Tech and my pennies

Well here we go. The first attempt of trying to stay connected and blut my thoughts. Had a fantastic Christmas and hit the office again today. Today was a day when I was reminded that my business is not about selling insurance products. Its about being there for families with money when they need it the most. I really hope u all have a great 2011. Ill keep working at blogging. Keep your comments coming. Happy New Year. I hope u all have a great year

:-( = not good :-) = good!

My day at work started on a grouchy note.  Bit by bit I transformed into someone I am usually not.  I grumped out on some poor fellow on the phone and had some nasty thoughts for a few others.  What a dark cloud!! On my walk home for lunch, I didn't want to feel better.  I wanted to be bitter.  But you know,, I got a big smiley hello from someone that completely changed my tack.  Quick lunch, sunny day and before I knew, my walk back to the office was completely different.  the sun was in my face,  I walked on the sunny side of the street and presto!  Got lots of work done, had pleasant conversations with some folks and all was good.
Bottom line,,, It really is all about what you make it.  So go on,,, if you see a grumpy face while out and about, give it a big smile and you may transform someones day,
Over and out

SUV's, large screen TV's and forced labour 'till age 62!!!!

We are now about 24 months into and on our way out of a pretty horrific period of global financial instability.  The dust has settled, the slow motion replay's have been made over and over and we have a pretty good idea of what not to do next time.  Excess is the word which sums it up.  In many cases the world has fingered the financial industry movers and shakers for taking excessive risk.  In other cases people have fingered consumers for their excessive personal debt. It doesn't matter any more. Buying too many SUV's , large screen TV's and allowing our finance industry to bundle all that consumer debt into personal "equity" loans sold as high valued real estate investments was a bad idea. Important part is we have pretty much learned our lesson. Haven't we???  Well I think here in north America we have.  We know that for many, working well past age 65 will be a reality.  And heck, what's so bad about that?  We are living longer and the reality of out living our retirement savings is something everyone must  be aware of.  So why in the hell don't the Europeans get this???  COME ON!!! this nonsensical behaviour of protesting, striking and more or less causing havoc with global markets because you now have to work until age 62 (I'll type it so we don't forget it) SIXTY TWO!!!  is pure Balderdash!!  Suck it up Europe!! You get like 400 weeks a year of paid vacation, evade income tax like it's and entitlement and have posh government benefits.  Don't look at north America's excess as the only reason you are in tough times.  Your EXCESSIVE leisure has a lot to do with it too! Over and out,,,

what to do,,, what to do,,,,,

The best thing about a Sunday to me is knowing that the biggest worries I have will be fried or omelet.  Numbing my brain with Food Network challenges, chain drinking espresso's and plunking out new riff's on my guitar drops me smack dab in the middle of the couch potato poster.  I love it.
This was pretty much what I was up against today.  Took a couple of thick java's to get myself prepared but I was ready to face the challenge.  Then,,, the phone rings.  Who dares threaten to cleave themselves through this rhythm I've got going here.  Apparently, my son was to be at a Cadets field training exercises at 9:00 am.  So entrenched in my groove I almost contemplated, if only for a mere second, to have him miss it.  Dammit,  I couldn't do that to him so into the car we pile, bed head and untucked.  20 minutes out of town to said destination.  But,,,, when we got there, no cars were to be found.  RRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrr. Biting my tongue and nearly Luke Duking the Volvo around in the parking lot, we headed back to the real destination not 2 blocks from my house.  Meh,, What else was I going to do anyway.
So, now it's 1:35 (13:35 Cadet time) and I'm ready to get my day on the go.  Look out bike!!! Here I come,,,,
Over and out,,,

Saying good bye, for good and for bad,,

Some day's happen and you wish you could just start them over again.  Today was one of them.  A trip to the vet with our family pet of 8 years resulted in a pretty teary good bye to a great friend, protector and companion.  Lots of tears, lots of hugs and back rubs for our little girl.  Then a bike stolen.  This bike was the beloved steed of my 14 year old.  He had it plastered with stickers from his fav bike shop, and pimped out with all the bling a teen age boy would cram onto a two wheeled frame.
Loosing a pet by accident and having the person who accidentally caused the loss feel terrible for it is understandable.  Loosing a bike to some little shit head who does it for the hell of it is not cool.
Anyway.  If you see Claudie, give her a hug. If you see J, ask him to describe his bike to you.  Trust me he'll give you a detailed description!
Over and out,,

Bill Maher's republican commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xJkD18WyLw
I know Financial planning week is over,,, Officially, but c'mon!! Shouldn't we be looking at this every week?
Here is a funny little bit

Bonds,,, James Bonds,,,,

Bonds, you say??  Remember the stiff paper Canada Savings Bonds you grandparents bought you?  An institution for sure.  Over the last year and a bit as people try to shake that post traumatic stress out of their portfolio's there has been much-a-do about fixed income and bond funds.  I thought I'd do a little 101 on bond funds and what terms like "spread" and "Yield" mean.

