Read. Watch. Listen.
Follow our insights for strategies on financial wealth and well-being.
blog search
Insights
Finding the right financial advisor
How to spot the signs and signals that make the perfect match Q. Hi, I’m in search of a new financial advisor to help me with some short-term and longer term planning. I make good money and also have stock options with my company. I want to know how to reduce the...
How to find money for RRSP contributions
You may have more than you think “I don’t have any money!” Sound familiar? That’s the reason most often cited for not contributing to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan. And it does seem like a problem, especially if you’re living paycheque to paycheque (and...
What’s in your RRSP?
Maybe it should be more than just cash Do you know what you have in your RRSP? I don’t mean how much money; I mean what kinds of investments. If you answered “guaranteed investment certificates” or “cash savings account,” welcome to the very large club! If so,...
The ‘Best Saver’ award – for the girl who wants it all
Yes, you should have both a TFSA and an RRSP It’s awards season again. And the red carpets are unrolling so thick and fast that they’re becoming a pedestrian hazard. In the lead-up to Academy Awards next month, we’ve already seen the People’s Choice Awards and the...
Three investing mistakes to avoid in 2014
Don’t put your portfolio at risk! As a financial advisor and professional planner, I’ve seen most every investment mistake novice investors are likely to make. And around this time of year, when I undertake client portfolio reviews, clients often seem overcome with...
How to escape the credit card crunch
When the holiday-spending credit card bills start coming in this month, some of us will pay off the balance to zero and calmly go on as before. Others – many others – among us will add it to the ever-growing pile of debt, try to make a minimum payment on at least...
The cure for holiday (financial) overindulgence
Have you been naughty this holiday season? Financially, at least, many of us tip over to the “naughty” side, overextending our spending and maxing out our credit cards. I won’t get into other kinds of overindulgence here, but you know what they are. With the...
Financial advice for a pop celebrity
Pop music queen Lady Gaga is number 2 on the Forbes list of the highest paid women in music in 2013, with an annual paycheque of about $80 million. No doubt she added to her millions with this week’s appearance on NBC’s highly rated music competition The Voice,...
Attention taxpayers! Just a few days left for these tax savings…
’Tis the season…for tips. Year-end is a great time for tax and investment tipsters. Trouble is, in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, most of us either ignore or soon forget what we’ve heard. But there are, in fact, a few year-end investment and tax tips...
Don’t be seduced by the high-yield come-on
You’ll see them at your local bank branch, those amateurishly handwritten whiteboard signs advertising a $700 or $800 monthly income on a $100,000 investment. That’s equivalent to around a 9% annual yield. With your average bank savings account paying some fraction...
What’s eating your retirement fund?
How your savings tend to disappear - and what you can do about it This is a challenging time for building your wealth and saving for retirement. The needs have never been greater. But, increasingly, it seems as if the odds are heavily stacked against your being...
Beware this big TFSA tax trap!
Quick! What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you hear someone mention “Tax-Free Savings Account”? If you’re completely honest with yourself, deep down inside, it’s not the modifier “tax-free.” Many people I talk to feel all virtuous about their TFSA,...