Name and symbol Encana (ECA) Talisman (TLM) Hudbay (HBM) Yamana (YRI) (I forget the stock) Tech Resources (TCK. B) Osisko (OSK) TOTALS No. of shares 500 1000 1000 1000 1000 500 1000 Seven STOCKS Cost $15,000 $18,000 $13,000 $10,000 $13,000 $21,000 $8,500 $98,500 April Premium $400 $460 $150 $170 $250 $700 $150 $2,280 (one month) […] Read more
How To Gauge Returns With A Phantom Portfolio
How To Live Off The Sale Of Land
Last issue (April 19), I discussed how to manage capital gain on farmland if your family had the land before 1987, and how that is different for land you started farming after 1987, the year the rules changed. Today I want to discuss how to manage the money you get from selling your farm and […] Read more
Should I Sell Some Farmland?
A reader from Ontario is getting close to retiring and asked me by email how he should think about his farmland. Should he keep it all and rent it out, sell some or sell all of it? He also suggested that many farmers likely face the same question so I told him I would write […] Read more
What Is Your Competitive Advantage?
I’m not saying sell out and quit raising cattle or growing grain. I am saying learn a new skill that can work for you for many years to come Want Help? Grainews is looking for farmers with troublesome financial questions. We will protect your privacy. We insist on examining real situations, but we DO NOT […] Read more
Three Tools For Generating Retirement Income
There’s lots of chatter about how much money people need when they retire from both soon-to-retire farmers and from people who offer tips. From my experience, most retired people need more cash flow than they realize but if they want to learn a new skill they can retire in comfort on a lot less money […] Read more
Good Times For My “Cows”
Since I retired from Grainews, I now run a portfolio that could be like running 300 to 400 cows, but my “cows” leave me with more time to think. When I spoke to the beef seminar in Teulon, Man., in late January, I asked how much time it would take me to work 400 cows. […] Read more
Should Farmers Have Sideline Businesses?
Over the years I have seen many sideline businesses come and go, and mostly gone. There were elk, ostriches, bed and breakfasts, handicrafts, baking, making cheese, and so on and so on. From time to time I get this question: What kind of business should I or could I set up on my farm that […] Read more
The China Effect Continues
An article or two ago I wrote out how I think the economy in North America might roll out in the coming years. Basically I said the good times baby boomers enjoyed for years likely have ended. Oh sure, some people will continue to make big wages, have lots of money and fun. But the […] Read more
How I See The Economy
Some people are very pessimistic about the economy and that we’re all heading for a depression. Some people say, “Hey, there’s nothing wrong, let’s just work, laugh a bit and enjoy life.” So who is right? Or is there a right and wrong answer? I will explain how I see the economy shaping up going […] Read more
Books That Helped Me Think
Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale was a big force in my life. I read that book twice over one weekend after I found it on a Friday while in Grade 12. It set the tone for a lot of my future. Over the years I have read a number of books that […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
