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by Bylo Selhi
16 Mar 2024 07:41
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Best Credit Card (2021 - 2025)
Replies: 515
Views: 33152

Re: Best Credit Card (2021 - 2025)

I do still have the WS Cash card for 0%FX for the moment. Both the WS and EQ cards are 0% FX and offer cash back, 1% and 0.5% respectively. The downside is that these are prepaid cards so one needs to have cash on hand in order to deal with large purchases. Imagine you're at an international airport and need $n,000 to buy tickets to get home. If it's going to take days to get funds into your account and unhold them, you're screwed. At least you can pre-fund the accounts with a large amount before travelling, earn some interest on it, and then move it out again after you come back. But still an inconvenience. Or use a Home Trust Visa. That's still a 0% FX credit card although there's no longer any cash back on FX. AFAICT the Rogers MC WE on...
by Bylo Selhi
15 Mar 2024 16:38
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Best Credit Card (2021 - 2025)
Replies: 515
Views: 33152

Re: Best Credit Card (2021 - 2025)

BREAKING NEWS!!! According to discussion on RFD, Brim is in the process of committing suicide. They've eliminated the 0% FX on the card and reduced the cash back percentage etc.

See also Major devaluation to Brim Financial Mastercards: Lower earn rates and FX Fees introduced
by Bylo Selhi
15 Mar 2024 13:34
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 601
Views: 39602

Re: Electric Cars

Our Condo in downtown Toronto recently offered owners a chance to install chargers alongside their parking spots. Cost about $4,500 per charger. About half the owners installed chargers. I installed one that can reach to both our side-by-side parking spots even though we don’t have an EV nor plan on getting one. Just thought it was good to have for resale value and the inevitable adoption of EV’s. One issue that apartment buildings, including condos, face is that there's a limit to the aggregate amount of power the electricity utility can deliver to the building. There may also be limits to how many vehicles can be charged at the same time. Think of 100A vs. 200A service in detached houses. So that may have been a good decision if your bui...
by Bylo Selhi
14 Mar 2024 17:57
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 601
Views: 39602

Re: Electric Cars

leoc2 wrote: 14 Mar 2024 17:14The lack of action from those who have the resources to help with our environmental crisis is crushing my hope for a sustainable world.
Not to mention the disingenuous politicians who are (ab)using the issue for their own personal interests.
by Bylo Selhi
14 Mar 2024 17:55
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 601
Views: 39602

Re: Electric Cars

The increasing number of people living in condos will be a huge barrier to EV adoption until public chargers are as prevalent as gas stations. FWFers have already discussed the problems facing condo unit owners and their boards. A friend who owns a centre city Toronto condo casually asked management about installing a charger for his parking space as some had done. He was told it would need its own meter and cost about $15,000 -- if the board approved it. Unless rapid charging [see links upthread] makes it possible to get a fill-up in about the same amount of time it now takes to do it with fossil fuel. When that happens the early adopters in condos will have wasted a lot of money and those who dragged their heels will have dodged an expen...
by Bylo Selhi
14 Mar 2024 16:07
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 601
Views: 39602

Re: Electric Cars

Unwise wrote: 14 Mar 2024 15:54 Perhaps it will turn out differently this time and they were just ahead of their time last time around?
The technology has improved immensely. Imagine what we might have had decades ago if we'd devoted as much research and investment into developing EV technology as we did in ICE technology.
by Bylo Selhi
14 Mar 2024 16:05
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 601
Views: 39602

Re: Electric Cars

like_to_retire wrote: 14 Mar 2024 15:47 Great, then the government should stop telling us it will all happen by 2035.
I take that to be aspirational. If they don't set ambitious goals then it will surely take much longer.
by Bylo Selhi
14 Mar 2024 14:26
Forum: Retirement, Pensions and Peace of Mind
Topic: The government is considering changing investment objectives for CPP
Replies: 35
Views: 1507

Re: The government is considering changing investment objectives for CPP

max88 wrote: 14 Mar 2024 13:58 If it were up to me:
1. Wind down the CPP investments. The proceeds go to buy Government of Canada bonds.
2. New CPP contributions go to pay CPP recipients. Surplus goes to more bonds. Shortfall comes from selling off bonds. Adjust contribution and payout to keep it sustanable.
CPPIB returns have been substantially higher than GoC bonds.
The surplus CPPIB workforce go to work in long term care to look after people in need or to work in a farm to grow food or do other useful work.
We save CPPIB salary and in turn save on taxes.
CPPIB workforce salaries come out of the CPP pension, not from taxes.
Win win...
More like lose lose.
by Bylo Selhi
14 Mar 2024 14:22
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 601
Views: 39602

Re: Electric Cars

I can't see where all those people are going to conveniently charge when they can't do it at home. Perhaps look more carefully ;) Windsor's Flex-N-Gate partners to produce 'extreme fast charging' batteries for U.S. EV market Electric Circuit’s new fast-charging stations with power sharing headed to Québec Scientists just invented an EV battery that can fully charge in 5 minutes And more: https://www.google.com/search?q=fast+charge+li-ion+ev+batteries P.S. I get that some people are skeptical and pessimistic about EVs. I prefer to have an optimistic outlook about this technology. It took decades for ICE vehicles and infrastructure to become ubiquitous enough for those vehicles to become mainstream. It also took vast amounts of government an...
by Bylo Selhi
14 Mar 2024 12:45
Forum: Retirement, Pensions and Peace of Mind
Topic: The government is considering changing investment objectives for CPP
Replies: 35
Views: 1507

