They could help cut your tax bill Tax-filing season is here, and the deadline for filing your tax return is April 30. There are in fact some 94 personal tax deductions and credits available. Not all apply to everyone. And many are often overlooked, even if they do...
Know the rules before you sign on the dotted line If you’ve been shopping for a mortgage for your new home, you probably have run across something called a “stress test.” It raises the bar on your financial health a lot higher before you can qualify for a mortgage –...
IPPs must follow pension rules If you are a business owner or executive, or an incorporated professional (physician, dentist, lawyer, accountant, and so on), and you’re looking to enhance your retirement savings, you might think about setting up an Individual Pension...
A source of funds for first-time home buyers Looking for a source of funds as a down payment on your first home? If you have a good chunk of money sitting in your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), you may be eligible to use some of it towards the purchase of...
Robyn Thompson is regularly featured in The Toronto Star’s “Money Makeover” series by Deanne Gage. This month, Money Makeover takes a look at Charlotte, a single public relations professional in her mid-forties who is planning on retiring in 20 years. She says she...
How to know if you’re the target of a fraud attempt March is fraud prevention month, and it’s a great time to remind readers that the financial sea is full of sharks, circling the naïve and unprepared, and ready to take you for every cent you’ve got. The bad guys are...
Still the most effective retirement savings plan there is The Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) is still the most effective retirement saving and tax deferral vehicle available to Canadians. Because it’s such a powerful savings tool, it makes sense for...
What to do when markets seem to go crazy When stock markets suddenly begin to drop alarmingly as they did at the beginning of February, many investors will contact their brokers and advisors and start selling things. Others, however, seem not to be so anxious, and...
More normal trading patterns likely to emerge Volatility returned to the stock markets, seemingly very suddenly, at the beginning of February. It was hard to avoid panicky headlines shouting about the 1,175-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday,...
10 topics to cover during the interview Increasingly, younger people, especially businesspeople, professionals, and managers, are reaching the stage in their careers where they need the help of a financial planner. But where do you begin? And what kinds of questions...
Decide what you really, really want Around this time of year, many people are beset by doubts and anxieties about their financial situation – especially after the no-holds-barred holiday spending season. But don’t despair – there’s a way to bring order to your...
Avoid falling into the unintended investment-risk trap Looking at your annual bottom-line performance is, of course, key. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. Conducting an annual investment review over and above the pure performance number tells you not only how your...