Mutual fund fees are higher in Canada than elsewhere. And despite efforts to beef up disclosure, buyers are still in the dark about what they pay. Industry critics have talked about inflated fund ownership costs for years. Now there’s a discussion paper by the Canadian Securities Administrators that bolsters theirContinue Reading

Pets. Landlords don’t want them in their properties. Tenants can’t live without them. Unfortunately, the law in Ontario just makes it worse for everyone. Under the law, you can’t prevent a tenant from bringing a pet into your property, unless it is a condominium and the building declaration says noContinue Reading

Canadians are always looking for better ways to bank in the U.S. Snowbirds need a U.S. bank account to take care of the bills at their condo. Canadian shoppers want easier ways to pay their Macy’s or J.C. Penney account after cross-border shopping sprees. Opening an account at a U.S.Continue Reading

Ming and Li are exceptional savers. They have already paid for their $300,000 home in southwestern Ontario and saved nearly $330,000, without any help from parents since they graduated. They have built a solid financial base for themselves and their two young children. Now the 37-year-old software developer and 34-year-oldContinue Reading

North America’s only enduring bout with deflation was in the Great Depression of the 1930s, a lost decade of economic hardship, high unemployment and falling prices. While there’s no immediate worry that we’re headed there, the debate has heated up as Europe copes with deep recession and a banking systemContinue Reading