Author: Robin Speziale

What is a TFSA? It’s TFSA Season Again

Investing

flaherty-introduces-TFSA

TFSA stands for Tax Free Savings Account.

The TFSA is a tax shelter devised in the 2008 Canadian Federal Budget and introduced January 2, 2009.

Think of the TFSA as a money shelter. Come January 1, 2010, you can sign up for a TFSA account, if you have’nt done so already. The TFSA will let you store $5,000 per year in the shelter.

Can you invest stocks, bonds and mutual funds in the TFSA?

Yes. You can invest in the following investment products with the TFSA.

– Stocks
– Bonds (Canadian Savings Bonds are a popular choice)
– Mutual Funds
– REIT’s
– and more…

The taxman, the government, and the bank cannot touch your TFSA money or investments. No taxes will be deducted. No dividends will be deducted. No withdrawal will be charged.

If you make $10,000 from your first $5,000 TSFA investment, you are taxed $0 and left with the $10,000 gain. Outside the TFSA shelter, that $10,000 you make is taxed and a smaller $8,250* gain is left over.

Just to note, the TFSA contribution limit changes every year subject to inflation.

Read more information about the TFSA

Hoegaarden Beer Taste Review

Random

Hoegaarden_Beer

Hoegaarden White Beer is light, fruity and smooth. I ordered Hoegaarden White Beer recently at a billiard hall in Toronto. The beer came in the bold, stylish Hoegaarden glass above.

Simply put, Hoegaarden White Beer has a refreshing taste. The aromas are subtle yet tastefull in Hoegaarden White Beer, which is brewed with unmalted wheat, malted barley and are spiced with coriander and orange peel. With close inspection, Hoegaarden White Beer has spicy and citrus-like flavourings.

Beer drinkers have described Hoegaarden White Beer as a summer beer, and I would agree. But because of its light, fruity characteristics, Hoegaarden can be enjoyed with a hearty meal.

If you’re buying Hoegaarden Beer at LCBO, the price for a 6 pack 330ml bottles is $13.95.

I give Hoegaarden White Beer 8/10 on the taste scale.

Goodbye, Trailer Park Boys

Random

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I Never thought I’d be saying goodbye to the Trailer Park Boys. Ever since 2001, the Trailer Park Boys show has entertained audiences with crazy antics like drug smuggling, petty crime, narcotics growing, kidnapping, shoot-outs, drinking, and partying. If it was wild, the Trailer Park Boys – Ricky, Julian and Bubbles – did it.

Right around the time Trailer Park Boys 2: Countdown to Liquor Day released, I was reading critics’ view as to why the Trailer Park Boys show was such a huge success. Critics argued audiences felt better about themselves watching the disenfranchised Trailer Park Boys – Ricky, Julian and Bubbles – go about heir daily lives and that we gained a sense of satisfaction knowing we didn’t live in a similar situation. Really?

I think the Trailer Park Boys show was successful because audiences 1) Enjoyed watching a depiction of trailer park life and 2) Almost wished they were living out the Trailer Park Boys lifestyle. Honestly, I’m sure many people have at least once imagined a life without bills and responsibilities. Sure, the Trailer Park Boys lifestyle would wear one out in the long term, but why not live like Ricky, Julian or Bubbles for the day?

The escape to trailer park life attracted me to Trailer Park Boys. The Trailer Park Boys show entertained me through first year university, having watched all the episodes, all the while picturing a life without responsibility and in a twisted way, reveling at the Trailer Park Boys lifestyle.

So, goodbye Trailer Park Boys – it’s been a good run.

Apple Video Game Console Will Shake Industry

Media

apple_logo

An Apple video game console would shake the video game industry. Imagine a platform similar to iPhone Apps but with downloadable video games for your home iConsole. With the advent of cloud computing, the idea of an Apple videogame console can work.

The impact Apple’s videogame console would have on the gaming industry is huge:

– Cheaper video games
– ‘Try online before you buy’ video game concept
– Game development open to everybody
– Useful Apps for your T.V.

Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft would need to refresh their business model with an Apple videogame console in the mix. And imagine a gaming console with iPhone, iPod, iTunes, and Macbook sync-up – the possibilities are endless.

Don Reisinger of Cnet writes “with such a powerful piece of software in iTunes, there’s no reason to suggest the console couldn’t be tied to the platform and become yet another way to use iTunes to download music, movies, TV shows, and now, video game demos. Simply put, the infrastructure is in place and ready to go.” Read Cnet’s Why Apple should release a game console

apple_tablet

Rumours recently fired up again about the Apple videogame console. Apparently the recently announced Apple Tablet will function as a videogame platform. Read Destructoid’s Apple tablet Rumored to be a Gaming Device. However, I still believe a separate Apple home video game console is in the works. Stay tuned.

Dan Brown Knows How to Promote His New Book

Media

Dan_Brown_lost_symbol_book

Dan Brown, author of The Lost Symbol, launched his book campaign in Toronto with a brilliant promotional stunt.

