Credit Card Base

 After months of lack-luster sales and falling prices preliminary figures show that condos performed better in February than single family homes. The average sale price for condos in Edmonton dropped from about $240k in September to $216k in January, but rebounded in February to $230,905. Single family homes meanwhile were unchanged from January at $361,527:

Edmonton real estate prices

On a price per square foot basis both types of properties increased in February – condos went from $215/square foot in January (the lowest its been in two years) to $223/square foot. Meanwhile single family homes sold on average for $250/square foot, up from $248 in January but down from $258 last February:

Edmonton home prices per square foot

Sales of both condos and single family homes were below average and lower than last year, but condos were slightly ahead of the low year of 2009, while single family homes were right on par: 

Edmonton Condo Sales

Edmonton home sales

As always, these numbers represent MLS® sales for the city of Edmonton only. Whe

Full Article…

Let’s forget credit card companies and the various ways they conspire to squeeze more money out of you for a moment. That’s a dead horse that’s already been beaten too many times with no resolution in sight. Instead, let’s focus our attention on banks. I can accept the fact that burying my money out in the backyard is not the acceptable way of “making it grow”. However, what I can’t swallow is all the sneaky, underhanded ways banks think up to use my money for their profit.

Fees for Foreign Transactions

Anyone would be excited to go on vacation, right? Most of the time, credit cards and travelers’ checks are sufficient to cover the cost of any expense incurred, and you won’t have to worry about not having enough money on you.

The bad news is, credit card issuers can charge up to 5% of the expenditure to grant you the convenience of using your own credit card outside the country. Not only that, th

Full Article…

Many things become shared when you tie the knot – a home, holidays, and the remote control. What many people may not think strongly enough about – shared finances – can often become the white elephant in the room if a couple isn’t careful. Sharing a credit card, and finances in general, can be a wonderful thing when you are married, but it can also lead to disagreements and tension in your home.

Usually good communication and responsible behavior can lead to a successful financial partnership. Not all shared credit card experiences will be the same from one couple to the next. As long as you and your spouse are on the same page with your expectations and goals for your joint credit card account, things should go well for you. Consider these tips on sharing a credit card with your spouse.

Stay in constant communication. Don’t just use your credit card frivolously.

Full Article…

We all know times are tight right now, with so many unemployed and tons more losing their houses to foreclosure. It’s a really sad situation and one that we all hope turns around relatively soon. In the meantime, however, we all still need to keep on living — and that means that we often need to spend money on things for our family or our homes in order to keep everything in order. But these expenses can add up quickly, especially for repairs if you are a homeowner and need to pay for everything yourself (those expensive repairs are when I am thankful I am a renter!), so careful planning and discussion amongst friends prior to making big purchases can really help out your bottom line.

When I was growing up some of my neighbors shared a high-end lawnmower and an expensive snow-blower between them, which cut their initial investment and any recurring costs of ownership right in half. I t

Full Article…

Frugality is a virtue worth cultivating, but there are those of us whose desire to put money away means doing things that result in them missing the bigger picture when it comes to budgeting and savings.

Hoarders Unlimited

On the face of it, ensuring you have emergency funds is sensible. However, it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate your goals when it hampers your quality of life. Signs of stinginess include having few or no friends resulting from a reluctance to go out, or opting to wait 3 hours before eating (though you’re starving) so you can take advantage of a $2 discount at the local diner. It goes penny-pinching and is a sign you’ve gone completely overboard.

If you recognize yourself, or someone you know in this description, you might want to have a chat with a financial planner to put the fears to rest. At th

Full Article…

It’s pretty much guaranteed that if you are looking to save money on anything you need to buy, you’re better off buying whatever it is online. I am a big supporter of buying local when I can, but sometimes the extra cost is just too much to take, especially on some big-ticket items. For example, I recently bought tires online to save a ton of money, but I did have them installed by a small local independent shop rather than my nearest Costco or Sears. I think it is important to find a healthy balance between saving money and supporting your local economy, so I try my best. Online shopping, though, is where you can find major savings, especially if you do a little homework before hitting the “BUY” button.

My biggest tip for saving money when shopping online is to think before you buy. The internet makes it just so easy to click that Buy Now button without giving too much thought to your actions, and sometimes that behavior can put you in the poorhouse. So befo

Full Article…

Some accounts indicate consumer protection reforms of 2010 helped people reduce consumer debt last year, despite grim projections for some on its potential effects. After the passing of the CARD Act, credit card interest rate hikes subsided and the trend toward reducing overall credit debt continued in America, although the debit interchange reform is likely to see the death of many free banking services thanks to its channeling revenue streams. Still, revolving credit debit currently stands at only 800.5 billion, nearly its lowest point in two years, and some issuers have actually eliminated fees like penalty APRs for cardholders who miss payments. These conclusions, drawn by a BillShrink personal debt survey, also show the CARD Act prevented issuers from raising certain rates, in addition to other notable provisions including 45 days’ notice on fee and rate changes and a cap on penalty fees so that they don’t exceed the cost of the offense that activated the fee .

Full Article…