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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
Financial advice business needs to grow up
A new coalition plans to establish credentials for financial planners – client-focused service would be a good start
Why the preferred-shares party might be winding down
Experts think the banks will soon redeem their rate-reset shares – meaning it's time to think of selling them
The housing affordability problem
Home prices have soared. Incomes have not. Rob Carrick takes a look in this Let's Talk Investing video
Must reads from The Globe and Mail
Household debt hits record $1.5-trillion
Consumer spending declines in first quarter, but many continue to falter
IRS bearing down on Americans in Canada
Hundreds of thousands could soon be subject to sweeping tax and reporting obligations
The not-so-great Canadian summer job search
The digital generation may be looking in all the wrong places
Consumer proposals chop into bankruptcy numbers
More Canadians in debt are striking new terms with their creditors
Should your university student work or volunteer this summer?
Some considerations to keep in mind when weighing experience against summer job income from personal finance web editor Roma Luciw
Obscure government pension programs that could help you
An estimated 160,000 Canadians qualify but do not receive GIS, a government pension program that is often overlooked. Ted Rechtshaffen reports
Six ways to cut the cost of your car loan
It's not cheap to own a car these days, especially if you have to borrow to make it happen. These tips will make sure you get the loan that's right for you
Must Reads From Around the Web
George Carlin, Investing Philosopher
How the words of the late comedian can guide investors.
How Pension Funds Manage Money
They use indexing, have lots of foreign stock market exposure and lots of real estate and infrastructure holdings, according to this blog post from a money management firm.
Where To Get Stuff Free
A roundup of websites where people give away stuff they don't want any more.
Are You Password Protected?
If you want maximum protection from hackers, the 10-digit password rules.
The $1,981.05 Mistake
Maybe it's just me, but the financial blogosphere sometimes seems too full of perfect people who make all the right financial moves. That's why it's so refreshing to read this blog post about a money mistake that – temporarily, at least – cost precisely $1,981.05. Truth be told, I once made a similar mistake myself.
The Wisdom of Warren
Pithy quotes from Warren Buffett, investor supreme.
Attention, Bargain Hunters
Wednesday evening – that's the best time for grocery store bargains, according to this blog post.
Travel Roundup
The Rewards Canada blog's annual ranking of travel rewards credit cards will appear next month; for now, readers are being asked to vote for their own favourite travel cards.
Ten travel gadgets you can buy dad for Father's Day. Me, I want some new running gear.
Editor's note: If you don't receive Rob Carrick's newsletter twice weekly by email, 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
Berman's Market Update, a summary of the markets at the open, noon and close
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.