Dealing with plumbing issues is a dreaded scenario for many homeowners, with the temptation to fix problems through DIY methods often leading to more trouble than anticipated. While it may seem cost-effective to handle repairs on your own, there are several long-term financial benefits to employing professional plumbing services. From avoiding the hidden costs associated with DIY repairs to ensuring the longevity of your plumbing system, the advantages are clear. Professional input not only helps in preventing future damage but also provides a certain peace of mind that is worth every penny. Keep reading to understand why investing in professional plumbing repair is the smart choice for your home and wallet.
The Hidden Costs of DIY Plumbing Repairs Versus Professional Services

DIY plumbing projects can be enticing, but they often come with hidden costs that homeowners don’t foresee. Whether it’s buying the wrong materials, causing unintentional damage that requires additional repairs, or even voiding warranties, the financial toll can quickly surpass the cost of professional services…

Here’s a round-up of news for Canadian investors this week.

Nvidia

Metro

Questrade

Featured RRSP Accounts

featured

EQ Bank

Build your retirement savings with 1.50% interest, tax-deferred contributions and zero fees.

go to site

featured

Registered GIC rate

Earn a guaranteed 2.75% in your RRSP when you lock in for 1 year.

go to site

Best RRSP rates

See our ranking of the best RRSP accounts and rates available in Canada.

read now

Why trust us
MoneySense is an award-winning magazine, helping Canadians navigate money matters since 1999. Our editorial team of trained journalists works closely with leading personal finance experts in Canada…

Managing risk is an essential part of investing in any asset class. Risk and return are positively correlated in many asset classes, and real estate is no exception. This is the reasoning behind the idiom, “the higher the risk, the higher the reward.”
That’s why investors need to understand the different types of risk they face when investing in a specific asset class. This article will explore the different types of risks investors face when investing in commercial real estate.
Let’s dig in.
Different Risk Types CRE Investors Need To Be Aware Of
All investments come with risk. The experienced investor knows how to read the markets and manage risk accordingly. Even if you aren’t investing in commercial real estate directly and instead are investing through REITs, REIT ETFs, or crowdfunded CRE platforms, it’s essential to understand the risks of the asset class.
There are seven types of risk commercial real estate investors analyze when deciding whether or not to invest in a CRE project…

If you’re looking to invest in the United States stock market but don’t live in the US, you may be wondering how to buy US stocks in Japan. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to do, and here’s a guide on how to get started:
Choose a broker
The first step is to choose a premium broker. There are many different brokers, so you’ll need to do your research to find the right one for you. Some factors to consider include the fees they charge, the range of products they offer, and their customer service record.
Open an account
Once you’ve chosen a broker, you’ll need to open an account with them. This process will vary depending on the broker but will typically involve filling out some paperwork and providing some identification.
Fund your account
After selecting your prefered broker and opening an account on their platform, you must fund your new trading account. Most platforms are userfriendly with quick transfer options directly from your bank account…

Million Dollar Journey editor and Canadian Financial Summit founder Kyle Prevost shares financial headlines and offers context for Canadian investors.

Making sense of the nonsensical

I’m one month into writing “Making sense of the markets” when this happens: everything and anything. 

Is there like a dollar sign-shaped bat signal we can use to summon Dale Roberts back? (Roberts is the original writer of this column.)

Making sense of the short-term movements in asset markets is never exactly easy. But for the last two years, forecasting most of the world’s stock markets has meant deciding which beautiful sky was the sunniest. We had it pretty good. Recent headlines, though, have proven that the outlook just got a lot cloudier.

The first thing to keep in mind when looking at the stock market’s serpentine moves over the last week is that prices really are pretty rational in the long term. Over the short-term, however—not so much. How do we justify a stock price dropping 10% or more of the price evaluation before its earnings announcement, despite meeting earnings expectations for the last three months? The lesson being, of course, that while markets are generally efficient, it can take them a while to realize that efficient pricing mechanism’s full potential…

There was once a time when Netflix dominated the category of streaming so strongly that it became synonymous with the activity itself. But the monopoly that Netflix once held is fading. Platforms like Apple TV, HBO Max, Disney +, Crave and Amazon Prime are competing for viewers. Netflix reported a loss of 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, a contrast to the more than 2 million subscribers it predicted to add. It’s the first time in a decade that the company reported a loss in paid users. That announcement, in April, led to a 35 per cent drop in stock prices. 

