Robyn Thompson is regularly featured in The Toronto Star’s “Money Makeover” series by Deanne Gage. Money Makeover takes a look at Zachary and Diana, both 50; and five years ago, Diana was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The couple worries about their future once...
Time’s running out for these 4 financial strategies It’s already getting rather late in the year to set up financial strategies that will have a tax-saving or other impact for 2015. However, there are a number of items you can attend to before the year is out,...
Should you max out the $10,000 contribution for 2015? Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) sound simple. But they’re not. There’s an array of rules and regulations involved. One of the most common questions I’m asked is whether you would lose this year’s contribution...
How to get a fix on portfolio holdings before it’s too late! Do-it-yourself investors who have a number of different investment accounts could be courting financial trouble. Unless you have a complete picture of how all your assets are allocated, your investment...
Income-splitting investment loans to family members High net worth taxpayers in the top income brackets can still cut the tax hit on high-yielding investment returns. Yes, it means becoming a lender, usually to a lower- or no-income spouse, but the tax savings can be...
10 first steps to investment planning Opening an investment account is relatively easy. What’s not so easy is how to proceed with investment planning, so you don’t immediately lose what’s in your account. So here’s my list of 10 basic investment and money management...
How can you tell when your portfolio is morphing into a different beast? What do you do about it? Read Robyn Thompson’s advice on how to check your portfolio for suspicious changes in The Globe and Mail’s “Financial Compass” series by Kira Vermond. © 2015 by Robyn K....
Cribs, diapers, toys, financial plan Congratulations! You have a baby on the way or already at home. First-time parents are typically excited, flustered, nervous, and distracted – all at once. And usually, money matters are the last thing on their minds. But financial...
Is your mutual fund safe? You may have been surprised to see some mutual funds and exchange-traded funds disclose that they use “derivatives” in their portfolio management. It may have come as a surprise, because most investors acknowledge that derivatives can be...
How to make sure your investments stay on track An annual investment review not only tells you how your portfolio has performed against your benchmark, but whether it’s time to make changes to your holdings. This could happen, for example, if some investments in your...
Robyn Thompson is regularly featured in The Toronto Star’s “Money Makeover” series by Deanne Gage. Money Makeover takes a look at how Mike and Constance can juggle their dreams for a home, a family and the future.
New reporting rules for advisors on the way You may have recently seen references in the media to something called “CRM2” for financial advisors. It’s basically a set of regulations designed to provide investors with more information on investment advisory costs and...