Social Icons

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Financial Montreal Horror Stories: the facts and only the facts

This week was pretty easy at work or should I say so far, as my week is not over yet. I did my regular shift without doing any extra hours. I could have done plenty of hours, but I have to say 30 hours a week is enough. Not to mention I also have my weekend job. I am working again this weekend and it’s looking like there will be work for the upcoming weeks. But that job can be quite tricky as sometime I am getting push away for a lack of work or whatever reason is. In a past recent post, I wrote about « horror stories » (right on time for Halloween isn’t?) I live in different Montreal financial institutions and I find pretty releasing. I a mat point where I just want to have things done my way and I find people extremely difficult to deal with here in Montreal.

This being said, those horror stories are related to financial services only. I don’t think Quebeckers generally speaking are to blame even if I often write something life f Quebeckers or other things like it, but that really release me. Also, there’s something bad in Quebeckers, something that in deep in their essence. It’s in them, they cannot hide it. It’s ignorance, it’s a French mentality.

No way could I talk to someone about my bad services in Montreal financial system. I think no one would have understood me anyway. I find my blog the perfect place where to scream and why not – share my experiences with other. Because living in Quebec province is being 24 hours a day on a surviving mode. Taxes are the highest in North America, jobs are low paying (a teller job at BMO Bank of Montreal – Montreal call center was only offering 28 500$ (before taxes!!!) just to provide an example) and it’s extremely difficult to deal with Quebec financial representatives, at the exception of an institution located in Brossard and just a few other.

Here in Quebec province, it’s hard to get things done. To accomplish myself financially, I had a plan, and while having that plan in mind I wanted my choices to be respected. You can read in one of my previous post that it is extremely difficult to get things done here in Montreal and people need to be aware of that. Of the stupidity of Quebeckers. But thanks to the Macleans, I think that now Canadians and the rest of the world – now people are a bit more aware of what’s going on in Quebec province. It’s the latest place in Canada where I wanted to live. I might explain the main reason why I am being stuck here in Montreal in a next post or so. I have a lot to tell and I want to aware people of Quebeckers and I want everyone to know what I had been through so that maybe yourself can avoid situations involving Quebeckers that could financially and morally hurt you. Because living in Quebec province is a complete misery. But shouldn’t be scare of them, keep your last word on everything you want and you will get everything you want. Because the banks are Canadian institutions, not provincial. So basically, it’s the same thing for everyone. It’s just those Quebec jerks who are making things complicated. And see where they are now. So don’t be afraid of them. Some will lie, cheat on you, make fun of you, disrespect you, but feel free to spill on them. Just the way you want. Quebec province is a shame for Canadians like myself and when I say that you don’t need to be afraid, you don’t need to be afraid.

I am now at 108 259.57$

I just cannot say how I felt when I saw that – again today – the TSX gains some extra valuable points! Like wow! It’s unbelievable! So right work, I went home as soon as I could and “jump” on my computer, working at updating my investment portfolio… And there found out that now I am at 108 259.57$!

Thank you Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN) and Sprott Inc. (SII)

Several investments made those gains possible. They are: Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN) and Sprott Inc. (SII). I had received Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN) dividend today. I had received 77.81$, which bring in 5 new units and 9$ and some pennies in cash. Today, Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN) had closed to 14.90$ - which is very close to 15$ isn’t? lol… The gains are quite extraordinary when it comes to Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN) and you haven’t seen anything yet!

In the past couple of months, Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN) had acquired companies located in the US. So when the new stuff will be add to the current one in the upcoming financial statement (sorry for the real basic explanation but I am French from New Brunswick as you may already know)… it will be a bomb! BOUM! Worldwide investors will all wake up at the same time and they all going to be proud Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN) units “just” lollll like me. And than hello lovely gains for Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN)!

I had been a unitholder since a little while now and so far, I just have a good trading experience with Just Energy. I even borrow money on a credit card balance transfer in order to acquire some new units not that long ago. And it definitively paid off. Like for myself, I am “just” lol a Rebecca MacDonald fan. I first read about Rebecca MacDonald in the Canadian Business magazine. She was listed as a possible earner of a prize for woman entrepreneur. I was amaze, simply amaze. So I am basically holding the units for her and geesssssssss it had paid off!

On top of that, Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN) paid an annual special dividend of 20 cents per unit. We are not talking here of a 4 miserable cents like the one giving by Sprott Inc. (SII) here! Hell no! lolllllll

Ok, when it comes to Sprott Inc. (SII) ok, I have kind of a difficult story. Let’s me explain. Sprott Inc. (SII) was my very first stock investment. I even had paid a huge fee of 75$ to have this one process as I didn’t know how to purchase stock online by myself. Sound stupid? Well, I have to say, I was overexcited about Sprott Inc. (SII).

Back in 2008, the charismatic Eric Sprott was doing the cover of financial magazines. The whole Canadian press was watching a spectacular even: Eric Sprott giving away – kind of – publicly the labor of his hard work. What I like also about Eric Sprott was of course, his talent for the stock market and all the money he had made and had made to people investing in his funds. And another thing I like about Eric Sprott was the fact that he had giving money for the education sector, different charities, not to talk also of his foundation.

For me, it was clear, I was “in front” of something huge, something that I had the responsibility to get into before it was too late. And now Mr. Sprott had called for retirement. He will be retired very soon and I have to say, my adventure in the Sprott investment had been complex.

