Tag Archives: roundups

A Better Bit of Bonds Banter

Posted on by

My pension plan bond fund continues to sink slowly below the horizon. As it does, I went out in search of solace and support. Here are some articles that illuminate the many facets of bonds.

Who knew that bond rates could determine whether or not you could afford to buy a first home? This connection had escaped my notice, till I read The Star’s article “Higher bond yields trigger hike in mortgage rates.”

Rob Carrick at the Globe and Mail offers advice on “How to navigate a stormy bond market.”  Apparently, we could see a 9% drop this year in my Bond fund, but I should also sit tight and wait it out. Easy to say, harder to do!

If I’m so nervous, why do I have any money in bonds? I explain my choices (or lack thereof) in “Why Defined Contribution Pension Plans are a Pain: Fixed Income Choices or Lack Thereof.”

If you do drop bonds, where do you put the money? The Passive Income Earner provides food for thought in the “Difference Between Bonds and Preferred Shares.” Specifically the comparison is between corporate bonds and corporate issued preferred shares, rather than, say, government bonds.

Michael James on Money explored why you really have to scrutinize proposed financial plans closely in The Futility of Leveraging Bonds. At first, the idea seems reasonable. Take out a loan; Invest a portion in the stock market and a portion in fixed income. Pay the interest on the loan and keep the balance. But what if the fixed income investments are paying less than the interest costs?

The Wall Street Journal warns Bond Slump Saddles Big Banks: Large Banks Can’t Avoid Trouble When Interest Rates Rise.  It’s hardly encouraging news. In a fascinating accounting twist, apparently “The second-quarter losses didn’t affect banks’ earnings because of a quirk in accounting rules that allows institutions to keep any paper losses on long-term bonds out of the profit-and-loss equation.” I wonder how many quarterly bonuses were paid without the average share owner knowing how large those losses were?

Join In
Have you found a recent article on bonds that makes the murky depths crystal clear? Please share an insight or a link with a comment.

Insurance: When It’s Worth It; When It’s Not

Posted on by

Most of us probably make mistakes when buying insurance. I know I do! Sometimes and some things are worth insuring, others are not. Here’s a roundup of some articles to consider.

Travel Insurance

MoneySense shares a horror story in “Are you really covered?” and reminds readers that “even if your emergency wasn’t related to your [medical] condition, because you didn’t fully disclose it, the policy would still be revoked.”

James Daw in The Star reported in “An 89-year-old man’s travel insurance mistake”  the tales of two men, one who successfully claimed on his travel insurance and one who didn’t.

Water Heater Insurance
I ponder the value, or lack thereof, of insurance for your water heater tank in: Is Hot Water a Matter of Life and Death? If Not, Why Are You Insuring Your Water Tank?

Life Insurance
On Life Insurance Canada they answer the question most of us ask ourselves when at 30,000 feet, namely is there: “Life Insurance for Pilots“?

Gail Vaz Oxlade explains Term vs Permanent Insurance for those of us who don’t understand the differences.

Mortgage Insurance
When we bought our first house, our mortgage lender asked us if we wanted to buy Mortgage Insurance. As soon as I heard that it pays the remaining balance of your mortgage at the time of your death, I said “No thanks.”

Big Cajun Man uses life insurance instead of mortgage insurance. He explains his recent round of renewing in “Term Insurance Over 50.”

Disability and Critical Illness Insurance
Boomer described Why You Should Protect Your Earnings With Disability Insurance. She knows: She’s lived through it.

My Own Advisor suggests that “Insurance needs follow a lifecycle.” He suggests that people in their 50s may have kicked the kids out. I think many parents in their 50s still have young kids, for a variety of reasons including starting later and/or starting again. The article suggests useful things to consider at various points in your life.

Extended Warranties
I still remember buying a computer printer for $40 at a large electronics warehouse 11 years ago. At the till the clerk asked if I wanted to buy the $25 extended warranty. For a minute I could just look at him in awe. He managed to ask that with a straight face! There may be times and prices at which an extended warranty is worth investing in. This was definitely not one of them. And yes, 11 years later the printer is still working fine.

Ellen Roseman fought for some customers whose extended warranties on “bonded” leather furniture were as tattered as their couches. As a result of her work and others’ complaints, the Brick is re-working its extended warranties, as she describes in “The Brick reviews its furniture warranties.”  Just to be clear, “bonded” leather has nothing to do with bondage. And very little to do with leather, either, for that matter.

Michael James was offered an extended warranty on a very unexpected item in “Extended Warranties are getting out of control”  You’ll have to read the story to find out if he accepted the offer.

Join In
What are your experiences with insurance? Please share your stories, horror or heartwarming, with a comment.