Last month, when I received my RBC VISA card monthly statement, I saw an advertisement about redemption of RBC Rewards points toward TFSA. Seems very interesting, but is it worth a try? I decide to take a close look. Here is the advertisement: RBC Rewards points can now be redeemed toward your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA).... »
Understand Your Credit Report & Score – Part 2
What is a “Credit Score”? A credit score indicates the risk you represent for lenders, compared with other consumers. CREDIT SCORE STANDING 730+ Excellent 700-729 Good 670-699 Need a closer look 585-669 High risks -585 No credit / limited credit history There are many different ways of calculating credit scores. Two major Canadian credit reporting agencies, Equifax and TransUnion, use a scale from 300 to 900,... »
My Networth: June 2009
I just got my cheque today. Let’s see what’s been changed during the month June. Overall Assets: +21% Liabilities: -1% Equity: +55% In terms of assets, I’ve contributed my maximum RRSP limit for year 2009 which is $21,000. As such, I put the remaining money in high interest savings accounts. I don’t have any plan yet to... »
National Average Income for Medical Doctors
A few days ago, I found some information regarding medical doctors’ annual salaries in province BC—read here. Today I found a Canadian government site that includes average MD yearly salaries for all provinces in Canada: British Columbia (BC), Alberta (AB), Saskatchewan (SK), Manitoba (MB), Ontario (ON), Québec (QC), Nova Scotia (NS), Prince... »
7 Tips for Effectively Cutting Down Grocery Bills
Seven Highly Effective Tips for Savings at Grocery Store Here are a few strategies that I implement every day to reduce my monthly grocery expenses, which include not only the groceries but also expenses for dinning-outs, personal/household hygiene stuff, and occasionally over-the-counter medication. Keep track of receipts. First and foremost, keep all the receipts and don’t... »
RRSP – Maximize Your Retirement Savings
What’s an RRSP Registered Retirement Savings Plan is a retirement plan that you or your spouse or common-law partner establish and contribute to. RRSP contributions are tax-deductible;ie, it can be used to reduce your income tax. RRSP vs CPP Why should I invest in RRSP when I can get CPP (Canada Pension Plan) benefit at retirement? Reason: CPP... »
CPP: small plan, big potential?!
I checked my CPP Statement of Contributions just now. Sadly enough, I discover that I’m only eligible to receive a monthly retirement pension of $240, if I turned 65 this year and decided to receive CPP benefit. How am I supposed to survive with that petty amount. I spend about $200 each... »
Medical Doctor Salary … not as high as you think?!
Recently I’m curious about the average annual income for physicians in Canada. I mean how high can their incomes go? I did a search online but came across numerous results unsatisfactorily. Some websites use data that are decade old; some use data without any real statistics; some use data that are based on individual... »
IPP – Supersize Your Retirement Savings
Many Canadians have seen their RRSPs take a significant toll in the markets during this Global Recession. Most can do little more than hope for a quick recovery. But there is another option. It’s called Individual Pension Plan (IPP). What’s IPP? IPP stands for Individual Pension Plan. It is perhaps the least known, yet most effective... »