June 1 tax-filing deadline With all the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, you might have taken advantage of the one-month extension of the tax-filing deadline to June 1. Payment of any tax owing has been extended to Sept. 1, but you must still file a return by...
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 of...
Confidence. Grit. Determination. That’s just some of what makes a successful businesswomen. And if you’re thinking now of opportunities when the coronavirus pandemic ends, you might just have what it takes. Read Robyn’s guest blog on Sandbox, as she shines a light on...
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 of...
Cents and sensibility Valentine’s Day can be gushingly romantic, stressful, and exciting all at the same time. For many couples, it can often lead to proposals of marriage or other forms of co-habitation. If you find yourself in that happy situation, congratulations!...
Powerful tax-deferred retirement savings plan Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) are still the best retirement saving and tax-deferral opportunity available for most Canadians. Trouble is, many of us just don’t use RRSPs to their full advantage. Unused RRSP...
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. A...
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 trinkets....
Little changes can make a big difference As this is Financial Literacy month, and the theme is “Take Charge of Your Finances!”, I want to talk about the very foundation of financial literacy, the building block of successful financial management: the budget. I can...
Precious metals, gems a risky way to hedge risk The headlines are hard to miss. There’s the seemingly endless tariff war between China and the U.S. Then there’s the truly endless sabre rattling in the Middle East, most recently between Turkey and the Kurds in Northern...
Three basic RRSP maturity options Unlike a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) does not last forever. In fact, it has a specific date by which you must collapse the plan and choose one of three main options for what to do with...
As stock markets gyrate alarmingly in this season of market volatility, novice investors often start to have second thoughts about their investment strategy, especially those novices who don’t have a financial plan, an investment strategy policy, or a clue about their real tolerance for risk.