What successful businesswomen know about start-ups Many women dream of starting their own business. And there are plenty of advantages. First, you are your own boss, and in control of your own destiny. Then, you get to produce that product or service that no one...
Crunch the numbers before you make an offer The big question for young couples just starting out is whether to move out of that downtown condo unit and borrow to buy a home. This becomes especially critical if you’re planning a family or if a baby is already on the...
Four key areas to focus on to make the settlement last Once a divorce settlement is finalized, the next step is to make that settlement last. But how? What are the next steps in financial planning? Should you keep the same financial advisors and investment...
When your investments take control of you There’s nothing quite like the thrill of managing your own investments. That is, until things go south and you wonder whatever possessed you to buy that two-times daily bull crude oil ETF! Then there’s all that paperwork to...
Special rules apply to non-residents When a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) matures, the beneficiary of the plan (usually the child for whom the plan was opened) can withdraw the funds for post-secondary tuition. Because they will likely be in a very low...
Carefully selected bond funds as part of a diversified asset mix If you haven’t checked your portfolio for a while, you may have noticed that the performance of your bond mutual funds and ETFs has been lagging a bit. And you may be thinking of selling or switching....
Choosing the best financial advisory team Once you’re established in your profession or career, and you’re accumulating a sizeable nest-egg, getting financial advice from your second cousin or the bank teller just won’t do. You need to get some professional money...
Can you really “live with the risk”? In this day and age of “robo-advisors” and passive index investing, many investors seem to have forgotten the single immutable truth that equity markets are inherently risky. That’s simply because the share prices of stocks...
The ABCs of the ACB Thinking of selling your cottage, cabin, or recreational property? Unless it’s truly your principal residence, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will want its share of any capital gain you make on the sale. It calculates the capital gain as the...
Robyn Thompson is regularly featured in The Toronto Star’s “Money Makeover” series by Deanne Gage. This month, Money Makeover takes a look at Victor and Shelly, who hope to retire next year, but have a risky investment portfolio and no plan. Read Robyn Thompson’s...
Employer contributions and tax savings can really add up Employers often use group benefits as a way to attract and retain their best employees. The most popular group benefits typically offer the most flexibility for employees and the lowest costs for employers....
You can fight with a Notice of Objection Taxpayers start getting tax refunds from the Canada Revenue Agency in April and May. That may be a cause for celebration. But if you get a Notice of Re-assessment, it can contain a nasty surprise, complete with demands for...