As Netflix’s growth slowed, HBO said it added nearly 13 million subscribers in 2021 across HBO and HBO Max. In May, Disney reported it added 7.9 million subscribers in its second quarter, and Apple TV said it boosted new viewers by 25 per cent in March after the film CODA—which streams on the platform—won an Oscar. 

Netflix attributed its slowdown due to a variety of factors in a letter to shareholders, including account sharing—meaning one paying customer gives their password to others—disruption caused by the pandemic and increased competition from rival streamers…

Most of the articles on the topic of selling app ideas deal with situations where the developer has either an idea or minimal work to do. This is partly understandable: it is believed that if you have a minimum viable product, the MVP, you can handle the rest on your own. But what if you don’t? We tell you how to sell your app idea if you have only a little left.
You’ve done a great job and your product can be considered minimally viable. Congratulations, at this stage it is much easier to interest a potential investor. If the startup has something to offer, that’s great. What is required of you? The most important thing is utmost honesty and utmost clarity. Tell me at the presentation
What are you lacking? This may not only be financial: Maybe you would like to work with a team of successful marketers, but you do not have the connections. This can be presented correctly;
indicate what kind of financial investment you are expecting;
give a marketing plan: tell about possible promotion strategies, spelled out how much money will be spent and what for…

Are you curious about investing in commercial real estate? This article will explain two ways you can get started.
Brick and Mortar Investing
This method is the traditional way to invest in commercial property – to purchase a property that will generate income for you, whether you conduct business in it, rent or lease it out to others, or both. What sort of properties qualify as commercial real estate? These, among others:

Malls
Strip malls
Restaurants
Kiosks
Banks
Movie theaters
Bars
Convenience stores
Storage facilities
Factories
Warehouses
Machine shops
Car dealerships
Grocery stores
Mobile home parks
Office buildings
Multi-tenant residential housing
Mixed-use buildings
Parking garages
Parking lots

Any property that you can purchase and lease or rent to others can be considered commercial property because you derive an income stream from it.
Although collecting rent is considered “passive income,” in truth, you will be active in selecting and maintaining the property as well as vetting tenants…

Many businesses divide their target audience into groups to better suit specific customer’s needs. This division is typically done in segments, being demographic, geographic, behavioral, and psychographic segmentation. All this is done in the hopes of improving products and services that customers are interested in, which they will hopefully purchase. This begs the question: what are some cool purchases you can make for yourself?
New Shoes
Nothing can give a person a boost of confidence like sporting a fresh pair of kicks. Maybe shoes aren’t your favorite thing in the world, and not every pair that you buy needs to cost an arm and a leg, but spending a good chunk of change on a particularly sleek pair of shoes can truly elevate your self-esteem. Not much of a shoe person? Grab a fancy pair of boots or heels, treat yourself!
A Gym Membership
Okay, spending money to be sore and sweaty might not sound like the best use of your money, but it might just be the best financial decision you ever make…

Canadian Business is relaunching this fall, building on its platform as a trusted media brand and social network for the country’s fastest-growing companies and their innovative leaders, who are changing Canada for the better.
Canadian Business gives these leaders—and those who want to learn from them—the resources, networking opportunities and inspiration to innovate, connect and continue to challenge the status quo. One of the ways we are doing this is through launching the Canadian Business Leadership Circle, CB’s leader-in-residence program where each month we engage a different C-suite-level executive making an impact in their field. As part of the program, readers will have the chance to connect with these progressive-minded business execs for mentorship and professional development through exclusive content, virtual fireside chats and more.
Joining us as leader-in-residence for September is Peter Politis, CEO of Greybrook Realty Partners, a leading Toronto-based real estate private equity firm…

The world is facing financial uncertainties due to layoffs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Retail has become the best solution for most people around the world to overcome the financial instability caused by the pandemic.
Online games and online gambling have become beneficial for most of those people for whom these methods of dealing with the pandemic are convenient. The online gaming industry is characterized by low financial losses compared to other industries. In the United States, for example, a total industry capitalization of $ 102.9 billion is expected by 2025. This is evidenced by the study. IMoneySlots like most online gambling companies have seen a breakthrough in this situation compared to traditional gambling. Along with online gaming, it became necessary to switch to online payments so that players’ winnings would not be paid through checks.
The gaming industry is still experiencing significant growth and has trends that carry good news. 2021 has already influenced the future of the gaming industry in various ways…

