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.
One thing we investors have learned in the past few years is that you can't simply wave away dire financial forecasts. Sometimes, the doomsayers get it right. With that in mind, this edition of the Reader includes an introduction to the 10 biggest bears on Wall Street. You'll also find a section devoted to mutual funds, including some ratings of how investor-friendly fund companies are.
It turns out that playing Monopoly doesn't just stoke the greed reflex in us. According to a blog post here, it also sends some confusing messages about how to manage money. Life insurance is another topic covered here - how much coverage do you really need? Also look out for items on housing, the buying habits of the wealthy and cheap books.
Found something on the Internet that your fellow investors might enjoy? Talk to me at rcarrick@globeandmail.com.
Note: If you're having trouble reading this e-mail, try viewing the Reader online.
From The Globe and Mail
The Canada Revenue Agency says it might provide relief to those who accidentally overcontributed to their Tax-Free Savings Accounts.
If you think smart phone apps are just for gamer players, think again. They can also keep track of your bill payments, how much you're spending and help you split up a dinner bill. Home Cents blogger Chaya Cooperberg rounds them up.
Should seniors buy stocks? Patricia Lovett-Reid thinks they should. Find out why in this Let's Talk Investing video.
How do you get the right balance in your portfolio? Financial planner Warren MacKenzie took your questions.
It's Father's Day this Sunday. Here are some gift ideas and ways you can save on them.
Must Reads From Around the Web
The Bear Pit Meet the 10 biggest bears on Wall Street, as chosen by Forbes.com. Leading off is Canada's own David Rosenberg.
Mainly Mutual Funds The independent mutual fund analysis firm Morningstar has introduced a rating system that assesses how investor-friendly fund companies are in the way they do business. Check out how your fund companies scored.
A blog post by an investment adviser that notes there's about $45-billion sitting in money market funds earning next to nothing.
Even wealthy investors fail to understand the fees they pay to own funds, according to this article published on the Morningstar website.
The great mutual fund alternative is the exchange-traded fund, or ETF. Here's the Canadian Couch Potato blog on how to use exchange-traded funds to construct a retirement savings plan like the big pension funds do.
Monopoly Busting Seven ways the game Monopoly steers you wrong about handling money, from Bargaineering.com.
Housing Update Some freshly updated tips on arranging a mortgage from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, a federal agency that provides useful, unbiased information.
A Q&A on what's ahead for interest rates with Hank Cunningham, a 40-year investment industry veteran who is now a fixed-income strategist at the Vancouver firm Odlum Brown.
Your Insurance Needs A thorough rundown on how to calculate the amount of life insurance coverage you need, from Wealth Pilgrim.
Big Bucks In what is being described as an outbreak of frugality fatigue, upper-income Americans told a pollster last month that their average daily spending was up 33 per cent over the previous May to $145 (U.S.).
What are the wealthy buying? Hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs recently bought a $360,000 Maybach, which is like a German Rolls Royce, for his son's 16th birthday.
For Book Buyers BookCloseouts.com, an online bargain bookstore, is having a summer fiction sale.
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