Robyn Thompson is featured in The Globe and Mail’s “Financial Facelift” series by Diane Maley. This time, Ruth, a retired teacher, is worried that her existing savings and reduced income won’t be enough to provide for her kids’ university education or support her...
How to cope with higher education’s sticker shock There’s no two ways around it: The cost of a post-secondary education is high. For some, it’s a real challenge to make ends meet while attending college or university. In fact, students can expect to pay a total of...
Financial planning for the suddenly single If you find you’re suddenly single again after many years of being part of a couple, the financial challenges can seem overwhelming. But there are some lifelines at hand if you feel like you’re teetering on the edge of...
You’re in charge – make the most of it! After the ceremonies and speeches and mortarboard tossing, fresh new grads from colleges and universities have to leave their structured and sheltered life and start fending for themselves in the real world, many perhaps for...
Refunds and reassessments Around this time of the year, most taxpayers who filed a tax return in April will be receiving a Notice of Assessment, perhaps with a refund cheque, or what’s worse, a Notice of Reassessment, often with a demand for more tax payment. It’s...
Managing income streams tax efficiently Many people on the cusp of retirement are wondering whether they’ll outlive their retirement nest egg. Even those with hefty savings tucked away in Registered Retirement Savings Plans and Tax-Free Savings Accounts have...
The failure-to-launch syndrome More than one in three Canadians aged 20 to 34 are living with their parents according to the most recent census results from Statistics Canada. Worse yet, parents are still financially supporting them. That can lead to a series of...
Differentiating from robots and algorithms In this era of robo-advisors and artificial intelligence, it’s easy to believe that the expert, professional flesh-and-blood financial advisor has gone the way of the horse and buggy. It’s even easier to believe if you buy...
Financial advice for happy couples on St. Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is that annual hearts-and-flowers fest that can be gushingly romantic, to say nothing of stressful. It’s also a time when many proposals of marriage are made – and accepted. Once that initial...
Key investment principles This year, the RRSP contribution deadline for getting a 2018 tax deduction is March 1. You still have four weeks to make a contribution, and that’s plenty of time to discuss the best strategy with your financial advisor. To make sure you...
Accurate record-keeping is essential Divorce proceedings are often contentious, emotionally fraught, and never easy. That’s why when going through a divorce, it’s absolutely critical to keep a cool head about your finances and property. Unfortunately, it’s here...
Some annual housekeeping to keep allocations on track Concerns about the health of the global economy, the effects of the U.S.-China trade and tariff dispute, rising interest rates, and the flattening yield curve combined to make the stock market slump of the...