East or west, home is the best. Well, rightly so. Your home is your sanctuary, an area of comfort and stability that ties to your daily routine. To an extent, your home is your most significant investment, as it should be. That being said, you must maintain and add value to your home through renovations.
Maintenance and renovations may feel tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. Worry not. Making changes to your home adds value when you decide to rent or sell. Below are some changes you can make yearly and increase your home’s worth.
Upscale Doors and Window Replacements
Door or window upgrades are not too exciting. However, they’re pleasing for their added value. Door and window replacements will return you more than 80% in recouped costs. It’s important to note that door changes also include your gate and garage doors.
A valuable upgrade means changing the material and investing in luxury additions like sliding barn door hardware. Changing the sidings and windows also increases the value of your home…

Each week, Cut the Crap Investing founder Dale Roberts shares financial headlines and offers context for Canadian investors.
It’s U.S. earnings season, and things are looking up
From Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab & Co., here is a fantastic overview of the (early) results of U.S. earnings season. 
The summary: We are off to a great start, as expected. And, actually, things are even better than expected. 
Sonders opened her post with some key observations: 
“With less than 10% of the S&P 500 having reported, results are strong and have boosted the blended consensus for first quarter year-over-year earnings growth to nearly 31% from 25%.
“Both the beat rate, and the percent by which companies have been beating estimates, are well above historical norms.
“The denominator effect of improving earnings (E) is helping ease some valuation concerns; but overall, the market remains historically expensive.”
One of the most important metrics for evaluation stocks is the P/E (price to earnings) ratio…

Few business leaders have access to the capital they need to carry out all of their plans or strategies. Often, leaders have to make tough decisions regarding their resources and their budget. This means that anything a business leader can do to complete a project without breaking the bank can be incredibly beneficial to their organization as a whole. With that in mind, today we’ll explore four cost-effective ways that business leaders can boost employee productivity. Here’s how to help your team reach new heights without spending a fortune:
Remote Capabilities
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have been forced to adopt a remote work setup. While this may have been a change made out of necessity, it can provide numerous benefits to both professionals and businesses alike. A good number of employees prefer working from home, and many find that they are able to get more done outside of the hustle and bustle of the “traditional” office environment. What’s more, businesses can save money on real estate as well as office upkeep expenses if they allow more team members to work from home…

Running a small business can be both exciting and challenging, and as you enter a new phase, you will come to realize the importance of cash flow when expanding your business. The good news is that you do not have to allow your business plans to take a backseat because inventory loans will be the perfect option for you. With this type of funding, you can purchase inventory using the items you bought as collateral.
What Is an Inventory Loan?
Taking out a loan for the first time might be an intimidating endeavor since you will need to choose from a plethora of options. You will also have to make sure that you qualify because lenders are looking at businesses that demonstrate willingness and ability to pay.
In a nutshell, an inventory loan is a type of short-term business financing that helps small businesses purchase much-needed inventory. Many small businesses take out inventory loans for the following reasons:

Obtain upfront cash to address customer demand and increase sales
Prepare for short-term cash shortages
Utilize capital that has been tied up in inventory
Ensure business has enough resources during busy season
Increase product lines

Unlike common types of business loans, inventory loans will not require you to offer your assets or property as collateral…

What’s the big fuss about holding bitcoin in Canada? If you’re a MoneySense reader, you already know that bitcoin is increasingly major news. The standard-bearer of cryptocurrencies (also referred to as digital or virtual currencies) has been soaring in value. Despite some pretty major fluctuations over the years, $1,000 of bitcoin purchased in 2010 (one year after the currency was established) was worth around $287.5 million at the end of 2020. And when bitcoin hit its all-time high of more than $64,000 in April 2021, that same investment was suddenly worth $800 million—at least for a while.
Crypto has become such a phenomenon that some of the most famous names in global enterprise have climbed onboard. Most notably, in February 2021, Tesla purchased $1.5 billion in bitcoin and announced plans to accept it as payment for its vehicles. Paypal, Starbucks and Yum! Brands (parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and others) are just a few companies that are now accepting or testing bitcoin payment in various territories…

Discord walked away from Microsoft talks, may pursue an IPO  TechCrunchDiscord opts to stay independent, ends acquisition talks with Microsoft: report  MobileSyrupReport: Microsoft No Longer In Talks To Buy Discord  KotakuDiscord reportedly dismisses Microsoft deal  The VergeDiscord reportedly halts buyout talks with Microsoft  PC GamerView Full coverage on Google News