How to navigate a real estate market in transition Unless you’ve been away on a very long vacation for the past seven months, you know that inflation has been raging and interest rates have been steadily climbing. There have always been direct consequences of that...
Cash deposits are, but investment guarantees are hard to come by Novice investors often ask me whether the money they invest in a mutual fund, an exchange-traded fund, or shares of a company traded on an exchange “guaranteed” against loss. The answer here is, “no.”...
Before you do, ask the right questions North America’s stock markets are at or approaching bear market territory – that is, where their stock indexes have lost 20% or more from recent highs and have not quickly bounced back. Only Toronto’s S&P/TSX...
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,”...