Feeling bullish about the markets?
Jul 21, 2012 / 5:00 am
Is It Time To Be Bullish About The Markets? This is probably one of the biggest questions on investors’ minds right now and one that comes up in conversation around the summer BBQ . So let’s take a look and a couple of the reasons that make us feel bullish about the...
New mortgage rules
Jul 7, 2012 / 5:00 am
Since the height of the credit crisis, finance minister Jim Flaherty has clamped down on mortgage lending. New lending rules were handed down in 2008, 2010 and in 2011. A fourth round of mortgage restrictions was announced in June and will come into effect on July 9, 2012. The new lending...
Start saving early
Jun 23, 2012 / 5:00 am
In an ever changing landscape of financial products and what retirement is, young people are encouraged to start saving early for retirement, as the obligation will fall increasingly on them to look after themselves….. There is a big challenge ahead for parents to get their children...
Transferring US retirement plans
Jun 9, 2012 / 5:00 am
If you have been living or working in the United States you would likely have accumulated some retirement savings while employed. Now that you have returned to Canada, the question becomes should I transfer the retirement savings that has accumulated to a Canadian RRSP? Overview...
Keep volatility in perspective
Apr 14, 2012 / 5:00 am
Whenever the investment ride gets bumpy, as it was through parts of 2011, it’s important to step back and keep volatility and emotions in perspective. Regardless of what markets are doing from day to day, the long-term trend has historically always been upward. And in any kind of...
Budget 2012: Changes to OAS & GIS
Mar 31, 2012 / 5:00 am
Yesterday’s budget seemed to be a little bit for everyone with no new taxes or tax increases, increased duty free limits and the eventual elimination of the penny to mention a few things. Depending on how you view it, it was either good or not so good. The one change that has the attention...
Taxation of Investments 101
Mar 17, 2012 / 5:00 am
In Canada, we have a progressive tax system which means individuals are taxed according to the level of their taxable income. As taxable income increases, we are taxed at a higher rate, up to each point. Each increment of taxable income that is taxed as a specific rate is referred to as a...
RRSP strategies for today
Feb 4, 2012 / 5:00 am
The right Registered Retirement Savings Plan moves now could be worth thousands of dollars later. This RRSP season, as we face continued economic and market uncertainty, smart strategies can make a huge difference in how much benefit you derive from the tax-deferred investment growth...
2011 Year in Review
Jan 7, 2012 / 5:00 am
Reflecting back on 2011, it is safe to say that we witnessed a number of changes and challenges, the first starting with 2011 being a challenging year for public companies in Canada. At the beginning of January we witnessed markets in negative territory for the first two out of three...
Market news
Dec 24, 2011 / 5:00 am
Incoming Spanish prime minister set to make cuts News out of Spain was positive as new Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, pledged to shrink the nation's public sector and reduce government spending in order to slash the Eurozone's third-largest budget deficit. Prime Minister...
Registered Disabilities Savings Plan
Dec 10, 2011 / 5:00 am
The RDSP is a savings plan first introduced by the Federal Government in 2008. This is the first plan of its kind in the world and is designed to help people living with disabilities to save and become more financially secure. Below are some of the more common questioned...
Market volatility concerns
Nov 26, 2011 / 5:00 am
Over the course of the past two weeks, clients have been concerned about market volatility. This is understandable based on what we are seeing in Europe and how the markets move up one day and down the next. However it is important not to let emotions make financial decisions and is...
Seeking income: another option
Nov 12, 2011 / 5:00 am
In my last column I talked about using the “T” class funds to create a tax efficient income in retirement. In this column I will look at using a Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal (GMW) which is a contract offered by Insurance Companies, and offers predictable, sustainable...
Seeking income in retirement
Oct 15, 2011 / 5:00 am
For years you’ve been focusing on saving and accumulating your nest egg, with the hopes of one day using it to enjoy your retirement years. Now that you're approaching or are already in retirement, you need to consider the options for turning your nest egg into a source of...
Insurance Planning for Kids
Sep 17, 2011 / 5:00 am
When you sit down with your financial planner, you review your investment portfolio, talk about the markets, the kids' RESP accounts and at the end of the meeting you might review your Insurance contracts. We spend the time to ensure that our future is looked after and that our...
Gold, is it ready to tumble?
Sep 4, 2011 / 5:00 am
Photo: Contributed - (Flickr user, 27117418) During recent conversations with clients, the question that always comes up is Gold and whether it is going to continue to increase or will prices pull back. During the 1970's, Gold prices soared to...
Market Commentary
Aug 20, 2011 / 5:00 am
This week’s column is written to provide some additional perspective on the recent volatility on financial markets. Following a gradual decline from May to July, global stock prices dropped sharply at the start of August. The Canadian stock market, for example, was down 8% from...
2011 Second Quarter Recap
Jul 23, 2011 / 5:00 am
There were mixed results on the global capital markets during the second quarter of this year. While bond prices rose, stocks in general pulled back. Even then, markets such as Germany and Japan made gains, while China and North America markets were down. The performance of the...
Pension Income Tax Credit
Jul 9, 2011 / 5:00 am
If you or your spouse are 65 or older and do not have income from a RRIF or private pension plan, there is another alternative to take advantage of the pension income tax credit. What is the Pension Income Tax Credit? Great question, as a number of people do not know that it...
Corporate Class Funds
Jun 25, 2011 / 5:00 am
A Mutual Fund Corporation is a single taxable entity consisting of several classes of shares, with each class representing a different mutual fund. This allows Mutual Fund Corporations to offer several tax benefits to those investors with non-registered funds. As an investor, you...
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