One out of every three workers is covered by a registered pension plan (RPP). That’s over 6 million people. Like all hard-working Canadians, they are looking forward to a satisfying
Sometimes during social events or other gatherings a person will approach someone in the financial services business with an opening question: “I hear you do investments. What kind of returns
Over the last one hundred years, every new generation of Canadians has enjoyed the benefit of a longer life expectancy. With dramatic improvements in health care, the human life span
Estate planning can be an overwhelming process. Whether it is your own estate or you are the executor for someone else, the checklist can seem never-ending. A financial advisor can
When it comes to making financial decisions most people focus on eitheror scenarios; that is making a tactical decision that may or may not reflect a larger financial strategy or
Most people list tax elimination or minimization as a top priority in their estate plans. For most, Registered Savings Plans (RSPs), which includes RRSPs and RRIFs, are one of their
Quantitative Easing, otherwise referred to in the media as ‘QE’, refers to governments printing money out of thin air in order to stimulate economic growth. The US ended their program
As they take the big step of moving out of their parents’ home and into their first apartment or other living quarters, the last thing on a young person’s mind
Gordon and Anne lived in the same house for over 30 years. Now that their children are grown and it was becoming more difficult for them to manage the house,
With the RRSP contribution deadline of March 2nd fast approaching many people will reflexively make a deposit to their RRSP. Many will use online banking to throw money into the
Ted and Martha had about $600,000 in their RRIFs generating the minimum monthly income of almost $4,000 before taxes. Then disaster struck. Ted developed a cognitive impairment. Martha was
In this, the final installment of the series, Financial Strategies Simplified, we take a look at how to stretch your retirement income no matter how modest the starting balance.
The so-called RRSP Season is on its way. TV, newspapers and magazines will soon be full of advertising to get you to make your last-minute RRSP deposits. And then RRSPs
Human nature includes the desire to predict and or anticipate both the immediate and longer term future. The reason for doing so is often to eliminate or reduce the fear
Life insurance is initially purchased for any of a number of reasons. As time goes by, many people question why they are still carrying their policies as the original purpose
Many parents wrestle with the dilemma of how much financial support to provide their children attending post-secondary programs. The costs today are much greater than what the parents paid for
During a recent client call, the topics discussed included how the media influence people’s investment behaviors. This client woke up one day with an ‘epiphany’ thinking that a market correction
Graham, like millions of other Canadians, has and uses credit cards. He often carries a balance from month to month and is concerned about making the monthly payments if he
A question sometimes asked in the media is exactly what is the role of a financial professional and how do they help the client meet their life goals and dreams.
Statistics Canada reported in 2007 that most eldercare (75%) was provided by those between 45 and 64 years of age. These Canadians, often called the sandwich generation, are increasingly finding
The financial planner responded by saying that if the public stock markets were going down the drain, then real estate would follow as well. Why? Well it is one economy
One Saturday, famed investment manager Peter Lynch was working at the office when he decided to answer the phone. The caller was a holder of his mutual fund who was
There are many definitions and meanings for the term ‘wealth’. It is often said that it is easier to build wealth over time than it is to keep it! Some
According to the Minister of National Revenue, the average tax refund is over $1,500 for the 2011 tax year. Surprisingly, many Canadians are thrilled about getting a big refund. While
While we can talk about concepts such as inflation and purchasing power the struggle for many people today is earning enough income on their savings to meet their lifestyle needs.
To truly appreciate the role that inflation plays in your ability to build assets and achieve financial freedom one has to consider the role of its dance partner: purchasing power.
It is that time of year again when attention turns to RRSPs and tax planning. This year’s contribution deadline is March 3rd, 2014 if you want to deduct the contribution
Imagine it is late Monday afternoon and you are wrapping up your day at a large pension plan, as you stretch, your elbow hits the sell button on the keyboard.
The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) was introduced in 2009 as a new way for Canadians to build assets and wealth on a tax-advantaged basis. Any capital gains, dividends or interest
In the last article we defined investing as buying an ownership stake in companies who are profitable today and whose profits are expected to rise over time. Trading is any
