Edie Sundby's Choice + MORE Nov 7th

The road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions. Our financial paths are no different. We all mean well – but financial mistakes, sadly, can have long-lasting impact. They can mean the difference, years later, when buying a house, retiring comfortably or helping a child through graduate school.
When it comes to money mistakes, it’s best to try to fend them off in advance. here are some common mistakes that can lead to serious financial problems for Canadians:
Mistake 1: Frittering It Away
The “latte factor” is a huge issue, particularly for those of us with busy days, running around and wanting to treat ourselves after with a nice treat; post-work drinks with friends, a big glossy magazine for Sunday morning, or a cab ride home on a cold night. Those small bills add up over time, particularly when certain small indulgences become a regular habit.
Mistake 2: Not Planning For Problems
Got an emergency fund? How about insurance? Sadly, bad things do happen and the loss of a job, injury or illness or another factor could see you (or your spouse if you have one) unable to make money for a few weeks, months or even years…

Canadian insurer Intact Financial Corp. has seen its latest quarterly profit cut nearly in half compared with a year ago as the insurer by losses due to major rain and hail storms in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta as well as the Lac-Mégantic tragedy.

For many homeowners and renters, the end of Daylight Savings Time is their cue to turn on their heating systems. It also means it’s time to check on carbon monoxide (CO) detectors and smoke alarms, furnaces, gas and water heaters, and fireplaces; each year, malfunctioning or misused appliances and detectors cause devastating house fires across Canada – which in turn can affect your home insurance premiums. Here are some steps to take to keep your home, and payments, from burning up.
A Seasonal Danger
“As Daylight Savings Time ends, making the time to create a safety checklist that includes reminders like replacing batteries in your CO and smoke detectors, is a wise investment that will help keep families safe at a minimal cost,” says Ralph Palumbo, vice-president of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Ontario division.
IBC recommends checking and replacing batteries in smoke and CO detectors twice a year, coinciding with Daylight Savings Time changes. Detectors should be tested once a month, by using the test buttons provided on the units…

The ObamaCare lessons in a cancer patient’s cancelled insurance.

Movember is prostate cancer awareness month and men the world over are growing their mustaches. In keeping with this initiaitve we discuss how prostate cancer can affect a life insurance application. We list likely outcomes depending on the health of the applicant.