In the wake of the re-opening of the economy following the COVID-19 lockdown, inflation was inevitable. Despite the low levels of unemployment, many Canadians are finding that their income is not keeping up with their expenses. Nevertheless, the desire to engage in gift-giving during this...
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Each year the month of November is designated as Financial Literacy Month. I like to think that each blog post that I write adds to the financial literacy of my readers, but there is something to be said for a special focus on bringing up...
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Many Canadians have a reasonable degree of net worth. Millionaire households are not that unusual if you consider the value of housing, especially if you have been a homeowner for 20 years or more, which would be the case for many who are approaching retirement....
Read MoreAmerican financial planning guru, Michael Kitces, observes that many retirees, after accumulating a substantial portfolio of assets to cover their retirement spending, wind up continuing to grow their assets throughout most of their retirement. There is an element of prudence in this practice because the...
Read MoreLast week, I wrote a blog post arguing that one should be indifferent to dividends when it comes to security selection. A good friend responded with a few questions, inviting me to write a second post on the subject. Here you are, Mike … and...
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Scenario Let’s imagine that you are 35 years old and you have just inherited $50,000. You wonder whether it makes sense to contribute to your RRSP, your TFSA, or whether you should open a non-registered account and invest the money there. You live in Ontario and your...
Read MoreMy dad’s birthday was September 2. He died a little over four years ago just short of age 89. Thanks to his thoughtful approach to financial matters and the careful executorship of my brother, Rob, we four siblings received our inheritances in a timely manner. What...
Read MoreIf you have a spouse and/or children, in other words, someone who is dependent on you, life insurance of some sort is an important consideration. Your dependants “depend” on your monetary contribution to the household. A monetary contribution includes income from employment or self-employment, but...
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Defined Benefit pension plans are required to use a funded ratio, also referred to as a solvency ratio, in determining whether the plan is sufficiently funded. This approach can also be used to assess the funding adequacy, or solvency, of your own retirement savings. What is...
Read MoreYou have had it. You cannot stand even one more winter of shovelling snow or fearing the loss of your fingers and toes from frostbite. You are going to retire to Panama, or Malaysia, or Portugal, or… There are lots of lists on the internet...
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