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Planning a Summer Getaway? Don't Forget Travel Insurance

Thinking about a summer vacation? Learn why travel insurance should be on your checklist.

Covers the essentials of travel insurance, what to look for, and why it can save you money and stress when travelling.

When Tuna's on Sale, Stock Up: Investing Lessons from the 2025 Market Dip

See how a grocery store sale and a market downturn have more in common than you think.

Explains how smart investing during downturns is similar to stocking up during sales, with practical tips from the 2025 market dip.

Planning a Summer Getaway? Make Sure You're Covered

Don't let your summer vacation plans go wrong—know what insurance you need before you go.

Outlines important insurance options for travellers, including health, trip cancellation, and lost luggage coverage.

When to Take Canada Pension Plan: A Crucial Decision for Retirement

Explore optimal timing for taking your Canada Pension Plan to enhance your retirement planning.

Discusses the optimal timing for taking your Canada Pension Plan and the important factors for retirement planning.

Reduce Your Tax Burden with Credits and Deductions

Discover strategies to minimize your taxes using available credits and deductions.

Explores various tax credits and deductions Canadians can use to lower their tax liability.

Flow-Through Shares: A Tax-Smart Investment in Canada's Resources

Explore how flow-through shares can offer significant tax advantages when investing in Canada's natural resource sector.

Examines the benefits and considerations of investing in flow-through shares as a way to reduce taxable income while supporting Canadian resource companies.

Disability Tax Credit: More Than a Tax Break for Canadians with Disabilities

Understand the broader benefits of the Disability Tax Credit beyond its immediate tax savings for Canadians with disabilities.

Delves into how the Disability Tax Credit provides financial support and access to additional government programs, enhancing quality of life for eligible Canadians.

Investing in Real Estate Without Owning Property with REITs

Learn how Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) allow you to invest in property markets without the hassles of direct ownership.

Outlines the structure, advantages, and risks of REITs as a vehicle for gaining exposure to real estate assets.

Why Critical Illness Insurance Could Be a Lifesaver

Discover how critical illness insurance can provide essential financial protection during serious health events.

Explains the importance of critical illness insurance, what it covers, and how to determine if it's right for you.

FHSA: A Tax-Smart Path to Homeownership for First-Time Buyers

Find out how the First Home Savings Account (FHSA) can help first-time homebuyers save for a down payment with tax benefits.

Explores the features of the FHSA, contribution limits, and how Canadians can use it to efficiently prepare for their first home purchase.

RESPs: Planning for Your Child's Education in Canada

Plan ahead for your child's post-secondary education by understanding Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) and their benefits.

Covers how RESPs work, government grants available, and strategies to maximize savings for your child's future education.

When to Take Canada Pension Plan: A Crucial Decision for Retirement

Explore optimal timing for taking your Canada Pension Plan to enhance your retirement planning.

This article discusses the optimal timing for taking your Canada Pension Plan and the important factors for retirement planning.

How to Maximize Your TFSA Investments

Discover tips and strategies to get the most out of your TFSA investments.

Learn strategies to optimize your TFSA and make the most of your investments.

Powerful Tool Available for First-Time Homebuyers

Learn about an innovative tool designed to simplify the home buying process for newcomers.

Discover an innovative tool designed to help first-time homebuyers navigate the market.

Investors May Continue to View U.S. Market as Favorable Despite Tariffs

Read an opinion on how tariffs are affecting investor sentiment towards the U.S. market.

An opinion piece examining investor sentiment towards the U.S. market amid ongoing tariffs.

Why Your Teenager Should File a Tax Return

Understand the benefits and life lessons behind filing a tax return early.

This column explains the benefits and life lessons for teenagers filing a tax return early.

Term Life Insurance vs Mortgage Life Insurance: What You Need to Know

Compare the benefits and drawbacks of term life insurance and mortgage life insurance.

Compare the pros and cons of term life insurance versus mortgage life insurance for your peace of mind.

Effective Tax-Efficient Charitable Giving with Donor Advised Funds

Get insights on optimizing your charitable giving through donor advised funds.

An insightful look at how donor advised funds can optimize your charitable giving strategies.