I have to do math in round numbers or else I get really flustered so for argument sake lets take $100 and invest it in a bond. That bond has a "coupon" of $5 when it matures at some pre determined point in the future..  So, it has a return of 5%.  With me so far?  Good.  So what happens when investors go crazy for things other than bonds, such as stocks?  Well the demand for the bond goes down, so now that bond is only worth $95, but the coupon is still $5, thus the return or yield is now 10%.  Make sense?

So what happens when everyone flocks to bonds??? Ahhhh  good question.  The opposite.  The coupon is still $5 but the bond price may now be $104 due to robust demand so the yield is only 1%.  The difference between the bond price and the bond yield is called the spread.

Then how do you make money with bonds when they are in demand?  The trick is to use a good fund manager.  That person is going to take a look at the supply and demand aspects of how bonds are priced and will choose bonds that mature in a short period of time and bonds that mature over a longer period of time.  Banks, corporations and provincial and federal governments are always issuing bonds for sale.  More or less they are saying, if you give us a sum of money today, we promise to give you a sum of money at a certain period in time in the future.  Some times the spreads for having some of your money are quite attractive, even if it is just for a short period of time and other times you will have to wait it out to get your money.  Good bond fund managers will do the analytics and hold the right amount of short term and long term bonds.

Check out the gang at Beutel Goodman to see what can be achieved when bond fund trading is done well.  Their Corporate/Provincial Active Bond fund has returned over 7% in the past 10 years.  The TSX certainly has not!!  Holding some bond funds in your savings portfolio is a smart idea.  Whoda thunk they could be that interesting??

Over and out,,,,

National financial planning week

As of 12:35 this afternoon, the TSX was sitting at 12.484.13.  That's a 13.4 point drop from,,,,,,,, OMG 6 minutes ago,,,, oh wait, update flash,,, it's now at 12,487.90 only a 10.10 point drop.  All this in the time it took me to type this.  Good lord the TSX fluctuates like my weight.  Oh,, this just in,,,,,, TSX at 12,488.04 only a 9.96 point drop from previous close.  My point here folks is that we must have a long term view of the market.  Investor sentiment currently swings from mild indigestion to a full on diet of Maalox and Pepto!!

On March 09 2009 the TSX sat at a dismal 7,566.94.  I was rummaging around for tin mugs to get my soup feed ready.  As of today's markers in the mid 12,000 range we are looking at a 61% rebound in a little over a year.  On April 6 the market fell 4.4%.  On May 4th it fell 5.2%. On June 01 it fell 8.2%. on June 29 the market dropped 7.0%, and so on and so on.  My point is that for all the declines in the market, the overall trend is up.  I once heard it said last year that the market must fall in order for it to gain.  Nothing can be more true.  Have we seen massive gains in the market in the last year?  You bet.  Is the market going to fall again this year?  You bet.  Will there be money to be made this year? You bet.

My point is that it is not about timing the market.  It's about "time IN the market".  This is national financial planning week.  Many of you have plans.  That is great.  Many of you don't.  That's not so great, BUT, you can still plan.  That is great.  If you have a plan be sure to review it on a semi annual basis.  Pick up the phone and call that advisor you are paying your hard earned trailer fees to and ask them to meet with you.  You'll make their day.  Seriously.  Then have a frank discussion about what your goals are and ask the tough questions about how you can get there.  If you don't have an advisor,, well you can always call me, but you may also have someone you have been MEANING to call.  This is the week to do it.  Go on.  Take the time and make this week the week you set your security in motion.

Over and out.

Pennies for your thoughts!

In a ressession, governments should intervien and spend more money than they earn.  In periods where the ecconomy is in recovery and recoverd they should take in more than they spend.  Here is my question.  Would you rather govenments tax more or spend less? Tell me where you would like to see the spending and where you would like to see the services reduced.

Over and out,,

How do you like them apples,,,

The proliferation of negative speak happens in very much the same way that fruit goes bad.  Much like those forgotten apples in the fruit basket on the counter. Suddenly you reach for some crunch and BAM!! you are knuckle deep in soft mush

A great idea takes time to come together.  Much like a green banana brought home and left on the counter.  On the outside it is near perfect in form.  You keep eyeing it up and when you think it is as good as you would like it, you take a bite.  EESSHH sweaters on the teeth!!  Not ready yet!  Well and idea in transition to reality can look perfect in form until you start sinking your teeth into it.  It takes time to mature or ripen.

Here’s where the fruit / idea paradigm comes into play.  If an idea is perceived as a finished product before it’s time, it can leave a bad taste in your mouth.  If the idea is left too long, the effects of ethylene break it apart and it goes bad.  The problem is, a great idea often takes a very long time to come to fruition. (see where I’m drawing the parallels here?).  Community idea building moves at a pace which clashes with the fruit / idea parallel. Take our city’s trail, which will link Haileybury, New Liskeard and Dymond.  This idea is as noble in design as a banana or apple made by the big guy himself.  The problem is, completing the project takes time.  A LOT of time. It is now being subjected to negativity festering like mould.  Furthermore like rot, it is irreversible and the only way to snub it is to cut it off before it spreads any more.

