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MoneySense magazine swept the CFA Society Toronto Financial Journalism Awards Wednesday night.
Retirement columnist David Aston was named Journalist of the Year while MoneySense senior editor Julie Cazzin won the Spirit of the Future of Finance Award. Publication of the Year was awarded to The Globe and Mail.
“MoneySense prides itself on providing sophisticated advice to our readers in an accessible format, and it was wonderful to see that recognized by the organization which oversees Canada’s most prestigious financial accreditation,” said MoneySense editor-in-chief Duncan Hood. “In fact, we are one of the few consumer publications out there which includes CFA members among our writers.”
The CFA Society Toronto Financial Journalism Awards recognize the contributions of different Ontario and Canadian based publications and journalists whose work helps consumers and advisers to gain a better understanding of the investment profession. The Spirit of the Future of Finance was a new category added this year in support of the Future of Finance, a global effort initiated by CFA Institute to shape a trustworthy, forward-thinking financial industry that better serves society…

(Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
Q: I want to buy a house with money from my RRSP but I used my Home Buyers’ Plan 17 years ago. How can I find out if I qualify before I withdraw money from my RRSP?—Wannie Guy
A: Sometimes you can have a second “first time.” Even if you previously participated in the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP), you may be eligible to do so again, if your balance is zero and you meet all the other HBP conditions. There are exceptions, but you may re-qualify as a first-time home buyer as long as neither you nor your current spouse have owned a home that you occupied as your principal place of residence during the four-year period before the RRSP withdrawal.
The eligibility criteria are quite specific so I recommend you search online for the CRA pamphlet numbered “RC4135” and review the questionnaire on page 7 or contact them at 1-800-959-8281. If you decide to give them a call, have an accountant joke ready to go. They love that.
 
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MoneySense helps readers make smarter investing, banking, insurance, shopping and real estate decisions for financial freedom, sooner. Save thousands of dollars every year by learning which investments have the lowest fees, how to pick winning stocks, how to slash your taxes and more. Every issue contains answers to common money questions as well as stories about real Canadians who have overcome financial obstacles. Columnists include author and TV personality Bruce Sellery, veteran personal finance journalist Jonathan Chevreau, ETF expert Dan Bortolotti, value stock picker Norman Rothery, tax expert Evelyn Jacks and retirement expert David Aston.
 
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OTTAWA – Canadian mining companies have a responsibility to ensure they don’t tarnish the country’s “brand” with substandard corporate behaviour, says Governor General David Johnston.
He made the remarks in an interview with The Canadian Press on Thursday prior to his upcoming official state visits to Chile and Colombia in the coming week.
Canadian mining companies are active in both countries, and the extractives industry is frequently a lightning rod for broad criticism that it can run roughshod over local, often indigenous populations.
Overall, Johnston said Canadian companies are leaders in corporate social responsibility, but there’s always room for improvement.
He said when some companies periodically fail to meet the standards of proper corporate behaviour, they are hurting the economic chances of those that are doing good work.
“In the mining area, one could argue that Canada sets the standard for the world in terms of what investment practices should be,” Johnston said in a wide-ranging discussion at his official residence, Rideau Hall…

Investors are rattled as blue-chip stocks such as Suncor and CNRL take a beating