Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
 
 

I bought some chocolate a couple of weeks ago, and what a tasty experience it was.
 
 

The chocolate was a small gift, so I never actually tried it. But I loved the retail experience. Thanks to the two-month GST/HST holiday that began on Dec. 14, the $10 displayed price was exactly what I paid.
 
 

I’m not a fan of the sales tax holiday as economic policy. But in a world of proliferating junk fees, I love it as a model of clarity where the price is the price.
 
 

Junk fees are add-ons to the price of goods and services that provide zero value – they simply offer sellers a way to post a lower price than clients actually pay. The travel industry is my go-to example of junk fees, both hotels and airlines.
 
 

More than 10 years ago, airlines were required to include tax in their advertised fares. That win for consumers has lately been undermined by pricing that may or may not reflect the cost of bags to be carried onboard a plane or checked. You also have to pay extra to have any say in where you sit. A non-travel junk fee I encountered recently was the $1.50 processing cost of buying tickets to a movie on my phone.
 
 
 

Sales tax is not considered a junk fee, but it’s a constant irritant when making even small purchases. Might we be better off with tax folded into retail prices?
 
 

When the GST was introduced in 1991, there was a belief that the tax had to be fully transparent to people and thus broken out separately. But other countries have included similar sales taxes in pricing, so that consumers know exactly what they’re paying.
 
 

I‘m a fan of all-in pricing – what about you? Send me a quick note at rcarrick@globeandmail.com to tell me where you stand.
 
 
Subscribe to Carrick on Money
 
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Beware the Swedish death cleaning
 
An advice columnist tackles a question from someone upset that their downsizing parent is throwing everything out, even family photos. Swedish death cleaning is referenced – it means paring your junk down to the essentials to make things easier for your loved ones after you die.
 
Tax help for home buyers
 
A surprisingly long list of tax-related measures to help people buying a home.
 
Best U.S. equity ETFs
 
Exchange-traded funds have surged in popularity in recent years because they offer a low-cost way to tap into the returns of major stock indexes like the S&P/TSX composite index and the S&P 500 index. Given the interest in U.S. stocks these days, I thought I’d include a list of the best ETFs for the U.S. market compiled by the independent analysis company Morningstar. You can cross-reference these funds with my own Globe and Mail ETF Buyer’s Guide.
 
The CRA says “welcome”
 
All about the simplified login for the Canada Revenue Agency website. Just one click is needed to log into My Account, My Business Account, and Represent a Client, whereas separate sign-ins were previously required.
 
 
Podcast fans
 
Subscribe to Stress Test on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
 
 

 
 
 
 
Question
 
Is critical illness insurance a good idea? My husband and I (in our 40s) have a solid financial plan that will allow us to retire early, assuming everything stays on track (no unexpected job loss, no major illness, no forced breaks from work). Should we be investing in critical illness insurance to offset the risk that an illness would upset our plan? An upset to our plan would require us to work longer. What is the going advice on critical illness insurance these days?
 
Rob says
 
It’s a good idea. Statistically, there’s a greater chance of someone becoming critically ill in their 40s or 50s than dying. You could self-insure for a critical illness, which would include cancer, stroke and heart disease, but that could mean using your savings. Figure out how much critical illness coverage you need, and then balance that with the affordability of premiums. Some CI insurance is better than none. Here’s a website offering quotes for CI coverage. Also, some employers offer group CI coverage.
 
 

Do you have a question for me? Send it my way. Sorry I can’t answer every one personally. Questions and answers are edited for length and clarity.
 
 
Callout
 
Have you moved in with your boyfriend/girlfriend earlier than expected to save costs on housing? The Globe is looking to interview Canadians who have moved in faster than they might have to save money on rent, utilities, groceries and well, everything. E-mail reporter Brenda Bouw to share your story.
 
 

 
 
 

The Canada-U.S. Trade Tracker – produced by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to document the importance of cross-border trade for both countries. A response to the tariff threat from the incoming U.S. administration.