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Welcome to the Globe and Mail Personal Finance Reader. I’m Rob Carrick, personal finance columnist at The Globe, and twice weekly I compile a list of articles, blog postings, videos and websites that represent the best of what the online world has to offer on money-related subjects.
Full credit to the guys behind the BankNerd.ca website – they’ve come up with a roundup of personal finance and investing websites that includes a couple I’ve never heard of. The list is included in this edition of the Reader and it’s a great tool for building a collection of financial sites to bookmark and visit often.
Food – hey, it’s one of your biggest regular expenses – also gets some coverage here. We’ll look at the rules for eating food dropped on the ground, offbeat food festivals and the wonders of a good steak. Also read about the financial essentials you’ll want to take with you if you’re fleeing a disaster, expenses that kill household budgets and the morality of investing in bank stocks.
Found something on the Internet that your fellow investors might enjoy? Talk to me at rcarrick@globeandmail.com.
From The Globe and Mail
If you've received a Notice of Reassessment from Revenue Canada, you won't want to miss our discussion with tax expert Cleo Hamel, Tuesday at noon (ET).
Buying your first home? Check out the 10 worst first-time homebuyer mistakes to make sure you're not making one.
Those of us with aging parents should check out these tips for managing their finances.
Home Cents blogger Chaya Cooperberg looks at the myths and realities of family trusts.
Smart Cookies columnist Angela Self outlines five ways to prevent your big day from creating big debts.
If you are in debt, here are some tips on how to attack it, from Gail Vaz-Oxlade, host of Til Debt Do Us Part.
Are you paying too many fees on your investments? John Heinzl looks at 19 of the most common types of fees.
Must Reads From Around the Web
Your Online Tour guide
The Banknerd.ca websites brings you this roundup of useful Canadian financial websites.
The Financial Bug-Out Bag
Some financial essentials to put away for quick and easy access in case your house is burning and you have only a moment to grab some important stuff. We assume here that your kids and pets would be safe and accounted for.
Budget Killers
Five kinds of expenses that undermine your attempts to control spending.
Fun With Food
Ever heard of the five-second rule, which states that food that has fallen and remained on the ground for less than five seconds is still good to go? Just wait until you hear what’s on your kitchen floor.
The Possum Festival and other off-beat celebrations of food that are happening this summer in the United States.
A blogger’s comments on the new book Steak: One Man's Search for the World's Tastiest Piece of Beef generates a lively discussion on best steaks. I am putting this book into my next Amazon order.
Your Moral Bank Account
How people who avidly recycle, eat organic food and buy green products can still drive SUVs.
Insurance 101
The Million Dollar Journey blog guides you through all the kinds of insurance products you’re likely to encounter. Here’s Part One and here’s Part Two.
All about a sometimes-overlooked essential – renter’s insurance.
Investorama
A demolition job on the view that U.S. stocks are cheap.
A writer on the Motley Fool website argues that there’s a historical opportunity to buy brand-name tech stocks on the cheap.
Investing in bank stocks – is that (morally) wrong?
Return of capital is a term that more investors should get to know, especially if they own income-producing funds with high yields. Here’s a primer.
Editor's note: If you don't receive Rob Carrick's newsletter twice weekly by e-mail, you can sign up to get it for free at The Globe and Mail. All you need to do is register for the site, or if you've already registered, login and go to your profile at the top of the homepage. Once you're in your profile, look under Newsletters and Alerts and look for the Personal Finance Reader and other newsletters. Other financial newsletters include:
- Business Ticker, a summary of the day's top business stories
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- Trade by Numbers, a monthly collection of articles exploring an investing trend or theme
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