Welcome to the Globe and Mail Personal Finance Reader. I’m Rob Carrick, personal finance columnist at The Globe, and each week 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.
I’m starting to think that bubble is the most overused word in the financial lexicon today. Show me a high-flying sector these days and I’ll find a finger-pointer who calls it a bubble. OK, we’re all hyper-sensitive to bubbles after the events of the past two years in the financial world, but is it inevitable that a hot sector will eventually blow up? This brings us to the Canadian housing market, which is certainly hot right now. Bubble speculation is rampant in the housing market, and that’s the focus of this week’s Reader.
We also have some advice on how to avoid getting ripped off on car repairs, plus lots of intelligence for investors on gold and silver, dividends and other topics. Finally, there’s a mention of a cool new website for valuing stocks.
Found something on the Internet that your fellow investors might enjoy? Talk to me at rcarrick@globeandmail.com.
From The Globe and Mail and Globe Investor
Socking it Away
Since being introduced by Jim Flaherty, the Tax-Free Savings Account has quickly become a popular way to save money. But are Canadians who use them making the right choice? And how could TFSAs be even better ?
The Young and The Reckless
The Web generation's out to conquer the market. Younger investors tend to be more aggressive and expect greater returns. And the recession hasn't taken the wind out of their sails
Ten Money Tips for Young People
It's best to start young with saving and learning about finances
Keeping You Afloat
With so many demands on a young family’s money, where does insurance fit it? Kurt Rosentreter from Manulife Securities spells out the costs and benefits in this video
Just Pick One
Is it inflation or deflation that investors need to worry about? Economists have warned that both are potentially on the horizon. Gail Bebee looks into the issue
Do Your Homework
A checklist of things to look for in a financial adviser
Must Reads From Around the Web
What Are They Thinking?
This is the question the Canadian Capitalist blog asks of the people piling into the housing market at a time when prices are soaring and interest rates and borrowing costs are expected to rise sharply in the years ahead.
The concern in the housing market is that people are buying homes they won’t be able to afford if they have to renew their mortgages at much higher rates. Here’s a column I wrote this week on how to make sure you’re not blindsided by higher borrowing costs. And while you're considering the end of the party, take a look at this video on how the real estate boom will end -- and it will affect you.
Rates are definitely moving higher in the next six to 12 months, but the banks actually cut mortgage rates this week.
Here’s something you don’t see every day – original reporting by a blogger. Kevin Press of the Today’s Economy blog asks Pedro Antunes, director of national and provincial forecasting for the Conference Board of Canada, about his view on a housing bubble.
Five factors that could pop the housing bubble, starting with weaker demand for homes and higher interest rates.
China’s having real estate bubble issues, too.
What happens when a housing bubble bursts? Check out this news story about how the U.S. housing market is still sputtering.
A Macleans autumn check-in with the housing market shows how far your money goes in some major markets across the country.
