Retiring debt-free used to be the goal for all Canadians. Pay off the mortgage, no more car payments,  and use credit cards judiciously, if at all. After all, living on a fixed income leaves little or no room in the budget for making interest payments.

Looks like that's strictly old school, however, according to a recent study. 

The study, conducted for the Investor Education Fund, found that 24% of the homeowners expect to have at least some debt on their home after they retire. What's worse, most of them admit that they don’t really know how they'll pay it off.

That's not completely surprising, however. More people are working well past the traditional retirement age. At the same time, the age of first-time home buyers has increased sharply, leaving them with fewer years in which to pay things off.

Eggs...check. Baskets...check. Chocolate...check. Presents...check. Budget...what budget?

Believe it or not, Easter is the second biggest gift-giving holiday occasion for Canadians next to Christmas.

From organizing an Easter egg hunt for your kids to buying gifts, flowers, food, candy, visiting relatives -- it all adds up. And, if you didn't already have it included in your annual household budget you may be stretching it a little bit.

As soon as the temperature begins to rise after our long, cold Canadian winter, we tend to get a little more motivated to tackle some much needed spring cleaning around the house.

Washing windows, scrubbing floors, organizing closets, wiping and dusting are all an important part of the annual ritual.

However, there is one extra item that you should add to your household spring cleaning "To Do" list -- your finances.

Remember when you were little how you were always taught that it's good to share?

Oh sure, it's always polite to share your toys or cookies.

But as we get older we are now finding out that it may not be such a good thing -- especially when it comes to sharing our personal and financial information on the Internet.

A recent study by Visa Canada revealed that many Canadians are in fact "oversharing" their financial information over their computers and cellphones which could put them at a greater risk for fraud.

Many couples think marrying or setting up house together means merging their debt loads, but that's not necessarily the case. While many couples opt to pay down debt together, neither spouse is usually legally obligated to pay off debt that the other incurred before marriage.

If your spouse or partner never signed the original contract or requested a credit card, they can't be held responsible for the debt. In Canada, marriage alone does not make you responsible for your spouse's debts.

However, if you refinance a loan with your significant other and put your name on the loan's promissory note, or add yourself as a joint account holder of a credit card, you'll likely become responsible for those debts, even if your spouse took them on before you got together.

At the very least, this could mean setting some guidelines such as cutting up unnecessary credit cards and living on a debt-senstive budget.

Credit cards can be your best friend or turn into your worst enemy if not used responsibly.

Getting your first credit card is a big deal when you're coming of age. But learning how to use them responsibly is something that requires a little bit of maturity and a little bit of credit card know-how.

"Credit cards are powerful tools to help build credit and financial skills," says Jeffrey Schwartz, executive director of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada, Inc. "Unfortunately, they can also be dangerous if not used responsibly."

The Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services is going after payday lender Cash Store Financial Services which operates 200 outlets in Ontario alone: branded as InstaLoans and The Cash Store.

At issue is whether the company has violated Ontario's Payday Loans Act, which limits the fees that can be charged by payday loan companies.

Similar questions have been raised in Manitoba where certain outlets have started offering high-interest lines of credit, which also appear to fall outside the province's payday loan rules.

Payday loans are designed to tide borrowers over until their next pay cheque. The amount you can borrow is usually limited to 50% of net pay, at incredible interest rates that make credit cards look like a real bargain.

These loans then trap borrowers in a cycle of mounting debt. Charges escalate when the borrower is unable to repay the loan at the end of the month, or can repay but immediately needs to borrow the same amount again.

Lovers may be ringing in Valentine's Day with hugs and kisses, but Canadian retailers are hoping the special day translates into some ringing in at the cash registers.

With sales a little sluggish after the holiday hoopla winding down, retailers are counting on Valentine's Day to give them the extra love they need to spice up their bottom line.

Retail sales typically fall about 4.4 per cent in February.

However, BMO Economics predicts we may see stronger sales for Valentine's Day due to stronger job growth at the tail end of 2012 bolstering consumer confidence.

But even though some retail sales may be in decline, there are still some sectors that are poised for gains, according to the report.

When it comes to credit card use, each country in the world seems to have their own stereotype.

In many Euro nations, for instance, credit card use is not just frowned up but extremely limited. The French and Germans, as an example, each charge just $300 or less on their credit cards each year, a paltry sum by the planet's standards.

But let's go west, all the way across the Atlantic. When you reach the shores of North America, credit card spending shoots through the roof.

Everyone knows about America's well-documented affair with credit cards, but Canadians aren't much better, and it's nearly as good a bet as it isn't that you carry a credit card balance each month.

2013 is the year of the snake (the yin to last year’s dragon yang), and according to www.astrology.com that means “we're likely to see significant developments in the area of science and technology this year.” So if you want to base your investing on the stars that’s your prerogative, but for those looking for more down to earth advice I spoke with David Campbell Lester, a financial life coach and author of the best-selling book I Heart Money.