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Monday, June 5, 2023

Farewell and Best of Luck with Your Financial Affairs

It is with mixed feelings that I write this post. It will be my last one. I have written this blog for fourteen years starting with my first post on September 20, 2010, appropriately titled “Let’s See Where This Goes”. After 638 posts, I am saying goodbye.

This blog went beyond my wildest expectations. As of today, I have over 6,000,000 page reads. I have been interviewed on TV & video, quoted multiple times in various publications, written articles for newspapers and had multiple media opportunities I had never envisioned. I even used the best of my blogs to form a book, “Let’s Get Blunt About Your Financial Affairs’. When people search Google for tax and financial topics, my posts often show up as one of the top five references. I have met people at parties or business gatherings who tell me they are readers and enjoy my blog.

My readers have been loyal and long standing. Over the years I received multiple unsolicited emails from readers that said they enjoyed reading the blog and encouraging me to keep up the good work. Many took the time to comment on particular topics or to suggest topics I may want to write about. I thank you all for patronage and support of the blog. I will truly miss you.

From the mainstream media I would like to thank Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw of The Globe and Mail and Ellen Roseman and Adam Mayers of the Toronto Star for their support since the blog’s inception. Other supporters include fellow bloggers, many who became friends, in no particular order: The Big Cajun Man, Jim Yih, Robb Engen, Michael James, Mark Seed, Frugal Trader, Canadian Capitalist, Tom Drake & Preet Banerjee to name just a few. I was amazed at how supportive these bloggers and others were to me when I started out. It was always more of a camaraderie than a competition amongst financial bloggers.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Lynda Kremer, my executive assistant for most of the blog’s life, for all her help in editing my weekly posts and for her immense help in putting my book together.

Finally, the most important person has been my wife, Lori. She not only helped edit blog posts but taught me and “cajoled” me into writing in “plain English", which is a topic she teaches often as a professional presenter. It is amazing how many people have told me I have simplified as best as possible, complex topics. That is all Lori’s doing. Finally, she was very tolerant and supportive as I wrote my posts at night and on the weekend, taking away family time.

I may write occasional posts if something catches my attention and post them on LinkedIn, but my blogging career is over.

So, thanks for reading and best of luck with your financial affairs in the future.

This site provides general information on various tax issues and other matters. The information is not intended to constitute professional advice and may not be appropriate for a specific individual or fact situation. It is written by the author solely in their personal capacity and cannot be attributed to the accounting firm with which they are affiliated. It is not intended to constitute professional advice, and neither the author nor the firm with which the author is associated shall accept any liability in respect of any reliance on the information contained herein. Readers should always consult with their professional advisors in respect of their particular situation. Please note the blog post is time sensitive and subject to changes in legislation or law.

45 comments:

  1. I'm glad to have been along on the journey, Mark. I learned so much from your blogs and insights, and having you a guest on my podcast. You raised everyone's game by being so good. Be sure to look me up if you find yourself in London. Or, if you find yourself at St. Andrews, I'll travel up to visit some distilleries while you try your hand at the old course. (Have you already played it?)

    Congratulations and enjoy the freed-up time in your schedule 😊

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    1. Thx Preet, I had to pick up my game speaking to you! Still have not played the old course, could be there someday..

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  2. Mark, thanks for your years of valuable posts. Your perspective was welcome --- your style too!

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    1. Thx Promod, I appreciated you having me on your podcast Tea at Taxevity and our many discussions over the years. I always appreciated your professionalism.

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  3. Thanks for all your posts over the years! I started reading your posts in my 20s, and expect to be applying the principles that I learned for decades to come.

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    1. Thx Colin, I appreciate your readership and your kind comments.

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  4. Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge. Will you leave the website up for some time for readers or will it go offline as well? All the best!

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    1. Hi Anon, I intend to leave the blog up, I may disable the comments, I am thinking on that one. Thx for reading.

