ARTICLES BY CATEGORY: protecting-your-health
-
Navigating Medical Expenses from a Tax Perspective
By Eric Burrough on 23 Oct 2025
Dealing with unforeseen medical complications can be stressful. This stress is only compounded when trying to determine the best way to claim your medical expenses for tax purposes. If you have ever felt overwhelmed, you are not alone. Here is an overview and a few strategies to help you navigate your medical expenses in the … Navigating Medical Expenses from a Tax Perspective
-
Critical Illness Insurance
By Brent Vandekerckhove on 24 Oct 2019
Managing risk is something we do in many aspects of our lives. When I give seminars on financial planning, I like to ask the audience what they think their biggest asset is. Most will answer their home, especially in the Lower Mainland.
-
Your Love Letter: New Year’s Resolution
By on 24 Jan 2019
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.
-
The Goose and the Basket of Golden Eggs
By Brett A. Simpson on 18 Jun 2017
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?
-
Disability Insurance for Business Owners
By on 02 Jan 2017
If your business depends on your ability to actively generate income, your absence due to disability can have a significant impact on your financial well-being.
-
What’s Right When Things Go Wrong?
By Brett A. Simpson on 03 Oct 2016
There are some risks that we take purely for the fun of it: skinny-dipping, roller coasters, even alcohol consumption. These risks range from fairly benign to potentially catastrophic.
-
BC Provincial Budget 2016
By Anne Hammond on 01 Apr 2016
On February 16th, the BC government did the first reading of its 2016 provincial budget. As always, there is both good and bad news for BC residents, depending on their personal situations. Here are some of the highlights.
-
Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst
By Cecilia Tsang on 01 Oct 2015
Ann and Will loved to socialize. Every Friday night, 52 weeks a year, their many friends went to their home to gather for coffee and appies.
-
Losing your Group Health Coverage?
By Jon Knutson on 01 Jul 2015
As Canadians, we have one of the best healthcare systems in the world—but that doesn’t mean your provincial government provides you with all the healthcare coverage you need.
-
Securing Your Children’s Future
By Chris Eynon on 01 Jan 2014
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.
-
Money and Your Mental Health
By Anne Hammond on 13 Feb 2024
Many people believe that managing their money is only about math, but did you know that your mental health is related to your money too?
-
Today is the Present
By Vera Vlaovich on 20 Dec 2022
What present are you giving yourself for Christmas this year?
-
Are You Stuck in a Rut
By Cecilia Tsang on 16 Nov 2022
Do you have a habit or a pattern of behaviour that has become unproductive and hard to change?
-
Younger Next Year
By Alain Quennec on 15 Sep 2022
Several years ago, I was able to attend a talk by Chris Crowley, co-author of Younger Next Year (along with his physician, Dr. Henry Lodge), a book about living healthily and with vigor and energy.
-
Estate Planning Tips for Real Estate Investors
By on 20 Dec 2017
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 substantial part of estates. Due to the nature of real estate, it is important to do estate planning to realize optimum gain and minimize tax implications.
-
Taxation of life insurance – new rules create opportunities
By on 20 Dec 2017
In November, the Department of Finance finalized their changes to the taxation of life insurance as previewed in the March 2013 Federal Budget. These changes resulted in an update to the “exempt test” which determines how much tax-deferred value can accumulate in a life insurance policy before it is subject to accrual taxation. The new rules take effect and will apply to policies issued January 1, 2016 and later.
-
How much life insurance do I really need?
By on 20 Dec 2017
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.
-
How Much Risk Can You Tolerate? Part 3 of 3
By on 20 Dec 2017
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.
-
Change happens
By Brett A. Simpson on 20 Dec 2017
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 having an income, independent of government, employer and family, throughout our lifetime.
-
Invest in your health
By on 20 Dec 2017
If you are a regular reader of our blog, I think it is safe to assume that you are a person who is interested in your financial future. It is widely accepted that, if we want to have enough money for retirement, we need to start saving and investing as early as possible. The sooner we start, the more we will accumulate. This same adage holds true for our health. Investments we make in our health today will also pay off in the future.
-
What is critical illness insurance and how can it help you?
By on 20 Dec 2017
In 1960, life expectancy in Canada was 71.13 years old, today it is over 80. While we may like to think we are living longer because we are healthier than our parents and grandparents were, the reality is that medical advances have dramatically improved survival rates of people who suffer from a critical illness.
-
Protecting Your Greatest Asset
By Cecilia Tsang on 20 Dec 2017
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 asked if we want to buy insurance on it, or extend the warranty, in case it breaks. We may also research and secure life insurance to ensure that our loved ones will be financially secure in the unfortunate case of our passing.
-
Beneficiary Designations – benefits and considerations
By on 20 Dec 2017
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 flow directly into the hands of a beneficiary (or beneficiaries). Naming beneficiaries is an important estate planning tool and some of the key benefits are provided below:
-
Have You Registered For B.C. PharmaCare?
By John Hale on 20 Dec 2017
We are fortunate to have a publicly-funded health care system that ensures that all eligible B.C. residents have access to medically-necessary health care services through the province’s Medical Services Plan (MSP). However, you might not be aware that the province also covers eligible prescription medications, medical supplies, and pharmacy services through the PharmaCare program.
-
Needs Analysis
Have you determined the amount of life insurance required to meet your family’s financial needs in the event of your death? This calculator will help determine your insurance needs.