling stocks online, you can use sites like E-Trade or Ameritrade. Those are just two of the most well-known electronic brokerages, but many large firms have online options as well.

Once you open an account you will tell your broker how many and what types of stocks you’d like to purchase. The broker executes the trade on the your behalf. In turn, he or she earns a commission, normally several cents per share. Online trading sites typically charge lower commission fees, because most of the trading is done electronically.

After selecting the stocks that you want to purchase, you can either make a “market order” or a “limit order.” A market order is one in which you request a stock purchase at the prevailing market price. A limit order is when you request to buy a stock at a limited price. For example, if you want to buy stock in Dell at $60 a share, and the stock is currently trading at $70, then the broker would wait to acquire the shares until the price meets your limit.

While purchasing stocks through a broker has its advantages, there are other ways to buy stock. You can purchase stocks directly through the company. Sites like DRIPInvestor.com will show a list of companies that allow direct-buy of stocks.

Investment properties: double down

2010-09-18T07:16:00.001-04:00

You don't have to tell the average Canadian homeowner that real estate is a good investment. With very few exceptions, home equity has been building across Canada, and many Canadian homeowners have determined that two or more roofs are better than one. There are several reasons why a growing number of Canadians are purchasing investment properties:

1. Return on investment. Certainly, residential real estate is a solid long-term investment, typically appreciating faster than inflation. Even Canadians who have chosen their stock portfolio very carefully may find that their home is their best-performing investment. Many investment advisors recommend diversifying stock and bond portfolios to include real estate. Initially the goal is to have rental income cover all or most of the costs of the property. Over time the goal is to see an increase in the value of the real estate, with rent turning to profit once the mortgage is paid off. Expenses related to the property are of course tax deductible, offsetting the rental income

2. A pension plan for the future. Over the long term, an investment property or multiple real estate holdings can be a great source of retirement funds. Many Canadians do not have a pension plan, which means they need to take their own action to create sources of retirement income

3. A better alternative to student residence. Many Canadians are shipping off their university-age children, and housing them in an investment property purchased specifically for that purpose. They can save money on out-of-town accommodations for the student, and use revenue from other renting students to pay the mortgage and maintenance expenses.

4. Earlier access to a first home. For first-time home-buyers, a duplex or triplex can be a terrific way to get onto the home ownership ladder. Rental income from the extra units can help offset the cost of the mortgage as the new homeowners get on their financial feet.

Rules have changed however for investment property mortgages since the government's new mortgage rules that came into effect April 19, 2010. A minimum downpayment of 20% is required for an investment property i.e. you're not personally living in the property that you own, which is up from 5% prior to the new rules. You can put down less than 20%, but you'll need to use an uninsured lender, which can mean higher interest rates. If you only have 1 to 4 properties, there are several CMHC lenders from which to choose from. Once you have more than 4 properties you need to start spreading out your business among several lenders so as to not reach the maximum number of mortgages a lender will approve per investor.

Other underwriting or qualifying rules have also come into play; Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp (CMHC), Canada's largest mortgage insurer, has changed the way they treat rental income in their debt service calculation, which can make qualifying more difficult.

Do I need an annual mortgage checkup?

2010-09-18T07:13:00.001-04:00

A lot can happen in a year, especially during the "mortgage years", when we tend to be juggling many commitments in our busy lives. That's the reason why you should consider touching base with your mortgage each year.

Here are some of the common reasons why a mortgage may need some adjustment:

· You're carrying some credit card or other high-interest debt that is eating away at your monthly cashflow and you are interested in consolidating this debt into your mortgage so you can pay less each month;

· You're wondering if you can tap into some of your equity for a special renovation project to upgrade your home;

· You're wondering if you can afford a vacation property, or are perhaps considering an investment property;

· You're a bit concerned about a large expense looming in your future: for example, university tuition, a wedding, a leave from work, a new career or business, a big vacation or a new vehicle;

· You're concerned with rising rates, whether to lock in or even break your mortgage to take advantage of today's amazing rates.

If any of these apply to you, then it would probably benefit you to take advantage of a mortgage checkup. There's typically no cost and no obligation. So what are you waiting for? I'm doing one in December when my mortgage term will be compared against the next year's rate.

Bed shopping for a guest room

2010-09-16T07:55:00.001-04:00

I find that no matter when I go shopping for a big ticket item that I always need to visit at least 3 to 4 stores in order to find the best price.

When looking for a matress and boxspring there are numerous stores such as sears, the brick, leons, bedzzz, matress mart and sleep comfort.

This time of year they all have some type of sales promotion, especially for the back to school students.

Singles, doubles, queen, king. Foam top, no foam top, forget about the foam top. Free rails, cheap rails, no rails. Free delivery, no delivery...get the picture?

Anyway, mattress mart was the best option and they gave me 5 percent off for being a repeat customer and free pillows.
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Smart saver in ontario

2010-09-15T18:23:00.001-04:00

Have you heard about the smart saver energy fiasco in ontario? The notion of energy consumption in peak periods is a noble initiative for the province to tackle, but apparently they hit a snag.

A pilot was done in kanata and the home owners ended up having their power bills increased by 50 percent.

Was it a flaw in the energy consumption pricing model or was it a lack of energy consumption change? Either way I'm sure that it was not the expected marketing spin encountered from today.
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credit limits

2010-09-14T22:04:00.001-04:00

For some spenders, a credit limit is like a speed limit: the highest they can go without getting into trouble.

Credit scores place a big emphasis on how much of your credit you use every month. Called a credit utilization ratio, your score dips when that quotient climbs.

And your credit score doesn't distinguish between the balances you're paying off every month and those you don't. It only looks at the totals you're charging.

The bottom line for consumers is that if you want to keep your scores high, you need to keep those balances low.

How low can you go?

Want to calculate your utilization rate? Add up last month's card balances. Divide that by the total of all your credit limits on open credit card accounts. The two-digit number after the decimal point is your utilization rate.
Go back and do the same thing for each individual card, too. That's because the FICO score looks at how much of your total limit you're using with all your cards together, along with each card individually, says Barry Paperno, consumer operations manager for FICO, the Minneapolis company that produces the FICO score. Utilization rates count for almost 30 percent of your score, he says.

So just how low do those rates need to be? "It varies from consumer to consumer, depending on their overall profile," says Paperno.

