Canadian Capitalist

This winter costs to heat our homes are going to soar. MSN Money offers some timely tips to save us a bit of money.
I find that a programmable thermostat, weather stripping, changing air filters regularly and caulking to be the most effective.

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Quick trip shopping might be convenient, but it is expensive.

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I’ve been a customer of ING Direct for many years and have been very impressed with their no-fee, no-frills, high-interest rate accounts. However, I now think that upstart ICICI Bank offers a much better value, so I am considering moving our savings accounts.
Savings Account: 2.75% (ICICI Bank) vs. 2.40% (ING Direct)US Dollar Savings Account: 3.00% [...]

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A recent report from CIBC paints a grim picture of the savings habits of Canadians (According to Statistics Canada, the current personal savings rate of Canadians is -0.5%). There are many factors that may seem to explain the steep drop in the personal savings rate ranging from the “wealth-effect” of the strong housing market to [...]

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Many financial experts advise us to have six months worth of living expenses safely tucked away in a savings account as an emergency fund. A few months back, I wrote that emergency funds are not for everyone (I don’t have one) and was pleasantly surprised to see a similar argument by MSN Money columnist Liz [...]

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Altamira is providing new competition in the high-interest savings accounts area with its CashPerformer product. The interest rate offered is 2.4%, which is the same as ING Direct and AMEX Bank, but not as high as that offered by ICICI Bank (2.75%) or Achieve Financial (2.85%). Money can be transferred electronically between the chequing account [...]

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Since the Bank of Canada has been neutral for a while now, interest rates on personal savings accounts have barely budged. However, competition in this area is heating up and here are some of the better options:

ING Direct Investment Savings Account: 2.4%.

AMEX Investment Savings Account: 2.4%. $10 with an initial deposit of $200.

President’s Choice [...]

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Most financial planners advise keeping emergency funds to cover three to twelve months living expenses in a savings account or money market fund. For the vast majority of people, it is the sensible thing to do. However, like most recommendations, this one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable for everyone.
Take someone who is very disciplined with spending, [...]

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It is shocking to find that a national Ipsos-Reid poll found that Canadians are paying an average of $21.50 per month or $258 a year in banking fees on chequing accounts. Though many people (40%) think that service fees are unfair, they seem to be doing nothing about it. The big banks offer low-cost chequing [...]

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This article on MSN Money details the various ways in which we literally waste money. Personally, I waste money through library fines, food spoilage, buying more clothes than necessary (my wife actually), not sending in mail-in-rebates etc.Ever notice how city council increases late-fees on library items every year? It is a nice increasing revenue stream [...]

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