I’m often asked by clients what to do with shares of bankrupt, insolvent, or wound-up companies that are no longer traded on the stock market. For obvious reasons, taking a capital loss on the shares makes sense, especially if there are capital gains elsewhere that...
Oprah Winfrey is worth a cool US$2.9 billion. That, according to Forbes magazine, puts her at number 181 of the 400 richest people in America. Not bad for a self-made small-town girl who started with nothing. There are other women on the rich list, too. And some are...
TORONTO, ONTARIO (September 13, 2013) – Castlemark Wealth Management Inc. is pleased to announce that company president Robyn K. Thompson, CFP, CIM, FCSI, will be a volunteer partner with Girls Inc. of Durham in the launch of the ING-Girls Inc. Investing Matters...
Q – Last week you answered a question about fighting a Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency. My question relates to another comment made on my Notice regarding instalment payments. I have a business on the side, apart from my regular employment, and...
Your tax refund isn't a "gift" Have you received a “tax refund”? It’s around this time of year that taxpayers get Notices of Assessment from the CRA. Sometimes that means a cheque. Sometimes it means a nasty tax bill. So what will you do? Cash the cheque and blow it...
Q – I recently received a Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency, saying that I owe several thousand dollars more in taxes. I disagree. But I’m at a loss about what to do next. Should I call the CRA directly? What would be the best course of action?...
The first steps to being money-wise It’s commencement season. All across the country through June, university and college students finally get their robes, mortarboards, and rolled-up diplomas. And then there’s the big question: Now what? It’s an exciting time. For...
Q – My husband and I are thinking of starting a family and we feel we need more space. We are currently renting a downtown condo unit, but we’re wondering whether we can afford to borrow to buy a home. Is there some rule of thumb we can use to calculate the type of...
Markets have taken four years to reach records: Where have you been? Are you getting the urge? Got the itch? To invest heavily in stocks, I mean. And particularly U.S. stocks. You may have heard that the Dow Jones Industrial Average is reaching all-time record highs....
Q – For the past few years, I admit I’ve been just too nervous about investing in the stock market, because I’ve heard various market experts say that the economy is still weak and the stock market will not outperform. As a result, I’ve been holding mostly bond mutual...
It looks easy, doesn’t it? Just log on to your self-directed investment account, tap, tap, tap in a trade or two, and you’re done. And if your stock goes up, you’ve got bragging rights. Good for you! But if your stock goes down? If you sell and get a surprise tax bill...
Q – I manage my own investment portfolio, and I’m an active trader with an online account. However, I just paid my tax bill for 2012, and it was a doozy! A large part of it was due to tax on investments, particularly on income on distributions and sales of some mutual...