Here’s the picture: imagine me, a French Canadian girl willing to do something with my money after reading Derek Foster book Stop Working. Does it sound cliché? Well, I hope it does because this is all very cliché. Me, Derek Foster, Eric Sprott and the stock market. Like what are you talking about? What are you doing there, the stock market? lol….. Well, I am doing what I need to do.

I first invested in 500 stocks of Sprott Inc. (SII) at 10$ each. Yeah, you read correctly, 10$. I was among the first people to get a piece of Eric Sprott. And what Eric Sprott had, I wanted to have it all or just a piece of it. So I got a piece of it. I once got 75$ in Sprott Inc. (SII) special dividend. Nice. But this year, we got a (4 cents x number of stocks) and I wasn’t happy about it. I kept thinking about Jean-François Tardif and what would had happen if he would had stayed at Sprott Inc. (SII). But in all this, I was acting very selfishly as it was all about me and back than, without any information, I didn’t have a clue of what Jean-François Tardif had go through. He’s now a millionaire, but gees. What a success story that is the one of Jean-François Tardif. (As you may have notice, I wrote an article on HubPage about Jean-François Tardif).

My passion for Sprott Inc. (SII) kept growing and I soon invested 5 000$ in the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund. I also decided to invest in 200 stocks of Timminco (TIM). Back in 2008, Timminco (TIM) WAS the stock to be hold. And as I wanted to do like the big guys I did what I shouldn’t did, I invested in Timminco (TIM). I first invested in 100 stocks, and later on in 100 other stocks when the price had decreased. Timminco (TIM) is now a penny stock that I still hold today but I hold Timminco (TIM) as a souvenir of me trying to do it like the big guys. From that point, Derek Foster became my savior. But I do find Timminco (TIM) interesting as a business and I guess that the recession had hurt Timminco very hard. Just like it did for another company I hold, Hanwei Energy Services (HE). Hanwei Energy Services (HE) had slide to a 2$ value in 2008 to a roughly 40 cents.

After the 2008 stock crash, I decided to invest another 2 000$ in the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund. I didn’t sell any of my investment because for me, it was clear that it was going to go up again. It was clear for me that I was going to recover from all those massive loss. For once in my life lol…. The decision paid off.

No change for Timminco (TIM), it’s still a penny stock and who knows when it will go back to 20$ per stock. Only God knows when.

Sprott Inc. (SII) had closed the day at a spectacular 6.05$! We are still not up to the 10$ per stock, but this is very good!

Regarding my investment in the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund, my investment currently worth 6 410.41$. I initially invested 7 000$ in the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund. I am very close to the original 7 000$, I am missing less than 600$.

Recovery had been quite painful for certain “part” of my investment portfolio, but with my 2 years experience with stocks, I have to say, 2009 had been a good year and 2010, a very very good year.

I think it’s important to stick with what you believe is good for your portfolio. Keep everything diversify, very important. Diversify in different sectors as well as different companies. Pick Derek Foster stocks and spread the word that the stuff is working. The Stop Working strategy is really working.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

My stock investment portfolio in date of October 13, 2010

Savings:
1 748.58$

Non registered Investments:
Stocks and Units investment portfolio
Sprott Inc. (SII): 3 154.62$
Timminco (TIM): 73$
Blue Note Mining (BNT): 56$
Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS): 5 840.06$
Hanwei Energy Services (HE): 114$
Methanex Corporation (MX): 2 793.36$
Fortis (FTS): 3 461.45$
Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL):
9 316$
Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN): 11 294.20$
Yellow Pages Income Fund (YLO.UN):
2 635.80$
Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund
(BA.UN): 2 700$
Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGF.UN): 2 423.40$
Enbridge Income Fund (ENF.UN): 5 214.65$
Corby Distilleries Limited (CDL.A): 3 115.50$
Davis + Henderson Income Fund (DHF.UN):
1 928$
Premium Brands Holdings Corporation (PBH):
2 806$
EnCana Corporation (ECA): 6 206.88$
Cash: 20.05$

TOTAL: 63 152.97$

Tax-free savings account (TFSA):
RBC O’Shaughnessy Canadian Equity Fund:
2 834.51$
The Consumers’ Waterheater Income Fund
(CWI.UN): 2 279.68$
Sprott Canadian Equity Fund:
6 410.41$
Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI): 345$
Cash: 66.09$

TOTAL: 11 935.69$

RSP investment portfolio:
Claymore Gold Bullion ETF (CGL): 4 177.68$
EnCana Corporation (ECA): 3 088$
Emera Incorporated (EMA): 6 224.04$
Cash: 58.64$

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund: 529.29$
CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund: 452.77$
CIBC Monthly Income Fund: 1 029.31$

Energy and Base Metals Term Savings (Indexed term savings):
503.46$
Natural Resources Term Savings (Indexed term savings):
502.06$

GIC National Bank: 1 147.42$
GIC Plus: 500$

TD Canadian Bond: 117.98$
TD Monthly Income: 108.73$
TD Emerging Markets: 90.34$
TD Energy: 86.37$
TD Precious Metals: 136.22$
TD Latin American Growth: 106.54$
TD Entertainment and Communications: 114.03$
TD Dividend Growth: 202.36$
TD U.S. Mid-Cap Growth: 104.20$

