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Ellen Roseman

Ellen Roseman: Read this before signing a fitness club contract

Thursday, December 13, 2007 | 07:52 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

It’s the holiday season and you’re eating too much and not exercising enough. So, you decide to join a local gym to get fit.

Now here’s the hard part. You have to find a fitness club with good facilities and a billing system that won’t trap you in an endless cycle of payments. This is more strenuous than doing 100 push-ups or running 30 minutes on the treadmill.

Complaints are frequent about fitness clubs. That’s why several provinces have laws to protect members from losing money. Here are some questions to ask.

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Ellen Roseman: Where to direct your cellphone complaints

Wednesday, November 28, 2007 | 11:24 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

Do you own a cellphone? Most Canadians do. There are about 15 million cellphones in use in Canada, which means the ownership rate is almost 60 per cent of those over the age of 12.

Given the ubiquity of these devices it's a shame there's no regulation of rates, quality of service or business practices. The CRTC still regulates local telephone service but it thinks the cellphone market is competitive enough to warrant non-intervention.

So, what are the common complaints? Let's start with hidden charges.

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Ellen Roseman: Advice on avoiding the latest banking scams

Thursday, November 15, 2007 | 08:21 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

There's a new scam making the rounds. You're given a cheque or money order to deposit and you're asked to wire money back to the donor. By the time you discover the fraud your bank account may be cleaned out.

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Ellen Roseman: How much retirement income is enough?

Thursday, November 1, 2007 | 08:57 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

Here’s a controversial question when it comes to planning for retirement. How much of your income do you need to replace to live comfortably after you leave work?

Financial planners often say you need 60 to 70 per cent of your pre-retirement income. But some experts believe the replacement ratio could be as low as 40 to 50 per cent for average working families.

Fidelity Investments set off a new debate when it published a report on the changing state of retirement in Canada. Its survey of 2,200 Canadians showed they’re on track to replace only half of their pre-retirement income once they retire. But this isn’t enough, since retirees will need to replace 75 to 85 per cent if they want to maintain an active lifestyle.

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Ellen Roseman: Keeping ahead of credit card fraudsters

Thursday, October 18, 2007 | 09:15 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

You’re sitting at home when the phone rings. It’s a fraud investigator who tells you that your credit card has been compromised. A new card will arrive in the mail shortly.

How do they know? Banks have sophisticated software that picks up unusual patterns of credit card activity. A large purchase far from your home might be flagged as suspicious, for example, or multiple transactions in stores you never patronize.

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Ellen Roseman: Lowering those Canada-U.S. price gaps

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 | 04:11 PM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

Douglas Porter, a Bank of Montreal economist, made waves last month by criticizing the high price of Canadian consumer products compared to identical products sold in the United States. He found a 24 per cent price gap on a basket of assorted goods.

In his report, The Price is Wrong, he said retail prices in Canada have responded to the loonie’s moonshot “with all the speed of a three-toed sloth on a hot summer’s day.” As a result, inflation is higher than it should be and interest rates could be even lower.

So, what can consumers do? How can we persuade companies to adjust more quickly to exchange-rate changes? Here’s my advice.

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Ellen Roseman: Simplifying mutual funds

Thursday, September 20, 2007 | 04:50 PM ET

Small investors can’t always buy stocks. But they can always buy mutual funds, which are aimed at those with scant financial resources.

Mutual funds used to be simple. Now they’ve morphed into a pretty complex purchase. There are so many funds – greater in number than Canadian stocks – and so many ways to buy them. Front-load, back-load, no load, low load. What’s a poor beginner to do?

(Read more or listen to the original audio)

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

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World »

Karzai, Musharraf target Taliban
The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan have begun a two-day meeting to talk about co-operating in the fight against insurgents based in the lawless border area between the two countries.
December 26, 2007 | 4:16 PM EST
6 bodies found east of Seattle
The bodies of six people have been found at a rural property east of Seattle, King County sheriff's detectives said Wednesday.
December 26, 2007 | 7:05 PM EST
French aid workers convicted of taking Chadian children
Six French aid workers have been sentenced to eight years' forced labour by a court in Chad for trying to abduct children from the African country.
December 26, 2007 | 2:31 PM EST
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Canada »

Canadians flock to Boxing Day bargains
Millions of Canadinas took part in the Boxing Day bonanza on Wednesday, although shopping malls may have been less crammed with bargain hunters this year.
December 26, 2007 | 11:32 AM EST
Dozens of carcasses discovered at Quebec quarry
Police and wildlife officers are investigating the discovery of dozens of pig, fox and coyote carcasses at a Quebec gravel quarry.
December 26, 2007 | 6:32 PM EST
Homolka's prison boyfriend could be freed in '08
A convicted killer, said to have had a relationship with Karla Homolka while the two were behind bars, could be released from a Quebec prison early in 2008.
December 26, 2007 | 8:20 PM EST
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Health »