Re: The government is considering changing investment objectives for CPP

Peculiar_Investor wrote: 14 Mar 2024 10:42 Thanks for providing this historical context. Much appreciated Bruce.
Tritto! :thumbsup:
by Bylo Selhi
14 Mar 2024 10:14
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 601
Views: 39602

Re: Electric Cars

Yes, it is a problem if you want to force people other than urban/suburban commuters to adopt EN MASSE in the short term (the point of my argument you avoided). OTOH my contention is that early adopters will drive construction of that infrastructure now so that it will be available to all of us when we join the EV bandwagon. And the creation of more infrastructure in urban, dense areas would help the other 80% of the country adopt EVs how exactly ? Huh? In 2021, nearly three in four Canadians (73.7%) lived in one of Canada's large urban centres As to electrical infrastructure, you once again conveniently avoid the MASSE ADOPTION that we are being told is necessary. There will then be no off peak hours as millions upon millions of EVs attem...
by Bylo Selhi
14 Mar 2024 09:53
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 601
Views: 39602

Re: Electric Cars

Koogie wrote: 14 Mar 2024 08:53 Or strictly for use by commuters
And this is a problem? The commuters who are buying EVs now are doing so because they drive enough kilometers per week to justify the higher up-front cost of the vehicle. This um, drives, construction of charging infrastructure that will make it easier for the rest of us to adopt EVs more widely.
we'll need a whole new electricity infrastructure to cope
Do you have any studies that substantiate this claim? ISTM that intelligent charging will shift demand to off-peak periods like late at night and early in the morning.
by Bylo Selhi
13 Mar 2024 21:41
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Cellphones 2023 and onwards [and plans]
Replies: 87
Views: 5411

Re: Cellphones 2023 and onwards [and plans]

data-fair-usage-policy.pdf
4. Roaming Services:
Our services and rate plans are designed for you to use predominantly on the Freedom Network. If the majority of your voice, text or
data usage over consecutive billing cycles is not on the Freedom Network, we may terminate your service or restrict your ability to
receive service on our third party service provider’s networks.
by Bylo Selhi
13 Mar 2024 07:06
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Nurse Practitioners / Physician Assistants
Replies: 94
Views: 2675

Re: Nurse Practitioners / Physician Assistants

nisser wrote: 12 Mar 2024 23:00 Payment for a hip and knee replacements has increased only 13% over the past 37 years.
How much improvement in efficiency has there been in the procedure over those 37 years? Today [less than a month ago] hip replacement is day surgery.

I'm not saying that surgeons and doctors don't deserve raises. Of course they do. But if an orthopod can do several times as many hips per day as they could 37 years ago then presumably their gross billings have increased by more than 13%.

In Ontario a few years ago it turned out that highest billing specialists were ophthalmologists. That's because of major advances in eye surgery (lasers, etc.) that allowed them to do many more procedures per day even if the fee for each hadn't changed.
by Bylo Selhi
13 Mar 2024 06:54
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Photo ID and selfie new requirement for new accounts
Replies: 11
Views: 598

Re: Photo ID and selfie new requirement for new accounts

Insomniac wrote: 12 Mar 2024 23:50 I hope you took the money in cash. I wouldn't accept a cheque.

Seriously, ID theft is getting worse. Expect to encounter more facial and voice recognition systems going forward.
I asked for a cheque so I could deposit it using my phone and avoid a trip to TD. But my only choices were cash or a draft. So I took cash. That was actually in my favour because they rounded the cents up to the next nickel :rofl:

My debit card was no good because it had expired during COVID and I never got a replacement. But yeah, I accept that ID verification is going to become even more intrusive going forward.
by Bylo Selhi
13 Mar 2024 06:50
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Photo ID and selfie new requirement for new accounts
Replies: 11
Views: 598

Re: Photo ID and selfie new requirement for new accounts

active wrote: 12 Mar 2024 23:22 Extra $100. Don't spend it all in one place.
Most of that was membership shares. IIRC it cost $5 or $10 to join. Should I report the CG? :rofl:

Seriously, I'm trying to simplify my life. I got a letter about the impending dormancy. I happened to be walking by the branch. So why not?
by Bylo Selhi
12 Mar 2024 22:16
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Cellphones 2023 and onwards [and plans]
Replies: 87
Views: 5411

Re: Cellphones 2023 and onwards [and plans]

Marcus Aurelius wrote: 12 Mar 2024 21:50 it appears the yearly plans at Freedom Mobile are still available and their coverage has reportedly improved in Western Canada.
As of last fall and the Rogers/Shaw deal terms, Freedom plans include native coverage in areas where they have their own towers and free nationwide roaming on other carriers' towers in areas where they don't.

