Walletpop Canada http://www.walletpop.ca/blog Walletpop Canada http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/media/feedlogo.gif Walletpop Canada http://www.walletpop.ca/blog en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/FCAC Issues Consumer Alert on Debt Reduction Companieshttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/26/fcac-issues-consumer-alert-on-debt-reduction-companies/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/26/fcac-issues-consumer-alert-on-debt-reduction-companies/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/26/fcac-issues-consumer-alert-on-debt-reduction-companies/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Maybe you've picked up the phone recently to hear the following recording or something like it:

"Are you more than $10,000 in debt? We can help! Press #1 now to get connected with one of our agents and they can help cut you're debt in half for only a quarter of the cost."

Well, unfortunately a lot of these debt reduction agencies are nowhere near who they claim to be and most end up costing you money instead of waiving your debts. This is why The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada has issued a consumer warning against those telemarketing calls and advertisements claiming to come from debt reduction agencies or anyone who claims to provide "debt reduction," "debt relief," "debt settlement" or "debt renegotiation."

"Unfortunately, people do not always see the benefits that debt reduction companies lead them to expect-and some people wind up even deeper in debt than they were before," says FCAC Commissioner Ursula Menke. "If an offer to reduce your debts seems too good to be true, it probably is."

The usual setup promises that the company can work out a deal with your creditors so that you're able to pay back only a small percentage of what you actually owe for "pennies on the dollar." It's quite the offer, but it may actually turn into a Faustian bargain.

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FCAC Issues Consumer Alert on Debt Reduction Companies originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>debt reductiondebt reduction ompaniesDebtReductionDebtReductionOmpaniesAaron BrovermanThu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:00 ESTUniversity of Toronto Runner-Up in Sugar Baby Pollhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/26/university-of-toronto-runner-up-in-sugar-baby-poll/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/26/university-of-toronto-runner-up-in-sugar-baby-poll/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/26/university-of-toronto-runner-up-in-sugar-baby-poll/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Are you a highly successful middle aged man? You too can date sexy college co-eds at the University of Toronto, as long as you've a steady stream of cash.

The global economic climate combined with massive student loan debt have forced some girls on the UofT campus to find a creative solution when it comes to making money. It seems a lot of them turn to Seeking Arrangement -- a website that matches perspective sugar babies with the sugar daddies willing to pay them for their time (However it happens to be filled).

According to statistics recently released by the site, UofT has the second highest number of college girls, with 471 users taking advantage of the site's matchmaking capabilities. The number is second only to New York University with 498 users. In general, women out number men on the site five to one and while most of the girls leave their fee negotiable, the average seems to be between $1,000 and $5,000 per month for those that do list it on their profiles. Inevitably, there are some women who over value themselves, posting requested amounts between $10,000 and $20,000 per month without the Perfect 10 looks to back it up.

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University of Toronto Runner-Up in Sugar Baby Poll originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>establishedmen.comnew york universityNewYorkUniversityseekingarrangement.comUniversty of TorontoUniverstyOfTorontoUofTAaron BrovermanThu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 ESTWhat to Do with Unwanted Christmas Giftshttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/13/what-to-do-with-unwanted-christmas-gifts/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/13/what-to-do-with-unwanted-christmas-gifts/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/13/what-to-do-with-unwanted-christmas-gifts/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The moment is always awkward. You scramble to unwrap the biggest gift under the tree as fast and as happily as possible -- certain you know it's exactly what you asked for -- only to have sinking disappointment overcome you, as you realize that all your subtle signals were somehow lost in translation and it's not what you wanted at all.

Once you fain pure joy, say thank you and the offending party has gone home, then what do you do? Where do all the unwanted Christmas gifts go? After all, a UK survey from Gumtree revealed that unwanted Christmas gifts totaled £2.4 billion this year and that's just in one country.

No surprise that mothers give the most unwanted gifts according to one of every five people who answered the survey. Mom's horrible taste and clouded judgement was closely followed by mother-in-laws at 18% and aunts at 16%. But, what do you do with them all -- seriously?