"The lower that percentage, the better for your score," he says. The goal is not zero, but as close to that as you can manage.

"The people in this country that have the highest scores -- 760 and above -- have an average utilization of 7 percent," says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education for Credit.com in San Francisco. He recommends keeping those balances to 10 percent or less of the credit limit.

And that's "reasonable," says Paperno. "If you're in that range, you're not going to get yourself in a lot of trouble, score-wise," he says.

One irony for consumers is that a zero balance can hurt your score. That's because the score rewards the individual who can use credit cards but keep the balances low, says Paperno. "But zero indicates that you are not using your cards," he says.

Some cards don't report credit limits to the bureaus. In that case, the entity calculating the score will often substitute the consumer's highest balance, which can make your utilization rate look higher than it truly is.

The best way to find out which cards report credit limits is to check your credit report, says Paperno.

The good news is that the practice of not reporting limits is becoming much less common. "Almost all -- at least with the major lenders -- report the limit," says Rod Griffin, director of public education for Experian, in Costa Mesa, Calif.

If you like living on plastic, you don't necessarily have to choose between a low utilization rate and the convenience of credit cards.

Charge cards that require you to pay the balance in full every month aren't included in your utilization rate in the most recent versions of the FICO score, says Paperno.

How to tell which is which: either call the issuer, or pull out that credit report again. If the notation for a card says "revolving," it's a credit card, says Paperno. If it states "open," it's a charge card.

But several credit experts say it doesn't pay to stress over utilization rates. "If you're keeping a low balance and your scores are fine, I wouldn't worry about that," says Griffin.

When it can pay to really look more closely at the equation:

You're a year or less from a major purchase, like a home or car. That's a good time to make sure the balances are paid down, and there's enough activity on the cards to give you the most advantageous score and terms.

You have unexplained card problems, like lower credit limits, declining scores and/or increasing APRs.

You've recently gotten a new card and want to see how it's impacting your score.

Your utilization rate isn't the only factor you want to consider if you're setting your personal card limits with an eye toward maintaining strong credit.

When you apply for a home or auto loan, those lenders will look at your debt load. But the amount of debt they'll accept will vary widely, says Chris Kukla, senior counsel for government affairs with the Center for Responsible Lending, in Durham, N.C.

Among other factors, lenders will look at your back-end ratio, which is the total of your payments for one month (car payment, college loans, credit cards, mortgage) divided by your gross income, says Kukla. When it comes to the credit cards, lenders will use the minimum payments based on the current balances, he says.

A few years ago, some lenders were satisfied with figures that went to 55 percent or 60 percent, Kukla says. These days, 40 percent to 50 percent is "on the high end," he says. Lenders want to know "that you're not spending more than half your income on debt."

Beating transaction fees

2010-09-13T20:02:00.001-04:00

Are yields the flavour of the month? What is your investment strategy?

Finances are based around those that are deep into debt and those that save. A 1000 lottery win would have most of us spend more and not pay down any debt.

What is your net worth?
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Canada sets condition for any China Potash bid

2010-09-13T12:33:00.002-04:00

Canada sets condition for any China Potash bid

Last Update: 9/13/2010 11:00:50 AM

OTTAWA (MarketWatch) -- Canada's Industry Minister said Monday that any move by a Chinese state-owned company to acquire Saskatchewan-based Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (POT) would be reviewed to ensure the deal is driven by the market and not state interests. ...Read the rest of the story

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Buying on margin

2010-09-13T12:25:00.001-04:00

Purchasing an asset by making a down payment (called the margin) and financing the balance amount through a loan by using the asset as the collateral (such as in a mortgage loan). In securities trading, only a down payment is required because the value of the securities themselves (which remain in the possession of the broker or seller) fully collateralizes the unpaid amount.
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How to pick a home renovator for your home renovations

2010-09-11T15:01:00.000-04:00

How to pick a home renovator If you‟ve been dreaming of adding an extra room to your house or repaving your driveway this fall, now‟s the time to book contractors – just make sure you do your homework first. Get references Check on a renovator‟s references before you hire him or her. Don Johnston, senior director of technology and policy at the Canadian Home Builders‟ Association in Ottawa, says most renovators will tell you about recent clients on their own. Meet with previous clients in person so you can see the work that was completed, he says.

Ask about the predictability of the budget and how changes were handled, he suggests. "Inevitably, there‟s going to be unexpected things along the way and how those were handled is a good indication of how they‟ll be handled on your project," he says. Most importantly, he says, asks how the company and its representatives treated the home. "Good renovators know that relations with their customers and respect for the house are what‟s expected today." Don't obsess over bids While some home owners think they need to get several bids and award a contract to the renovator who proposes the lowest price, Mr. Johnston says it shouldn‟t be the key determinant of who you hire. Instead, he suggests you interview several contractors and find out which you‟re most comfortable with. "There‟s no substitution for a trustworthy relationship with your renovator, because often there are unforeseens and all sorts of issues that come up with a project," he says. "You try to go with a low bid based on some general concepts of what you want to do and in the end it really doesn‟t give you any protection. It‟s who‟s building that‟s much more important than how you bid."

Ensure both parties have proper insurance If you‟re satisfied with your contractor‟s experience and projected budget, the next step is to make sure both you and the company have the right insurance. The contractor should have protection through the provincial workplace safety and insurance body. The average figure he recommends is $2-million in liability insurance. "You also have to inform your own insurance company that work is under way on your house," he says. It‟s unlikely you‟ll need to take out more insurance, but the company will let you know if there‟s anything extra that needs to be done. "If you‟re taking down trees and there‟s a risk, you need to be covered [for] the unforeseens," he says.

Get it in writing "Often, if a contractor is reluctant to sign a contract with you, it‟s a good sign that he or she is not a legitimate company," Mr. Johnston warns. Some contractors may also persuade you to do an upfront cash deal so that they can save you money by avoiding taxes, but be leery of such offers, he says. If the contractor takes off before the project is complete, you‟ll have no protection. When you draw up a contract (you can find draft ones on the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.‟s website), clearly lay out a timeline and goals of the project. " „When we‟ve got the roof on, we‟ll release a third of the payment, when you‟ve finished the interior, another third.‟ You can specify over a period of time based on milestones," he says. *And don‟t do this...turn down a good contractor because he asks for a deposit – no contractor should be expected to pay for supplies before starting work

Canada's economic growth expected to continue in 2010

2010-09-10T15:21:00.001-04:00

Canada's economic growth expected to continue in 2010: RBC Economics

Pace of growth revised downward due to U.S. economy

TORONTO, September 10, 2010 — After rapid gains in the early part of the year, Canada's economy slowed in the second quarter and is expected to rebound only modestly over the second half of the year, according to the latest Economic Outlook report from RBC Economics.

