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I think I pulled my punches in calling for an end to auto-renewal of energy contracts last week. Today, I’ll go further.

In my view, allowing an army of pushy salespeople to trick people into signing contracts adds no value. It should be outlawed in Ontario.

Companies can continue selling their fixed-price deals, but only online or by phone (as RiteRate does). Doing it face to face just leads to abuses.

The reason I’m so angry is the sheer volume of complaints I get about deception at the door. I also hear from people who can’t seem to contact these companies on their own. They’re frustrated talking to call centre robots, who listen but don’t follow up.

Bell and Rogers, you’ve been outgunned by Direct Energy, ..read more

My column last Wednesday on this subject drew lots of comments. This is one of my favourite hobbyhorses, since I now know (from my experience with Rogers) that you can get deals just by asking.

The Star’s new series, Personal Bailout, is about getting smarter with your money. So, my first contribution talked about whittling down your cellphone bills, which tend to be pure discretionary spending.

I got a few helpful suggestions from readers which I’m posting below. Now I want to hear from you about the best ways you’ve found to reduce those hefty monthly costs.

Have you switched from paying after you talk to paying before you talk? This is a big trend in the U.S. and there are deals to be had here at ..read more

It’s a rare day when I don’t get any complaints about energy marketers. Bad enough they push you into getting a long-term contract based on false promises of savings or mispresentation. Worse that these contracts can be rolled over automatically if you don’t take action to cancel them.

Direct Energy is the worst offender when it comes to auto-renewal. They have the nerve to charge 49.9 cents a cubic metre for a one-year natural gas contract, more than double the current utility rate. Enbridge and Union Gas are both charging about 23 cents a cubic metre (before adjustments, which bring down the cost further).

I sent four auto-renewal complaints to DE today, more than the usual amount. They’re posted below. You can see the outrage when ..read more

That’s the subject of the PBS Nightly Business Report on April 10 (Good Friday). Previous shows in a year-long series on retirement investing are available here.

I haven’t seen the programs, but I think this is a terrific topic. Many seniors have been devastated by the stock market crash. They had way too much exposure to common and preferred shares, income trusts and equity funds in their retirement plans.

As interest rates fell to levels never seen before, many retirees wanted an alternative to investments that paid low interest. Financial advisers took advantage of their trust with promises of high returns and low risk. No one anticipated the severity of the stock market meltdown that started last year.

“It’s not about me, but my parents. I feel ..read more