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What to Do with Unwanted Christmas Gifts originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>unwanted giftsunwanted presentsUnwantedGiftsUnwantedPresentsAaron BrovermanFri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:00 ESTExtreme Couponing Isn't as Extreme in Canadahttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/10/extreme-couponing-isnt-as-extreme-in-canada/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/10/extreme-couponing-isnt-as-extreme-in-canada/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2012/01/10/extreme-couponing-isnt-as-extreme-in-canada/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

All us deal hunters and freebie hounds have heard the stories: There are people out there who can walk into a grocery store and walk out with hundreds of dollars worth of food using nothing but coupons and their own penchant for organization. The rest of us are left to wallow in resentment, since we know deep down we don't have the discipline for those rewards. Then that resentment is followed by a certain brand of consummerist backlash. "These people are going too far. Do they really need two hundred deoderants?"

Shows like TLC's Extreme Couponing seem to do nothing but fan those flames among us average shoppers. Yet, when you see stay at home mom Joanie Demer of McKinleyville, CA buy $638.64 worth of groceries for $2.64, there's a skeptiscm that doesn't really believe that this 98% savings is possible. Still, we all want a piece of that don't we? We all would be extreme couponers if it didn't take such dedication.

Still, is it really possible to pull it off? The show only answers that question in the affirmative for the American audience, but you hardly ever hear of extreme couponers hauling wheelbarrels full of product out of a Safeway or a Loblaws. Walletpop wanted to find out why that was and what we discovered is that there are still tricks to saving with coupons in this country, but not to a degree that's going to allow the neighbours to shop out of your garage.

Continue reading Extreme Couponing Isn't as Extreme in Canada

Extreme Couponing Isn't as Extreme in Canada originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>coupon stackingcouponsCouponStackingExtreme CouponingExtremeCouponingflyersgrocery shoppingGroceryShoppingAaron BrovermanTue, 10 Jan 2012 16:10:00 ESTThe Shark Tank Redemption: Shark Investor Kevin O'Leary Turns Ex-Cons into Entrepeneurs on 'Redemption Inc.'http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/30/the-shark-tank-redemption-shark-investor-kevin-oleary-turns-ex/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/30/the-shark-tank-redemption-shark-investor-kevin-oleary-turns-ex/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/30/the-shark-tank-redemption-shark-investor-kevin-oleary-turns-ex/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Redemption Inc. is a CBC reality show that sees ten ex-cons vie for an opportunity that has been "Kevin sent" -- as in, Kevin O'Leary.

The chairman of O'Leary Funds, best known as the most acerbic venture capitalist on Dragon's Den and Shark Tank will be showing his softer side in 2012 by investing $100,000 of his own money into the business of a reformed criminal, giving them a second chance at a productive and fulfilling life, when no one else will employ them.

If you ask him though, he's the same money loving free-market philosopher he's always been. He's simply responding to an entrepreneurial spirit that has always been there among these people and redirecting it to the right side of the law.

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The Shark Tank Redemption: Shark Investor Kevin O'Leary Turns Ex-Cons into Entrepeneurs on 'Redemption Inc.' originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cbcdragons denDragonsDenKevin OLearyKevinOlearyRedemption Inc.RedemptionInc.shark tankSharkTankAaron BrovermanFri, 30 Dec 2011 13:00:00 ESTThe Chimp Fund: Removing Monkey Business from Charitable Givinghttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/23/the-chimp-fund-removing-monkey-business-from-charitable-giving/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/23/the-chimp-fund-removing-monkey-business-from-charitable-giving/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/23/the-chimp-fund-removing-monkey-business-from-charitable-giving/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Chimp FundWhen it comes to giving to charity, so much of it comes down to raising awareness through various fundraising initiatives, but what if regular people could give like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Brad Pitt do?

Enter Chimp -- an online bank account that makes giving to charity so easy a monkey could do it.

The Vancouver-based fund is inspired by the strategic and structured giving practices employed by private foundations, such as The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with the goal of making donating much easier for the average Joe.

Founded by John Bromley, the vice-president of the Vancouver-based Benific Group, a firm providing legal and operational advice to Canadian charities, Chimp allows anyone to donate any amount to any Canadian charity as often as they want, or give their funds to a friend so they can donate. Then, at the end of the year, all your donations are organized for you on a single tax-receipt.