RBC slightly pared back its 2010 forecast, expecting GDP growth of 3.3 per cent which is down from 3.6 per cent projected last quarter.

"While Canada's second quarter growth put real GDP close to its pre-recession high, concerns in the U.S. and nervousness about the health of the global economy are weighing on the outlook for the second half of the year," said Craig Wright, senior vice-president and chief economist, RBC.

RBC forecasts that the economy will continue to grow and that the output gap will be completely eliminated by mid-2012. The labour market has recovered 94 per cent of the jobs lost during the recession and the unemployment rate is expected to decline to 7.3 per cent by the end of 2011, from the 8 per cent that prevailed the second quarter of this year.

With government infrastructure spending to be exhausted in the first quarter of 2011, there will be pressure on the private sector to fill the void and sustain economic growth.

GDP is expected to rise 3.2 per cent in 2011, down 0.3 percentage points from projections in last quarter's Outlook. RBC notes that core inflation has been stable through the economic downturn and expects it to remain anchored around the Bank of Canada's 2 per cent mid-range target.

"Global financial conditions have not been severely damaged by the European sovereign debt crisis as previously feared," said Wright. "With central banks pledging to do whatever is necessary to keep the recovery on track, interest rates will remain low, supporting business and consumer spending once confidence is restored."

RBC adjusted its U.S. GDP forecast to 2.7 per cent in 2010 and 3.0 per cent in 2011, compared to 3.1 per cent and 3.4 per cent the previous quarter, in light of the sharp weakening in real GDP in the second quarter and disappointing reports on the housing and labour markets over recent months.

According to the report, the Canadian dollar has been hurt by concern about the U.S. and global recovery continuing, with an attendant downward impact on commodity prices, and will likely remain under pressure until the risk of another downturn in the global economy dissipates. RBC forecasts that the Canadian dollar will close out 2010 at 93.45 U.S. cents and will again trend upward toward parity by mid-2011.

At the provincial level, RBC expects all provincial economies to grow in 2010; however, the downshift in economic momentum prompted growth forecasts for most provinces to be revised lower in 2010 with the exception of Saskatchewan (increased to 6.3 per cent from 3.8 per cent) and Alberta (up 3.5 per cent from 3.1 per cent). The largest downward revisions were made to Manitoba (down 0.9 per cent to 2.0 per cent) and Newfoundland & Labrador (from 4.1 per cent to 3.3 per cent). All other adjustments were fairly modest from June and are as follows:

BC: growth of 3.3 per cent, revised lower from
3.5 per cent
ON: growth of 3.5 per cent, revised lower from
3.8 per cent
PQ: growth of 3.0 per cent, revised lower from
3.5 per cent
NB: growth of 2.3 per cent, revised lower from
2.4 per cent
NS: growth of 1.8 per cent revised lower from
2.2 per cent
PEI: growth of 2.1 per cent, revised lower from
2.6 per cent

A complete copy of the forecast is available as of 8 a.m. EDT, at www.rbc.com/economics/market/pdf/fcst.pdf. A separate publication, RBC Economics Provincial Outlook, assesses the provinces according to economic growth, employment growth, unemployment rates, retail sales and housing starts.

Home renovation and rain gutters or eaves troughs

2010-09-09T18:27:00.001-04:00

Uncontrolled water can cause structural damage to a home's walls or foundation. Rain gutters (also called eaves troughs or guttering) provide an important channel to collect water from the roof and divert it away from the foundation or basement.Typical costs:• The average residential home has anywhere from 120 to 250 feet of rain gutters, depending on the number of stories and the amount of roof line. (Sprawling single-story homes have more roof edges and therefore more feet of rain gutters than more-compact two- or three-story houses.)• Expect to pay around $3 -$5 a lineal foot to have someone install vinyl (PVC) gutters, or about $360 -$600 for 120 feet and $750 -$1,250 for 250 feet. Vinyl gutters are a fairly simple do-it-yourself project; material alone run about $50 -$100 for 120 feet and $90 -$180 for 250 feet. Vinyl gutters maintain their color well, are flexible and dent-resistant and don't rust or corrode but they do get brittle with age and extreme cold.• Having aluminum gutters installed averages about $4 -$9 a foot plus downspouts at $5 -$8 each, or $500 -$1,200 for 120 feet and $1,050 -$2,400 for 250 feet. Do-it-yourself materials average $350 -$500 for 120 feet and $450 -$850 for 250 feet. Aluminum is fairly easy to maintain but it dents more easily than other gutter materials and expands (moves due to temperature changes) significantly more than other metals.• Mainly used in restoration projects, wood gutters are heavy to install and cost about $12 -$20 a foot, depending on the type of wood used, or $1,450 -$2,400 for 120 feet and $3,000 -$5,000 or more for 250 lineal feet.• Galvanized steel gutters are about $4 -$8 installed, for a total cost around $500 -$1,000 for 120 feet and $1,000 -$2,000 for 250 feet. Steel runs $8 -$10 a foot, or $960 -$1,200 for 120 feet and $2,000 -$2,500 for 240 feet. Stainless steel gutters--which are strong, rust-free and keep a high sheen for years--average $20 a foot, or $2,400 for 120 feet and $5,000 for 250 feet.• Copper gutters are low maintenance and do not rust; they tend to be a custom project at a $15 -$25 a foot or $1,800 -$3,000 for 120 feet and $3,750 -$6,250 for 250 feet. Copper develops a patina as it ages.What should be included:• Generally a contractor will remove the old gutters and downspouts and install new ones. The gutters must be slightly sloped so the water will flow into the downspouts.• The two main types of gutter systems are sectional and seamless; sectional gutters are easier to install and more likely to be a do-it-yourself project, but are more prone to developing leaks. Usually seamless gutters are professionally installed.
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Credit rating definition

2010-09-09T16:55:00.001-04:00

Evaluation of the timely repayment ability of an individual, firm, or debt security (such as a bond). Credit rating is built up on the basis of the (1) credit history, (2) present financial position, and the (3) likely future income. Credit reporting agencies, such as the US firm Dun & Bradstreet, collect, store, analyze, summarize, and sell such information. Also called debt rating.credit rating is in the Banking, Commerce, Credit, & Finance subject.
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Ibm smarter energy and your personal finance

2010-09-09T09:27:00.001-04:00

Ibm is working on an initiative to have smarter energy services. Smart meter systems will lead to predective analysis to help save energy costs and hopefully sopme of it will end up with you.

