Life happens.

And with it, so do unforeseen hardships.

That's why it is always good to be proactive and have a plan.

A new report by BMO Wealth Institute reveals that while many Canadians have a financial plan in place, very few have considered what would happen if unexpected life events arose that could cause financial hardships.

Shopping, reading, gaming, working, researching, banking. 

Today we do just about everything from the convenience of our computers.

As a matter of fact, Canadians spend an average of 30 hours per week connecting to the online world.

So it's no wonder that more and more Canadians are investing online too.

Canadians will be spending a little more on gifts for mom this Mother's Day.

As a matter of fact, they'll be spending an average of $107 to shower mom with love on May 12. That's up 27 per cent over 2012, according to BMO Bank of Montreal's 2013 Mother's Day survey.

And, men are planning on spending a little more than their female counterparts ($119 versus $96).

Can there really be a price tag attached to the role of being a mother?

Well, according to a recent survey conducted by Leger Marketing for Wal-Mart Canada, the job of mom is worth about $161,287.

That translates into about $3101.67 a week or $441.88 per day.

It's not quite like winning a lottery, but almost 8.8 million Canadians will be getting a tax refund so far this year.

To date, 13.1 million tax returns have been filed before the April 30 personal income tax deadline. About 86 per cent of those were filed electronically, and the average refund to date is about $1,585.

If you're one of the lucky ones receiving a tax refund windfall, how do plan on spending your new found wealth? 

Well, according to a new study by BMO Nesbitt Burns, many Canadians will be paying off household debt and making investments.

Believe it or not, families are spending more on taxes than they are on the basic necessities of life.

According to a new report by the Fraser Institute, 42.7 per cent of an average Canadian family's income went towards taxes while just 36.9 per cent was spent on food, clothing and shelter in 2012.

And we wonder where our money goes.

Smoking is not only bad for your health but it's also bad for your house.

According to a new survey, smoking in your home can lower it's resale value.

In fact, it can lower the property value by up to 29 per cent. And, based on an average Canadian house price of $378,532, that's a loss of over $109,000.

Did you know there's a rhyme and reason to why you file your income tax return?

It's because it's the right thing to do.

According to the Psychology of Taxes Study by BMO Nesbitt Burns, 52 per cent of Canadians say they file their taxes because they believe its their civic duty. 

You can order pizza, shop and do your banking right from the convenience of your home computer.

But what about depositing cheques into your bank account with your mobile device?

Well, select credit unions across Canada are launching a new mobile app that lets you do just that.

All you have to do, they say, is tap, snap and send.

Move over Imelda Marcos -- make more closet room for Canadian men and their love of shoes.

A new report, released by global research company NPD Group, revealed that Canadian men really do like their shoes. 

In fact, sales of men's footwear in Canada stepped up by 13 per cent in 2012 way ahead of women's sales which grew by a modest three per cent. Overall, the industry saw a six per cent growth spurt socking in $5.1 billion in sales.