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The Chimp Fund: Removing Monkey Business from Charitable Giving originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>BenificBill Gatesbrad pittBradPittchimpChimp FundChimpFundchimpingJohn BromleyJohnBromleyMelinda Gatesthe benefic groupTheBeneficGroupAaron BrovermanFri, 23 Dec 2011 23:12:00 ESTThe Top 30 Celebrities Who Gave the Most to Charity in 2011http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/23/the-top-30-celebrities-who-gave-the-most-to-charity-in-2011/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/23/the-top-30-celebrities-who-gave-the-most-to-charity-in-2011/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/23/the-top-30-celebrities-who-gave-the-most-to-charity-in-2011/#commentsFiled under:

celebritiesEvery year The Give Back Fund, a philanthropic management and consulting firm for the entertainment and sports industries, releases it's Give Back 30 - the 30 entertainment professionals and athletes who donated the most to charity during the year, according to public records.

We have the complete and exclusive list below. Find out who topped the list of supreme givers this year. To view the gallery, click here or on the picture below:

The Top 30 Celebrities Who Gave the Most to Charity in 2011 originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>celebritiesdonationsmoneyAaron BrovermanFri, 23 Dec 2011 11:50:00 ESTDamn You Zuckerberg! Missing Facebook Messages Could Cost Youhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/damn-you-zuckerberg-missing-facebook-messages-could-cost-you/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/damn-you-zuckerberg-missing-facebook-messages-could-cost-you/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/damn-you-zuckerberg-missing-facebook-messages-could-cost-you/#commentsFiled under: , ,

FacebookThe irony of finding out what Facebook is hiding from me through Facebook is not lost on me.

It happened yesterday when a Facebook friend posted this article from Slate and I discovered that there were over 100 messages in my Facebook inbox that I had never even seen until right that moment.

Granted, the experience wasn't as harrowing as the one recounted in the article where the author only found out that a man had found her lost laptop a month after she already bought a new one and seemingly moved on, but I still missed a message from a source who was trying to confirm and interview we had scheduled.

I also probably came across as an antisocial prick after failing to respond to a beautiful woman who recounted, "How wonderful it was to meet me" at a party the night before. It was sent back in September. It can be worse, some people reported missing job opportunities sent to them by recruiters and a friend of mine missed at least two summer BBQ invitations that were sent out in July.

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Damn You Zuckerberg! Missing Facebook Messages Could Cost You originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>facebookinboxMark ZuckerbergMarkZuckerbergmessagesslateAaron BrovermanTue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:00 ESTWhat Celebrities Taught Us About Money in 2011http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/what-celebrities-taught-us-about-money-in-2011/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/what-celebrities-taught-us-about-money-in-2011/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/what-celebrities-taught-us-about-money-in-2011/#commentsFiled under: ,

celebritiesThe tabloids will never get tired of writing about celebrity meltdowns and for good reason - we never seem to get tired of hearing about them.

But if you can look past the obvious juicy tidbits of affairs, drug charges and other sordid details, there are lessons to be learned. And some of the best ways to learn what not to do are to study those who have already done them.

To find out what insightful lessons Lindsay Lohan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Kim Kardashian taught us in 2011, click on this link to get to view the gallery, or click on the picture below.

http://www.walletpop.ca/gallery/celebrity-money-lessons-in-2011/4691823/

What Celebrities Taught Us About Money in 2011 originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>celebritiescelebsmoneyTiger WoodsAaron BrovermanTue, 20 Dec 2011 13:01:00 ESTProtecting Yourself on Penny Auction Siteshttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/protecting-yourself-on-penny-auction-sites/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/protecting-yourself-on-penny-auction-sites/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/protecting-yourself-on-penny-auction-sites/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Penny AuctionsSwipebids.com promised almost unheard of discounts on iPods, TVs, kitchen appliances, computers and gift cards, but all it ended up doing was swiping bidders' money.

They were an Alberta-based penny auction site investigated and subsequently shutdown by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission amid evidence of fraud. Like other penny auction destinations, Swipe Bids invited customers to buy bids in multiples of ten or more for between $0.50 and a $1.00 each. Those bids are typically used to try and win the auction item and each one brings the item's price up by a penny. On legitimate penny auction sites, like Quibids.com, any unused bids are banked on your account until you use them for the next auction.

