Market Forecasts Are a Problem The Issue Back in my discount brokerage days when I was licensed for US investors, I once spoke to a person who held only cash in what was left of his investment portfolio. He had sold his stock holdings shortly after Barack...
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The Trouble The Overconfident Investor Andrew, 40 years old, single, and an always-in-demand skilled tradesman in the Greater Toronto Area, believes he has cracked the code for successful stock trading. Armed with flashy charts and tables as well as stories of success he’s read in the Facebook...
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Balancing Taxes, Investments, and Borrowing As Edi and Roy approached their retirement, they faced a common financial planning challenge: how to fund a $200,000 renovation to their home without derailing their carefully laid plans. With a healthy $3.5 million in assets split across joint non-registered accounts,...
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In the YouTube video A Day in the Life of a Financial Advisor – Funny or Truth, a woman sits down with a financial advisor, unknowingly burdened with misconceptions and a dose of naïveté about personal finance. Her questions and concerns provide a helpful reflection...
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The Income and Wealth Gap The Context An unattached Canadian is a person not in an “economic family,” that is, a person living either alone or with others to whom he or she is unrelated, such as roommates or a lodger. Unattached Canadians are a growing demographic...
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Matthew and Nicole, both 35, are eager to start a family next year. They’re financially comfortable, with a combined gross income averaging $240,000—but there’s a twist. Matthew’s income fluctuates based on bonuses and sales revenue, leaving them with somewhat unpredictable income. On top of that,...
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Will Your Estate Plan Protect Your Family’s Future? Picture this—a couple, David and Marie, both age 65, living in Ontario. They’ve worked hard all their lives, raised four children, and saved diligently for retirement. Over and above their expectations for income from CPP and OAS, they’ve...
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As my wife and I approach retirement age, conversations about what’s next are becoming more frequent. While we think about retirement in general, I, as the primary “wealth manager” in our household, also reflect on when it might be time to step back from managing...
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Matthew (Matt) is a 27-year-old social worker with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, which he completed three years ago. Currently working in the healthcare sector, Matt has seen firsthand how financial instability can cause stress and hardship. Whether due to inadequate insurance or...
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The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is often debated, with some Canadians feeling that it unfairly penalizes those who die before they can fully collect its benefits. Critics of CPP argue that mandatory contributions, when considering the possibility of early death, result in a system where...
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