Choosing between CERB and CESB
Watch Robyn Thompson on BNN’s “Ask the Expert” feature on The Open, discussing which form of financial aid works best for someone who is both a seasonal worker and a...
Jul 7, 2020 1 min read
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A 5-point prescription for healthy finances
Don’t let pandemic woes infect your bank balance The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many families’ financial plans into disarray. And while restrictions are gradually being lifted, activity is still far from normal. And, if the experts are right, there’s still the...
Retirement planning: invest surplus or pay off the mortgage?
Robyn Thompson is featured in The Globe and Mail’s “Financial Facelift” series by Diane Maley. Mark and Meredith are well positioned financially with robust cash flow, and want to retire, but they still have mortgages on rental properties. Should they pay off the...
Retiring now? How to avoid pandemic panic
Coping with withdrawal risks and benefiting from RRIF rule changes The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many retirement plans into disarray. The collapse of the stock market in March, volatility in bond prices, the crash of energy markets, and the shutdown...
How to apply for Canada’s emergency financial benefits
Federal government’s CERB program up and running Effective April 6, the federal government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) provides eligible employed and self-employed Canadians whose employment has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic a defined amount...
Outsmarting the COVID-19 financial panic
Robyn Thompson is featured in CTV’s “Your Morning” with Anne-Marie Mediwake, discussing how to handle your investments and personal finances in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic scare. With stock markets now into bear market territory, a global recession looming,...
Financial planning for a personal healthcare crisis
Robyn Thompson is featured in The Globe and Mail’s “Financial Facelift” series by Diane Maley. At 53, with his house paid off and more than $1 million in savings, Randy was cruising to a comfortable retirement. But his plans were turned upside down when he was...
Getting set for RESP withdrawals
Time to pay the post-secondary piper Around about this time of year, the great Canadian university hunt gets into full swing. Universities make the rounds at high schools and fairs, looking to entice students to their schools. Students and parents make the rounds,...
How to get tax-free money in 2020
These plans will help you create tax-free dollars If your New Year’s financial resolutions have already evaporated, despite your best intentions, you might try just one more: create tax-free dollars. There’s no special magic involved here. Nor is there any...
New year, new you!
Yes, you can spruce up your personal finances for 2020 The beginning of the New Year is often a time to turn a new financial leaf: make a budget; pay down debt; save more. That’s all commendable, but these good intentions are mostly forgotten by, say, mid-February....
Quick tips to remedy seasonal spending disorder
How to put your money on a leash A kind of money madness seizes people at this time of year. The expectation of ever-larger-better-bigger-pricier gifts is aided and abetted by retailers offering deals, promotions, and sales on all manner of shiny baubles and...
Planning for the single life
Robyn Thompson is featured on CHCH TV’s “Morning Live” with six key financial planning essentials for women who are going through a divorce.