Delivering you the very best money tips, news, and how-to's in Canada every single week. Wondering how to break up with your bank, how to save thousands on your mortgage, or how the latest economic news affects you? You're in the right place.
As the saying goes, the only sure things in life are death and taxes. And, unfortunately, the former won’t allow you to escape the latter. If you’re self-employed, for example, and die still owing outstanding installment payments, the Canada Revenue Agency will come to collect from your estate if your family doesn’t take care of it first. But what happens to your other debts, like your mortgage and credit cards, when you die? Here’s an overview.
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At first glance, getting a second mortgage may seem like adding insult to injury. If you already find it hard enough to meet your monthly (or bi-weekly) payments on your first mortgage, why would you want a second one?!? The fact is that a second mortgage is really a secured line of credit (secured against the value of your house), so financial institutions will offer you a much lower interest rate than, say, credit card companies. As a result, a second mortgage can save you money in the long run (if you’re looking to consolidate various high-interest debts).
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Experts will tell you your debt-to-income ratio is one of the best ways to gauge your financial position. The media often quotes the Bank of Canada saying Canadians are at dangerously high levels of debt at 153 per cent. But what does that mean? I’ve spent dinner parties arguing how to properly calculate debt to income ratios and how much is too much. There are many schools of thought on how to asses your financial health. Here are a few.
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Do you still have those dreams where you’re in school and you’ve missed or made a huge mistake on an important test. Sorry to make you anxious, but you’re actually still being tested, possibly without you realizing it. Every time you borrow money, use your credit card or pay a bill, you’re being evaluated by Canada’s financial system. Your grade is your credit score.
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I was kindly invited as a guest on CTV’s Canada AM this morning to discuss tips for Canadians dealing with debt. Here are RateSupermarket.ca’s Top Tips for Dealing With Debt: 1 .Set a budget The first step is to get …
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Want to know what the outlook is on mortgage rates for the next 30 to 40 days? Our panel of mortgage experts share their views on Canadian Mortgage Rate Trends.
Panel Consensus
May 2012
