Scott Havens has been a great friend to everyone he’s met. Friends love Scott the mechanic from Vancouver because he helps them with car troubles and just about anything with an engine that gives them problems. He’s been known to help complete strangers stuck on the side of the road.
With the year-end fast approaching, the story about Johnny Depp (and other celebrities with Estate planning woes), act as a cautionary tale for the average Canadian. Actor Johnny Depp, best-known for his roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, made a reported $650 million USD and finds himself
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 becomes disabled or gets seriously ill. Graham doesn’t want to stick his family with the balance if he dies before
It is that time of year again when news broadcasters turn our thoughts to the how the world and the investment markets may run into trouble. There are special reports stating that markets are at record levels, interest rates are rising, Trump, Trump and more Trump, trade deals, China, the
When asked if they had any regrets, Baby Boomers wished they had started investing and saving at a much earlier age. Hindsight being 20/20, the Boomer generation can pass on some much needed advice and guidance to their kids and grandkids. It is normal for younger people to focus on
The holidays are a time for family to gather together and share in the warmth of the season. If family members live at a distance, the holidays also provide one of the only opportunities of the year when adult children can sit down with their parents and siblings to discuss
The use of debt in your financial affairs is akin to a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is very useful to assist you in buying and owning assets using “other people’s money (OPM)” such as a home or other financial asset. On the other hand, it can be
The news has been full of stories lately of surging real estate prices in the United States. Many Canadian visitors to such places as Florida, Arizona and Hawaii are seeing real estate promoters from these and other states running seminars about US real estate investing. Many Canadians are viewing
Bill Nye the Science Guy met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa earlier this year to promote the use of alternative energy fuels in our economy. He is a strong advocate of moving away from carbon-based fuels. Yet, Nye admitted, in a Toronto radio interview some days later, that
Our previous article looked at the increase in market volatility in 2018 in historical terms to put it in perspective. The other factor to consider is where are we in the market cycle and what this might mean for you personally in terms of your own long-term financial strategy.
John and Jane had spent many months planning for their special day. They had also budgeted and spent many thousands of dollars to celebrate their wedding. Now what? Since John and Jane have made a for richer or poorer commitment to each other, it’s time to do something about
Your death will create problems. There will be three types – emotional, legal and financial. You can do certain things now, while you’re alive, to reduce or increase these problems and make your heirs either love you or hate you. Emotional Problems You can increase the emotional upset after
This year began with some market turbulence resulting in a correction in the S&P Index in late January of about 10%, and about 7% for the TSX during the same period. You would have thought the world was ending with all the hand-wringing and hysteria stirred up by media reports
Most people want financial freedom over financial servitude. Who doesn’t want to be financially independent, where their money is working for them rather than working for their money? The problem for most Canadians is that financial freedom can be a struggle of living paycheck-to-paycheck or where spending tends to win
A few years ago, when the federal government restored the OAS eligibility age back to 65, many Canadians breathed a sigh of relief. When eligibility changes were originally implemented they only affected those under age 54 as of March 31, 2012, but it became apparent that even an extra few
The US has been Canada’s largest trading partner for decades, so our economy is closely tied to the fortunes of our southern neighbour. In addition, because the US economy is still currently the largest in the world, whenever an investor implements or revises a financial strategy, it is always important
There are many different types of global economic risks that financial advisors take into account when preparing a financial action plan for their clients. This is where advice and judgment come into play when working with you as a client. One area that is gaining increasing prominence is the role
We are being misled – seriously misled. No matter where you look, we are expected to believe that by buying lots of expensive, luxurious items, it signifies that we are wealthy. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s really just cash flow. Television and movies portray people that
Advisors offer clients many value-added services, in addition to investment planning, insurance and risk management planning and general financial and Estate Planning advice. This often leads to a discussion by clients of what is hot in the market and what is actively being discussed in the media and whether the
For many small business owners, what began as a bright idea or an innate desire to exercise their entrepreneurial spirit turned into a new enterprise with the promise to provide for them and their families. Even the most successful small businesses are significantly reliant upon the continued health, vision and
