Short Takes: Online Bill Confusion, Core and Explore, and more

Here are my posts for this week:

Currency Exchange with Norbert’s Gambit at BMO InvestorLine

An Indexer Answers Investing Questions

Here are some short takes and some weekend reading:

Big Cajun Man isn’t happy about the barrage of different types of bill notifications he faces now that most of his bills don’t arrive on paper. My wife and I deal with this by paying bills early and setting our own notifications. We find we can pay bills just twice a month on our own schedule. Many bills get paid well before the due date, but that’s fine with me.

Findependence Hub has some sensible thoughts on a “core and explore” approach to investing.

Preet Banerjee’s latest video explains how RRSP contributions reduce your income taxes.

Canadian Couch Potato reports that iShares is introducing some new ETFs for U.S. and foreign stocks with attractively low costs that may be of interest to Canadians.

My Own Advisor doesn’t buy the assertion that high taxes on RRSP income in retirement is a widespread problem.

Boomer and Echo debate the merits of buying new or used cars. To me, the more important question is whether you save up and pay cash or whether you borrow or (shudder) lease.

Comments

  1. Robb EngenFebruary 20, 2015 at 10:33 AM

    Thanks for the mentions, Michael. I suspect that Dan will be inundated with questions about updating his model portfolios now that iShares has introduced a comparable product to Vanguard's VXC.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael JamesFebruary 20, 2015 at 7:06 PM

      @Robb: He tried to head off these questions but he'll get plenty of them anyway.

      Delete
  2. My Own AdvisorFebruary 20, 2015 at 12:50 PM

    Thanks for the mention Michael!

    BTW - I took Ben's questions, started answering them, it's a lengthy process but it will be good to compare notes with your answers.

    I get the impression you don't like leased cars? Neither do I. We try and buy new but only with 0% financing and plans to run the cars into the ground. My Mazda is close to that, 15 years old now.

    Stay warm!
    Cheers,
    Mark

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael JamesFebruary 20, 2015 at 7:09 PM

      @Mark: Financing is usually better than leasing, but I think of 0% financing as just a manipulation of the purchase price. If you discount the payments at an appropriate interest rate, you get the actual purchase price.

      Delete
  3. Alan W. (BCM)February 20, 2015 at 1:20 PM

    I suppose that is the best way to get it done, but I do miss my paper receipts, have a great weekend, and thanks for the inclusion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael JamesFebruary 20, 2015 at 7:10 PM

      @Alan: My flight is delayed nearly 5 hours so far, but hopefully the rest of my weekend will be better.

      Delete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2015 at 12:54 AM

    I've never seen a rigorous analysis of buying used versus new. When you buy used, there is the cost of the middleman. Even if the car is sold by the present owner, there is increased costs. One piece of advice I've heard is to buy new and drive the car into the ground. Intuitively, that makes sense. But once again, I've never seen an academic level analysis of used versus new.

    ReplyDelete

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