Practical strategies for real-world challenges Freshly-minted grads get all kinds of advice, from the stock commencement speeches to well-meaning words of wisdom from relatives, friends, and parents, all of whom have “been-there-done-that.” Some of it is actually...
Practical financial and investment strategies Recessions are generally defined by economists as two consecutive quarters of declining gross domestic product. Put that way, it sounds dry and academic and with no real impact on the real world. In truth, recessions...
Reduce the CRA’s tax take With the price of recreational real estate soaring in the past couple of years, especially in high-demand areas, many long-time vacation property owners are seriously thinking about selling the property, especially if they are close to or...
The variable or fixed-rate choice, and stress test stress With interest rates climbing, homeowners with variable-rate mortgages may be wondering whether now is the time to convert to a fixed-rate mortgage. The answer is not as cut-and-dried as it might seem....
Six budgeting essentials for bringing up baby For new parents, one thing’s for certain with the arrival of that new little person – your household budget will change drastically. And many will find the transition something of a challenge. But there are...
Sell in haste, repent at leisure The big stock market indexes have been on a steep slide since the beginning of the year. Anyone with a passive, “buy-and-hold” type of equity portfolio will know the discomfort this can cause as each day brings another shrinkage in...
What to look for in an advisor The wealth advisory landscape has changed over the past few years. Registered advisors need to be a lot more transparent about the fees and services they offer. By the same token, wealth management clients’ attention has become more...
Tips for saving money when heading back to the office More employees who have been working from home these past two years are now heading towards giving up their casual wear, donning some business basics, and getting back to the office. But the new environment can...
The impact on savers and borrowers Inflation has been pushing the prices of everything up – not just in Canada but around the world. Canadian inflation rose to an annual 5.7% rate in February. After a year of insisting that this spike in inflation was “transitory,”...
Use every tax break you’re entitled to! Tax-filing season is upon us again. The deadline to file your 2021 tax return is April 30. But because that’s a Saturday, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) considers your return to be filed on time if they receive it on or...
Stop the bad guys in their tracks with these tips Investment frauds and scams have ballooned during the pandemic as do-it-yourself investors, staying at home, had more time on their hands to get into trouble. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) reports that...
Markets may fluctuate, but solid investment principles abide The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had predictable effects on financial and commodity markets. In addition to increasing market volatility, the big U.S. stock indexes are well down from their 52 week...