In the world of financial planning, we match the investment product with the purpose and intention for the funds being used.
This article stems from real conversations I have had with some of my valued clients: “I have been thinking about my legacy. Now that I’ve sold my home, I have been thinking about what to do with the funds."
On May 13, 2021, I was delighted to join RGF advisors and clients for their second virtual event where I discussed the ideas covered in my first book, Your Digital Undertaker– Exploring Death in the Digital Age in Canada.
The arrival of COVID-19 vaccines is providing a sense of hope for the eventual end to the global pandemic.
Love isn’t in the big gestures. It’s in the small details – the everyday minutiae of the lives of people that we care for.
Is that will of yours looking a little worn and tattered or perhaps you don’t have a will at all?If the answer is yes, you are not alone.
As you make decisions regarding your estate and succession planning, you want to ensure that your final wishes will be upheld and withstand judicial scrutiny.
Do you ever find that you can rationalize putting off important responsibilities because they may be painful or cause discomfort?
A life annuity is a financial vehicle that allows you to exchange a lump sum of capital for a guaranteed income for as long as you live (or you and your spouse or partner lives).
If you’ve had to obtain a mortgage to purchase a home or condo, you will have noticed the number of times insurance was discussed.
Almost forty years ago in 1977, personal computers made their entrance into our lives as “microcomputers” and in 1980, as “home computers” intended for the non-technical user.
People may not want life insurance, but they do want what life insurance can provide.
Many of my clients are single and/or widowed. I recently was working with one of my long-term clients in regard to her estate plan. She is a widow and holds significant non-registered investments of roughly $2,600,000.
The role of an executor is an important job and a serious responsibility. The executor must manage and dispose of estate assets, file tax returns, and tend to a variety of other tasks to wrap up the deceased’s affairs.
Every year, we commission a survey (conducted by Concerto Research) to explore what Canadians are thinking and feeling as they approach retirement.
Is your portfolio the result of your goals (or lack thereof)?
My wife and I had a baby boy on August 5, 2011. He just turned two and shares his birthday with his grandmother Ann. Liam is my first child and my wife Rita’s second.
We’ve just completed the 2013 edition of the Horizons Retirement Report. This survey is done with Canadians who are approaching retirement.
Now that RRSP season is over and many of you have filed your income tax returns, it’s a good time to take a step back and review your estate plan.
Planning for what happens after you die is something most people don’t really enjoy, but it is an integral part of financial planning. One of the most common ways to plan is by drawing up a will.
I love pie! The invitation for family Thanksgiving Dinner came via text: the menu included a cherry & pumpkin pie. I began to imagine the texture and taste of this interesting blend of favourites, eager to try this new
Individuals have the option to designate beneficiaries directly on assets such as registered plans, investment and insurance products and annuities. Electing this option results in the proceeds of an asset to by-pass the estate and flo
In Canada, as in many countries around the world, our life expectancy continues to increase. In B.C., these rates are the highest of all the province— just slightly higher than the Canadian average.
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:
In determining how much life insurance one really requires, there are a number of factors that need to be examined. The need for life insurance can be divided into two categories – capital needs and income needs.
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
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.
When dealing with the estate planning of a family business, it is particularly important to consider the issue of estate equalization. One of the common objectives in a family business succession plan is to treat the children fairly a