The best of the Web on money, markets and all things financial, as chosen daily by Globe and Mail personal finance columnist Rob Carrick.
Socks And Mud For Christmas
Those are the top two choices on a list of five best toys for Christmas as chosen by a psychology professor who wrote a book called Your Brain on Childhood: The Unexpected Side Effect of Classrooms, Ballparks, Family Rooms and the Minivan.
The Latest On Mortgages
ING Direct says new mortgages it provides to clients will be registered as collateral charges, a technical change that could create expensive hassles for people who want to change lenders when their loans come up for renewal. The Canadian Mortgage Trends blog provides a good analysis here of the pros and cons of this move, which has already been adopted by Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Cheap Car Rentals
AutoSlash is a website that surveys multiple car rental firms to find you the best prices. Just specify the city you’re renting in and the dates for pickup and dropoff.
ETFs: Under The Hood
Here’s a useful analysis of the fees and stocks held in some exchange-traded funds the offer exposure to the U.S. stock market. Note: Some mutual funds in the Dimensional Fund Advisors family are included here – they can only be purchased through a small network of advisers. ETFs, of course, are available through any broker, online or full-service.
On Facebook
Subscribe to my Facebook personal finance page to be part of discussions like the one prompted today by a reader’s question about whether Europe’s problems mean now is a good time to bail on the stock market.
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