If you are between the ages of 35 and 65, it is quite likely that someone you know has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Hopefully, there is time for them to review and organize their estate to ensure their loved ones are properly taken care of. From
To get the best out of your current financial advisor, you need to better appreciate what kind of advice is available to you today versus in the past. And more importantly, what the provision of advice now and in future may look like and how this may impact your ability
Besides ‘death’ and ‘taxes’, the other certainty in life is that life is full of unexpected events. So why aren’t we more prepared for financial stresses when they occur? With the odds of an unexpected event such as a job loss, a medical emergency, a debilitating accident, or a
Statistics Canada recently reported the ratio of household credit market debt to disposable income reached the highest level since the agency began tracking this figure. In 1990 it was 50%, rose to 110% in 2000 and jumped to 171% by the fourth quarter of 2017. This can cause some angst
I am continually amazed at the number of people, who have high incomes and savings, that fail to take full advantage of the preferential tax treatment of RRSPs versus other types of investment or savings accounts. This is especially true for business owners who often have retained earnings in their
Despite what many people think, the number one financial dream killer isn’t portfolio losses, or financial emergencies, or unemployment, and not even natural disasters. The number one reason people fail to reach their financial goals is procrastination – putting off the inevitable until the cost of your dreams or goals
You have probably heard about the old 70 percent rule that suggests retirees will need the equivalent of about 70 percent of their current income level to maintain their lifestyle in retirement. This assumes that retirement living costs will be 30 percent less during working years. While it may have
The penny finally dropped a couple of months ago during a client conversation about the risk of investing in the equity markets. The client was reluctant to commit money to the investment markets and gave me several reasons – “the markets were too high and ready to crash”, “there were
We’ve had a few weeks to make and break our New Year’s resolutions. Now is a good time to make some promises to give your finances an extra boost in 2018 and help see you better off by year-end. 1. Promise to make the biggest RRSP contribution you can.
The conversation with clients about retirement income planning is much different from those conversations that occur over the years while they are building retirement assets using vehicles such as pensions, RRSPs, LIRA’s, TFSAs and so on. Often, their focus is on being “conservative” because their understanding from public sources suggest
Scott Havens has been a great friend to everyone he’s met. Friends love Scott the mechanic from Vancouver because he helps them with car troubles and just about anything with an engine that gives them problems. He’s been known to help complete strangers stuck on the side of the road.
With the year-end fast approaching, the story about Johnny Depp (and other celebrities with Estate planning woes), act as a cautionary tale for the average Canadian. Actor Johnny Depp, best-known for his roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, made a reported $650 million USD and finds himself
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 becomes disabled or gets seriously ill. Graham doesn’t want to stick his family with the balance if he dies before
It is that time of year again when news broadcasters turn our thoughts to the how the world and the investment markets may run into trouble. There are special reports stating that markets are at record levels, interest rates are rising, Trump, Trump and more Trump, trade deals, China, the
When asked if they had any regrets, Baby Boomers wished they had started investing and saving at a much earlier age. Hindsight being 20/20, the Boomer generation can pass on some much needed advice and guidance to their kids and grandkids. It is normal for younger people to focus on
The holidays are a time for family to gather together and share in the warmth of the season. If family members live at a distance, the holidays also provide one of the only opportunities of the year when adult children can sit down with their parents and siblings to discuss
The use of debt in your financial affairs is akin to a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is very useful to assist you in buying and owning assets using “other people’s money (OPM)” such as a home or other financial asset. On the other hand, it can be
The news has been full of stories lately of surging real estate prices in the United States. Many Canadian visitors to such places as Florida, Arizona and Hawaii are seeing real estate promoters from these and other states running seminars about US real estate investing. Many Canadians are viewing
Bill Nye the Science Guy met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa earlier this year to promote the use of alternative energy fuels in our economy. He is a strong advocate of moving away from carbon-based fuels. Yet, Nye admitted, in a Toronto radio interview some days later, that
Our previous article looked at the increase in market volatility in 2018 in historical terms to put it in perspective. The other factor to consider is where are we in the market cycle and what this might mean for you personally in terms of your own long-term financial strategy.
