It is the nature of my profession that I read a lot about personal financial matters. One of the most difficult of such matters has to do with retirement. Financial economists will say that retirement planning is difficult because there are so many variables, or...
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The Situation A relative of yours has died. You have received an inheritance. With that money, you have paid off your mortgage and your car loan. You have topped up your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and you have set aside six months of living expenses...
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Using a Screener Mutual funds play a dominant role in Canadians’ investing lives. Even for the self-directed investor, that is, someone who does not have an investment advisor recommending particular investments and who could therefore choose to invest in individual stocks, mutual funds continue to be...
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An Introduction to Retirement Planning – Part 4 Planning for retirement is not just about money. I think you could reasonably argue that money is almost the last thing to be considered. It is the tool that makes your plans for retirement executable. Mind you, it...
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An Introduction to Retirement Planning – Part 1 In the middle of this extraordinary COVID-19 pandemic, many of us may feel like we have been forcibly retired. Our governments have shut down large swaths of the economy in order to enable the physical distancing that, we...
Read MoreAn Introduction to Tax Planning – Part 4 You think of yourself and your spouse along with your two children as an average family. Like me you are a resident of London, Ontario. Between the two of you, you earn about $80,000 per year or about...
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AN INTRODUCTION TO TAX PLANNING – PART 3 In a world where governments are scrambling to address the impact of the novel coronavirus on our society, the topic of this post may seem rather mundane or even unnecessary. However, there is applicability. Let’s assume a married...
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An Introduction to Tax Planning – Part 2 “Oh, man! What is this guy talking about? He’s calling people losers and then he is suggesting a way to take advantage of them!” Let me explain. First of all, I am not calling *people* losers. Second, this...
Read MoreInsurance and Risk Management – Part 7 What? There is a risk in living too long? Imagine you are 65 years old. You have been reasonably diligent in saving for retirement. Now is the time to cash in. You are about to start receiving your Canada Pension...
Read MoreAn Introduction to Insurance and Risk Management – Part 6 Doesn’t this Post Belong Under Investment Planning? While segregated funds are investment products, the fact that they have certain insurance features and can only be bought through someone who is life-insurance-licensed, I have placed this topic under...
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