This project to link the three communities has been on the drawing board for a very long time.  It has been supported in theory and funding by an overwhelming majority in our community.  It is such a shame, that only now, after the pavement has started to go down that the mould and rot is starting to surface.  There are ways around this but it takes communication, creativity, compromise and the ability to reach out to decision makers to review regulations which are blanketed and find out way’s to apply individual solutions.

We don’t want to have to separate our apples and bananas do we?  Let’s recognize the importance of resolving the challenges ahead as we continue this great project.  Cutting off the soft mushy pieces only means there is less of a good thing to go around.

How do you like them apples,, over and out

Coffee,Trash, Calculators? They all make for a great day

I believe how much you care is directly proportionate to how much you put in.  Think about parenting.  If you are not yet a parent there is a very high degree of probability you have or have had parents and know what I mean.  There is nothing as precious to you as your children, save a midnight call from an other parent that your little angel is suffering from the ill effects of your favorite bottle of scotch you've been harboring for that big day. But I digress. Today I found myself caring about a few things I don't often stop to think about, I suppose.

I'm a creature of habit.  I take my apple, my banana and my keys in hand every morning as I go out the door.  I walk the same street, make the same left then the same right whereby I end up at my morning coffee stop.  I buy my medium, half milk half sugar, exchange a few stories and head out on my way.  I stop and look in the jewelers window, then next at this funky ladies wear shop ( hold the comments folks,,, this place know's how to dress a manikin.) then I take a gander at the new pieces of art in the window of the local framing shop.  After I cross back to the original side of the street I get to my office and begin my morning boot up sequence and get on with the business of paying the bills.  After an hour and a half I stretch my legs and grab my second cup of java up the street and often shoot the breeze with folks as I wait in line.  Are you yawning yet????  Well you shouldn't be.  This life in this little town is pretty much as idyllic as it gets.  Today, on my walk for my second cup I stooped down and picked up a big hunk of plastic off the sidewalk and a few more paces I stopped and picked up an empty pack of cigarettes and without breaking step dropped them into the nearest trash can and kept on walking without much thought. At the end of the work day, I scurried around and made preparations for a board meeting.  I've been pretty active with this group for 6 years.  In the last two I've had a pretty dominant hand in the day to day operations.  Tonight we had a great board meeting.  This was not the normal tedium of going through the motions and reading piles of correspondence that you really don't have the appetite to tackle.  This was a great meeting.  Our financials are stellar, our directors are committed, our office manager could land the shuttle with a hand held calculator, we have projects with vision and are very excited to see them come to fruition. 

Caring about, and thus being rewarded were illustrated to me in plain view today.  I love this town for all it's Cleaver family parallels, and I love my involvement in my local organization.  Just like watching your children grow, mature and develop into their own persons is really a reflection of the effort you make.  Everything we work on is going to have some junk that falls off along the way.  The trick is to recognize it for what it's worth and pick it up and deal with it without breaking stride.  Drop it in the trash, don't bother with how it got there and go get your refill. :-)

Over and out

The first of hopefully frequent thoughts

Acting on inspiration;
A few weeks ago, I was introduced to someone under some pretty humorous circumstances.  Maybe down the road I'll divulge but needless to say, I love meeting new people.  A new perspective, personality, what ever, is always welcome in my world.  Living in small town northern Ontario is truly one of the most rewarding experiences one can have.  Why you ask?? For starters this place is full of great people.  It is also stunningly beautiful if you can see through the trees and rocks,, rocks and trees.  But in my mind the best part of it all is the impact you can have on your community if you apply yourself to it.  I can imagine in large centers the small fish-big pond theory is constantly at play.  In a small community you have the ability to virtually be a whale in a puddle if you choose.  Now before some of my local com padre's read this and say "Hey Whoa there cowboy, easy on the ego" I'm not suggesting I wear a tight blue jumpsuit and sport a red cape or anything like that.  What I mean is that if you are passionate about something you can really make a difference simply by committing some time to things.  And the real reward is that you can see your impact almost immediately.

It is this spirit of community involvement that I see every day around here that makes me love being a proud northern boy.  You don't have to look too hard in this place to see the touch of many dedicated hands.  So,, where the heck am I going with all this??  Funny you should ask, I'm assuming you are asking,,
K,,, here's the thing, let's flash back to the humorous introduction.  Over the last couple of weeks we have stayed in touch and I've gotten to know a little more about what said individual does for a living.  Writer, columnist, representative and ambassador would be consistent with the day to day activities.  Add motivator too.  It was suggested I start a blog.  An outlet.  A daily discipline.  That got me thinking,,, and that can be a dangerous thing.  It got me thinking about how daily writing can be put to good use to help people.  So having been duly motivated to start writing, I unveil for you today my blog.  It is my intention to use this sliver of cyber space to offer my thoughts, suggestions, advise and ask questions.  Hopefully I will be able to offer helpful, insightful or possibly completely useless but amusing tidbits of information to anyone remotely interested in reading this.

I will keep fumbling through the technology and work at completing this page.  I'll try to add content, photo's and links to make visiting my blog enjoyable and informative.  So, stay tuned,, over and out