The Inheritance Twist
There are many Baby Boomers who are anticipating hitting the jackpot via inheritances in the coming years as a solution to their own financial planning needs. We have heard many media reports about the tidal wave of money expected to move between the generations over the next 15 years or so estimated to be upwards […]
Role Reversal – The New Reality
Our parents raised us; we moved out, had children of our own and raised them. Then our children moved out and had children of their own to raise. It was supposed to stop there for us, but then one day we had to look after one or both of our parents. According to a 2012 […]
What is a ‘Stock Market’ Anyway?
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 board lot (100 shares) of a large Canadian telephone company is quickly bought for $20 and is the closing price as the final trade […]
TFSA Time Bomb!
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 income are tax-free upon redemption from the account. The initial contribution amount was $5,000 with annual increases of $5,000. This has been increased to $5,500 […]
Investing vs. Trading
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 other form of managing your money which may or may not take into account corporate profits as part of the decision-making process. Trading, which most […]
Business Adaptation Mechanism
There is a concept in biology about the ability of organisms to adapt to changes in the environment. This adaptation process increases the odds of survival for organisms under stress due to environmental changes. A similar mechanism exists in finance that allows economic organizations, otherwise known as companies, to survive and thrive in changing or […]
You’ve retired. Now What?
Canadians are living longer, healthier lives. According to Statistics Canada (2017), the average life expectancy is 80 years for men and 84 years for women. This means your retirement years may almost equal your working ones. Family therapist Rhonda Katz suggests taking some time before retirement to identify what you find enjoyable in life and […]
Asset Building Strategies
In the last article Sue had a capital shortfall of $400,000 in order to support her desired retirement lifestyle. This amount will vary for each individual and will be larger or smaller depending upon your income, age and ability to save money as a percentage of your earned income. Broadly speaking there are only two […]
Your Legacy Plan and Charitable Giving
Recently, a client wanted to leave all of their money to two charities through their Will. They wanted to leave a legacy to a couple of charities that were close to them and they didn’t have any close family members. Here is her situation: Age 80, $550,000 in savings (75% non-registered and TFSA), with income […]
How to Pay Less Tax With Life Insurance
Ray had thought of his life insurance purely as a protection plan. The anti-avoidance rules and general restriction of tax benefits applicable to most shelters prompted him to take a new look at his life insurance for tax deferral as well. A type of policy, called Universal Life, separates the cost of insurance and the […]