You are a 75-year-old woman. Your husband of 50 years has just died, the funeral has been held and he has been buried. In the middle of this grief and loneliness, you remember that you had named each other as executors in your respective wills....
Read More
Money In and Money Out When I worked for the discount brokerage division of a major Canadian bank, I learned that the investment side of banking was referred to as “Money In.” That is, money came into the bank through investments in Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs)...
Read MoreAfter years of working at minimum wage retail jobs without benefits, Donald, age 59, is wondering what his strategy should be for retirement. He knows that he can begin taking the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) as early as next year, when he turns 60, but...
Read MoreOne of the insights from behavioural finance is that we all benefit from systematizing and automating our financial behaviour. Set up your bill payments to come out of your bank account automatically, and you will never worry about missing your payments again. Sign up for...
Read MoreIn earlier years, the incentives to begin your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments at 60 made more sense. However, a few years ago, the Federal government created a compelling incentive to delay taking CPP. First, for each month before age 65 that you begin receiving...
Read MoreI occasionally hear, either in writing or in person, that saving for retirement is almost hopeless. The argument is that they are living paycheque to paycheque, and that there is simply no point in even trying. Consequently, and perhaps with a wry smile, they say...
Read More
“If you want good investment performance, forget you have an account.” This seems like an unlikely recommendation. Nor does it sit well with us. “Don’t just sit there; do something!” Isn’t that the usual guidance we receive? However, action doesn’t seem to work so well with...
Read MoreAn Introduction to Investment Planning – Part 6 1. Contribute to your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) As of 2020 your contribution room has increased another $6,000. If you have been age 18 or older since 2009, and a resident of Canada throughout that period, you now have...
Read MoreAn Introduction to Registered Plans – Part 3 The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) was introduced into law as part of the 2008 federal budget and became a part of the registered plan landscape in 2009. The timing was auspicious as the world economy had fallen into...
Read MoreAn Introduction to Registered Plans – Part 2 You’ve saved up all that money in your RRSP. Now what? The Registered Retirement Savings Plans, intended to encourage saving for retirement, was introduced by the Government of Canada in 1957. If you have saved inside an RRSP, eventually you...
Read More