Strategic RRSP Planning

In this article aimed at Canadian readers, I briefly explain what a Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP's) is, and the strategic principles of why you would want to use them. My discussion is aimed at readers who are relatively far away from retirement. (There are similar savings vehicles in other countries which may have similar principles, but the details depend upon the specifics of tax laws.) I discuss why arguments that RRSP's will face tax disadvantages because "governments are broke" are questionable.

Book Review: Tax Planning For You And You Family

Tax treatment is an important driver of the returns on your portfolio. If you are implementing your personal finance plans yourself, you will need to understand the tax consequences. But even if you have professional advice, you should have a reasonable understanding of what is behind the advisors' recommendations. In order to do this, you will need some good resources explaining the tax system. In this article, I discuss "Tax Planning for You and Your Family  (2014)" by KPMG, which is aimed at Canadians. I start off with some introductory remarks for non-Canadian readers.

Blogging Tip: Adding A New Blogger Blog As A Subdomain

One of the advantages of blogging as form of writing is that you can focus on a highly specialised subject, which makes it easier for readers to find particular information. The downside of specialisation is that it is difficult to produce content only within a narrow field. One solution is to launch a new blog on another topic. And if this new blog is placed within a subdomain of your original domain, it will start off with the same search engine recognition as your original blog. I explain how I did this using the blogger blog platform. Note that I am mainly covering the steps I followed at a high level, as some of the details depend on who hosts your custom domain.

Why You Should Consult With A Financial Planner - Or Not

One of the first decisions you have to make about your financial plans is whether to outsource your planning to a professional financial planner. Alternatively, you end up with a do-it-yourself (DIY) financial plan. Although my site is necessarily aimed at people interested in DIY, outside advice is probably a good idea for many people, and appears to be a necessity before undertaking big financial moves.

But even if you do seek professional help, you should understand enough about finances so that you can independently evaluate the advice your are given.

Your House Is A Liability, Not An Asset

Although your home is an investment, it is very different from financial assets. Housing is an investment that loses money every year, up until the house is sold. It is better classified as a liability rather than an asset.

Bond Economics Personal Finance Hub Launched

I have split off the personal finance section of bondeconomics.com to the Personal Finance Hub - personalfinance.bondeconomics.com. This was so that readers can narrow down the topics of my writings. The Personal Finance Hub has a separate feed, so you have more control over what you subscribe to. Of course, I would like it if you subscribe to both feeds.

The Dangers Of Investing In What You Know

There is a risk associated with investing in areas that you are closely associated - your investments may end up being hurt by negative factors that also hit your employment prospects at the same time. There is considerable amount of analysis of the financial benefits of diversification of the types of investments you own in your portfolio (e.g., owning both stocks and bonds). However, you need to also keep in mind the importance of diversification of your overall risks in life, which is harder to measure. This uncertainty means that one should stress diversification within your financial portfolio.