Maritime Life International Equity Fund
(Templeton): 652.75$
Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio: 885.88$
Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund: 1 023.44$
Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund: 1 002.06$
Maritime Life Trimark Europlus Seg Fund: 630.28$

Great-West – various: 1 751.69$

RBC Canadian Dividend Fund: 531.03$
RBC U.S. Mid-Cap Equity Fund C$: 1 817.69$
RBC Global Resources Fund: 982.18$
RBC O’Shaughnessy International Equity Fund:
643.39$
RBC O’Shaughnessy All-Canadian Equity
Fund: 1 123.01$

GIC Canadian Market: 1 000$

TOTAL: 31 322.84$

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share
for 3 accounts: 40$

Savings + Stocks, units, mutual funds + Tax-
free Savings account + RRSP + Online Income
(59.49$):
108 259.57$

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

I am now at 107 383.37$

Want to know my secret behind my financial success? Many of you had been reading my blog lately. To thank you, I am willing to share my best tips and advices. A couple of things had contributed to my financial success: I do not deal with any Quebec financial planners or any Quebec banks; I follow Derek Foster tips and rules as well as the stock market constantly.

Just before I continue with my best investment advices chapter, I just want to say that I received EnCana Corporation (ECA) dividend for both registered and non registered stocks that I hold.

Not dealing with Quebeckers is one of the best rules you can follow while living in Quebec and it’s the best advice I can ever provide to you, my readers if, of course, you unfortunately live like me in Quebec province. When I apply for loans or whenever I need banking services, I always deal over the phone. That way, I don’t need to deal with Quebeckers. When calling customer service, most of the time, I pick the English line, in order to avoid lack of common sense.

This may sound extreme to you at first, but it’s not when you got to know on what I got through by bad Quebec bankers and financial bankers. Here are some examples of bad Quebec financial planners, of the tramp of Carole Morinville:

My horror story with Manuvie Financial

Back I think, in 2007, I decided to invest in several Manuvie segregated funds for my RSP. So I call Manuvie Financial and set up an appointment with one of their representative in located downtown Montreal. I got an evening appointment and show up on time. I wanted to invest 5 000$ for my RSP. I decided to split the money into 5 of their segregated funds, which I still hold today: Maritime Life International Equity Fund (Templeton), Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio, Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund, Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund and the Maritime Life Trimark Europlus Seg Fund. During the meeting, the Manulife representative, who had a degree in law – she was qualified to be a lawyer – told me that investing 5 000$ into my RSP was too much, that I could need the money and if it would be invested into RSP, I wouldn’t be able to touch the money. But I told her no, that I wanted the whole 5 000$ invested into RSP.

I sign up the papers and everything goes well. The representative even gave me a lift to go back home, which I appreciate since we were in January and the weather was very cold. Everything went well, until the next day.

The next day, I took time to read all the crap I had received. Than, I notice to my surprise that only 2 000$ was invested into RSP and that 3 000$ had been invested into non registered. Ok, you must tell yourself: didn’t she read the paper she signed? Well you know, they make you sign all kind of papers, yes I read them all, but maybe not carefully enough. And it was in the evening, I had spent my time working all day…

When I discover that 3 000$ had been put into non registered, I wanted to cry. Because on the cheque I sign, I had added the mention: For RSP investment.

I am certainly not an investment genius but when I say I want to invest 5 000$ into RSP, its mean 5 000$ into RSP, nothing less, nothing more. But the stupid Manuvie representative – despite being a lawyer (but hey, a Quebec lawyer) – didn’t obey my order.

This is how I had to spend some of my precious time over the phone getting this fix. I finally got what I wanted, 5 000$ invested into RSP Manulife segregated funds.

I was so disappointed with my experience with Manuvie that I never gain invested with them and you can trust me when I say I will never again invest with Manuvie. Especially while being here in Quebec province. A girl has to do what she needs to do in order to achieve financial success and you can’t simply not achieve that with Quebeckers because they don’t have the intelligence they need to understand that I rule baby. I rule. Seem to be simple and easy at first, but to Quebeckers, obeying to someone is just impossible. They are that dumb and stupid. Ok, you think that I am being mean? Well, you just didn’t hear about anything yet.

My horror story with RBC Royal Bank

This one was for my 2008 RSP. Prior to 2008, I had invested in many RBC mutual funds that I still hold today in my investment portfolio. I had deal with the RBC Royal branch Place Portobello located in Brossard (QC), and I had the best service ever. I always had been able to get the mutual funds I wanted with them. It’s also at the RBC Royal Bank branch Place Portobello that I got my 10 000$ Visa card (but now that Visa card had been decreased to 5 000$ because of a bad decision that was made but this is not the fault of the Place Portobello branch at all).

The Place Portobello branch of RBC Royal Bank is one of the rare places that I found in the big Montreal metropolitan area that I find great to deal with. Their people are friendly and nice. And they won’t look down at you if you go there and tell them exactly what you want as investment. Those people know how to obey, which I find is very rare in Quebec society. So to the RBC Royal Bank Place Portobello branch: I miss you! lol… But it’s just to say that the disease is not everywhere. There are some good people in Quebec society – they are just hard to find. But hey, know you have a good address you can go without getting scare of anything. I wish all RBC Royal Bank branches could be the same, but it’s simply not the case.

