Short Takes: Dwindling Gold Reserves, Real Estate Market Not Normal, and more

Here are my posts for the past two weeks:

 Examining Six Reasons to Downgrade Retirement Saving

The Economics of Fixing a Furnace

Here are some short takes and some weekend reading:

Canada has sold of most of its gold reserves in favour of financial assets. This makes a lot of sense to me. Gold has little inherent value compared to its current price. I’d rather put my bet on owning a small slice of all businesses.

Tom Bradley at Steadyhand cautions that the Vancouver and Toronto real estate markets are not normal.

Big Cajun Man has a funny way of illustrating hidden ways you may be wasting money.

Boomer and Echo ask whether zero down mortgages are a last gasp from a housing bubble ready to pop.

Preet Banerjee starts up his podcast again with an interview with WealthSimple CEO Michael Katchen.

The Blunt Bean Counter explains what’s going on with CRA “compliance letters” that will be sent to about 30,000 people this year.

My Own Advisor interviews Andrew Hallam, the millionaire teacher.

Comments

  1. Big Cajun Man (aw)March 11, 2016 at 9:11 AM

    Maybe someone will think of a warm toilet and remember to worry about fees? It could happen, thanks for the inclusion, have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My Own AdvisorMarch 11, 2016 at 9:37 AM

    Thanks for the mention. Andrew is a pretty bright guy, good to talk to you.

    Enjoy the weekend,
    Mark

    ReplyDelete
  3. SSTMarch 11, 2016 at 2:31 PM

    re: zero-down mortgages -- I believe these were available in Canada at one point within the last decade, don't remember if it was pre or post-crisis. So...here we go again?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael JamesMarch 11, 2016 at 2:52 PM

      @SST: I don't think zero down mortgages really ever go away as long as mortgagors are clever enough at hiding how they borrow the down payment. What changes over time is the degree to which banks are willing to look the other way while mortgagors break the rules.

      Delete

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