If you don't need data or don't need much data, annual prepaid plans range from $99 (0 data) to $149 (30GB/yr.)

I intend to switch over next Nov/Dec when my $7.50/month tablet plus 4GB data contract ends [with Fido.]
by Bylo Selhi
12 Mar 2024 22:08
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Photo ID and selfie new requirement for new accounts
Replies: 11
Views: 598

Re: Photo ID and selfie new requirement for new accounts

mewmew wrote: 12 Mar 2024 19:04 Opening a new bank/brokerage account (those without physical location) now requires a copy of photo ID and selfie, is there a new law requiring that? When did it start? Even adding new account to an existing profile at the same FI needs that. In the past, I remember one can open a bank account online as long as the ID can be verified through the credit bureaus.
FWIW this morning I went in person to a local credit union office to close an account that was about to go dormant. The balance was only ~$100. Nevertheless they wanted to see photo ID and then made a photocopy of my driver's license. They claimed this was a requirement, although the teller couldn't tell me if the edict was internal or governmental.
by Bylo Selhi
12 Mar 2024 12:47
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Worms, Viruses, Trojans and Other Computer Security Holes
Replies: 685
Views: 26376

Re: Worms, Viruses, Trojans and Other Computer Security Holes

For those who lack imagination (or time) there's also Fake Name Generator:
The most advanced name generator
With 37 languages and 31 countries, the Fake Name Generator is the most advanced name generator on the internet. Generate names, addresses, social security numbers, credit card numbers, occupations, UPS tracking numbers, and more absolutely free.
:twisted:
by Bylo Selhi
12 Mar 2024 07:31
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Worms, Viruses, Trojans and Other Computer Security Holes
Replies: 685
Views: 26376

Re: Worms, Viruses, Trojans and Other Computer Security Holes

DW got an email with link today from paperless post online invitations blah blah blah site. Some family members are using it to notify, invite, gather mailing addresses, and rsvps, etc., for their upcoming wedding. It occurred to me, what a wonderful way to know the email, names, addresses and date that a whole bunch of people are away from their homes (for an extended period if located out-of-province). Of course the site is secure, it couldn't/wouldn't be compromised, and if it were you would be notified... eventually. This is aside from the marketing sh^t they are going to share with hell knows who. My unequivocal instructions to DW were NO. We will not provide our mailing address and other personal info to paperless' online database. W...
by Bylo Selhi
12 Mar 2024 07:26
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Executor Fee T4
Replies: 7
Views: 421

Re: Executor Fee T4

T3 Trust Guide: If the trust paid executor, liquidator, or trustee fees, or if an employee benefit plan or an employee trust made distributions other than a return of employee contributions, file a T4SUM Summary of Remuneration Paid, and the related T4 Statement of Remuneration Paid (slip). For more information, see RC4120 Employers' Guide – Filing the T4 Slip and Summary. Sometimes it's easier to get forgiveness than permission. This regime seems to be oriented towards employers who presumably do this more than once. I wonder what CRA would do if you simply declared this as other income and paid tax on it in the usual way? Or if you called them to ask for "permission" to do this on the basis that this is a one-time thing for whi...
by Bylo Selhi
11 Mar 2024 16:23
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Executor Fee T4
Replies: 7
Views: 421

Re: Executor Fee T4

Insomniac wrote: 11 Mar 2024 15:51 I need to make a T4 slip
Where is it written that you need to make a T4? CRA doesn't care how you report income as long as you report it.

The same principle applies to other forms of income like tips and even employment income below some threshold where the employer isn't required to issue a T4 ($750 IIRC. $500.)
by Bylo Selhi
11 Mar 2024 14:56
Forum: Taxing Situations
Topic: T1135 Form
Replies: 247
Views: 34507

Re: T1135 Form

scorpionman wrote: 11 Mar 2024 14:23 Can you paper file T1 and Netfile T1135 at the same time?
The two forms are independent of each other so yes.

Notes:
1. If you are required to report on a T1135 you must file it by 30Apr or you will be charged penalties.
2.The same is not necessarily true of the T1, for example you can file late if you don't owe any taxes.
by Bylo Selhi
11 Mar 2024 12:55
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Nurse Practitioners / Physician Assistants
Replies: 94
Views: 2675

Re: Nurse Practitioners / Physician Assistants

We need a thorough review of our medical system. There are multiple interrelated problems. Everybody can easily point these out. The solutions (if there are any) are more difficult to determine. I think a blend of more privately provided services, perhaps some user fees, allow private investment into imaging centres etc, might help. But I’m a layperson who doesn’t understand or even see the whole picture. Re private imaging centres, my FP gave me a requisition for an X-ray a few days ago at a local chain of private clinics. It seems half the locations don't do X-rays because of a shortage of technicians. (Sort of like half of McDonalds that don't sell hamburgers because of a shortage of cattle...) Those who do, don't take appointments. I c...
by Bylo Selhi
10 Mar 2024 11:14
Forum: Community Centre
Topic: Puzzles to keep the mind challenged
Replies: 11
Views: 487

Re: Puzzles to keep the mind challenged

Learn a language [or more] using Duolingo.