Back in 2008, I visited the RBC Royal Bank branch located at the Complex Desjardins downtown Montreal. This was for my RSP. The RBC representative was a new comer I guess and that day was his evaluation day. Ever of my life I had to go through this but the Director was there in the office with me and there was the guy, willing to impress her, I guess again.

I told the poor guy exactly what I wanted for my RSP, but I guess he didn’t understand me because he decided to create a complete profile. This wasn’t my first time at RBC. I was holing several mutual funds with them, a banking account, a credit card. I taught that this time was going to me as smoothly as all of my let’s call them “appointments” of the Place Portobello branch.

What happen is that the new RBC Royal Bank representative asks me to all of the investment I hold and so on and wrote the stuff down in my profile. I was so disturbed and distusgh! He continue asking questions about my money, my investment, and he said that I did well so far, but in the future, I could not do so well. And that’s when he suggested me an appointment with one of their financial planner.

What the f***! I am an investment queen and you want the queen to see a financial planner? When are you going to stop annoying me! I have the same skill set as any financial adviser out there (or close too lol…), I am just missing the title. So when you look in my eyes, do you really see a girl who wants to loose her time with a financial planner? The answer is NOOOOOO. No no no! Quebeckers are so stupid.

The meeting finally stops; I finally got what I wanted. I left the RBC Royal Bank of Complex Desjardins. And than sooner go back, asking the guy to completely erase all information he add entered regarding my outside placements. And he did so. The female director look very surprised but what the heck, who cared about Quebeckers and what they think about me. I seriously don’t care because they are ruining my life.

I stop seeking services from the RBC Royal Bank Complex Desjardins branch as their female director really s* and the rep as well.

Ok……. So ready for another financial horror story?

My horror story with BMO Bank of Montreal

In October 2009, I begin a job search. My investments were doing well and I taught about getting another job in other to increase the cash available to make new investment. I went to a job seeking event in Montreal. I left my resume at different employers. I received 2 calls. But from the 2 calls, I had chose BMO Bank of Montreal and it had been the biggest mistake of my entire life.

This was a teller job in their Montreal call center. I was willing to learn and give it a try. But the training was absolutely awful. The trainer, a blond girl with red glasses had her little favorites in the class, including a gay guy. The gay guy was a tennis fan and was talking all the time, making jokes, snobbing me. I did the best I could to participate and show up some interest, but the blond Quebecker was a Quebecker and dumb so it didn’t help anything in the process. An Arabic guy that she had rude in my class had finally quite because he couldn’t take her anymore. I should have done the same thing, but I decided to stay and I got fired. The same guy is now working at a TD branch downtown Montreal. A saw him once. I was happy to see him there. The BMO Bank of Montreal trainer was so bad with him, very unprofessional – Quebeckers at their bests.

I complete the training (extremely poor training by the way – don’t even be surprise at the crazy mistakes) and the integration session. The guy who was doing the integration session once told a colleague who was in a buddy session with me: don’t take time with her to show her that… He was orally violent and the whole integration team was unpolite, extremely arrogant like if they were running the world. Try to find one of those little BMO Bank of Montreal tellers who hold 100k in investment, I guess you won’t be able to find too many, if not one.

I finally integrate the team of 6pm to 2am of BMO Bank of Montreal Montreal call center. The supervisor there wasn’t a good person. She was very arrogant. I was asking sometimes questions and I sometimes wrote down notes, she told me I wasn’t aloud. Herself several times, she wasn’t able to answer my questions, she needed to ask some colleagues the same question that I was asking her and I guess that at a point she got enough because she decided to fire me.

But before getting fired, she hold a meeting with me, almost asking me to quite the job. She had those papers in front of me reading my sales and overall performance and told me I wasn’t good, that I wouldn’t ever have success as a teller. “Tu n’auras jamais beaucoup de succès.” Those are the exact words she used. I still remember those worlds not because they especially hurt me, but because I know what I worth. I am not the best, but I am not the worst either. So after hearing those ugly words from her mouth, I told myself: what the heck the little Quebecker thing she is? That’s why I remember her words.

I was distusgh by her manners and the following day, I wrote an email to the same Human Resources representative who had completed the paper when I got hired. I didn’t have no one to talk about it and I didn’t want to leave this under silence. He didn’t reply to the email but gave me a call, saying that he had transferred my request to the Director of the BMO Bank of Montreal call center. I got a meeting with a her. A petite obese woman very hypocrite. She told me that there was pressured, that she was surprise that the supervisor had used such words on me… I wasn’t going no where with her. She asked me it was ok to show the email to the supervisor, I told her yes. It wasn’t supposed to be share, I just wanted to talk to someone and there she went, making my email read by my supervisor. Those Quebeckers don’t have any class.

The next day at work, the supervisor come to me, saying that she never had used those words, etc... The poor woman was upset and was in complete denial. She told me that I was under trial and that my sales needed to improve. I was new to the job and the sale aspect never had been mention in class. I taught my role was to focus on customer requests. I was answering around 55 calls per night, which I found good. But it wasn’t good enough to them. BMO Bank of Montreal customers where upset because at night, they had trouble to reach someone. The reason why the waiting delay is long is that they keep fired people, they keep hiring. It’s a real free for all. BMO Bank of Montreal – Montreal call center holds training classes at least 2 classes of new comers every month and I found it quite strange back than. But now I understand.