The global amount of wasted energy could power all of india.

Smart meters can lead to a 15 percent reduction or savings within the electrical grid.

Ontario has fixed energy prices for submitting energy to the power grid. The transferance of energy provides a key advantage.
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Mortgage rate hike and increased rates in canada

2010-09-08T19:44:00.001-04:00

Bank of Canada increases overnight rate target to 1%The Bank of Canada today announced that it is raising its target for the overnight rate by one-quarter of one percentage point to 1 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 1/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 3/4 per cent. The global economic recovery is proceeding but remains uneven, balancing strong activity in emerging market economies with weak growth in some advanced economies. In the United States, the recovery in private demand is being held back by high unemployment and recent indicators suggest a more muted recovery in the near term. Economic activity in Canada was slightly softer in the second quarter than the Bank had expected, although consumption and investment have evolved largely as anticipated. Going forward, consumption growth is expected to remain solid and business investment to rise strongly. Both are being supported by accommodative credit conditions, which have eased in recent weeks mainly owing to sharp declines in global bond yields. The Bank now expects the economic recovery in Canada to be slightly more gradual than it had projected in its July Monetary Policy Report (MPR), largely reflecting a weaker profile for U.S. activity. Inflation in Canada has been broadly in line with the Bank's expectations and its dynamics are essentially unchanged. Against this backdrop, the Bank decided to increase its target for the overnight rate to 1 per cent. As a result of monetary policy measures taken since April, financial conditions in Canada have tightened modestly but remain exceptionally stimulative. This is consistent with achieving the 2 per cent inflation target in an environment of significant excess supply in Canada. Any further reduction in monetary policy stimulus would need to be carefully considered in light of the unusual uncertainty surrounding the outlook.
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Mortgage rate hike and increased rates in canada

2010-09-08T18:51:00.000-04:00

Blackberry and iphone apps and saving money

2010-09-08T16:47:00.001-04:00

Have you been able to find any good blackberry or smartphone apps to download? I'm looking at some of the key personal finance areas that could benefit from a new app. Let me know at businessintelligencecentre@gmail.com if you find any worthy of mentioning here.
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Back to school moeny savings tip # 1

2010-09-07T09:27:00.000-04:00

If you want to actually feel full and stay within a healthy balanced diet, then I highly recommend making your lunch the night before. Get rid of that frozen food crap and make some fresh food. You'll end up saving money and you'll feel full longer.
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Should you carry multiple credit cards?

2010-09-06T12:22:00.002-04:00

Consumers may be dialing back on their credit card usage, but there are still plenty of good reasons to carry multiple credit cards.

Although there's no one-size-fits-all answer as to how many credit cards consumers should have, taking a good look at your own financial situation and spending patterns can help determine what's best for you.

Here are a few reasons to consider having several credit cards:

Sense of security
Having more than one major credit card can help you feel more secure. Carrying multiple credit cards in your wallet means that if something goes awry, like a credit card purchase won't go through or an ATM eats your card, you have another one to fall back on. In addition, not all retailers and service providers accept all credit cards, and you don't want to be stuck somewhere without a way to pay for a purchase.

Some consumers use a dedicated credit card for online shopping. It can make it easier to keep track of fraudulent activity or limit damage if you become a victim of identity theft.

Or you might want to keep a spare card tucked away safely at home or in a bank safe-deposit box in case your wallet gets stolen or you lose your main card.

Rewards and discounts
Some consumers want a wallet full of credit cards that offer rewards for purchases. These can include perks for travel, entertainment, shopping and services.

Gasoline station credit cards often offer lower gas prices for those who use their card for gas purchases. And many retailers offer percentage discounts off purchases or coupons to entice consumers to use a particular store's credit card.

Boost credit score
While people may fear having several credit cards looks bad to lenders, managing several cards responsibly helps show you're a good credit risk. Lenders look at your debt-to-limit ratio, or the proportion of your available credit you actually use.

Paying your bills on time or paying off your credit cards can bolster your credit score.

hurricane earl power outage nova scotia

2010-09-04T16:31:00.001-04:00

http://www.nspower.ca/en/home/residential/outageinformation/liveoutagemap.aspx#table

Here is a table to show when power will be restored in Nova Scotia due to hurricane earl

Kids and finances

2010-09-03T13:16:00.001-04:00

From time to time, I like to eat only foods that are orange. It was something I started in college. I know it sounds odd, but this just happens to be my only odd habit. The rest of the time, I am completely normal.

Recently it was orange food day for me, so I was at the grocery store buying my cheese doodles, orange soda, boxed macaroni and cheese, and carrots. As I was waiting in line, there was a mother in front of me with her little girl and she was teaching her daughter how to make a purchase. It brought memories back to me of my own mom doing the same with me.

I am sure everyone has a recollection of learning about money: how to estimate how much money is needed for a purchase; figuring out what change you should get back; and how to save for that coveted action figure, comic book, or, in my case, an “Easy-Bake Oven”. Who doesn’t remember having a piggy bank or a jar for saving money for those “I have to have it, or I will simply die” moments of our youth?

Kids today have more money than ever to spend on snacks, clothing, and games/toys. One website that I visited states that more than 10 million--40 percent of the Nation's children and youths between ages 10 and 18--receive regular allowances or handouts from their parents or guardians, averaging $50 per week. I found that statistic surprising. As a kid, I considered myself lucky when my parents raised my allowance to a dollar. With that kind of cash in the hands of kids today, it is even more important that they learn from a young age how to handle money.

How to pay your bills and invest, too!

2010-09-01T23:04:00.000-04:00

Today's guest article is from Ahmed El-Shaboury with Investors Group.

"How to pay your bills and invest, too!

