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September 20, 2021

Thinking of renting out your basement for extra cash?

It seems that everybody wants to be a landlord these days. Some are thinking duplexes or doubles, but  others are actually looking to split up the house somehow or convert the basement with a separate entrance. 

While reactions to the latter type of rental can vary widely by community, it's certainly not the "you're kidding, right?" decision it once was. And being a part-time landlord may have more appeal as boomers age and look for ways to supplement their incomes.

Easy money? Well, that's what many people, including Scott McGillivray, the host of Income Property, would have you believe. 

In case you haven't seen it, Income Property is an HGTV home-improvement show in which McGillivray  rescues cash-strapped homeowners and teaches them how to supplement their mortgage payments by adding a rental unit to their house.

Seemingly in the blink of an eye and for little money, he creates beautiful income suites which usually end with dazzled homeowners pocketing an extra $1300 a month in rent.

But that's where it stops (it is TV, after all).

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May 16, 2021

Employees quit jobs for pretty strange reasons

“Why did you leave your last job?” is a question can strike fear in even the most confident job seeker. But you're definitely going to hear it during your next interview.

A stronger economy often gives workers greater courage to change jobs, but the reasons for people leaving vary sharply, including the simply wacky, according to a new OfficeTeam survey.

When pressed, here are just a few of the truly lame reasons people offer before packing it in: 

  • "One person left because she lost her cell phone too many times at work."
  • "An employee said it was his routine to change jobs every six months."
  • "A guy said he was making too much money and didn't feel he was worth it."
  • "One person left because she didn't want to work so hard."
  • "Someone quit because work was getting in the way of having fun."
  • "The worker told us he just couldn't get up in the morning."
  • "An individual did not like the sound of file cabinets being slammed."
  • "A person quit because he hated the carpet."

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Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

Jason BucklandJason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...