During my time there, we had a meeting with the Vice President of BMO Bank of Montreal – Montreal call center. He explained that his father had worked for BMO Bank of Montreal and that when he came at his job as a Vice President of the BMO Bank of Montreal, Montreal call center, he had never worked at the call center of BMO Bank of Montreal. So all the people I had deal with in this sad situation had worked for his success as a Vice President of the call center. He had been in need of people to show him the job and those people where the female director and had talked too, as well as my late supervisor.

No one help me, it didn’t work out and than one night, my supervisor gave me my laid off later. No real laid off had been giving. It’s basically say: you had been laid off because you didn’t answer what had been discussed in our meeting… Roughly that. I had been laid off after my credit had been checked with them, after getting a 4 500$ BMO Mastercard and a 5 000$ credit line. At the time she laid off me, my supervisor was able to check my credit file and could have seen all the investment I hold.

3 months of my life giving away to some f of Quebeckers of BMO Bank of Montreal. Please avoid Quebec province if you want to deal with people of common sense. You really do not want to get a taste her of Quebec stupidity in all its glory.

My horror story with the Bank of Nova Scotia

This one happens in March 2010, after my laid off of BMO Bank of Montreal. Back in March 2010, as always, my investments were doing extremely well. But I mean, really EXTREMELY well. I was close to the 100k. So I told myself that I should apply to a 10 000$ RSP loan and this way, I would had a possibility to reach the 100k before the end of 2010. The rest is history: I got the loan, and exceed the 100k in assets in September 2010 yahoooouuu. I know, I really rock. You really have to believe in this stuff.

I got the RSP loan yes, but not with the Bank of Nova Scotia. The headache begins. Be ready.

I took an appointment with the Scotiabank branch located on McGill College in Montreal. It’s right downtown. It’s a very nice branch, but the opening hours are ugly, from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday (yes, I know, TD Canada Trust is so much better with their extend business hours!!). Anyway, I manage to present myself to the appointment with all the papers and stuff.

The Scotiabank rep entered all the data and told me I wasn’t approved. ME? Not being approve for a RSP loan? Are you killing me? But no, the Scotiabank rep wasn’t joking. I wasn’t approved. I discuss with him about my investment, my dividend income ect.. But according to him, my level of debt was too large and my income too low. Yes, my income is low (because I got fired from BMO Bank of Montreal) but I had at that time more than 60k in assets. Like wow, that girl rock right. But it wasn’t a that girl rock for him. Anyway, he told me he was going to try to see with their office, etc.. and that I had to wait. I wait one day lol (I am always so impatience!!!), and call Scotiabank customer service. For the RSP loan, before a certain date, I could only deal with a rep in the bank, so what the guy over the phone did was too call the director of the branch who was responsible for my file.

The branch guy than gave me a call and was upset, telling me that I have to wait. He left me that horrible message on my pager. Than, I call the Scotiabank customer service again as I wasn’t please about the little Quebecker who was f* me around. So than what happen, I had a meeting at the Scotiabank McGill College branch with a bunch of people – something like 4 persons who apologize etc. And than, someone else continue the work of the guy. That director refused my loan because of a low income. There was nothing I could do, I was refused.

On date of today, I am still a stockholder of Bank of Nova Scotia but the only reason behind this hold is that Bank of Nova Scotia is a Derek Foster stock and it’s really just because of that.

Trust me on that one, I will never again apply at any loan at the Bank of Nova Scotia. I won’t ever do business with Scotiabank.

I finally got the 10 000$ RSP loan at TD Canada Trust. They love me there I guess.

I have 2-3 more horror stories to write about but it will have to wait until tomorrow as I am getting ready to go to bed. Ciao and…… sweet dream despite the horror stories.

My stock investment portfolio in date of October 12, 2010

Savings:
1 748.58$

Non registered Investments:
Stocks and Units investment portfolio
Sprott Inc. (SII): 3 040.66$
Timminco (TIM): 74$
Blue Note Mining (BNT): 56$
Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS): 5 840.06$
Hanwei Energy Services (HE): 120$
Methanex Corporation (MX): 2 758.34$
Fortis (FTS): 3 456.10$
Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL):
9 435$
Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN): 11 129.34$
Yellow Pages Income Fund (YLO.UN):
2 635.80$
Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund
(BA.UN): 2 673$
Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGF.UN): 2 404.50$
Enbridge Income Fund (ENF.UN): 5 167.10$
Corby Distilleries Limited (CDL.A): 3 141.63$
Davis + Henderson Income Fund (DHF.UN):
1 914$
Premium Brands Holdings Corporation (PBH):
2 798$
EnCana Corporation (ECA): 6 174.72$
Cash: 11.96$

TOTAL: 62 830.21$

Tax-free savings account (TFSA):
RBC O’Shaughnessy Canadian Equity Fund:
2 814.87$
The Consumers’ Waterheater Income Fund
(CWI.UN): 2 071.68$
Sprott Canadian Equity Fund:
6 309.20$
Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI): 330.63$
Cash: 66.09$

TOTAL: 11 592.47$

RSP investment portfolio:
Claymore Gold Bullion ETF (CGL): 4 110.08$
EnCana Corporation (ECA): 3 072$
Emera Incorporated (EMA): 6 175.08$
Cash: 58.64$