Honey-drenched dressings touted as the bee's knees for wounds
Amid growing concern over drug-resistant superbugs and nonhealing wounds that endanger diabetes patients, nature's original antibiotic ? honey ? is making a comeback.
December 26, 2007 | 12:30 PM EST
Boxing Day dips wash away holiday excess, Europeans insist
Across Europe, people celebrated Boxing Day by diving into rivers, lakes and even oceans that challenged the threshold of humans' temperature tolerance.
December 26, 2007 | 3:16 PM EST
Woman's death marks 16th bird flu fatality in Egypt
A 25-year-old Egyptian woman has died of bird flu after she apparently contracted the disease from domestic fowl, a health official said Wednesday.
December 26, 2007 | 4:26 PM EST
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Arts & Entertainment»

Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson dies
The jazz odyssey is over for Oscar Peterson: the Canadian known globally as one of the most spectacularly talented musicians ever to play jazz piano has died at age 82.
December 24, 2007 | 5:17 PM EST
Tributes pour in for 'giant in music' Peterson
Tributes are pouring in for Canadian jazz musician Oscar Peterson, who died Sunday at age 82.
December 26, 2007 | 2:49 PM EST
Broadway, Hollywood choreographer Michael Kidd dies
American choreographer Michael Kidd, who created dance for the stage musical Finian's Rainbow and the movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, has died.
December 26, 2007 | 11:41 AM EST
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Technology & Science »

Weather odds could become the norm
As man-made climate change continues, the world will experience more extreme weather, bursts of heat, torrential rain and prolonged drought, scientists say.
December 26, 2007 | 2:17 PM EST
Yellowknife looks to old mine for geothermal energy
The N.W.T. capital will soon begin studying what could become Canada's first large-scale geothermal heat plant. Experts say heat from the defunct Con gold mine could supply enough power to serve half of the city's residents.
December 26, 2007 | 12:18 PM EST
Toyota announces plan to sell 9.85 million vehicles in 2008
In a neck-and-neck race that could dethrone General Motors as the world's top automaker, Toyota said it plans to sell 9.85 million vehicles globally in 2008.
December 26, 2007 | 12:10 PM EST
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Money »

Canadians flock to Boxing Day bargains
Millions of Canadinas took part in the Boxing Day bonanza on Wednesday, although shopping malls may have been less crammed with bargain hunters this year.
December 26, 2007 | 11:32 AM EST
U.S. house prices drop by a record 6.7 per cent
House prices in the United States fell in October for the 10th consecutive month, posting their largest monthly drop since early 1991, a widely watched index showed Wednesday.
December 26, 2007 | 4:13 PM EST
Apple Inc. shares reach $200 on core strength of IPod
Shares of Apple Inc. hit the $200 mark for the first time Wednesday as investor confidence in the company continued rising near the end of what has been a strong year for the IPod and computer maker.
December 26, 2007 | 3:30 PM EST
more »

Consumer Life »

Canadians flock to Boxing Day bargains
Millions of Canadinas took part in the Boxing Day bonanza on Wednesday, although shopping malls may have been less crammed with bargain hunters this year.
December 26, 2007 | 11:32 AM EST
Boxing Day purchases in cars easy prey for thieves: police
Vancouver police are advising Boxing Day shoppers not to leave newly-bought items in parked cars because they're easy prey for thieves.
December 26, 2007 | 9:41 AM EST
U.S. house prices drop by a record 6.7 per cent
House prices in the United States fell in October for the 10th consecutive month, posting their largest monthly drop since early 1991, a widely watched index showed Wednesday.
December 26, 2007 | 4:13 PM EST
more »

Sports »

Scores: CFL MLB MLS

Leafs lose Islander game, Toskala
Mike Comrie scored with nine seconds left in overtime as the New York Islanders topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a game where both clubs resorted to using their backup goaltenders.
December 26, 2007 | 11:41 PM EST
Senators cool off surging Sabres
Dany Heatley notched three points ? including an empty-net goal ? for the Ottawa Senators as the Eastern Conference leaders snapped the Buffalo Sabres' six-game winning streak with a 5-3 road win Wednesday night.
December 26, 2007 | 11:49 PM EST
Tavares leads Canada
John Tavares scored twice in his world junior championship debut and goaltender Jonathan Bernier earned the shutout as Canada opened the tournament Wednesday with a 3-0 win over host Czech Republic.
December 26, 2007 | 5:56 PM EST
more »