Globe and Mail personal finance columnist Rob Carrick brings you the Personal Finance Reader, his twice-weekly picks for the best online reading about money, the markets and more. If you're having trouble reading this newsletter or want to read the archives, click here.
Found something on the Internet that your fellow investors might enjoy? Talk to me at rcarrick@globeandmail.com.
From Rob Carrick This Week
Water damage claims behind soaring home insurance rates
Severe rainstorms, old infrastructure and fancy finished basements pushing value of claims higher, a property insurer tells Rob Carrick.
How to pay for U.S. property
In this Let's Talk Investing video, I look at financing options for U.S. real estate.
Must reads from The Globe and Mail
Got tax questions?
Today at noon (ET), the Globe's Tax Centre hosts an online discussion with accountant and financial planner Suzanne Schultz. Bring your tax questions.
Get your ducks in a row in case taxman puts you in his sights
The CRA is asking some high net worth individuals for details if their affairs are more complicated, writes tax pro Tim Cestnick.
Truths and myths of the Canadian tax system revealed
How much do you know about the taxes you pay? Here's a list of 10 tax questions to test your knowledge.
Make money from a lottery? Don't be a fool
The chance of a 20-million tonne asteroid called Apophis hitting Earth is 300 times better than your chance of winning the lottery, writes Home Cents blogger Sonali Verma.
The pros and cons of rebalancing your portfolio
If you're going to diversify, do it right, Preet Banerjee says. Holding too many stocks or overlapping investments could be bad for your portfolio.
Why I need a will (and you do too)
The idea of creating a will when you're feeling young, healthy and immortal may seem unneccesary, but it's vital for every young family, says Shelley White.
Looking for the perfect allowance system?
Expert opinions about how to teach children about money abound. In this Home Cents blog, Dianne Nice looks at the truths and myths behind different allowance systems.
How to be a money-smart renter
If you're a renter saving up for a home purchase, or just looking to free up some money to put toward other goals, consider these options, says Angela Self.
Must Reads From Around the Web
The Cold, Cruel World of Appliance Breakdowns
One woman's story about getting her broken high-tech fridge repaired offers lessons to all of us homeowners. Readers of this blog post then added their own suggestions.
Stock Traders Take Note
A review of Interactive Brokers, an online broker for aggressive stock traders with some of the lowest fees around. People sometimes ask me why I don't include IB in my annual ranking of online brokers. The answer is that the firm doesn't have many of the things mainstream investors require, including RRSP accounts and mutual funds.
Heading South
This CNNMoney.com story on the market for vacation homes in the United States says prices have been falling. Just the news you want to hear if you're a Canadian thinking about wintering somewhere warm.
The Traveller's Cheat Sheet
A big thanks to a Reader reader for pointing out this very cool currency exchange calculator with a twist. Rather than just giving you the standard wholesale foreign exchange rate, it allows you to build in a margin to reflect charges applied by currency dealers or credit cards. It also allows you to print a cheat sheet you can stash in your wallet when you travel to help with foreign currency calculations.
Inflation Rocks The Supermarket
You know how the packaging of all kinds of consumer goods is getting smaller, even while the price stays the same? In this New York Times article, you can read the nonsensical corporate rationales for these crypto price hikes.
Life Insurance for Kids
I've never bought this product and never will. And, apparently, it's a touchy subject with some insurance agents. But others do see arguments for insuring your kids.
And now for the other side of the issue, from an American point of view. Plenty of relevance to Canadians, though.
A Referendum on Taxes
Check out people's attitudes toward income taxes in this discussion on the Rob Carrick-Personal Finance Facebook page.
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All-Star Investor, investment ideas from the best and the brightest minds in the business using StarMine's equity analyst rankings and Lipper's mutual fund manager rankings.