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund: 526.84$
CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund: 450.49$
CIBC Monthly Income Fund: 1 024.73$

Energy and Base Metals Term Savings (Indexed term savings):
503.46$
Natural Resources Term Savings (Indexed term savings):
502.06$

GIC National Bank: 1 147.42$
GIC Plus: 500$

TD Canadian Bond: 118.06$
TD Monthly Income: 108.53$
TD Emerging Markets: 89.29$
TD Energy: 85.49$
TD Precious Metals: 133.47$
TD Latin American Growth: 104.99$
TD Entertainment and Communications: 113.83$
TD Dividend Growth: 201.93$
TD U.S. Mid-Cap Growth: 104.13$

Maritime Life International Equity Fund
(Templeton): 648.50$
Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio: 881.57$
Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund: 1 015.44$
Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund: 996.86$
Maritime Life Trimark Europlus Seg Fund: 628.34$

Great-West – various: 1 751.69$

RBC Canadian Dividend Fund: 528.96$
RBC U.S. Mid-Cap Equity Fund C$: 1 813.14$
RBC Global Resources Fund: 968.44$
RBC O’Shaughnessy International Equity Fund:
638.32$
RBC O’Shaughnessy All-Canadian Equity
Fund: 1 112.28$

GIC Canadian Market: 1 000$

TOTAL: 31 114.06$

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share
for 3 accounts: 40$

Savings + Stocks, units, mutual funds + Tax-
free Savings account + RRSP + Online Income
(58.05$):
107 383.37$

Friday, October 8, 2010

Get all the saving you want with TD Canada Trust

Wow! The TSX gains some valuable points again today. And this has quite some good effect on my portfolio. My non registered stocks and units investment portfolio is now at 61 763.69$, an increase of 302.34$ compare to October 5th! Just so incredible! I am quite very excited over EnCana Corporation (ECA) as well as for everything else I hold in my portfolio.

I am just confuse about the “what next” part. Like should I leave my TD credit line paid off or should I use the money to invest more? Part of me is screaming invest more! Invest more! And the other one: leave it paid! One of the reasons why I want to invest more is to increase my dividend income. I am very close to the equivalent of 400$ in monthly dividend income right now and I have the possibility, with that 5 000$ that is currently available on my credit line to achieve that goal. But on the other hand, I already hold around 40 000$ in debt. If I use 5 000$ of my credit line to invest now, this will increase my level of debt to 45 000$... Outch…….

In 2009-2010, I went through many credit checks, got new credit lines, got credit card limit increased and decreased, got fired from BMO Bank of Montreal, Montreal call centre, etc… My credit score have gone through a lot and so do I, just because of stupid Quebeckers.

Conclusion: I probably will leave my TD credit line paid. This can only help my credit score getting better and also, in case of need, I will have 5 000$ available. So how about that? I am already feeling better!

Yeahhhhhhhhhh!

Yes, Quebeckers are stupid and am I just very grateful to the Macleans magazine to have exposes so openly the situation that is in Quebec. Corruption is not only inside Quebec government, it’s in plenty other places, like at BMO Bank of Montreal, just to name another place. Now, Canadians are aware that Quebec and Quebeckers are not people or institutions you can trust. The Macleans had exposed the Quebec corruption that had been exposed by massive media, but myself, I want to expose the corruption I have live myself, as an individual, as a New Brunswickers living temporarily in Quebec. Canadians need to be aware and I wouldn’t like anyone else to go through what I had gone through because of those f of Quebeckers. Now it’s my turn. This is my weekend project and it’s going to be fun.

I have to say, when I saw the Macleans cover “Quebec: the most corrupt province”, I was so proud. Proud that such an important Canadian media as Macleans speak up openly to protect Canadians of massive shit. There you go!

In my past posts, I talk about investing in Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp (AQN). My Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp (AQN). Pick when up today, but still, I prefer to keep my investment project in Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp (AQN) in hold until I have fresh new cash available. There will always be some great opportunity out there and if you are, like me, running out of cash to make an investment, don’t you ever worry, because there will always be something waiting for you at the other end. Alright? Alright…..

My investment portfolio is up, my level of debt is slowly decreasing, I will have soon my 8 000$ TD Visa credit card balance transfer at 4.9% extended until April 2010… And what else? I just received a federal government check for my taxes of close to 100$ and I earn rewards points like crazy at work so I am going to get an iPod (my very first one!). I should be able to order prepaid credit cards and go purchase my mini laptop very soon! I went to the Apple store downtown Montreal to try the iPod and I find just so fun, with the camera, the video callers, Internet wireless… Very easy to use, even if I am Apple illiterate.