Origins & Expressions of Money

Explore the beginnings of currency and the colorful phrases we still use today.

💵 Currency and History

  • First Paper Money: First used in China during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD).
  • Ancient Coins: First metal coins appeared around 600 BCE in Lydia (modern Turkey).
  • Largest Bill: U.S. $100,000 note (1934), only for inter-bank use.
  • “$” Symbol: Likely evolved from overlapping Spanish peso “P” and “S.”
  • First ATM: Installed in London in 1967; inventor John Shepherd-Barron.

🏛 Historical Tidbits

  • Wampum: Native Americans used shell beads as money.
  • Tulip Mania: 1637 Dutch tulip-bulb bubble—the first recorded financial bubble.
  • Salt Wages: Roman soldiers paid in salt (“worth his salt”).
  • Europe’s First Banknotes: Sweden, 1661.

📜 Money Phrases & Expressions

  • “Buck” Origin: Trading deer skins (“bucks”).
  • “Cold Hard Cash”: Refers to the metallic coldness of coins.
  • “Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees”: Emphasizing scarcity.

Material & Security of Money

Delve into what money is made of and the security features that protect it.

💳 Money Material

  • U.S. Bills: 75% cotton, 25% linen—no wood pulp paper.
  • Polymer Notes: Australia introduced plastic bills in 1988.
  • Circulation Lifespan: Coins ∼30 years; bills ∼18 months.

🔍 Hidden Features

  • Secret Imagery: Tiny owl or spider on the U.S. $1 bill.
  • Security Elements: Watermarks, holograms, UV-reactive inks.
  • Microprinting: Extremely small text to foil counterfeiters.
  • Intaglio Printing: Raised ink you can feel by touch.

🪙 Coins and Quirks

  • Coin Toss Bias: Lands on its starting side about 51% of the time.
  • Penny Cost: Costs ∼2 ¢ to mint a 1 ¢ coin.
  • Numismatics: The study and collection of coins.
  • Largest Coin: Australia’s 2011 pure-gold, 1-ton legal-tender coin.
  • Mint Marks: Small letters identifying the mint of origin.

Global Currency Systems

Discover how money operates worldwide and the institutions that safeguard it.

🌍 Global Money Facts

  • Most Traded: U.S. dollar involved in ≈88% of forex trades.
  • Weakest Currencies: Iranian Rial & Venezuelan Bolívar.
  • Strongest Currency: Kuwaiti Dinar.
  • Euro Launch: Notes & coins introduced January 1, 2002.
  • Zimbabwe Hyperinflation: $100 trillion note issued 2008.

🏦 Banks & Vaults

  • Largest Gold Reserve: Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
  • Most Secure Vault: Fort Knox, USA.
  • Oldest Bank: Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (est. 1472).
  • First Credit Card: Diners Club, 1950.

🧮 Economic Oddities

  • Pennies Accumulate: Lost or discarded pennies total millions each year.

Psychology & Trivia of Money

Uncover the quirks of how we think about money and some fun trivia.

💰 Money Psychology

  • Happiness Threshold: Well-being rises with income up to ≈$75 000/year.
  • Spending Habits: People spend less when using cash vs. card.
  • Chrometophobia: Irrational fear of money.
  • New Money Smell: Unique scent from cotton-linen blend.

💡 Money Trivia

  • Piggy Bank: Evolved from “pygg” clay jars into the pig shape.
  • Richest Individual: John D. Rockefeller (inflation-adjusted).
  • Monopoly Money: More printed annually than many real currencies.
  • Forex Market: Largest financial market—∼$7 trillion/day.

📉 Money Mistakes & Mishaps

  • Misprints: Some errors fetch thousands of times face value.
  • Bank Errors: Occasional accidental large deposits into wrong accounts.

Rare & Space-Bound Currency

From the most expensive coins to currency beyond Earth’s bounds.

🌌 Money in Space

  • Space Coins: Astronauts carry commemorative coins into orbit.
  • Space Currency: Proposals exist for off-world monetary systems.

🤑 High-Dollar Items

  • 1933 Double Eagle: U.S. gold coin sold for over $18 million.
  • Bitcoin’s First Price: $0.0008 in 2010, now worth thousands.