Canadian GDP advanced 0.2% in October

Latest: +0.2% (actual) +0.3% (expected)
Previous: -0.1% (no revision)

FACTS: Real GDP increased 0.2% in October, following a decline of 0.1% in September. Activity was up in the goods producing sector (+0.2%) after decreasing (-0.7%) in the previous month. Mining & oil & gas extraction activity surged (+2.4%), this sector being alone in positive territory among goodsproducing industries, while utilities (-1.5%) and manufacturing (-0.6%) lagged. Industrial production jumped 0.4% this month. Production in non-durable manufactured goods tumbled 2.3% while durable manufacturing industries advanced 0.8%. Energy production was up 1.1% in the month, following a 1.7% decrease in September. Service sector activity was up 0.2% with wholesale trade (+0.5%) and transportation & warehousing (+0.5%) posting the largest increase. Read more…

The best way to think of dividend income is as your salary. The good news is that you received an 8.8% pay increase this year and next year looks like it could be a 9% increase. The bad news is that you are still making 18.5% less than you made in 2008, it won’t be until 2013 until you get back to 2008, and you need to make up the difference from somewhere, now.

Dividends had a great year, and I expect them to have a great 2011, and if all goes well (or at least jobs start to come back), 2012 should also be a good year. But that doesn’t make up for the two worst years in dividend history, and won’t get you back to what you received in 2008. Below a few highlights from a dividend report I just finished, with a link to the full report (with files specifically designed to be exported and used).

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Whether it’s downloading and sharing company confidential information (a hot topic these days), manipulating expense reports, or stealing merchandise – employee theft and fraud is a serious issue for business owners. In fact, studies show that occupational fraud now results in the loss of five percent of an organization’s annual revenue.

Here are some tips for preventing and managing employee theft or occupational fraud.

1. Use Pre-Employment Background Checks Wisely

One of the first steps to preventing fraudulent employee behavior is to make the right hiring decision. Basic pre-employment background checks are a good business practice for any employer, especially for those employees who will be handling cash, high-value merchandise, or have access to sensitive customer or financial data.

This Guide to Pre-Employment Background Checks from Business.gov outlines the types of information that you can consult as part of a pre-employment check, and the laws that govern their use. It’s wort

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The holiday season started early for gold, as prices steadied on the Tuesday before Christmas weekend. With the EU economies still in flux and the Koreas experiencing instability, analysts believe that the underlying fundamentals for gold will continue to remain strong going into 2011. Gold prices treaded water Tuesday amid technical trading and light volume ahead of the Christmas holiday. Gold for February delivery settled up $2.70 to $1,388.80 an ounce at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The gold price has traded as high as $1,393 an as low as $1,381.40. The U.S. dollar index was adding 0.19% to $80.76 while the euro was down 0.24% to $1.30 vs. the dollar. The spot gold price was rising $2, according to Kitco’s gold index. Gold prices might have started their long holiday weekend a little early this year as worries in the European Union, tension in the Koreas and end-of-year book- squaring did little to boost prices. Read more…

With real interest rates in the negative, and inflation rising, the Chinese economy continued to drive gold prices higher on Monday. Although the country last week raised bank reserve rates by 50 basis points, the impact of the move on slowing down China’s growth is expected to be nominal at best. Gold prices rose Monday on high inflation numbers and continued low interest rates in China. Gold for February delivery added $13.10 to $1,398 an ounce at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The gold price traded as high as $1,400.20 and as low as $1,380.80 during Monday’s session. The U.S. dollar index was slipping 1.05% to $79.22 while the euro was adding 1.44% to $1.34 vs. the dollar. The spot gold price Monday was up $11.30, according to Kitco’s gold index. Inaction and high inflation in China were helping gold prices Monday. O Read more…