There’s no doubt about it, making ends meet is tough. And getting ahead? – well, for many Canadians, that’s a desperate dream for tomorrow when every day brings the reality of mortgage payments, car loans, lease payments, large credit card balances, and other demands on your hard won earnings. Sure, you’d like to start an investment program or add to the small investments you’ve already made, but there just never seems to be anything left over once you’ve taken care of the essentials. And in a world that runs on credit, it’s too easy to carry too much debt in too many places. If you’re staying awake at nights trying to map a way out of the dreaded debt spiral, to say nothing of stretching your income to cover an investment program that could help you realize your dreams for the future, debt consolidation may be just the ticket.

Debt consolidation can increase your ability to invest

Debt consolidation simply means paying off a number of higher interest rate loans or other high-cost debt by taking out a single loan for a consolidated overall lower monthly payment.

You can choose to consolidate such unsecured debts as medical bills, car payments, education loans, credit card payments or lines of credit – and the benefit is a single, more affordable monthly payment, that is usually much lower than the many monthly payments you were making previously. It’s an effective way to regain control of your finances, ease your cash management, generate savings and reduce stress – as well as establishing a repayment plan that will move you beyond simply servicing your balances to actually eliminating them. If you own a home, you can consider consolidating your debt using a home equity loan. Your loan is secured by your home and there’s no doubt you’ll be paying a much lower interest rate than you do on your credit cards which can range from 19 percent to over 28 percent for a retail card. By keeping your amortization period the same, but with a lower interest rate, you’ve created additional cash flow that can be used towards other financial goals.

An easy investment strategy that works

Once you’ve got your debt under control, it’s time to bring discipline and consistency to your investment life. An easy way to do that – and enjoy long-term investment growth – is through dollar cost averaging. This simply means making regularly scheduled investments for a set amount of dollars. It’s a trouble-free investment plan that delivers some powerful benefits: Your investments are automatic – you choose an amount that is debited from your bank account and invested on your behalf on a regular basis, such as each month. You are free from scrambling to buy lump sum investments at irregular intervals in an attempt to ‘buy low and sell high’, your automated investments take place on a regular basis.

You are able to acquire a greater number of mutual fund units – when the price is lower and a lesser number when the price is higher. Over the longer term, your average cost per unit may be lower.

Dollar cost averaging is a great way to ramp up your RRSP nest egg – and, along with debt consolidation, is one of the many personal financial solutions that can make your dreams for tomorrow realistically achievable through the actions you’re taking today. We can help you gain control of your financial life and improve your prospects for the future."

welcome to Ahmed El-Shaboury

2010-09-01T23:01:00.001-04:00

MultipleEggBaskets.blogspot.com would like to welcome Ahmed El-Shaboury.

Ahmed is an Ottawa based Investors Group Professional that will be submitting articles over the coming months.

His first article is entitled "How to pay your bills and invest, too!".

You can read it here.

He can be contacted at:

Ahmed El-Shaboury - B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.

Consultant

Investors Group Financial Services Inc.

Suite 200, 1525 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 8R9

Office phone: 613-798-7700, voicemail # 415

Cell phone: 613-808-0103, Fax: 613-798-7705

kitchen renovations with home depot and chicken noodle soup

2010-09-01T12:23:00.002-04:00

Have you ever done a home renovation and used IKEA, Home Depot, RONA, or even mom and pop somewhere. Well the money saving tip for the day is to ensure that you remember where you placed your can opener after your kitchen renovations are done. The lack of a can opener impedes the ability to each canned chicken noodle soup from Campbell’s soup and can result in lunch trips to IKEA’s Swedish meatball counter. Sometimes some of IKEA’s 2 hotdogs for a dollar is good; and sometimes it’s bad.

Where is my can opener????

Paypal for your e-money needs this back to school season

2010-08-31T12:20:00.002-04:00

Whether you're sending someone off, or heading back yourself, PayPal Send Money is a great way to handle your expenses this September.It's the faster way to send money – online or by mobile. And it's FREE* when sent in Canada.

I found it faster than email money transfers provided by cibc and scotiabank.

What's your preferred way to send money electronically?
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69 Ways to Feel Good About Keeping More Money in Your Wallet http://multipleeggbaskets.blogspot.com

2010-08-30T22:25:00.002-04:00

Have you ever agreed to go on a coffee run with a friend or co-worker, ordered your black coffee, and then grabbed rabbit ears? I’m talking about pulling out no nickels, no dimes, no quarters -- nothing!

Well if you’re in dire need of re-balancing your debits and credits to favour in your direction then I highly recommend that you review my 69 Ways to Feel Good About Keeping More Money in Your Wallet.

1. Customer Loyalty: Join and participate in only a select few customer loyalty programs. If you constantly shop amongst several stores for common products then you’ll never acquire the benefits of the customer loyalty programs. I personally shop at one drug store for my food staples whenever they have a 20x times the points event. I then accumulate the points for free products at a future date.
2. Reduce your number of credit cards: I have 2 credit cards. One is a CIBC Aerogold Visa and the other is a Scotiabank Cash Back Rewards credit card.
3. Combine banking services: In order to reduce external ATM fees, I primarily work with CIBC and President’s Choice Banking. They offer interchangeable services which help me to avoid unncessary service fees.
4. Keep a minimum balance: If at all possible then make an effort to stay within the minimum banking balance requirement in order to avoid additional account fees each month.

....more coming soon

Tipping and personal finance

2010-08-27T15:40:00.001-04:00

So I decided to go have some lunch at a fantastic restaurant with my significant other. The best part of eating with her, besides the wonderful conversation, is the ability to sample off of her plate. That way I can try two menu items for the price of one.

Also, in order to pay with visa the waitress brought over a portable debit machine. This model didn't provide the option to tip by percentage. I aint da dumbest guy but sometimes I'm mentally lazy during my cherished friday lunch and don't care if it adds up to 15 percent or not.

The moral of the story is if ya want yer 15 tip restaurants then make it simple and give the percentage option for the portable debit machines!
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Cheque check scan and deposit at wachovia bank?

