Defining happiness is not always easy, and what makes people uniquely happy may differ for each person. By asking the important questions, and gaining confidence and respect, we aim to be extremely aware of what makes our clients happ
As the saying goes, money cannot buy happiness. However, having confidence in your financial decisions and your ability to reach your long-term objectives results in security and peace of mind
When we are young, we don’t know what we don’t know!
What does it mean to create a financial plan? And why is it important to do so?
At this time of year, we are all accustomed to looking back at the year that has gone by. Today, I would like to suggest that we look ahead to 2018.
Do you ever find that you can rationalize putting off important responsibilities because they may be painful or cause discomfort?
When I first started in this profession, I thought I had a good idea of what it meant to be a financial advisor. An advisor had to develop a strong understanding of the investment world, become reasonably well-versed in the tax rules..
Louise is retiring soon, and it just dawned on her that she isn’t clear what’s going to happen to her cash flow after the regular paycheques stop coming in. I find this a great source of concern among the nearly-retired...
If you had a goose that laid golden eggs, which is worth more: the eggs already in your basket or those yet to come? What value do you put on the goose?
You’ve saved long and hard for many years. You’ve made sacrifices and put your long-term needs ahead of your current desires for that vacation, the newer car or upgrading the kitchen.
A New Year is underway and some of us have already broken our New Year’s resolutions…
We are pleased to present the results of the 2016 Horizons Retirement Report. This report summarizes the dreams, fears, hopes and challenges of Canadians planning to retire within the next 3 to 7 years.
Earlier this year, the investment firm Vanguard released the results of a major study attempting to quantify the value of financial advice to investors.
Many of our clients are concerned about what life will look like during their retirement years. For this reason, we started our retirement survey five years ago to explore what Canadians are thinking as they approach retirement.
With the RRSP deadline fast approaching (the deadline for the 2014 tax year is March 2nd, 2015), I wanted to take this opportunity to provide some insight on the rules of the road for RRSPs.
There are a few different institutions that provide deposit insurance, depending on the type of deposit you have.
During your working life, you may have had one or two sources of income with limited ability to manage the timing of cash flows.
One of the fables I remember repeated numerous times during grade school was Aesop’s tale of the ant and the grasshopper.
Every year, we commission a survey (conducted by Concerto Research) to explore what Canadians are thinking and feeling as they approach retirement.
Recently, there was a study done by Princeton’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering on, of all things, the life cycles of social media.
Like most Canadians, I spent many hours in front of the television this February, eyes glued to the spectacular Olympic Games.
Is your portfolio the result of your goals (or lack thereof)?
If an investment you're interested in has the characteristics of one of the five warning signs below—it’s okay to say ‘no’.
Many of our clients use Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) as one of the pillars of their wealth building strategy. An RRSP is a type of retirement savings plan that is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Most investors leave the choice of selection of individual stocks and bonds to a dedicated professional team whose full-time efforts are dedicated to that task.
In the 1991 movie “City Slickers”, Curly (Jack Palance) asks Mitch (Billy Crystal): “Do you know what the secret to life is?”
We’ve just completed the 2013 edition of the Horizons Retirement Report. This survey is done with Canadians who are approaching retirement.
Women are often personally connected to the object and process of learning. Their sense of identity, self-esteem, social world and power affect how they learn.
RRSPs were introduced in 1957 by the federal government to encourage Canadians to save for retirement.
Although it's not always easy initiating conversations around money, talking openly about finances is important for your relationship's wellbeing.
Most investors understand that to achieve their long-term target rate of return, they will need to accept some volatility in the short and medium term.
Recently I was sick after coming back on from a trip. This was the first time my husband and I traveled together without the children and I was looking forward to spending quality time with them upon my return.
As we approach the holiday season, you’ll hopefully find some time to spend with family and/or friends. Many conversations will be had and some may be about that overdone turkey and some may even be about the investment markets.
