Smoke and Mirrors

Product Description for Smoke and Mirrors:

Financial Myths That Will Ruin Your Retirement Dreams NATIONAL BESTSELLER!

• Retire Comfortably—it costs less than you think!


• Stop making RRSP payments—pay down debts first


• Find out whether you should lease or buy your car

Do you really need $1 million to retire? Many financial advisers perpetuate the myth that you need $1 million to retire, because the more money you hand over to them, the more money they make through commissions and other fees. Smoke and Mirrors will give you the ammunition you need to fight back against the scare tactics and “rule of thumb” selling methods used by banks and financial planners that suck money out of your pockets. David Trahair dispels each myth, chapter by chapter, and shows in an easy-to-understand manner how you can take control of your own finances. New for the 2009 edition:

• Excel spreadsheets that you can use to calculate your personal rate of return on your RRSP


• Spreadsheets to help you track your finances

Also includes:

• A Retirement Optimizer spreadsheet updated to include tax rates for all provinces and territories


• A Car Lease versus Buy Analyzer updated to include excess kilometer charges


• Stock market investment rates, mortgage interest rates, and CPP, OAS, and income tax rates all updated for 2007

Many bankers, brokers, credit card companies, financial planners, and insurance agents hate this book, but for the typical Canadian, the message is invaluable. The included CD-ROM contains MS Excel spreadsheets that you can use to track your finances according to the instructions in the book.