When does it make sense to sell real estate in a larger city and buy in a smaller one? + MORE Jun 6th

Q. I am currently living in Saint John, NB, and renting ($1,450 a month + Internet—very expensive for this little town). I also own a condo in Burlington, Ont., worth about $500,000, which I have been renting out for the past two years. With income taxes factored in, the rent just covers carrying costs. 
Recently, my tenant gave notice, and I started a permanently remote job—so I have essentially no geographic ties, and I’ve become very fond of Saint John. I’ve been thinking that if I sold my condo, I could be mortgage-free here. But people keep warning me that if I leave the real estate market in Ontario, I will never get back in. 
With inflated housing prices, higher taxes and historically slower real-estate turn around, is buying in New Brunswick a wise investment? As a single homeowner with an income of $80,000 per year, I am extremely limited in Southern Ontario.
–Alison
A. Although the decision to buy in Saint John and sell in Burlington are related, Alison, I would be inclined to consider the two independently…

Conventional wisdom may lead you to believe that if you have bad credit, you should swear off credit cards. But if you want to improve your credit score, you’ll have to show you can handle credit responsibly—and the only way to do that is (you guessed it) to have a credit card. When used properly, having and using a credit card can actually be a helpful tool to assist in rebuilding bad credit—and, luckily, there’s a whole host of products catered to people with poor credit scores. While these often come with higher interest rates and lower spending limits, they can be a good starting point to re-establishing a respectable credit score, which in turn will help you get approved down the line for loans, a line of credit or even a mortgage.
Best credit cards for bad credit in Canada

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Min. deposit: $500
Secured card

$59

Plastk Secured Visa
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5k point sign-up bonus ($20 value)
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17…

In the past year, Canadian investors have embraced online brokerage services at rates not seen since the early 2000s. The surge makes sense, given that COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns have forced many of us to navigate life from behind a computer screen. If you’re working, socializing and shopping online, why not invest online, too? Fewer hours spent commuting and going out probably also played a part, since time—to increase knowledge and perform transactions—has always been the main barrier to self-directed investing. Then there’s the cost-savings angle, with the message that DIYers can save a bundle on fees finally going mainstream.
While pricier full-service investment options provided by financial advisors and bricks-and-mortar firms have their place—as do robo-advisors with their affordable hands-off portfolios—DIY investors who want the greatest selection of assets at rock-bottom fees can’t do better than online brokers. Of course, with a growing number of online brokerage services now available in Canada, it is hard to know which one is best for your needs…