Market Highs vs. Your Goals
As Canadian and US stock market indexes hit new highs this year, many investors began expressing anxiety about a possible ‘correction’. Financial media personalities have also been speculating about the timing of correction from these recent market highs – following a strong run over the past year. Let’s put this into perspective. Would these same […]
Why Time Matters
It is not uncommon for an individual or organization, such as a charity or community tennis club, to consult a financial advisor regarding investment returns that can be generated on some spare cash that is not needed in the immediate future. As a result, the issue of investment “time horizon” is brought to the forefront […]
The Safe Investing Dilemma
As John nears retirement, he is becoming concerned about covering his future living costs with income from only interest-bearing investments. Along with many other investors globally who have poured trillions of dollars into government bonds over the past decade, John wants to feel safe and have his money guaranteed. But the price of safety in […]
Diversification is Key
As with many retirement savers, it took two major stock market events (Global Financial Crisis, Global Pandemic) to convince Adam and Sonya that trying to ‘time the market’ or pick specific sectors was a costly exercise in futility. But, with the value of their RRSPs nearly halved in the 2009 Financial Crisis, they also recognized […]
Asset Building Strategies
In the last article Sue had a capital shortfall of $400,000 in order to support her desired retirement lifestyle. This amount will vary for each individual and will be larger or smaller depending upon your income, age and ability to save money as a percentage of your earned income. Broadly speaking there are only two […]
A Fresh Look at RRSPs vs. TFSAs
The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) contribution limit increased to $7,000 (from $6,500) for 2024. This new limit means that a taxpayer who has never contributed to a TFSA and has been eligible for one since its inception will have a cumulative contribution room of $95,000. TFSAs are now a serious portfolio and investment planning […]
Year End Tax Planning Ideas
With the year’s end fast approaching, here are some ideas to minimize your 2023 tax bill. The first idea is to look at harvesting any tax losses in an investment portfolio to help offset any capital gains you may have triggered. Even if there are no capital gains, non-registered tax losses can be applied […]
All-Weather Investing
There is almost always chatter in the media about the next possible correction or recession. The most recent buzz is about a possible US recession where Canada would likely follow suit. The chatter also includes opinions about a “soft” versus a “hard” landing, etc. The primary challenge for individuals trying to build wealth is […]
Who is Your Trusted Contact Person?
Monica was alarmed to hear from her mother’s financial advisor expressing concern over some unusual financial requests. She called her mom, who seemed fine, but Monica couldn’t get the conversation with the financial advisor out of her head. She travelled to see her mom in person and was dismayed to discover numerous unpaid bills […]
Interest Rates and Your Financial Strategy
Working towards financial independence includes assumptions about how the world operates and how we navigate within that environment. These assumptions work best when the world remains the same allowing you to make reasonable future projections. Challenges come when changes occur in the operating environment which may require reassessing wealth building strategies. The disruptions from […]