I WANT MY IPOD. :0)

TD Canada Trust is just so a wonderful bank. Wonder what my post title refers too? Well, TD had that brand new site called TD get saving and it’s plenty of useful information. Check it out.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

My TD credit line is now fully paid off

Nothing new at the exception that I treat myself with a new black purse I purchased at H&M store. I would like to get a new jacket but soon it’s going to be the winter anyway. But it doesn’t change fact that my current jacket is made from an ugly shade of yellow. I have another autumn jacket that it would need to be clean and I am just not in the moon to get my jacket dry-clean. So those were for the fashion news. I look ugly, but I am feeling great :0)

No new dividend had came in, but my non registered stocks and units portfolio is now at 61 634.15$. Like wow! This represents an increase of 172.80$ compare to October 5th! I finish the day today very tired. I had pay off my TD credit line and all of my monthly expenses. I have left 400$ in cash and my 5 000$ credit line is paid off. I taught about investing in Algonquin Power & Utilities Corporation (AQN) because the units are cheap but gees, I work so hard to pay of that 5 000$ credit line, better to use the money wisely. I cannot make any mistake at this point. I don’t know what I am going to do with the money. Maybe for once my TD credit line will remain paid... I could need that money. I am not taking anything for granted. My budget is always so sharp as a knife, I barely never have cash available. And all that investment game is taking my breath away. I wrote to someone previously that I was now stock in a spinning wheel. Like Wall Street never sleep? Well I do sleep, but someone can easily loose him/her/self in the investment game. I call it an investment game because until a certain point, all of this do not make any sense, my investment, the way I invest, all of my debt, and all my life. It's vain. All vain. But it's working so well at the same time. So that's the exact reason why on the why I continue. Because I make money. I lost money, but now I am on the road for recovery. And at pass the 105k, I can say, I had saw it all, the big $$$, the major loses, all mix together in a holly mix of stocks and mutual funds and everything else. But it do worth it. Money is just floating all around of me.

I am just very excited at this time as my portfolio is growing so well. I think I don’t have any investment ideal right now in the sense that I invested in what I wanted… Maybe adding some more Claymore Gold Bullion (CGL) units into my non registered portfolio could be a good idea. I am not in a rush to invest again so I might just think about the big scheme this weekend… as tomorrow we are already Friday! Hope my non registered portfolio and all the rest will make some other awesome new gains.

Lucky lucky lucky me

After mysteriously finding money on St-Laurent boulevard sidewalk in Montreal 2 days ago, it’s seem like my luck is not going to run away anytime soon!

Check it out……

My non registered stocks & units portfolio had closed the day at 61 582.54$ (an increase of 121.19$ compare to yesterday!). My investment in the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund is now at 6 240.88$ - an increase of 55.21$ compare to yesterday! WOW! I am now very close to my original 7 000$ (this is the amount I invested in the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund back in 2008). It’s been 2 long years that I had been waiting for positive results coming from the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund and results are finally kicking in. Now we are in business! The Sprott Canadian Equity Fund is that powerful. Because it required something like power and the help of God to recover from massively lost. Imagine: just before the market crash of 2008, Sprott Canadian Equity Fund units were at more than 50$ each! During the market crash, Sprott Canadian Equity Fund had reached as low as 27$ each! Almost half of a fortune had disappeared, just like that, without any announcement! On date of today, Sprott Canadian Equity Fund units worth a bit more than 41$ each. When it comes to the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund, we are talking about a very powerful fund. The recovery had been long, and I am still myself under a recovery but hey, I am grateful because I am finally slowly recovering from quite some heavy money lost. So those are quite awesome news right, but you haven’t seen anything yet…

TD Canada Trust is the best Canadian bank of all

Want to know why? Well, I currently have a TD Visa which is almost full, a close to 8 000$ balance. The credit card is full because I had a credit card balance transfer special interest at 4.9% for 6 months. My 4.9% interest rate is going to expire in January. It doesn’t look like it, but January is coming quite soon… I only have 3 months left at my special interest rate. But don’t worry about that part because…… TD Canada Trust is the best bank of the world! I had been targeted for a 4.9% interest rate again this month on my TD Visa. Which mean I simply need to do another credit card balance transfer to get the 4.9% interest rate for another 6 months from now, which will drive me to April 2011 instead of January 2011… That’s pretty huge! THANK YOU TD CANADA TRUST! (Now you know why TD Canada Trust is number 1 bank!)

Great, but now I have work to do! In order to benefit an extension of the 4.9% interest rate until April, I simply need to proceed with a credit card balance transfer, just like I did in the past. But this time, it’s going to be more complicated and I have no idea on what I am going to place my move now!

Let me explain…..

Remember I got a 10 000$ credit line from RBC Royal Bank last August, right on time for my 30th birthday? Well, one condition was to decrease my 10 000$ RBC Visa to 5 000$. Which is just a poor judgment coming from RBC Royal Bank knowing how “rich” I am lol… Anyhow, the condition was there, and I had choice that to accept that condition in order to get the 10 000$ credit line. Usually, I was doing transferred from my TD Visa to my RBC Visa and than, I was transferring from my RBC Visa to TD Visa and I was getting the 4.9% interest rate from TD Canada Trust. But now that my RBC Visa limit had been decreased to 5 000$, I do not have any credit card I can use to do my 8 000$ credit card balance transfer. Following me? So I am kind of desperate here! And at this time, I just cannot say I much I dislike RBC Royal Bank for doing this do me! What the hell do they think they are? At this time, I will have to work out something out, I will have to do 2 separates credit card balance transfer instead of just one! So it’s going to be 2 credit card balance transfers of 4 000$ each. How annoying! BUT... I can do both at the same time, by calling 2 institutions, so shouldn’t be that bad…

Here’s the plan:

First, I am going to call CIBC Visa, ask them to transfer 4 000$ from TD Visa to them, CIBC Visa.

Immediately after, I am going to call RBC Visa, and I am going to ask them exactly the same damn thing lol! 4 000$ credit card balance transfer from TD Visa to RBC Visa. There you go!

