Sorry, it’s a short list Tax-filing season is upon us, and at this time of the year I get many questions about the kinds of expenses that investors can deduct. Novice investors, especially, have a kind of starry-eyed idea about deducting everything from their...
Differentiating from robots and algorithms In this era of robo-advisors and artificial intelligence, it’s easy to believe that the expert, professional flesh-and-blood financial advisor has gone the way of the horse and buggy. It’s even easier to believe if you buy...
How to avoid becoming a victim March is fraud-prevention month in Canada, and unfortunately thousands of Canadians continue to fall victim to scams perpetrated online and by phone, often losing tens of thousands of dollars or in some cases, their entire life...
More important than ever in a digital world As society transitions increasingly to cashless transactions, using smartphones and online channels to pay for goods and services, parents have a bigger challenge than ever in teaching children the basics of financial...
Financial advice for happy couples on St. Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is that annual hearts-and-flowers fest that can be gushingly romantic, to say nothing of stressful. It’s also a time when many proposals of marriage are made – and accepted. Once that initial...
Key investment principles This year, the RRSP contribution deadline for getting a 2018 tax deduction is March 1. You still have four weeks to make a contribution, and that’s plenty of time to discuss the best strategy with your financial advisor. To make sure you...
Accurate record-keeping is essential Divorce proceedings are often contentious, emotionally fraught, and never easy. That’s why when going through a divorce, it’s absolutely critical to keep a cool head about your finances and property. Unfortunately, it’s here...
Some annual housekeeping to keep allocations on track Concerns about the health of the global economy, the effects of the U.S.-China trade and tariff dispute, rising interest rates, and the flattening yield curve combined to make the stock market slump of the...
5 tips for putting credit cards on a leash Starting with Black Friday in November and ending with Boxing Day in December, the holiday spending season is just about guaranteed to stretch the use of your credit cards. And come the end of January, you may be singing...
Novices especially prone to classic investment pitfalls Markets go through periods of volatility, and we are in one such period now. Market sentiment has been decidedly sour for the past few weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average recently sank into correction...
They could save you a bundle Even though most of us are preoccupied with other things at this time of year, there is a handful of year-end investment and tax tips that make a lot of sense to look at now. That’s because they could save you money now and next April,...
Let’s say you’ve accumulated a nest egg of $1 million at age 65, through pension plans, perhaps a significant RRSP, TFSA contributions, some inheritances, and possibly some money left over from downsizing your home. You’re ready to retire, and you have to decide...