Responsible investing (also known as ethical investing and socially responsible investing) is growing in popularity as more investors are seeking to align their portfolios with their values.
Don't simply retire from something; have something to retire to. ~Harry Emerson Fosdick
When my mom was an advisor at Rogers Group Financial, I always marveled at all the letters after her name on her business card. Unlike many people, however, I knew what they represented in regards to the work involved in attaining the
Credit can be an extremely useful financial tool or a slippery slope to financial malpractice. Each of us must choose wisely how we manage our credit capacity (or lack thereof!).
Many of us are involved in our communities with not-for-profit and charitable organizations. Passion moves us to serving and giving to organizations that make a difference in other people’s lives. Just as a financial plan makes a diff
What is the ultimate currency? Is it money? Canadian dollars or U.S. dollars? Is it gold or real estate? No, the ultimate currency is not a tangible asset at all. You can’t save time. You can only spend it… Benjamin Hoff, The Tao
As financial advisors, a big part of our job is to guide and steer investors in the right direction when it comes to portfolio management. The goal of a typical investor, and this may come as a shock to you, is to generate a consisten
If you or your partner receive qualified pension income, the federal government’s pension income-splitting provisions could mean extra money in your pocket when you file your income tax returns.
When a child is a resident of Canada and receives a permanent social insurance number, they instantly qualify for Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) benefits.
As the year draws to a close… if you’re like me, you may be looking back over the year – considering what worked, what didn’t, and what you might like to do differently or focus on next year.
We haven’t hit Halloween yet, but I have already seen Christmas decorations at Costco.
September will soon be upon us and with ‘back to school’, your daughter or son may be entering their first year of university/college. Often, this transition is full of angst for both young adults and parents alike particularly if the
There were many changes in this year’s Federal Budget and Canadians families should pay attention specifically to the new Canada Child Benefit (CCB). Starting July 2016, this will replace both the former Universal Child Care Benefit (
Most of us want to protect the things that we have worked so hard to acquire. We make sure that we have home insurance to protect our homes and car insurance to protect our cars. Every time we purchase an electronic item, we are aske
Markets have gone through some ups and downs in the last decade, and this has caused many investors to be worried and pessimistic about the future. Throughout history, people have been apprehensive about times yet to come.
November 15 – 21st is the 7th annual Financial Planning Week in Canada. This is part of an ongoing effort to promote financial well-being and raise the awareness of engaging in financial planning with a qualified professional.
For most people “financial independence” is a goal. Achieving it relies on gradually converting our “Human Capital” capacity to work, through savings, into a lifelong cash flow. Having financial security or freedom of choice, means hav
When the Canadian government first introduced the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA), it was most often used as a regular bank savings account where the interest was not taxed. But it can be so much more useful than that:
November is Financial Literacy Month and the week of November 16th–22nd is hailed as Financial Planning Week. Prominent not-for-profit organizations, Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) and the Institut québécois de planificat
Over the past two months we have examined some of the risks that challenge most of us. It is almost impossible to avoid risk entirely. Knowing where the pitfalls lie and planning for them will certainly help.
Last month, we discussed how much risk you could tolerate depending on your life situation. This month, we consider other risks to which each of us are exposed:
Will Rogers, the American humorist, when talking about the investment schemes in North America at the time, said, “I am less concerned with the return on my money, than I am with the return of my money”. Will was aware of the truth tha
For many Canadians, the majority of their wealth is held in personally-owned real estate. For most, this will be limited to their principal residence; however, investment in recreational and real estate investment property also form a
Many of us set New Year’s resolutions for ourselves and often those resolutions have to do with finances. January is the month we say, “Ok, this year I am going to save more and spend less”. By February, sometimes those resolutions are
Investing today is not for the faint of heart. Fortunately for Canadians, segregated fund products offered by many life insurance companies provide a safety net for nervous investors.
RGF is a member of several regulatory organizations established to protect investor deposits.
RGF Integrated Wealth Management offers a customized account management program which combines consistent investment discipline with tax-effective strategies.