Not Just Money

27 How do you know it’s fake? (Part 2)

Becoming an influencer quickly shot up the list of aspirational careers since the dawn of the social media age but have you ever wondered how they actually make money?
Why is it important to know?
As consumers, you always want to know how someone is being paid. It can lead to murky conflicts of interests or can cloud their objectivity.
Join our hosts in part 2 of uncovering social media. They dived into the dark recesses of the interwebs so you don’t have to, bringing you the real shadowy side of social connection.
Can you tell what’s real or fake?

26 How do you know it’s real? (Part 1)

Honest to truth, that title can go in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways but for this week’s episode, we are talking about the truth is social media “advertising.” Why does it feel like your algorithm knows what you’re thinking before you even thought it or said it out loud? And are there rules to what can be promoted via influencers? Are they “friends” or “businesses”?
Doretta gets on her soap box and shares how a simple ad on towels propelled her into her famed rabbit holes as she dives in to find out the truth. Are regulations protecting consumers on digital platforms as they do for traditional media? What can we, as consumers, do to better protect ourselves, not only from being duped by bad products but sometimes these decisions carry real life consequences.
Make sure to tune into next week’s episode as we continue this terrifying thread.
Links:
Canadian law: https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/deceptive-marketing-practices/types-deceptive-marketing-practices/misleading-representations-and-deceptive-marketing-practices
Competition Bureau Canada: https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en
Ad Standards – submit a complaint: https://adstandards.ca/complaints/how-to-submit-a-complaint/
Report Fraud: https://reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca

25 The post Tax hangover

We often talk a lot about tax leading up to the deadline, but the aftermath is often more important. For those who get a refund and/or can access the various benefits, that extra injection of cash can go a long way in keeping up with expenses or stashing away for a rainy day.
What happens when you owe? Not filing or pretending that it didn’t happen won’t make it go away. In fact, as friendly as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can be, they always come around and ask, “where my money?” They might not break kneecaps, but they will come collect sooner or later and the later part comes with hefty fines.
This week our hosts cover what to do when you owe and what to do when you get a refund (besides having a celebratory beverage)! Find out how most Canadians will be spending their tax refunds. The answer might surprise you.
Links:
Paying the CRA: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/payments/payments-cra/payment-arrangements.html
CRA numbers (who you gonna call?): https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/when-you-money-collections-cra/contact-canada-revenue-agency-about-your-debt.html

24 Taxes – A Canadian’s guide to a love/hate relationship

When we talk about taxes in Canada, it is often about how high they are and how can we minimize the taxes we pay as individuals or corporations but what about the other side? Where does this money go? Who controls it?
In today’s episode, our hosts talk about what a progressive tax system means, breaks down where YOUR money/taxes go, and how you can have a say of how it gets spent.
As we near April 30th – make sure to file your taxes (seriously)! And this year, take these 30 minutes to learn about the Canadian tax system and how it supports our happiness, civil society, and wealth equalization.
Links:
Why you pay taxes: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/educational-programs/purpose-taxes.html
Canada Spends: https://canadaspends.com/en/tax-visualizer?province=ON&income=100000&year=2025

23 Is happiness about money?

What does it mean when rich countries start sliding down the World Happiness Index? This year, Canada drops to 23rd from 18th place. Before that, they comfortably sat at #5. 
What happened? Did we collectively get crankier? Have things changed so drastically? Where would you sit on the ladder of happy? Join our co-hosts as they dive into both the complexities and the simplicity of what happiness is, and most importantly, what’s money got to do with it?
Links:
The World Happiness Report https://www.worldhappiness.report/
Canadian happiness stats https://data.worldhappiness.report/country/CAN

22 Push-pops, auctions, and condoms – your queries answered

Doretta and Li go through the mail bag in this episode. From listeners who called them out on some of their stories/comments to those who provided their own helpful savings hacks. Join our hosts as they read the mail and share their answers in real time. Sometimes the questions and their answers surprised even themselves!
And don't miss the riveting finale of the push-pop saga.

21 Mortgage talks, along with 1.5 million Canadians

Almost 60% of Canadians have or will be renewing their mortgages in short order. This week’s episode dives into Li’s own mortgage renewal drama. Mortgages are complicated and go beyond what your rate is. There is often a lot more to consider before getting into one and renewing one. Hear about the horror stories of sharing names and birthdays with other people and their assets to getting approved for too much home.
Warning: Mortgages are not a joke and is generally considered to be the biggest debt you will take on in your lifetime. Make sure to get professional advice from an accredited mortgage broker or mortgage specialist.
We are off next week – for those of you who celebrate Easter, have a great holiday! See you in two weeks.

20 Heartbroken and robbed: romance scams

Being a victim of a scam is awful enough. Being a victim of a romance scam is infinitely worse. March is Fraud Awareness Month! Join us this week as we peer behind the curtain to shine a light on who these scammers are versus who they profess to be. We hope these stories and warnings serve as an early detection sign for you or someone you know that may have been targeted. These scams are sophisticated and rehearsed, and they might be hiding behind a screen near you. Don’t be left penniless and betrayed, be skeptical and a little paranoid, because some things are definitely too good to be true.
Links:
Scam Inc. https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/scam-inc
National Geographic Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller – Romance Scams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XfCVk2gZCY
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm OR 1-888-495-8501
National Cybercrime coordination Centre https://rcmp.ca/en/federal-policing/cybercrime/national-cybercrime-coordination-centre
Royal Canadian Mounted Police https://rcmp.ca/en