Welcome to Million Dollar Journey! If you're new here, you can learn about me and even follow my net worth updates. A great place to start reading is with the popular articles located in the right side bar. If you would like to join thousands of others and keep up with the free daily updates, you can subscribe to the RSS feed via reader or E-mail.
Rates Cuts, New Look, and Other Links
The New Look
For the readers who visit the site often, you may have noticed that MDJ has gone through a face lift. The goal of the new design is to have the same features as the old layout, but with a cleaner feel. What do you think of the new look? Have you noticed any bugs? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Another Rate Cut
The Bank of Canada has made another drastic cut to interest rates, this time, by another 0.50%! This is a great time to be a variable rate mortgage holder as more of your payment is going towards principle.
The general bias for now is that the economic downturn will last about 2 years and that there should be more rate cuts to come. Maybe we live in a bubble on the east coast of Canada, but have you noticed the "economic downturn"? I sure haven't.
Other Links
The Restaurant Blogger tells us about some of the crazy benefits that restaurant managers get from the big name franchises. Looks like I'm in the wrong field!
Canadian Capitalist shows us that investing in the "Dogs of the Dow" may not be as lucrative as we might think.
Canadian Dream has an excellent article explaining the key to early retirement.
Four Pillars and WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo gets into an analysis of RRSPs for Younger Investors.
The Financial Blogger comes up with another new theory. This one he calls "The Financial Chaos Theory".
Thicken My Wallet teams up with Canadian Mortgage Trends to bring you an article that explains an insiders view of mortgages and how they work.
Middle Class Millionaire explains how to calculate the adjusted cost base when you get Return of Capital (ROC) as a distribution. For further reading, we've written about how the calculate the adjusted cost base when making multiple purchases over a long period of time.
More weekend reading tomorrow!
If you enjoyed this article and would like to be notified when new money related articles are posted, you can have them delivered right to your e-mail inbox or to your blog reader absolutely free.
27 Comments, Comment or Ping
1. The Financial Blogger
Thx for the mention!
I would says that I am not used to your new design yet. I’m just not too sure about the 2 columns side by side on the right…
No bugs detected though :-D
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 8:18 am
2. Four Pillars
I like your new design, it does look cleaner.
Thanks for the link and the all-Canadian roundup!
Mike
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 9:31 am
3. JR
FT:
I dont see it here, is there any easy way to look for all or any posts by an individual that have made posted comments or even as guest posts?
If I am trying to follow a particular thread and/or a commentor, I just cant seem to access this easily or even rememeber certain thread titles (really bad memory) unless I write it down.
Thanks
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 10:16 am
4. FrugalTrader
JR, you can subscribe to the individual comment threads if you like. That will send you an email whenever anyone leaves a comment in that particular blog post.
Simply click on the blog post that interests you, scroll to the bottom, and enter your email at the very bottom field.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 10:24 am
5. JR
FT, thanks, but it was more finding all posts by an individual, such as InvestorX, Four Pillars etc without back-forward tracking through emails notice.
Some blogs and Financial Forums have the feature. By simply typing in the persons ID you can find all posts by that person
Can you do this here?
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 10:28 am
6. FrugalTrader
JR, unfortunately, you can’t search by commenter in this blog software. I will take a look around for a plugin that will allow you to do that.
Which blogs have the feature that you’re looking for?
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 10:35 am
7. JR
On interest rates, story this morning on Reuters predicting another rate cut in June… Has the world gone mad!
“Reuters
Published: Friday, April 25, 2008
TORONTO — Canada’s primary securities dealers unanimously predicted on Thursday that the Bank of Canada will cut its key overnight rate in June, but after that most are calling for a pause in the easing cycle.
That is consistent with a Reuters poll taken last week after key inflation data and ahead of the Bank of Canada’s expected 50-basis-point rate cut Tuesday.
Eleven of Canada’s 12 dealers, surveyed by Reuters, expect Canada’s central bank to lower its key interest rate to 2.75 per cent from 3 per cent at its next fixed announcement date on June 10. One expects a 50-basis-point rate cut to 2.50 per cent.”
