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.
Must reads from The Globe and Mail
A couple of interesting series to check out on the Globe's Personal Finance Hub all this week:
How to guarantee your retirement income for life . Today at 1 p.m. (ET) Alexandra Macqueen answers your questions about which income-generating investment products make sense for your retirement portfolio
Women, as main caregivers, take a hit in retirement . Lending support to both children and parents means women may sacrifice saving for their own needs
Why women need to save more than men for retirement . Longer life spans, health issues, less income and savings, and lower benefits are some of the hurdles
Invest like a man or a woman? A gender divide does exist when it comes to financial behaviour, studies find. Here's what we can learn from both sexes
Financial Planning
Five big money blunders, and their fixes. Are you ignoring inflation? Focusing too much on simply making money? The sooner you make repairs, the less damage will result in the long run
Investing road map can keep you on track Investment policy statement, provided by an adviser, can discourage either of you from doing something ill-advised
Money coach helps send debt to the sidelines Consumers regain a feeling of control over their wayward finances by setting up an organizational system
Must Reads From Around the Web
The Incredible Shrinking Toilet Paper Roll
How companies reduce the size of their products to minimize price increases for consumers.
Another look at how we're getting less for our money in the grocery store.
Beetle Parts And Pig Bones
Ten things about snack foods that the companies making them won't tell you.
Say Hello To Hubert
What is it with those Manitoba Credit unions? Yet another one as started up an online bank offering high interest rates that beat your bank by miles. The newest one is Sunova Credit Union, which is behind the recently introduced Hubert Financial. Here's the lowdown on Hubert and its 2.25-per-cent savings accounts (great rate) from the Canadian Capitalist blog.
Other Manitoba credit unions that operate online banks include Outlook Financial, which is part of the Assiniboine Credit Union, and Achieva Financial, part of Cambrian Credit Union.
Not Only Men Are Rich
The 10 wealthiest women in the world.
Gold's Extra Glitter
One of the big criticisms of investing in gold is that it doesn't pay any dividends. True, but some gold-mining stocks do.
The Coming Oil Shock
Here are 10 electric vehicles that will follow the widely publicized Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf to market. Keep this in your back pocket for the next time you see your local gas station jack up prices for the weekend.
Is Ally Your Friend?
Find out what it's like to deal with Ally, which has been doing tons of advertising about its 2-per-cent high interest savings account.
The Rap On High Finance
Seven rap videos about the China-U.S. currency policy battle, taxes, bank bailouts and other financial topics that have never been more clearly explained than they are here.
How Fido Can Kill Your Home Sale
Lovable, sure, but pets make your home less appealling to prospective buyers. Pay particular attention to pet hair and pet odours (that's you, cat owners).
Stealth Wealth Killers
The six money leaks that cost personal finance blogger Len Penzo $1,702 annually. One is his "insatiable addiction" to iTunes, which I may be guilty of myself. Got to keep a fresh supply of songs coming in for long weekend runs.
Gadget Hall of Fame
The 10 most significant electronic gadgets of the past decade, starting with the iPod.
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
Trade by Numbers, a monthly collection of articles exploring an investing trend or theme