2010-08-26T10:39:00.001-04:00

I was watching a tv show about stock picks the other day and a new commercial was on tv. It showed a loving couple sitting on their bed and taking images of a cheque from uncle bob. They used their smartphone to upload an image of the front and back of the cheque and then sent it to their bank, which I believe was wachovia bank in the united states. Pretty crazy stuff since they can now accpet cheques any time of day and from anywhere. I'd love to see their IT plans on maintaining security and reducing cheque fraud.
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Buyout definition and potash

2010-08-24T12:31:00.002-04:00

Considering the recent interest in potash and the proposed buyout from bhp then it is worthwhile to actually review the definition.

Definition 1

Purchase of the controlling stock or shares of a firm by its own management. If borrowed funds are used in the buyout, it is called a 'leveraged buyout.'

Definition 2

Purchase by a publicly traded firm of its outstanding (held by the public) stock to thwart a takeover attempt, or to take the firm off the stockmarket for converting it into a private company.
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Potash corp waiting for highest bidder?

2010-08-23T18:24:00.002-04:00

What final share price will satisfy the execs at potash? Some skeptics are thinking that china will become a primary player in this bidding war to win potash.

I'm hoping that the potash stock price will be above 185 per share.

Would you sell as the price climbs or would you just sit back until the battle to win potash is done?
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Credit cards unauthorized transactions

2010-08-23T13:52:00.002-04:00

I haven't been able to find as much information about how to proceed with unauthorized credit card access within Canada. However, there is a lot of information about credit card abuse within the US. Read through the summary below if you need some background on credit card abuse and invalid transactions for credit cards.

In the case of unauthorized use of your credit card, the Truth in Lending Act limits personal liability to $50. There is no time limit to report a card lost or stolen, but if you alert the issuer before someone else goes shopping with your card, you aren't on the hook for the charges.

Debit cards don't get the same treatment. You have to report a lost or stolen debit card within two business days to limit personal liability for fraudulent charges to $50. If the thief says "credit" at the register, it still doesn't transform the purchase into a credit card transaction.

"It just means you're processing it through the Visa and MasterCard payment networks as opposed to the other ATM networks when you use a PIN debit transaction," says Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney with the National Consumer Law Center in Boston.

Billing errors

The Fair Credit Billing Act gives consumers the right to dispute "billing errors" on their credit card statements. Examples of billing mistakes include situations where you purchased goods online that were never delivered, the issuer didn't credit a payment or return of goods, or your statement contained duplicate charges for the same transaction.

The law gives consumers a limited amount of time to catch such errors and take action. You must send a dispute letter within 60 days of the first statement that contained the mistake to the address for billing inquiries. Then the creditor must do an investigation and resolve it within two billing cycles or 90 days, whichever comes first.

The letter must provide your name and account number, a statement that the bill contains an error, the dollar amount in question and the reason for the dispute.

You can withhold payment on the portion of the bill in dispute, but are still obligated to pay at least the minimum due if a balance remains. The card issuer can still report late payments for undisputed debt.

Claims about the quality of goods and services

If your problem concerns the quality of goods or services purchased on your credit card, a section of the Fair Credit Billing Act gives you the right to dispute the charge and stop payment on that portion of the bill until the matter is resolved by the issuer.

"It's basically the right to raise claims and defenses that you have with respect to the merchant to raise them against the credit card company," says Wu.

The law has some important restrictions: The goods must have cost at least $50 and the purchase had to have been made in your home state or within 100 miles of your mailing address. Wu says to check with the card issuer if you completed the purchase online or over the phone.

These restrictions don't apply if the merchant is also the card issuer, or the seller mailed you an ad for the item you bought.

The law also requires that you attempt to resolve the issue with the seller first. Individual issuers may not demand proof, but direct dealings with the retailer may save the trouble of filing a dispute through the card company.

To withhold payment, Wu recommends sending a letter to create an evidence trail, but says you can file a claim over the phone.

Check with the issuer for other claims

Maybe the quality of the high-definition TV you bought is fine, but somebody steals it from your house the following week. Take it up with the issuer. Major credit cards may cover such losses.

Payment processors American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa all offer purchase protection on some cards for damage or theft of goods up to 90 days after purchase. Customers with a legitimate claim could receive a repaired or replacement item, or reimbursement for the cost.

Restrictions and benefits vary by program and card. For instance, American Express caps coverage at $1,000 per incident and $50,000 per policy year. Visa limits coverage to $500 per claim of theft or damage due to "fire, vandalism, accidentally discharged water, or certain weather conditions," according to its website.

Check with your issuer or benefits guide to see if your card offers this perk.

what is a void contract?

2010-08-23T13:19:00.001-04:00

Contract that (1) is illegal (inherently void) from the moment it is made, (2) is legal but declared null (having no legal effect) by the courts because it violates a fundamental principle such as fairness, or is contrary to public policy, (3) becomes void due to changes in law or in government policy, or (4) has been fully performed. Lack of capacity to contract (being an infant or minor, intoxicated, or insane) automatically makes a contract void. Contract that is void only in one or few parts may be saved by the process of severance. Not to be confused with voidable contract.

Fractional ownership of a leisure property

2010-08-20T09:55:00.001-04:00

Have you researched the concept of fractional ownership in order to enjoy a leisure property? It allows you to have a cost effective means to access a lakeside or mountain view property.

It differs from timeshares and full ownership and can be part of your future investment portfolio.

There are numerous options especially in places like lake louise, banff, or mont tremblant. Check with multiple vendors online and do a search for 'fractional' and then you'll find several options.
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on the brink of bankruptcy

2010-08-19T16:11:00.001-04:00

Dear Bankruptcy Adviser,
I feel like I am on the brink of bankruptcy. I have a condo that is upside down more than 50 percent. My credit card debt is almost $25,000. I am finding it harder to make it each month. I am seeing my credit card interest rates going up, and I am taking out payday loans just to keep up. But I am finding that I am sinking with no way out. My salary would cover my mortgage -- both first and second. I own my car but it's only worth about $2,000. It at least gets me back and forth to work. I make $55,000 per year, and my job is pretty steady right now. Should I seek credit counseling or just try to file bankruptcy?
-- Lori

Dear Lori,
You need to take a step back and review your situation objectively, meaning, you need to see what I would see as a bankruptcy attorney. I am not saying you need to or must file bankruptcy; rather, just consider the following:

You are no longer living paycheck to paycheck. Payday loans are now necessary for you to even make it to the next paycheck. This will become impossible to maintain. From what I have seen, regardless of my opinion on payday loans, they act as nothing more than a finger in a leaking dam. One leak is plugged for now, but another will sprout soon.