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Protecting Yourself on Penny Auction Sites originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>better business bureauBetterBusinessBureauentertainment auctions associationsEntertainmentAuctionsAssociationsquibids.comswipebidsAaron BrovermanTue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST'McMafia' and 'DarkMarket' Author Misha Glenny Takes You Inside the Mind of a Hackerhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/mcmafia-and-darkmarket-author-misha-glenny-takes-you-inside/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/mcmafia-and-darkmarket-author-misha-glenny-takes-you-inside/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/20/mcmafia-and-darkmarket-author-misha-glenny-takes-you-inside/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Misha GlennyAs I write this, the former website of Toronto's infamous mayor Rob Ford is being hacked.

Whether your seeing "Rob, we're sorry!" and being redirected to the mayor's print media nemesis, Toronto Star or your on the westcoast and seeing, "Rob Ford (January 31, 1862 - June 8, 1892) was an American outlaw best known for killing his own gang leader Jesse James in 1882," before being redirected to the outlaw's Wikipedia page, there is probably a hacker behind that move.

We know them as those anonymous operators who break into our bank accounts and steal our identities from the comfort of our own homes, but beyond that -- Who are these guys?

One man who knows more of that answer than most is Misha Glenny. The international best-selling author of McMafia interviewed countless hackers and the people who try to catch them for his new non-fiction crime thriller, DarkMarket: Cyber Thieves, Cyber Cops and You [Anansi Press].

Walletpop Canada reviewed the book a few weeks ago and we sat down with Glenny himself as he discussed what precipitated his expertise in the world's international underworld, where he falls in the personal privacy vs. national security debate and what people should do to protect their data online.

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'McMafia' and 'DarkMarket' Author Misha Glenny Takes You Inside the Mind of a Hacker originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cybercimeDarkMarkethackersMcMafiamisha glennyMishaGlennyAaron BrovermanTue, 20 Dec 2011 10:00:00 ESTWhy Canadian Liquor Stores Check Out of the Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Codehttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/19/why-canadian-liquor-stores-check-out-of-the-scanner-price-accura/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/19/why-canadian-liquor-stores-check-out-of-the-scanner-price-accura/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/19/why-canadian-liquor-stores-check-out-of-the-scanner-price-accura/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Canadian LiquorI bet you didn't even know this.

Thanks to the Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code, when the scanner price of a non-stickered item is higher than the shelf price, or any other displayed price, shoppers receive that item for free (up to $10). When a price is affixed to the item, the lowest price between the scanner price and the sticker price is applied and when two items are incorrectly priced, the first item will be free up to a maximum of $10, while the second item will be sold at the correct price.

Pretty sweet, huh? More than 10,000 retail outlets and grocery stores across Canada offer this little-known freebie that applies to all UPC code and price look-up merchandise, with the exception of prescription drugs, as long as the store is a participating member of the code. Unfortunately, liquor stores are not and I wanted to find out why.

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Why Canadian Liquor Stores Check Out of the Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>lcboliquor control board of canadaliquor distribution branchLiquorControlBoardOfCanadaLiquorDistributionBranchscanner price accuracy Voluntary codeScannerPriceAccuracyVoluntaryCodeAaron BrovermanMon, 19 Dec 2011 09:30:00 ESTThe Nanny Share: Combined Family Childcare for Savings and Flexibilityhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/14/the-nanny-share-combined-family-childcare-for-savings-and-flexi/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/14/the-nanny-share-combined-family-childcare-for-savings-and-flexi/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/14/the-nanny-share-combined-family-childcare-for-savings-and-flexi/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Nanny sharing -- it's not as erotic as it sounds.

No, there will be no passing the punch bowl and dropping in your keys because all nanny sharing comes down to, is a strategy parents can employ to make childcare more cost-effective.

There are many ways to do it, but like the childcare equivalent of the carpool, it essentially comes down to two families (or more, in rare cases) sharing the childcare capabilities of one nanny. As bills mount up, maternity and paternity leave starts to ebb away and the search for adequate childcare that fits your family's circumstances becomes more and more stressful, the nanny share starts looking like a more and more viable option -- at least it did for my friends Laura and Neil Ziniuk.

"In Vancouver, there's such a shortage of daycare that people tell you that as soon as you find out you're pregnant, you need to get on waitlists for daycares and we did that literally when I was three to four months pregnant, but we didn't hear back from most of the daycares we applied to and for almost three years we never even got called up for an interview," says Laura.

So, the couple took matters into their own hands after hearing about the nanny share from another friend and other new parents who raved about the individualized care their child was receiving that you just can't get in a daycare setting.

