- My Own Advisor

Weekend Reading – Dividend hikes, giveaways and great blogs

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Mark | 20 Comments

Many Canadian banks released their earnings this week and even though some profits dropped for some of them, dividends were up for most. At the time of this post: Royal Bank (RY) announced a dividend increase of 5%, to $0.63…

Managing the refund well is the linchpin in the RRSP vs. TFSA debate

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Mark | 8 Comments

Managing the refund well is the linchpin in the RRSP vs. TFSA debate You need to know why managing the refund well is the linchpin in the RRSP vs. TFSA debate. While you can and should strive to max out…

H&R Block Canada – Online Tax Program Review & Code Giveaway

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Mark | 11 Comments

I’m definitely a creature of habit. I’ve been doing my own taxes for as long as I can remember and I don’t expect to change that anytime soon. For years, I’ve filed my taxes with the help of some software;…

Weekend Reading – Nothing like being home, top blogs and many others

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Mark | 19 Comments

While it’s fun to leave (on vacation) it’s also great to be home. Earlier this week, my wife and I returned from our vacation to Costa Rica. It was an amazing trip and well worth the planning and expenses associated…

Personal Finance Stress Test

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Mark | 30 Comments

Personal Finance Stress Test Thanks to The Blunt Bean Counter for pushing me a little bit to get this blogpost done, since he hit on something I’ve been thinking about for some time now, stress testing your personal finances. What…

Five ways to maximize your home’s value

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Mark | 1 Comment

If you’re trying to sell your house, you may have noticed it’s a pretty competitive field out there in today’s uncertain market. OK, Canada hasn’t been affected anything like as much as the States or Europe, but people are nervy…

The RRSP season is here. Know your options.

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Mark | 12 Comments

Seen the commercials yet? Read the ads online or in the papers yet? I’m sure you have… The RRSP season is here and the financial institutions are making sure you don’t forget about it/them. If you haven’t done so already,…

January 2013 Dividend Income Update

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Mark | 17 Comments

“Know what you own, and know why you own it.” – Peter Lynch, American business icon. A new year brings new opportunities. Opportunities to reflect but also plan forward. In that sense, I’ve taken a few weeks to review my…

What is Dividend Investing? Why Should You Do It?

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Mark | 20 Comments

What is Dividend Investing? Why Should You Do It? The following is a guest post written by Mike from The Dividend Guy Blog and Dividend Stock Analysis. Mike has a MBA in financial services and writes about dividend investing since…

When to transition to owning ETFs and stocks

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Mark | 12 Comments

When to transition to owning ETFs and stocks Thanks to a reader question, I’ll share with you the approach I took to transition out of mutual funds to Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and dividend stocks in my investment portfolio. First…