After what, I wait for the transfer to be completed, which should only take a couple of days… But I will take a look everyday. As soon as I notice one of the transfer is completed, at CIBC Visa or RBC Visa, I call TD Visa, ask them to proceed with a 4 000$ credit card balance transfer at the promotional rate of 4.9% interest rate I got print on my latest statement…

In total, this will request 4 calls, little of my time and huge interest rate saving. The interest rate saving would be even better if I would completely paid off my debt, but I am just too poor to pay off my debt. That’s the way it is. It’s not anytime soon I will be paying my debt.

And what I am going to do with the 5 000$ available on my TD credit line? Invest, of course.

The project I have in mind? 1 000 units of Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp (AQN).

Pretty crazy isn’t? :o)

Other good news, after spending the summer happily camping in Walmart parkings located all across Canada, Derek Foster just announced he’s now working on a new book project! Yeahhhhhh lol. Money for Nothing was great, but too complex for me. Or should I say, I didn’t spend enough time on the Money for Nothing of Derek Foster to fully understand it. Anyhow, I am not that much interested in option. When I want to invest it’s in real time, I want to invest now, and earn dividend NOW. Not later. But I guess it’s all about personal preference.

No other great news for now, but if it happen I win the lottery Lotto Max this Friday, I will let you know for sure.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

I am now at 105 607.19$

I find it extremely hard to focus on my work at the end of the day, especially on a day where the TSX had gained more than 100 points. And today had been one of those days: an extraordinary day! I am now at more than 105k in asset. This is the first time ever I am reaching 105k in asset.

Lately, I had been lucky and all sign all crossing by. I find 15$, three 5$ while walking on the sideway yesterday on St-Laurent boulevard. It’s the second time I find money “in the street” to say it like that lol. I also once find two 20$ on front of a bar on St-Denis street. Finding money in the street is definitively quite something particular but very fun when it actually happens to you. With the 15$ that I find, I buy a Lotto Max ticket with Extra, among other. The only thing I had been winning so far are free tickets but hey, let’s plays while the chance is in. And now today, I had reached my first ever 105k in asset. So what’s going to happen next? I am just wondering. :0)

My investment portfolio in date of October 5, 2010

Savings:
1 748.58$

Non registered Investments:
Stocks and Units investment portfolio
Sprott Inc. (SII): 2 667.70$
Timminco (TIM): 75$
Blue Note Mining (BNT): 48$
Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS): 5 879.65$
Hanwei Energy Services (HE): 117$
Methanex Corporation (MX): 2 688.30$
Fortis (FTS): 3 376.92$
Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL):
9 031.25$
Just Energy Income Fund (JE.UN): 11 069.10$
Yellow Pages Income Fund (YLO.UN):
2 520.80$
Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund
(BA.UN): 2 616$
Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGF.UN): 2 396.10$
Enbridge Income Fund (ENF.UN): 5 059.32$
Corby Distilleries Limited (CDL.A): 3 115.50$
Davis + Henderson Income Fund (DHF.UN):
1 934$
Premium Brands Holdings Corporation (PBH):
2 782$
EnCana Corporation (ECA): 6 084$
Cash: 0.71$

TOTAL: 61 461.35$

Tax-free savings account (TFSA):
RBC O’Shaughnessy Canadian Equity Fund:
2 799.79$
The Consumers’ Waterheater Income Fund
(CWI.UN): 2 063.36$
Sprott Canadian Equity Fund:
6 185.67$
Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI): 345$
Cash: 66.09$

TOTAL: 11 459.91$

RSP investment portfolio:
Claymore Gold Bullion ETF (CGL): 4 076.28$
EnCana Corporation (ECA): 3 042$
Emera Incorporated (EMA): 6 058.80$
Cash: 38.08$

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund: 523.44$
CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund: 453.63$
CIBC Monthly Income Fund: 1 019.39$

Energy and Base Metals Term Savings (Indexed term savings):
503.46$
Natural Resources Term Savings (Indexed term savings):
502.06$

GIC National Bank: 1 147.42$
GIC Plus: 500$

TD Canadian Bond: 117.64$
TD Monthly Income: 108.26$
TD Emerging Markets: 90.34$
TD Energy: 84.51$
TD Precious Metals: 133.34$
TD Latin American Growth: 105.52$
TD Entertainment and Communications: 114.49$
TD Dividend Growth: 201.46$
TD U.S. Mid-Cap Growth: 104.82$

Maritime Life International Equity Fund
(Templeton): 648.59$
Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio: 878.80$
Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund: 1 005.42$
Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund: 991.99$
Maritime Life Trimark Europlus Seg Fund: 622.81$

Great-West – various: 1 751.69$

RBC Canadian Dividend Fund: 528.13$
RBC U.S. Mid-Cap Equity Fund C$: 1 805.04$
RBC Global Resources Fund: 961.59$
RBC O’Shaughnessy International Equity Fund:
635.89$
RBC O’Shaughnessy All-Canadian Equity
Fund: 1 099.47$

GIC Canadian Market: 1 000$

TOTAL: 30 854.36$

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share
for 3 accounts: 40$

Savings + Stocks, units, mutual funds + Tax-
free Savings account + RRSP + Online Income
(42.99$):
105 607.19$
 

Thank you

Thank you for visiting!
 
Blogger Templates