John and Jane had spent many months planning for their special day. They had also budgeted and spent many thousands of dollars to celebrate their wedding. Now what? Since John and Jane have made a for richer or poorer commitment to each other, it’s time to do something about
Your death will create problems. There will be three types – emotional, legal and financial. You can do certain things now, while you’re alive, to reduce or increase these problems and make your heirs either love you or hate you. Emotional Problems You can increase the emotional upset after
This year began with some market turbulence resulting in a correction in the S&P Index in late January of about 10%, and about 7% for the TSX during the same period. You would have thought the world was ending with all the hand-wringing and hysteria stirred up by media reports
Most people want financial freedom over financial servitude. Who doesn’t want to be financially independent, where their money is working for them rather than working for their money? The problem for most Canadians is that financial freedom can be a struggle of living paycheck-to-paycheck or where spending tends to win
A few years ago, when the federal government restored the OAS eligibility age back to 65, many Canadians breathed a sigh of relief. When eligibility changes were originally implemented they only affected those under age 54 as of March 31, 2012, but it became apparent that even an extra few
The US has been Canada’s largest trading partner for decades, so our economy is closely tied to the fortunes of our southern neighbour. In addition, because the US economy is still currently the largest in the world, whenever an investor implements or revises a financial strategy, it is always important
There are many different types of global economic risks that financial advisors take into account when preparing a financial action plan for their clients. This is where advice and judgment come into play when working with you as a client. One area that is gaining increasing prominence is the role
We are being misled – seriously misled. No matter where you look, we are expected to believe that by buying lots of expensive, luxurious items, it signifies that we are wealthy. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s really just cash flow. Television and movies portray people that
Advisors offer clients many value-added services, in addition to investment planning, insurance and risk management planning and general financial and Estate Planning advice. This often leads to a discussion by clients of what is hot in the market and what is actively being discussed in the media and whether the
For many small business owners, what began as a bright idea or an innate desire to exercise their entrepreneurial spirit turned into a new enterprise with the promise to provide for them and their families. Even the most successful small businesses are significantly reliant upon the continued health, vision and
If you are between the ages of 35 and 65, it is quite likely that someone you know has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Hopefully, there is time for them to review and organize their estate to ensure their loved ones are properly taken care of. From
To get the best out of your current financial advisor, you need to better appreciate what kind of advice is available to you today versus in the past. And more importantly, what the provision of advice now and in future may look like and how this may impact your ability
Besides ‘death’ and ‘taxes’, the other certainty in life is that life is full of unexpected events. So why aren’t we more prepared for financial stresses when they occur? With the odds of an unexpected event such as a job loss, a medical emergency, a debilitating accident, or a
Statistics Canada recently reported the ratio of household credit market debt to disposable income reached the highest level since the agency began tracking this figure. In 1990 it was 50%, rose to 110% in 2000 and jumped to 171% by the fourth quarter of 2017. This can cause some angst
I am continually amazed at the number of people, who have high incomes and savings, that fail to take full advantage of the preferential tax treatment of RRSPs versus other types of investment or savings accounts. This is especially true for business owners who often have retained earnings in their
Despite what many people think, the number one financial dream killer isn’t portfolio losses, or financial emergencies, or unemployment, and not even natural disasters. The number one reason people fail to reach their financial goals is procrastination – putting off the inevitable until the cost of your dreams or goals
You have probably heard about the old 70 percent rule that suggests retirees will need the equivalent of about 70 percent of their current income level to maintain their lifestyle in retirement. This assumes that retirement living costs will be 30 percent less during working years. While it may have
The penny finally dropped a couple of months ago during a client conversation about the risk of investing in the equity markets. The client was reluctant to commit money to the investment markets and gave me several reasons – “the markets were too high and ready to crash”, “there were
We’ve had a few weeks to make and break our New Year’s resolutions. Now is a good time to make some promises to give your finances an extra boost in 2018 and help see you better off by year-end. 1. Promise to make the biggest RRSP contribution you can.
The conversation with clients about retirement income planning is much different from those conversations that occur over the years while they are building retirement assets using vehicles such as pensions, RRSPs, LIRA’s, TFSAs and so on. Often, their focus is on being “conservative” because their understanding from public sources suggest