Estate Planning Tips and Traps
Julia wants to make sure that her estate passes to her heirs with as little hassle and cost as possible when she dies. She knows she needs a will and decides to buy a do-it-yourself will kit. When she opened it, she soon discovered some serious shortcomings. Advertised as a ‘legal will kit,’ she learned […]
An Approach to Financial Decision Making
How you approach financial decision making on a day-to-day basis is likely to be the most important ingredient in your life and financial success. The key is to be focused and methodical about how you allocate money to each of your life’s goals on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This does not take great […]
Inflation & Your Financial Strategy
In a December 2021 poll, 87% of Canadians surveyed reported that the rising price of everyday goods was their top source of anxiety1. The last period that caused this level of financial concern for Canadians was the 1990s2, when inflation reached a high of 5.5%. Today, it sits at about 4.8%, primarily due to transportation […]
Where’s the Money?
When Dora died on August 1, 2018, most of her assets passed by Will to her adult children and were therefore subject to probate. $250,000 was in GICs and a fairly rapid transfer of this money to her heirs was expected. But that was not the case. They had to wait until March 2020 for […]
RRSPs, Taxes and Profitable Investing
The RRSP deadline for 2021 deposits is fast approaching on March 1st. Some of the basics of the benefits of RRSPs are worth repeating, especially for Millennials and other younger, or beginner investors. The goal of building investment assets is to someday (retire) be able to sustain your desired lifestyle without having to work to […]
Being Thrifty Can Be Fun
A year ago, Faye and David decided to get smart around saving money. “We both love the idea of retirement,” says Faye. “But we could never seem to close the gap between what we earn and what it costs to run our life to increase our savings.” As the couple approached their fifties, they decided […]
It won’t happen to me. Yeah, right.
Ross and Janis lived a typical Canadian life. They were married, had two children, Melissa and Kyle, and both worked outside the home. An avid golfer, Ross also went on fishing trips with friends and helped coach his son’s hockey team. Janis played the piano, enjoyed bike rides with her friends, and was treasurer for […]
Time: Your Most Important Planning Tool
Time is one of those daily realities that we usually take for granted. But when it comes to building wealth and managing investments, it is tremendously important. How you view, manage, and interact with “time” could deeply impact your financial success more than any other variable that you personally control. The ability to think about […]
The 50-30-20 Rule
“At this point last January, I was determined to change my relationship with money forever,” says Daniel. This is a New Year’s resolution he shared with 69% of Canadians last year1. However, unlike most others, Daniel has been able to stick with his promise to get control of his financial life. “I’d say 100% of […]
Building Wealth in Your 50s and Beyond
If you’re in your 50s, and thinking about your financial future makes you anxious, you’re not alone. 70% of Canadians are worried they won’t have enough money to retire1. While you can’t go back in time to save more or spend less, it’s not too late to get started. Even if you’ve been saving diligently, […]