From my experience in working with more than 10,000 people in my short career, payday loans are the most common tipping point into bankruptcy. Usually, getting a payday loan means you are no longer able to manage your day-to-day expenses. This is when I know a person is beyond the brink.

You are informally in bankruptcy. You are worth less than what you owe and you have fallen behind on credit cards and property taxes. You do not mention whether the house is too much of a burden, but it appears you want to keep that at all costs.

Your debt of $25,000 is not insurmountable. It is not enough, by itself, to force you into bankruptcy. But if you cannot find a way to get another few hundred dollars into your monthly budget, the debt could be just too much to handle.

There are three solutions for you to consider:

1. Prior year tax refund. You are paying on the mortgage and writing off the interest payments. You might be getting large federal and state tax refunds. That refund amount would tell me quite a bit. If you are receiving a significant refund each year, for example $4,000 or more, then you need to consider increasing your payroll deductions. You could bring another $300 per month into your budget simply by increasing deductions.

2. Credit counseling. This is professional financial counseling provided by nonprofit organizations that help consumers find ways to repay their debt through careful budgeting and management of money. Most creditors work with reputable credit counseling companies. You can consolidate your monthly credit card payments into one single payment.

You need to be careful before electing credit counseling. You must make sure that all your credit card bills will be paid through the plan. If not, you will find it almost impossible to make one payment to the credit counselor and other payments to the creditors not inside the plan.

You may be beyond this service. Unless you can pay off the payday loans, finding additional money to make payments to a credit counseling agency might be impossible.

3. Bankruptcy. You might be eligible for either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. You can consult with a bankruptcy attorney in your area to determine whether bankruptcy is an option, or research this option online.

You may have the ability to wipe out your second mortgage in bankruptcy, or relieve some of the pressure by wiping out the credit card debt. At the very least, bankruptcy might help relieve some of your financial tension.

Seek advice and make a decision right away. Don't waffle with your final decision because you need to act and not put off a tough decision. Otherwise, you will get caught in the impossible cycle of payday loans, one that is almost impossible to stop. I hope that you can find a reliable and trustworthy person or service to assist you.

Bloomberg news: BHP Bid, Russian Takeovers Show Potash Prices Have Bottomed, Fertecon Says

2010-08-19T15:34:00.000-04:00

BHP Bid, Russian Takeovers Show Potash Prices Have Bottomed, Fertecon Says

Would you invest now hoping that the news of a takeover on potash would increase the pot stock price? I bought pot during the last market crash so I'm on a wild ride. Yeeehaaaa.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-19/bhp-takeover-bid-russian-acquisitions-show-potash-bottomed-fertecon-says.html
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Potash

2010-08-19T12:33:00.001-04:00

Billiton to present bid to Potash investorsPolya Lesova MarketWatch August 19, 2010NEW YORK – Mining giant BHP Billiton went on the attack Wednesday, saying it will take its nearly $39 billion takeover bid for Potash Corp. straight to shareholders after the fertilizer firm's board spurned the offer as grossly inadequate.The Anglo-Australian miner expressed confidence in its $130-a-share all-cash offer for Canada-based Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc.The offer values the company at $38.6 billion and represents a 20 percent premium to the closing price of Potash Corp.'s shares on Aug. 11, the day before BHP Billiton's first approach to the firm."We firmly believe that Potash Corp. shareholders will find the certainty of a cash offer, at a premium of 32 percent to the 30-trading-day-period average, very attractive and we have therefore decided to make this offer directly to those shareholders," said BHP Billiton Chairman Jacques Nasser in a statement.But that's not likely to sway Potash directors, according to Credit Suisse report. Fair value for the company is likely between $148 and $180 a share.Potash, a pale yellow compound mined predominately in Canada, Russia and Ethiopia, is an important ingredient for fertilizers, which have seen increased demand on the back of higher grain prices."A bid based at a 50 percent premium (about $163 a share) may be acceptable to the Potash board – but would probably require an accompanying BHP buyback to make the metrics more attractive to BHP shareholders," the investment firm said.At $163 a share, the acquisition would be accretive to BHP by 1 percent in the fourth year, Credit Suisse said. The earlier offer would have been accretive by 5 percent in the third year.Potash stock rallied 28 percent Tuesday after the company announced its board had rejected BHP's offer as inadequate. Billiton to present bid to Potash investorsPolya Lesova MarketWatch August 19, 2010NEW YORK – Mining giant BHP Billiton went on the attack Wednesday, saying it will take its nearly $39 billion takeover bid for Potash Corp. straight to shareholders after the fertilizer firm's board spurned the offer as grossly inadequate.The Anglo-Australian miner expressed confidence in its $130-a-share all-cash offer for Canada-based Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc.The offer values the company at $38.6 billion and represents a 20 percent premium to the closing price of Potash Corp.'s shares on Aug. 11, the day before BHP Billiton's first approach to the firm."We firmly believe that Potash Corp. shareholders will find the certainty of a cash offer, at a premium of 32 percent to the 30-trading-day-period average, very attractive and we have therefore decided to make this offer directly to those shareholders," said BHP Billiton Chairman Jacques Nasser in a statement.But that's not likely to sway Potash directors, according to Credit Suisse report. Fair value for the company is likely between $148 and $180 a share.Potash, a pale yellow compound mined predominately in Canada, Russia and Ethiopia, is an important ingredient for fertilizers, which have seen increased demand on the back of higher grain prices."A bid based at a 50 percent premium (about $163 a share) may be acceptable to the Potash board – but would probably require an accompanying BHP buyback to make the metrics more attractive to BHP shareholders," the investment firm said.At $163 a share, the acquisition would be accretive to BHP by 1 percent in the fourth year, Credit Suisse said. The earlier offer would have been accretive by 5 percent in the third year.Potash stock rallied 28 percent Tuesday after the company announced its board had rejected BHP's offer as inadequate.
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Ing full service no fees self banking

2010-08-19T07:40:00.002-04:00

Ing is now offering full service banking with no minimum balance requirement. They say that the average canadian pays 185 dollars in fees per year.
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Your disposable income and google android

2010-08-18T11:50:00.000-04:00

So if you're one of those tech junkies that likes to buy new gadgets then you could be at risk of the "java" wars with google and oracle.