Once the morning flow of commuters came into Union Station in Toronto, all they saw sitting on the benches were people reading The Lost Symbol. These professional ‘book readers’ were literally buried nose deep in the first chapter of Dan Brown’s the Lost Symbol. After the flow of commuters saw all these professional ‘book readers’ a salesperson was set up to sell The Lost Symbol book.

This is buzz marketing at its best. When commuters saw all these people reading The Lost Symbol, they must’ve wondered “what’s this book all about – it must be good!”.

10 Tips For Investing During a Recession

Investing

1- Buy stocks on sale. When a recession hits, investors pull out of the stock market. This leaves you the opportunity to pick up good stocks on sale. I picked up RBC at $30 and Manulife at $12.
2- Ignore the Media. Newspaper companies sell more newspapers with negative headline news. Naturally, the media will pump fear into you. Ignore this fear, and invest in stocks.
3- Remember, the economy will bounce back. Have you ever been super sick and thought you’d never get better? That’s how people think during a recession. The economy will bounce back, study historical trends.
4- Dividends will make you comfortable. Even if the stock market keeps on tanking after you invest, the dividends from stocks will make you happy. RBC sent me a 6% Dividend per quarter during the recession.
5- If you can’t stomache a 40% loss, don’t invest. Near the low point of the stock market crash – March 2009 – my stock losses amounted to 40%. But I sucked it up, and now I’m making money because I kept those stocks.
6- Don’t time the market. Warren Buffet was way off when he invested in GE and Goldman Sachs. But he’s laughing to the the bank now, with capital appreciation and annuity.
7- If you want to time the market…The stock market will reach it’s lowest point once all the unemployment, bankrupty and low earnings in the news are the WORST that can be reported. So when the media shifts focus to news like the Swine flu (as it did in March 2009) times are better for the economy.
8- If you invest, invest big. You’ll be kicking yourself in the butt if you buy 1 share in RBC when one year after the recession the return is 150% and you could have made thousands.
9- Don’t listen to your teacher. Don’t listen to teachers, analysts or politicians. They’re too busy in their ivory tower to know what how the recession is impacting the real world. If you see more people driving new cars and buying Starbucks coffee, chances are the economy is turning around. Invest.
10- Urgency to Invest. Don’t wait until the media starts reporting about good times in the economy. Invest when people are fully depressed about the economy. You know you’re too late to invest when the analysts start slapping buy ratings on every stock on the market.

Google Street Maps Canada Finally!

Random

Google announced today: Walk through the streets of Canada’s biggest cities with Google Street Maps.

The Google Car finally scoured Canada’s major cities to include Canada in Google Street View. If you want to check out Google Street View for Canada, see photos below for Montreal Street View, Toronto Street View, and Vancouver Street View.

Play around with Google Canada Street View now Just drag the yellow Google-man from the top-left corner to the map.

Google_Street_Maps_Canada
Google_Street_Maps_Montreal_Canada
Google_Street_Maps_Toronto_Rogers_Centre
Google_Street_Maps_Vancouver_Canada

Telus Tuesday: ½ Price Movie Combo at Cineplex Theatres

Media

Telus_Tuesday_Cineplex_Movie_Theatre

Telus Tuesday rewards movie watchers big-time!. At Canadian Cineplex Theatres, Telus is helping to cut the price of movies. General admission ticket, Regular Popcorn and Regular Fountain Drink are now approximately 50% off of the combined retail price.

I was at a Cineplex Movie Theatre last night – Silvercity – and stumbled upon the Telus Tuesday Voucher that was included with movie tickets. The Voucher translated to FREE Popcorn and Pop. Great deal, now I’m going to movies on Tuesday’s. More Telus Tuesday information

Capitalism: A Love Story Review

Media

capitalism_love_story_michaelmoore

You owe it to yourself to go see Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story. Moore paints a shocking picture of America post financial crisis. The movie depicts the story of Wall Street versus Main Street, haves versus have-nots. By establishing this socio-economical contrast, Moore hits home the fact America’s wealth is vastly disproportionate.

1% of Americans control 95% of the wealth in America. And yet Moore explains for years 99% of American people settled with a smaller piece of the pie, but the Financial Crisis dismantled the American Dream altogether, clearing their rosy glasses.

The movie also shows the apparent connection that Regan established with Wall Street in the 80’s that led to rampant financial de-regulation for the years to come. At this point in the movie, Moore started questioning the integrity of government and fabric of democracy.

At the end of Capitalism: A Love Story, Moore asks the audience to join the fight to end greed in America and restore the country back to its more ethical foundation. In his closing comments, Moore says something along the lines of “I can’t bear to live in a country like this, and I’m not leaving”.

I think it’s honourable for an individual like Michael Moore to shed light on what is happening to ‘real Americans’ amidst the recession, because the media seems to have focused entirely on Wall Street, and lately the coming boom in the stock market.

For me, the biggest point to take home from Capitalism: A Love Story is to never forget the lessons from the financial crisis else be doomed to repeat a another crash and ensuing recession. To this point, Capitalism: A Love Story opened with striking paralles of America and the Roman Empire. Moore provided the backdrop to an old film about the Roman Empire, showcasing a scene that described the path that led the Romans to their demise. It was an eye opener.