Search found 138 matches

by 6miths
13 Nov 2020 14:26
Forum: Financial Planning and Building Portfolios
Topic: What's your home country bias?
Replies: 95
Views: 32343

Re: What's your home country bias?

I'm at about 15% these days. Drifting down with the strength of US markets. Just over half of investment assets are in USD.
by 6miths
13 Nov 2020 13:33
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Remembrance Day
Replies: 204
Views: 7762

Re: Remembrance Day

Thank you for posting 'In Flanders Fields'. Always goosebumps for me. In our neck of the woods, all children learned and recited this in my day and our children did as well. We are fortunate to live near the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and frequently have the Lancaster and other WWII aircraft overhead. Always look up when I hear those four Merlins drawing near. Wednesday was another beautiful fall day and the Lanc was over a couple of times on its way to various Remembrance Day flyovers in the Golden Horseshoe. DS downloaded 'They Shall Not Grow Old' and we watched Wednesday evening together. Thank you to all who served.
by 6miths
13 Mar 2018 12:33
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Getting Rid of Raccoons!
Replies: 62
Views: 2852

Re: Getting Rid of Raccoons!

Also live in Hamilton area. No more big raccoon issues. Cut down the row of 60 foot spruce trees along the side of the house that were giving them and the red squirrels (much more dangerous characters) access to the roof. Relocated mine towards Brantford but out in the country. Had to get a pro in the one time that a mom made a nest in the attic space. Very cute but not great house guests.
by 6miths
21 Jan 2018 12:42
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Important change to the Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card program
Replies: 154
Views: 19713

Re: Important change to the Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card program

Yes I applied as well. Africa trip will be before Amazon shuts down but we are heading to UK and possibly Netherlands in April-May so will need a replacement. Could have gone with the Rogers card but it seemed overly complicated and like many others it seems I am not a fan of the company. Adrian posted the minimums on ATM withdrawals so the for smaller amounts less than CAD500 there isn't really a major difference (0.5%) but as the amount goes up it gets striking. The fact that the maximum is $45 at US ATM versus $15 at foreign ATM is interesting and somewhat telling. I have USD accounts and TD USD Visa so not really an issue. I closed my US TD Bank accounts last year as they weren't worth the trouble given that I couldn't get a US domicile...
by 6miths
20 Jan 2018 22:29
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Important change to the Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card program
Replies: 154
Views: 19713

Re: Important change to the Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card program

Just going through the application for the Home Trust Preferred Visa and see that it won't be as good for foreign ATM withdrawals at 1.5% versus Amazon's 1%. I guess no better option though.
by 6miths
20 Jan 2018 11:37
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Important change to the Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card program
Replies: 154
Views: 19713

Re: Important change to the Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card program

Yes this is a disappointment. I have a TD USD Visa card so I only used the Amazon card for distant travel and for transferring money to family members overseas but it is still a loss. I got the letter early last week and also saw the notice when logging into Amazon. I thought it was funny that when you went into the 'FAQ' related to the shutdown in Amazon, the one question I had was not addressed, that would be whether there is a plan for a new card with a different financial institution. I didn't find Chase to difficult to deal with, though didn't charge much or need a high credit limit. I did find Citi ridiculous to deal with when they were Costco's MC provider. Thanks for posting the link to the longer thread Keith. I'll definitely be lo...
by 6miths
14 Jan 2018 11:55
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: TD Direct Investing (was Waterhouse) Service
Replies: 3927
Views: 433341

Re: TD Direct Investing (was Waterhouse) Service

Yes that would be an excellent feature!
by 6miths
10 Jan 2018 14:35
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: TD Direct Investing (was Waterhouse) Service
Replies: 3927
Views: 433341

Re: TD Direct Investing (was Waterhouse) Service

Just made the mistake of calling the general TDDI number and after 30 minutes on hold I thought that this used to be easier. Hung up and called the President's Account line and got through immediately. Still couldn't help me. Was downloading statements and for the first time in years there were months with no statement which seemed odd. They say there was 'no activity' so no statement was generated. No activity? Dividends and changes in value of holdings does not constitute activity! Thankfully there was 'activity' in the first and last month of the period I was needing. The representative said he could change the setting to 'force print' which would mean a statement would be generated each month regardless of activity. Why isn't this the d...
by 6miths
12 Feb 2017 22:59
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: VISA details @ TD EasyWeb
Replies: 11
Views: 3062

Re: VISA details @ TD EasyWeb

No problems noted here with Mac and FireFox.
by 6miths
12 Feb 2017 22:55
Forum: Financial News, Policy and Economics
Topic: Economic future of Canada and immigration
Replies: 24
Views: 2321

Re: Economic future of Canada and immigration

Yet more used to be doctors or engineers and now work driving taxes or sit on benefits. And part of the problem is good old protectionism; a doctor who graduated from Oxford (even with a Canadian passport) would have to spend many years before he can work as a doctor in Canada. A doctor who graduated Oxford medical school would be able to get a residency position and work day 1 in Canada similar to a graduate of a Canadian medical school. A doctor who graduated Oxford and then did resident equivalent training at Oxford would also be able to work day 1 as an independent MD if recruited by a Canadian university. A doctor who graduated from a medical and residency programme in Eastern Europe, India or Africa would find the road more difficult...
by 6miths
19 Sep 2016 00:02
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Is anyone attending the 2016 Bogleheads Conference?
Replies: 2
Views: 162

Re: Is anyone attending the 2016 Bogleheads Conference?