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 10:35 am
8. Duncan
Rate Cuts
These cuts are designed to increase liquidity in our financial system in an environment where banks are still reluctant to lend to one another. The slow down they speak of has thus far mostly impacted the USA. Canadian manufacturers are already feeling the squeeze of the weak US dollar and rising oil/fuel prices and will be further impacted as the US decrease their spending and exports drop. The real estate markets have slowed nationally in Canada and US owned companies like Dell, Steelcase and GM have already closed down or substantially reduced the workforce in several Canadian based subsidiaries. It will be at least a couple of years until the US economy picks up, thus Canada their largest trading partner is anticipating to bunker down and wait it out.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 11:04 am
9. Chuck
One thing I liked from the old format was the way you displayed the date of the articles. I don’t like the small font on the new display. I just don’t notice the date on the articles now which makes it harder for me to connect with them.
However I’m fine with the rest of the format changes.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 11:05 am
10. Canadian Capitalist
Thanks for the link. I like the new look better. Have a nice weekend!
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 11:11 am
11. FrugalTrader
Thanks for the feedback thus far guys. Chuck, instead of the grey font color of the date, I changed it to black so that it’s more noticeable. Is that better?
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 11:29 am
12. Canadian Dream
Thanks for the link FT. Have a great weekend.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 11:38 am
13. Geoff
More rate cuts!
I guess the BoC is trying to help stop the natural reflex of market forces. Time will tell if its adding gas to the fire
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
14. WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com
Thanks for the link FT! I like the new layout, seems faster too.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
15. FinancialJungle
The website feels faster.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
16. Mike
The changes are nice but I think you need to add some color (maybe background shading). All the text seems to run together.
The site is also not consistant. Left and right columns on the home page and then 2 right hand columns on inside pages.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
17. ThickenMyWallet
Thanks for the link. As I mentioned before, like the new look. Its much cleaner and easier on the eyes.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
18. Caitlin @ C³
I have to agree with Mike about how the layout should be consistent. The columns should be in the same locations on the main page and on the internal pages.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 4:22 pm
19. FrugalTrader
Good point about the consistency. Which layout do you like better? Left sidebar, or the sidebars all on the right?
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 4:26 pm
20. JR
FT:
The board is already full as it is, however I like posts to the left, advertising to the right
Don’t like centre information with adverts each side
One other idea to save on space and crowding, why not just have a headline of new posts or threads e.g. New Look, Another rate cut, Link.
Then a click on the thread name would open it.
You could then bundle all of your advertisers across the top of the page.
Links should also be a tab, with a click to view all links.
At some point, it would then look friendly, possibly be a white background, advertisers at the top, links underneath a search bar in the centre…
Oops, just thought, it would look like a Google home page Eck!
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 4:45 pm
21. FrugalTrader
JR, another great idea, but I believe blog readers prefer to read whole posts instead of headlines/excerpts.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 4:54 pm
22. Jacoline Loewen
I like the look of your blog.
Apr 25th, 2008 @ 5:15 pm
23. Sarlock
I like the new layout… definitely cleaner. Still seems a bit too busy, though.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Fed does next week… whether a 0.25 or 0.5 drop.
I live in Alberta, so we certainly haven’t felt any slowdown… at least not yet. With oil at $120 per barrel, I doubt we will for a while.
Apr 26th, 2008 @ 12:24 am
24. TrendFollowing
With 80% of total exports to US, Canada have no choice but to stimulate his economy. Otherwise the impact of a US slowdown can negatively affect the Canadian economy.
Apr 26th, 2008 @ 2:46 pm
25. guinness416
Late to the party as usual, but the site looks much, much better. White is good for aging eyes!
Apr 27th, 2008 @ 10:47 pm
26. Victor
For any tax/RRSP experts out there, I’m curious about something. 2007 tax returns ask for RRSP contributions on two lines:
March 2, 2007, to December 31, 2007
January 1, 2008, to February 29, 2008
Why do they split them this way? Is there any benefit to purchasing during one period or another?
Thank you!
May 9th, 2008 @ 11:29 am
27. FrugalTrader
Feb 29, 2008 was the RRSP contribution deadline for tax year 2007.
May 9th, 2008 @ 11:38 am
Trackbacks
Reply to “Rates Cuts, New Look, and Other Links”