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  5. I did all the advertising by blasting your golf balls all over the courses. You have helped me with a few specific issues in my finances, and for that I thank you. I don't think I will ever "retire" the way you are, but I have certainly cut down a lot. If you ever feel the urge to write a Guest Post, send it my way! Been grand reading your cogent and excellent advice. -Alan W. (BCM)

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    1. Thx for the free advertising. There are a lot of Blunt Bean Counter golf balls spread across Ontario golf courses. Mostly by me:) Glad to hear you still have the energy to blog, mine was waning as the topics were pretty much covered and I was searching for things to write about.

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  6. I'm shocked to read that you won't be blogging anymore!
    :-( Thanks for all of the helpful and interesting tax information that you've shared over the years. I've learned a lot and enjoy your writing style. Best wishes wherever life takes you!

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    1. Thx for the good wishes and for reading the blog, I am glad you learned a lot.

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  7. You have done a great job! I’ve enjoyed your posts, and wish you all the best in your next adventures!

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  8. Robert L HazelwoodJune 5, 2023 at 9:14 PM

    I’m sorry to hear you are ending your blog. I’ve certainly enjoyed your posts and shamelessly stole your financial organizer sheet…. (with your permission). Lots of work to complete, but well worth the effort. Thank you for your work!

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    1. Thx Robert. Glad you utilized the organizer, that is what is was for.

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  9. Enjoy! Thanks for all the motivation and advice.

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    1. Thx, glad I could motivate you. Hopefully I motivated some of the procrastinators to get their financial affairs in order.

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  10. I looked forward to each and every one of your posts. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience over the many years. All the Best to you and your family.

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  11. Thx for sharing the honest, hard truth about high net worth individuals and their lack of planning/inappropriate optimism about wealth transfer and equal sharing among their adult children post death. Made it easier to accept that death, and $50,000/year to accountants fees in estate planning accomplished nothing. As your column regularly featured- You can’t buy yourself out of dysfunction.

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    1. Thx for reading the blog and providing me a laugh with your comments, although in many cases sad but accurate and not a laughing matter.

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  12. Your writing has long been a trusted voice to me and your posts had weight and value. Thank you for sharing yourself, your expertise and your knowledge with us.

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  13. Mark, enjoy the freed up time and space, I've enjoyed your blog over the years, and as a financial advisor have used it, referenced it, and shared your wisdom many, many times.
    Thanks for all your work, and I'm happy to hear the blog will remain up, so I can continue to reference it.
    All the best.

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    1. Thx for reading the blog and using it as a reference. I was always happy to hear when the blog was referenced; just not so much when people copied it without giving me the attribution.

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    2. Mark. I met you at the 2020 Canada focus group sessions we had with Chris Frederiksen years ago. Your blogs have been informative and easy reads. Good luck in your retirement! Anthony CUSIMANO.

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    3. Hi Anthony, I remember those sessions and you. Thx

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  14. Your voice in our corner of the internet will be missed. Good luck in whatever you get into next!

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  15. Thx Tom, I appreciate the technical support you provided to me and the blog over the years.

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  16. Sorry to see you go. Learned a lot from you over the years. Enjoy your retirement.

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  17. You are a gentleman and a scholar Mark. I will think of you every time I pass a golf course.

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  18. As a CPA Canada Financial Literacy volunteer, I found your posts a useful resource while preparing for workshops.

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    1. Thx Vince, glad the posts were helpful, I considered the blog a vehicle to help with financial literacy.

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  19. Thanks for the guidance in simple terms. Much appreciated. Perhaps you could work for the CRA now and simplify the Tax Code so common Canadians could actually understand it and make some sense of our overly complex tax system. We need people in CRA who can actually explain things clearly.

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    1. Thx Anon. Maybe if they gave me a percentage of the tax I found :)

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  20. I have visited your site many times and have learned a lot from it! I wish you the very best in you and your families future!

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  21. Thank-you so much for your advice and insights. I have visited your site many times and have enjoyed your writing. Best wishes to you. A

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  22. What a touching final post Mark. Enjoy your added free time away from writing.

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  23. Kudos for your excellent work over so many years. Your blog has long been in my bookmarks as a high value resource. Best, Jean

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  24. Sorry to see you go.

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