Yes. Will be heading down on Tuesday. Looking forward to it as I missed last year.
by 6miths
21 Jul 2016 09:17
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: ETF choices
Replies: 12
Views: 1659

Re: ETF choices

longinvest wrote:
InvestorNewb wrote:Would Canadian banks be offering low MER ETFs if it wasn't for Vanguard? I think not...
+1 :thumbsup:
+2 But those darn Canadians are so polite.
by 6miths
08 Apr 2016 10:38
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: TDDI - New WebBroker interface
Replies: 222
Views: 20997

Re: TDDI - New WebBroker interface

Was speaking to a rep on Wednesday and she was asking me about the new interface. I have been using it on and off but not in love. She pointed out that the old interface will no longer be available starting in July. Don't know if that has been pointed out upthread. Oh well. Change is inevitable! Resistance is futile!!! Live long and prosper...
by 6miths
07 Mar 2016 23:35
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: Help selling paper shares?
Replies: 4
Views: 534

Re: Help selling paper shares?

Thanks folks. Has been a busy month and hadn't checked back. I'll let you know how it goes. Cheers.
by 6miths
21 Feb 2016 22:11
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: HDMI audio problem
Replies: 4
Views: 176

Re: HDMI audio problem

Live and learn. And the computer keeps defaulting back to itself even between programmes for me so have to keep going in to change it. Oh well.
by 6miths
21 Feb 2016 22:09
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: TDDI - New WebBroker interface
Replies: 222
Views: 20997

Re: TDDI - New WebBroker interface

schmuck wrote:
IdOp wrote:
chufinora wrote:I will wait until it is a forced upgrade.
+1
+2
+3
by 6miths
21 Feb 2016 22:04
Forum: Financial Planning and Building Portfolios
Topic: Home bias risk doesn't show in the data
Replies: 26
Views: 2463

Re: Home bias risk doesn't show in the data

At no point in my investing lifetime have I been unhappy to be diversified outside of Canada.
by 6miths
05 Feb 2016 23:16
Forum: Financial Planning and Building Portfolios
Topic: No Tax vs. High MER scenario
Replies: 3
Views: 449

Re: No Tax vs. High MER scenario

I thought that the answer over at MMM was pretty good. Was it not satisfactory? Does this question relate to corporate class funds?
by 6miths
19 Jan 2016 20:32
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: Help selling paper shares?
Replies: 4
Views: 534

Help selling paper shares?

My mother has some paper Sun Life shares that she would like to sell. She has a RBC online brokerage account. Could anyone help me with advice as to how one best goes about selling the shares. Apologies if this is a ridiculously simple question.
by 6miths
07 Oct 2015 23:46
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Why do people still oil their cars?
Replies: 24
Views: 807

Re: Why do people still oil their cars?

Southern Ontario here. Never rust proofed a car. Never had any rust problems. Back in the 70s when Detroit was making noisy, rust buckets, it might have been worth it. Not worth the cost in my opinion.
by 6miths
29 Jun 2015 21:58
Forum: Retirement, Pensions and Peace of Mind
Topic: TFSA 2015
Replies: 469
Views: 35160

Re: TFSA 2015

BRIAN5000 wrote:
CROCKD wrote:I also have contributed $'s to my son and daughter for their TFSAs over the last several years. And why not when I have it to give.

So people doing this are doing it as a gift with no expectation of having funds returned to them?
That is certainly our expectation. It is a contribution to their futures.
by 6miths
28 Jun 2015 21:19
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Beach Reading 2015
Replies: 46
Views: 1178

Re: Beach Reading 2015

biker wrote:Empire of Cotton. Global History
I got this out of the library and read the first 100 pages. Got busy so had to return it but going to finish it when on vacation. Interesting to be sure.
by 6miths
21 Jun 2015 18:27
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Tiger Woods
Replies: 98
Views: 3283

Re: Tiger Woods

Tiger wasn't among those 'putting up pretty good scores'!
by 6miths
22 Mar 2015 15:24
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Possible trip to Rio/Cape Town???
Replies: 23
Views: 528

Re: Possible trip to Rio/Cape Town???

Ah Capetown... one of my favourite cities in the world. Friends just came back for Capetown, Garden Route, Kruger, wine country and loved it. A few years ago I encouraged a colleague who was nervous about going to an international meeting in Capetown by telling him that he absolutely must see the place. He took his DW and neither has stopped thanking me. They have been back once since and absolutely love it. People are fantastic. Even back when I first worked RSA during Apartheid, Capetown and Jo'burg were two different worlds. I would agree with others and make my second city London or Paris on the way. But I must admit a bit of a bias against Rio - you'd think I'd actually be able to learn from my own advice!
by 6miths
22 Mar 2015 15:14
Forum: Financial Planning and Building Portfolios
Topic: RRSP for Incorporated Individuals
Replies: 25
Views: 2092

Re: RRSP for Incorporated Individuals

Good discussion. Thanks for the input.