"We decided that we wanted to have the nanny at our house," continues Laura. "Just so we could have that extra benefit of not having to go anywhere. So, it's always at our house and for that privilege we pay a little bit more."

There are many ways to organize a nanny share, the way the Ziniuks do it is just one in a long list of variations.

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The Nanny Share: Combined Family Childcare for Savings and Flexibility originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>nanny sharenanny sharingNannyShareNannySharingAaron BrovermanWed, 14 Dec 2011 16:30:00 ESTTop 10 Financial New Year's Resolutions You Should Be Makinghttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/08/top-10-financial-new-years-resolutions-you-should-be-making/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/08/top-10-financial-new-years-resolutions-you-should-be-making/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/08/top-10-financial-new-years-resolutions-you-should-be-making/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

The first days of a new year always bring with them a need to clean the slate and pledge new resolutions with the best of intentions behind them, but while the focus of these are usually on health and wellness, many forget that a healthy financial life is just as important in many ways.

Not only can such a thing free you to pursue your many life goals and dreams, but free you emotionally from the added stress of crushing debt.

This is why these days you see just as many money motivated resolutions right alongside the recommendations that deal with diet and exercise.

Yet with so many out there to follow, it can be hard to determine what is the best and most universally applicable financial advice. So here are ten diamonds in the rough we think everyone should take notice of.

1. Resolve Your Debts -- This is the one resolution that must be tackled before everything else, but it's also the one that takes the most discipline. The quickest path to living debt-free is to cut your spending and put the extra money in your budget towards paying off your debt a little at a time. The key is sticking with it, but you don't have to do it alone. A credit counselor can go over your strategy and support your effort, while a debt reduction service can settle debts over $10,000 to a smaller, more manageable amount for a fee.


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Top 10 Financial New Year's Resolutions You Should Be Making originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Aaron BrovermanThu, 08 Dec 2011 09:00:00 ESTCanada Raises Mo' Money Than Any Other Country for Movemberhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/02/canada-raises-mo-money-than-any-other-country-for-movember/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/02/canada-raises-mo-money-than-any-other-country-for-movember/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/12/02/canada-raises-mo-money-than-any-other-country-for-movember/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Mo' Canadian men than ever donated their upper lips to fight prostate cancer this Movember, raising a stash of over $35 million -- the most of any country in the world.

245,000 Mo Bros registered at http://www.movember.com, chronicling their journey towards moustachedom with a photo series and setting up a network to garner donations that would eventually go to Prostate Cancer Canada. The agency plans to use the money for ongoing research and survivor-support programs.

According to the Prostate Cancer Canada website, "The organization was first approached by Movember and introduced to the "Mo" in 2007. The first year saw 9,400 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas raise $545,000 across Canada.They came back with $22.3 million in 2010 and added another $10 million and change this year."

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Canada Raises Mo' Money Than Any Other Country for Movember originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>movemberMovember Canadamovember-2011MovemberCanadaMovemberFoundationAaron BrovermanFri, 02 Dec 2011 11:00:00 ESTMisha Glenny's Dark Market: Skimmers, New Identities and Stolen Credit Cards all Inside the Hacker's Bazaarhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/18/misha-glennys-dark-market-skimmers-new-identities-and-stolen/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/18/misha-glennys-dark-market-skimmers-new-identities-and-stolen/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/18/misha-glennys-dark-market-skimmers-new-identities-and-stolen/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Dark MarketAt some point, we all know the traditional tips for protecting our bank accounts from cyberthieves: never respond to an e-mail claiming to be your bank or credit card company requesting your full name, account number and account password -- this is a phishing scam. Always cover the PIN pad on a point-of-sale [POS] terminal, in case a hacker has installed a skimmer and a pin-hole camera over the original POS terminal to read the magnetic strip on your credit or debit card and record your PIN number.

What we never know however, is who these hackers are. Well, wonder no more. Misha Glenny, author of 2009's immensely popular McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld, has lifted the veil on the seedy side of cyberspace. He interviews the cyber criminals who rip you off and the cops who are trying to catch them, with a cinematic specificity that makes the reader feel like they're following their every move and is inside their heads.

