As we close out 2018, and the personal finance team enjoys their holidays, here is our contribution to the best-of lists that are crowding your inbox this time of year: the top Rob Carrick stories that Globe readers enjoyed in 2018.
1) Mortgage renewals in 2018: Prepare for nasty rate surprises. Housing is nothing short of a Canadian obsession so this March column on rising mortgage rates and the recent mortgage stress test caught reader’s attentions.
2) This might be the most useful savings account in Canada. This headline made waves, as did the story about how an insurance company managed to out-innovate everyone in making savings accounts more useful for everyday banking.
3) This is the No. 1 wealth-killer in your household budget. Cars are a big contributor to rising debt levels among Canadians, especially as vehicle loans get stretched out over longer periods of time. Here are three tips for limiting car spending.
4) Sold your home? CRA may penalize you if you fail to report it. This big tax change had many people clicking: Failing to report the sale of your principal residence on your income tax return means you could be fined as much as $8,000.
5) Toronto is no city for young people. These numbers show how rising rents are squeezing young Toronto residents. Rent for a single person came in at $1,672 per month on average, up more than $300 from a year ago. On a pre-tax basis, you’d need to earn at least $40,583 to make enough to live a young person’s typical life in Toronto.
6) RRSPs are getting a bum rap as a tax trap. There is loss of respect for RRSPs, especially among those angry about high tax rates when they take out money, but this tax expert’s research shows why they are still a valuable retirement savings tool.
7) Bank of Canada wants rates back to normal - here’s what that means for your mortgage, line of credit. Rising interest rates have all borrowers hot under the collar and in this story Rob breaks down exactly what that means for people with debt.
8) Rob Carrick’s 2018 ETF Buyer’s Guide: Best bond funds (for Globe Unlimited subscribers). ETFs might not seem like an optimal choice in a rising interest rate world. Despite that, this investing column focusing on core bond ETFs was a hit with readers back in March.
9) You may have to work until 70 to afford a house: Mortgage rates are heading higher. Young people ask us all the time if they can afford to get into the housing market. The answer is yes, but you might need to work longer. Read on.
10) 60 through 70: At what age should you start taking CPP? We spent months working on this retirement calculator, designed to help our readers decide when they should take CPP. The options are to start early, take it at 65, or delay.
Thanks again for subscribing to the Carrick on Money newsletter. Happy holidays to you all.
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Other Globe lists and long reads:
- From the struggles of new dads to murder and lies: Catch up on The Globe’s best long reads of 2018 (for Globe Unlimited subscribers)
- What the most accurate market forecaster of 2018 sees coming in the year ahead (for Globe Unlimited subscribers)
- The Globe and Mail’s top 10 films of 2018 (for Globe Unlimited subscribers)
- Six unheralded TV gems you won’t see on the best-of lists, from the Globe’s television critic
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