My personal financial blog covers a variety of financial topics, debt, insurance, and investing.

I might not have all the answers but I do my best to find them. From the serious to the hilarious all financial topics are open for discussion.

After more than a quarter of a century in the financial industry my opinions have changed because what works is more important to me than what a particular economic philosophy preaches.

Great to have your feed back, so make sure to leave your comments below.

Enjoy!

COVID-19 Economy

The world has changed, welcome to the COVID-19 Economy. Relaxing afternoon at the farmers market has now become waiting in line ups for that last roll of toilet paper. COVID-19 / Coronavirus is changing our way of life. Many of us are sheltering at home memorized by Netflix as our bank balances slowly dwindle. The(…)

Apr 7, 2020 |

Santa’s Budget Do’s & Don’ts

How does Santa do it? He delivers gifts to the worlds 6 billion people, everyone gets what they want. It goes with out saying Santa has a plan and a method. We can learn a lot from the big guy, and these ideas transfer well your personal finances. Check out Santa’s does and don’ts as(…)

Dec 25, 2017 |

CRA calling … NOT

Financial scammers and their schemes are regular news these days. It seems like we humans were born to be scammed. I’m sure the first con artists scammed people out of their cattle, grain and spears. I’m sure financial scams came into being the day currency was created. One of the most powerful tools of modern(…)

Mar 2, 2016 |

Please Don’t Show Up

Gym Membership ≠ Better Health It’s kind of funny. The health industry claims it’s in the business of making us healthier, but in reality they hope you stay a home. Few industries have such diametrically apposing position with their customers. The gym’s/health club’s financial health improves when it’s member financial health does not. Most memberships(…)

Dec 26, 2015 |

Opportunities Coming

On Monday we held an event with Trades and training expert Finbar O’Sullivan looking at career opportunities in northern BC and Alberta for trades. Finbar said Job Opportunities are still out there even as much of Northern Alberta has been laying off and apprentices are coming back to Okanagan waiting for a new round of(…)

Dec 5, 2015 |

Joint vs Individual Accounts

Managing spending is the key to making a family budget work. If you spend more than you make it is impossible to get ahead. One of the long time arguments the benefits of separate and joint bank accounts. For many couples the issue is one of control by one person one over the other, rather than(…)

Sep 28, 2015 |

Making Sense of Oil Prices

In the last year we have seen oil prices drop by 50 %, and yet we still see increases of gas prices at pumps in Kelowna. Many are a protesting pipeline development, while other countries economies are slumping. What’s going on? I listened this podcast from American Public Media – Market Place Weekend on the labour day weekend. Well worth the(…)

Sep 8, 2015 |

The R-Word Again!

You think things have changed. We live in a more open society. The last time we heard it we vowed it would never be said again. But the R word is rearing it’s ugly head in Canada again. The R word I am referring to is Recession, this according to an article/video from Global TV(…)

Jul 16, 2015 |

Owe Tax… Now What?

This is the time of the year we gather all our tax forms, personal/business receipts, load up our tax software, or head off to our tax preparer. In about a 30 minutes is the moment of truth. Will you owe this year? For many the reality is you will owe tax. So what do you(…)

Apr 3, 2015 |

Minimum Wage Debate

Recently the Liberal Government increased the British Columbia minimum wage to 10.25 an hour. No other financial discussion creates more emotion than an increase to the minimum wage. (Also called the Okanagan or Kelowna “Sunshine Tax”) The BC Federation of Labour’s (BFED) Jim Sinclair has been lobbying for an increase to a 13 dollars an(…)

Mar 22, 2015 |

End of Life – Boomers & Parents

As Baby Boomers and their parents age, the common issues surrounding aging focus on things like wills, estates and financial planning. These discussions can be difficult. A far more difficult discussion are the quality of life needs and how to best prepare for how we live the last years of our lives. Would prefer to(…)

Mar 21, 2015 |

Travel with Passion in 2015!

I’ve been involved in the financial industry for almost 20 years, and the number one thing on everyone’s bucket list is travel. With expansion of Kelowna and Penticton airports you can reach almost any where is North America in less than 7 hours. Everyone has their preference, some like it hot, some like history others(…)

Jan 28, 2015 |

Laid Off … Protect Yourself

If your job is in Northern Alberta you may not be called back for the foreseeable future. Most of the large employers are laying off, changing schedules and/or cutting hours to save money while price of barrel is south of 5o dollars. We’ve all seen this before. This uncertainty is now having a direct impact on families(…)

Jan 28, 2015 |

Home Buyer Financial Makeover

So you’ve decide to leave the world of being a renter to become a home owner. The Okanagan Real Estate Market is heating up in Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton, interest rates are relatively low and people are flocking from Northern Alberta/British Columbia in record numbers. Now seems like a great time to be a home(…)

Jan 19, 2015 |

Age Discrimination effects Elderly

A 2012 report on aging has showed that the elderly are discriminated against in large numbers in Canada. The term for this form of discrimination is called “Ageism” The study found three most common types ageism based on the responses of seniors were – The feeling of becoming invisible to the world around them The belief by others that they(…)

Sep 26, 2013 |

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Financial Ideas that Work!