Can a debt collector discuss my debt with my family member? If my family member tells them that they have a copy of the letter and info about my debt and is willing to pay it for me?—Barbara What debt collectors are allowed to say With rising interest rates, inflation and increasing credit card balances, … Read more

My dealership posts an hourly labour rate of $145, but the actual rate to service the brakes on my 2019 Toyota Camry hybrid equates to $173. I am wondering if this is common practice and is it legal? I brought my Toyota in for servicing yesterday at 1:40 p.m. The work was completed, and the … Read more

Kyle Prevost, editor of Million Dollar Journey and founder of the Canadian Financial Summit, summarizes the week’s financial headlines and offers context for Canadian investors. Before we look ahead to 2023, I want to thank writer Dale Roberts and our editorial team—Jon Chevreau, Lisa Hannam and Jaclyn Law—for covering while I was on vacation. Dale’s … Read more

I am wondering who I would reach out to for estate planning advice. I have a family member on permanent disability (independent living) and wish to arrange a trust upon my death that would not interfere with his monthly support ceiling of one thousand dollars a month (the current income is approximately one thousand four … Read more

This week, Cut the Crap Investing founder Dale Roberts reviews the notable financial headlines and provides context for Canadian investors. The round-up of returns for the year First, a look back at asset returns for 2022. Using data popularized by Liz Sonders of Charles Schwab, sector performance in the U.S. showed a wide divergence: energy … Read more

Cryptocurrencies have come under intense scrutiny in recent years. High-profile events such as the collapse of FTX, insider trading charges tied to a major exchange and an extended criminal probe into another large platform have highlighted vulnerabilities in the market and drawn renewed attention from regulators and the public alike. Those incidents, combined with the … Read more

When the world shut down in 2020, the events industry ground to a halt and couples with plans for large weddings had to not only postpone dates but rethink how they wanted to celebrate. Out of that disruption a clear trend emerged: the micro wedding. Defined broadly as a wedding for 50 guests or fewer, … Read more

I remember a couple in their early 30s who sat across from me, anxious about how to handle their mounting debt. They had been together for several years and carried a lot of shared obligations, yet their communication about money was poor. What brought them in was a wave of recent impulse purchases — his … Read more

If you’re in a relationship, money will inevitably become part of the conversation. Since the pandemic began, couples have been discussing finances more often; a 2021 RBC poll found that nearly half—47%—identify money as a major source of stress in their relationships. In the United States, research also shows that money disagreements are a leading … Read more

With the current volatility of today’s market, I have seen my LIRA investment bounce up to almost $90,000 earlier this year, to almost $20,000 less today. That said, it is in a medium- to high-risk portfolio at the moment. With any luck, I probably still have approximately 18 more years I could potentially be working, … Read more