The ruling of the proprietary rights around java could force more open source creativity that will not have stringent tech support backing. This will lead to less stable applications being placed on most new gadgets such as iphones, google android and even blackberry's.

Even if you think that IT means "it" then you should still stay tuned to the java wars because it will impact your pocket book.
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Environment minister has serious concerns

2010-08-17T21:05:00.001-04:00

Canadian Tire has admitted its stores have been charging consumers too much for eco fees since they came into effect on July 1. The company says it was the result of a computer glitch.

A receipt obtained by CTV Ottawa shows one Canadian Tire shopper was charged a 37-cent eco fee on a $1 jug of bleach. However, that charge should have been much less.

Examples listed in the Toronto Star on Wednesday indicate a shopper was charged a 60-cent eco fee on a $3 bottle of laundry detergent; another was charged a $3.23 eco fee on a $20 driveway sealer.

"We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience," said Canadian Tire spokesperson Amy Cole.

"Customers that return to the store with a receipt will be reimbursed the difference between the incorrect fee and the adjusted, correct fee."

Environment minister has serious concerns

In a letter to the head of Stewardship Ontario on Tuesday, Ontario's environment minister said he has "serious concerns" with overcharging of fees.

"Some retailers have been charging fees greater than the set fee Stewardship Ontario charges businesses. This is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately," said John Gerretsen.

"If the situation is not rectified, I will consider options to ensure consumers are not being misled about any fees being charged or eliminate altogether the ability to charge additional set fees to consumers."

What are the fees for?

The eco fees quietly came into effect on July 1, the same day as the Harmonized Sales Tax. The fees are applied to a long list of products, including aerosol containers, fire extinguishers, fluorescent tubes, syringes and needles, and all toxic, corrosive and flammable products.

The fees go to various stewardship councils across the province to ensure hazardous materials don't end up in landfills.

The Sierra Club of Canada says the program is important because hazardous material that isn't disposed of properly can become a health and environmental risk.

"Our water waste management systems aren't designed to capture those (hazardous materials) and process them out. (The systems) are about sanitizing, so they tend to go right through the system and end up in our drinking water, so we are drinking a watered down version of it," said John Bennett, executive director of the Sierra Club.

The first phase of eco fees were introduced on July 1, 2008. The Ontario government predicts the 13 new categories added to the program this month will help divert an estimated 26,000 tonnes of hazardous waste from the landfill in the first year alone.

Residents in Ottawa plan to protest the fee outside Premier Dalton McGuinty's office on Saturday.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Catherine Lathem and Kate Eggins

FREE Crystal Light Pure Fitness from Vocalpoint!

2010-08-17T18:52:00.001-04:00

FREE Crystal Light Pure Fitness from Vocalpoint!

Here is a free money saving coupon from Crystal Light.

Oracle and Google at it. Faulty cell phones.

2010-08-16T16:34:00.001-04:00

This will be interesting to watch the stock prices of these Silicon Valley giants. Also, this could end up impacting your cell phone plans if they are to prove that the patents have been abused. If Java becomes more of a proprietary programming language then their will slowly be an increase in more open source technologies and platforms. That will cost lots of R&D dollars and the consumer will be dealing with faulty products for years.

Two Silicon Valley heavyweights are about to reenact the Java wars: this time, in a court room.

Oracle issued a press release late Thursday saying it has filed suit against Google for infringing on copyrights and patents related to Java, which Oracle acquired along with Sun Microsystems earlier this year. The terse release claimed Google "knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property."

A copy of the complaint (PDF), which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, says that "Android (including without limitation the Dalvik VM and the Android software development kit) and devices that operate Android infringe one or more claims of each of United States Patents Nos. 6,125,447; 6,192,476; 5,966,702; 7,426,720; RE38,104; 6,910,205; and 6,061,520."

A Google representative said the company had not yet been served with the lawsuit, and therefore couldn't comment until it had a chance to review it. An Oracle representative declined to comment beyond the complaint.

Back when Google first announced plans to develop Android in 2007, it immediately raised the blood pressure of Java developers at Sun. Google's Java implementation is different than the one advocated by a Java standards group, which worried those tech industry veterans who remember the problems that Microsoft caused for Java by following a similar path on Windows.

Of course, Java has been forked and fragmented many times over the years, destroying the "write once run anywhere" promise of the technology with different implementations on different computing platforms. Still, Oracle, on behalf of Sun, is arguing that Java is a mobile operating system competitor against Android, and that Google is using Java-derived technologies without a proper license.

Oracle also noted the interlocking history between Google and Java in its complaint, noting that "Google has been aware of Sun's patent portfolio, including the patents at issue, since the middle of this decade, when Google hired certain former Sun Java engineers." Google CEO Eric Schmidt led the team that developed Java at Sun prior to becoming CEO of Novell, and later Google in 2001. Urs Hölzle, senior vice president of operations and a Google Fellow, also played a significant role in Java's development in the 1990s, and apparently other Sun engineers have joined Google in the intervening years.

Weekend thoughts to save you beer money

2010-08-13T16:57:00.000-04:00

So I you take the time to cross over into gatineau then you can get 24 coors for 28 dollars including tax and deposit.
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Variable Returns Can Work Against You in Retirement

2010-08-12T23:25:00.001-04:00

Variable Returns Can Work Against You in Retirement

There is a rough stat that by 2012 approximately 50% of the Canadian federal government workforce will be eligible for retirement.

Guest writer profile: Marc Johnstone

2010-08-12T22:24:00.001-04:00

Guest writer profile: Marc Johnstone
Insurance Specialist

Multiple Egg Baskets is pleased to welcome Marc Johnstone to our blog.

"I’m a highly-trained insurance advisor, who provides a wealth of knowledge and will help you understand your unique insurance needs and assist you in choosing the life and health insurance solutions that are best for you.

With RBC Insurance, I completed a series of courses and took in-depth training to become an insurance advisor who represents RBC Insurance exclusively. If you want to know all the ways life and health insurance can serve you, call me today. I apply this valuable knowledge to any insurance question, concern or need you may have, and can provide you with sound advice, clear communications, and a full range of product choices. I can take the complexity of life and health insurance and make it easy to understand."

Marc Johnstone can be reached at:

Phone: (613) 592-8007
Toll Free:(866) 439-9607
Fax: (613) 592-8077
Cell: (613) 282-0900