http://www.cdbn.net Money,loan, credit card, debt consolidation, mortgage Management Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:30:49 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Hard to believe you’re making zero on deposits at many banks and investment dealers. Here’s an example featuring TD Canada Trust, always at the bottom of the list when it comes to savings rates. A reader told me that his 92-year-old mother bought a “money market GIC” from TD Mortgage Corp. ... http://www.cdbn.net/credit-talking/today%e2%80%99s-low-low-interest-rates.html Some problems are hard to resolve. No-name movers that exceed their estimates and hold your stuff ransom drive me crazy. So do home renovators who demand payment in full and don’t finish the work or do it poorly. Another area where I rarely get results is roofing. Shingle manufacturers offer 25-year ... http://www.cdbn.net/business/win-some-lose-some.html Non-native speakers of English tell me that the basic rules of grammar aren't too hard to learn, but the idioms are murder. (Ok, not literally "murder," that's just an expression.... nevermind.) Idioms are used by many of God's great creatures, not just humanoids, as I learned from The Oatmeal: So ... http://www.cdbn.net/business/the-true-meaning-of-common-idioms.html Here are two stories that show how important it is to know how much tax you owe and pay the right amount. If you don’t, the government can hit you with heavy penalties. In the first case, a woman sent a cheque for what she thought she owed. The Canada Revenue ... http://www.cdbn.net/object/dealing-with-the-canada-revenue-agency.html Never forget that the big banks are in business to make money for their shareholders. Serving customers is always going to be a lower priority than boosting the bottom line, despite what thr ads say. No matter what kind of help you seek from a bank, you can be tricked and ... http://www.cdbn.net/credit-talking/banks-are-not-your-friend.html (P.S. Are you going to SxSW?  If so, drop me a line and we'll coordinate.) Most people start their first company while they still have a day job. It makes sense: You don't need loans, and you don't need funding. If you "fail" all you've lost is time, but considering ... http://www.cdbn.net/business/employed-with-a-side-of-startup.html That’s what the company wants you to believe. It’s put together a slick campaign online to show it’s committed to better service. I like the extended call centre hours. Finally! What took so long? And I like the testimonials. But why do they come only from Bell employees? Where are the ... http://www.cdbn.net/object/is-bell%e2%80%99s-customer-service-getting-better.html This is a guest post by Mike Schoeffler, founder of iPhone running application Roadbud. He writes a refreshingly approachable fitness blog. I hesitate to take issue with Jason’s Sacrifice your health for your startup — particularly after his wife gave her up-close-and-personal. His main point is dead on ... http://www.cdbn.net/business/startup-fitness.html I did a column yesterday about those in-your-face bank commercials and why they’re getting so weird. You know, the two grumpy old men (TD Canada Trust) and the dysfunctional couples (Scotiabank). I couldn’t find the real Scotiabank ad on YouTube, so I’ve linked to a parody. But there’s one I ... http://www.cdbn.net/business/investmentitos-anyone.html When I asked recently whether you'd like to see other people guest-posting here, the response was far more positive than I expected. But as much as you're open to hearing new voices, you were also clear that you come here for quality content (not quantity), for entrepreneurial perspective (not product pitches), ... http://www.cdbn.net/business/an-experiment-with-guest-posts.html