Regulators Target Compensation Structures
The current compensation model for financial industry participants*, who promote the use of investment funds and other managed investment products for retail clients, has been mostly unchanged for over 30 years. Regulators, led primarily by the Canadian Securities Administrators, (CSA – a national committee representing most Provincial Securities Regulators) have been studying and reviewing current […]
Build Your Wealth Together
The wedding and honeymoon are over and you’re settling in to your new life. You’ve accomplished many goals together over the past year with compromises being made over wedding plans, honeymoon destination, and a million and one other details. As you settle in for a long and fruitful life together, it’s an ideal time to […]
Investment Risk in Retirement Years
As Joe Farnsworth* from Toronto discovered, published return percentages do not necessarily tell the whole story of an investment portfolio performance. Joe retired 9 years ago from the Toronto Police Service from which he collects a serviceable pension each month. When Joe retired he decided to try investing his life savings ($300,000) on his own […]
Yellow Ducks and Free Money
A minor fire storm of gossip and criticism hit the Toronto talk radio airwaves in early June as preparations for the Canada 150th birthday celebrations were fully underway! The Province of Ontario, as part of the Ontario 150 tour, gave away a large grant funding (free money) with a portion going towards the rental of […]
Saving Up For The Adolescent Years
Have you considered putting aside extra funds for the teenage years? If you have not thought about this, then you may want to if you have a child that is quickly headed towards the adolescent years. This can be a turbulent time, not just with the emotion and drama it can bring, but also with […]
What to Do After a Loved One Dies
No matter how much we desire to protect the people most precious to us, the death of a family member is almost always met with some level of disbelief. In addition to the grief and mourning that follows the passing of a loved one, survivors are also left with the task of handling a variety […]
Back to Basics
What problems does the financial industry solve for Canadian consumers? Where is the value added for interacting with the financial industry and why use an Advisor versus doing it yourself online? To address these questions, here is a refresher on why the financial industry exists in the first place. Simply speaking, there are two basic […]
Can You Be Over-Insured?
Most Canadians take the correct steps to protect their property against loss in case anything they own is lost or stolen. Concerns about recouping losses if a home is robbed, or a favorite vintage guitar is destroyed during a basement flood, are questions with very routine answers. But when it comes to considering the value […]
Identifying Alzheimer’s Symptoms
As the human brain ages and matures, it’s perfectly natural for memory to undergo a great deal of changes. The brain becomes less pliable and less able to form memories, which can lead to occasional forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. More severe symptoms might be a sign of something more serious, such as Alzheimer’s. According to research […]
Principal Residence Exemption Rule Changes
The new October 2016 Federal Government Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) rules are causing many Canadians to review and revise existing Wills and Estate Planning strategies according to STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Planners). To track the capital gains that foreign buyers have been avoiding on the purchase and sale of Canadian residential real […]