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Misha Glenny's Dark Market: Skimmers, New Identities and Stolen Credit Cards all Inside the Hacker's Bazaar originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Dark MarketDarkMarketMcMafiamisha glennyMishaGlennyAaron BrovermanFri, 18 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST5 Things to Know When Sending Money Abroadhttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/15/5-things-to-know-when-sending-money-abroad/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/15/5-things-to-know-when-sending-money-abroad/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/15/5-things-to-know-when-sending-money-abroad/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada has released five tips to consider before you send money to countries around the world. Of course, most people use private firms to send money like Western Union, but the costs to do so can be extremely high.

"It can be frustrating for consumers to discover that the amount they send from Canada is not the same as the amount the recipient gets," explains FCAC Commissioner Ursula Menke. "This is why it is important to take the time to find out, to ask questions and to make sure you fully understand all of the costs a transfer of funds can involve."

Banks, credit unions and cooperative banks also offer money transfer services, but no matter what you use, the FCAC recommends the following:

Continue reading 5 Things to Know When Sending Money Abroad

5 Things to Know When Sending Money Abroad originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>sending moneySendingMoneywiring moneyWiringMoneyAaron BrovermanTue, 15 Nov 2011 10:05:00 ESTThe Flash Rob: Forget the Choreography, Say Hello to the Flash Mob's Criminal Counterparthttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/08/the-flash-rob-forget-the-choreography-say-hello-to-the-flash-m/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/08/the-flash-rob-forget-the-choreography-say-hello-to-the-flash-m/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/08/the-flash-rob-forget-the-choreography-say-hello-to-the-flash-m/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

On a hot summer evening in July, the locusts descended on The Quickie Convenience Store in Ottawa.

A few minutes to midnight on July 16, 40 young people of all shapes, creeds and colours swarmed the store, grabbing everything in sight and then disappeared faster than the clerk on duty that night could say, "What the f--- just happened?"

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The Flash Rob: Forget the Choreography, Say Hello to the Flash Mob's Criminal Counterpart originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>criminal flash mobCriminalFlashMobflash mobflash robFlashMobFlashRobAaron BrovermanTue, 08 Nov 2011 10:00:00 ESTOnline Shoppers Beware: You Could Be Paying Morehttp://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/04/online-shoppers-beware-you-could-be-paying-more/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/04/online-shoppers-beware-you-could-be-paying-more/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/04/online-shoppers-beware-you-could-be-paying-more/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

For years, people knew Tuesdays meant a cheap movie ticket and no one is ever surprised to learn that they'll be asked to pay a higher, inflated price if they show up on a used car lot in an Armani suit.

This is just those same old dynamic pricing strategies that have been around for years, the ones that have been well publicized and long understood tactics in a capitalist society.

But what if that Armani lifestyle (your income, your neighbourhood, your three-car garage, etc.) are affecting you in ways completely beyond your control? What if thanks to that lifestyle or your browsing history or some other unknown variable, you're being charged a higher price for the things you buy online than the last guy who bought the same item?

Continue reading Online Shoppers Beware: You Could Be Paying More

Online Shoppers Beware: You Could Be Paying More originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dynamic pricingDynamicPricingonline dynamic pricingOnlineDynamicPricingprice discriminationPriceDiscriminationprivacyAaron BrovermanFri, 04 Nov 2011 17:57:00 ESTWhy Do Canadians Always Pay More Than Americans Even When the Dollar is at Parity?http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/03/why-do-canadians-always-pay-more-than-americans-even-when-the-do/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/03/why-do-canadians-always-pay-more-than-americans-even-when-the-do/http://www.walletpop.ca/blog/2011/11/03/why-do-canadians-always-pay-more-than-americans-even-when-the-do/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Canadian dollar is once again in free-fall today, but if you read one of our most popular posts here at Walletpop -- Extreme Couponing isn't as Extreme in Canada -- one of the biggest recurring questions asked was, "Why do Canadians pay more for everything even when our dollar is worth more stateside, or at least at parity?"

Well, when our readers ask questions, we listen. We sent our sleuths to find an answer and I believe we've come up with something definitive.

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Why Do Canadians Always Pay More Than Americans Even When the Dollar is at Parity? originally appeared on Walletpop Canada on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>American dollarAmericanDollarBMO Capital MarketsBMO Nesbitt BurnsBmoCapitalMarketsBmoNesbittBurnsCanadian dollarCanadianDollarConsumer assocition of CanadaConsumerAssocitionOfCanadajim flahertyJimFlahertyparityAaron BrovermanThu, 03 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST