Tax Planning for Severance Packages
Over the past year, economic stresses worldwide have resulted in many employees receiving severance packages and being advised that their services are no longer required. The longer you’ve been employed with an organization, the higher your severance package will be. With the national job market still experiencing varying levels of stress, it is more important […]
The Many Benefits of RESPs
As busy parents, just meeting your family’s needs each day can eclipse thoughts of the future. Add to that juggling act the cost of running a home, daycare, mortgage and car payments, and it’s easy to see how setting funds aside for a child’s future education can become something you’ll “do later” when you have […]
The Power of You
The key financial planning lesson that Covid-19 has taught us all, is that no matter how many planning scenarios a person considers, it is extremely difficult to get it perfectly right! Covid has impacted Canadians’ ability to hold, build and keep cash reserves. For many, it has affected their ability to work and earn a […]
Questions. Questions. Questions.
It is increasingly difficult to ignore some of the trading action in the markets that is causing surprising moves in equity values while the underlying economy continues to struggle (refer to U.S. unemployment data, for example). This type of divergence has occurred in the past and at some point, the values reflected in the stock, […]
Time-Tested Money Management Strategies
As we grow up, what we learn about money from our parents can significantly influence how we earn, save, and grow our wealth. Meaghan, an elementary school teacher, credits her mother for her healthy approach to finances today. “I was lucky to grow up understanding that I could control my financial future if I was […]
Preparing for Retirement? Learn How RRIFs Work
If you’ve been contributing to a pension or Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and retirement or your 71st birthday is around the corner, you’re required to convert that nest egg into a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF). This benefits you because an RRIF allows you to withdraw savings as income while still letting you grow […]
Does Buy and Hold Still Work?
As an investment strategy, “Buy and Hold” is just what it sounds like: you buy an investment and hold it for an extended period, riding out market fluctuations and selling when the price reaches your target. The underlying logic of this strategy is that investments tend to gain value over time. That long-term gain, along […]
Will you put your parents’ retirement at risk?
When Sarah graduated from university and got her first job as a regional sales rep, her parents bought her a car to ensure she’d have a reliable vehicle for the travelling her new position would require. Sadly, only weeks after receiving this generous gift, Sarah hit black ice while driving and lost control. Fortunately, she […]
Caring For Aging Parents
Today, 28% of Canadians provide some form of unpaid caregiving to relatives or family friends. Seniors make up the largest group of those requiring this type of care. The evolving concern is that 65+ is one of Canada’s fastest-growing segments and is expected to double over the next 20 years.1 This is a result of […]
Planning Ahead During Uncertain Times
As some provinces head into a second COVID-19 lockdown, some people are asking the question: Why bother investing for the long term? For many, especially Millennials, the task of building financial wealth and security looks increasingly hopeless. Even the most prudent small business owners were caught short during the lock down in the spring and […]