Probating a will sounds uncomfortable, doesn't it? Kind of like the legal equivalent of a doctor giving you a thorough physical exam… Perhaps there is something to that analogy. Although simple, small estates with a single heir may not require probating, the probate process has value...
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 MoreYou have saved steadily throughout your career. You have a Defined Contribution Pension Plan from work, a Locked-In Retirement Account from a previous employer pension, a Registered Retirement Savings Plan, and a Tax-Free Savings Account. You have arrived at the point of retirement. How are...
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...
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On February 4, 2021, Rob Carrick, the well-known personal finance columnist at The Globe and Mail, published an article entitled, “Why Canadian investors should stop buying U.S.-listed ETFs.” I tend to agree with Carrick on this point, but his argument is boiled down to two...
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You are careful with your money. You have made it a general rule to avoid debt – except for the mortgage on your home – in order to force yourself to live within your means. Well, you do use a credit card, but you have...
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Year-end lists are ubiquitous but that does not mean they are not useful. If you think you need to do something about your finances before the end of the year but aren’t sure what, maybe something on this list will be of help. Contribute to Your...
Read MoreNorman Rothery’s Heated-Up Version of the Couch Potato Portfolio The Original Couch Potato Portfolio The original Couch Potato Portfolio came from a 1991 article by Scott Burns, then a writer at the Dallas Morning News. He advocated for a simple two-fund portfolio using index mutual funds. One...
Read MoreThere is a temptation to view financial planning as little more than a dressed-up term for investment advice. Having worked in the investment industry for over a decade, it is a view I am tempted to follow. However, financial planning involves a much broader range...
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...
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