Teaching Children Financial Independence
Now may be the perfect time to teach your children about financial independence. There are plenty of real-life examples in the media of how not to manage your finances. To really teach children money management skills, they must learn to handle money personally and to make consequential decisions on how to manage it. An […]
Revisiting Your Financial Plan
The hits keep coming! With the recently concluded Federal election essentially changing nothing in Ottawa, there is little doubt that annual spending deficits will probably continue to reach new levels. Along with this renewed deficit spending Canadians can expect to see higher consumer prices as various economic disruptions continue to impact Canada and other nations […]
The Many Benefits of RESPs
As busy parents, just meeting your family’s needs each day can eclipse thoughts of the future. Add to that juggling act the cost of running a home, daycare, mortgage and car payments, and it’s easy to see how setting funds aside for a child’s future education can become something you’ll “do later” when you have […]
The Power of You
The key financial planning lesson that Covid-19 has taught us all, is that no matter how many planning scenarios a person considers, it is extremely difficult to get it perfectly right! Covid has impacted Canadians’ ability to hold, build and keep cash reserves. For many, it has affected their ability to work and earn […]
Post-Holiday Debt? You’re Not Alone
“This is the last time I’m starting a new year saddled with credit card debt,” says Tiffany, a 48-year-old computer analyst. “I’ve said this every January for the past five years. This year, I’ve got to keep this promise to myself. I don’t want to spend another 12 months catching up, only to fall behind […]
Is Inflation Missing?
Many commentators are expecting increased inflation in the coming months as Central Banks globally have ramped up their money creation efforts in response to the increased market volatility last March. There are different types of inflation, but most people have experienced price inflation, whereby excess demand is met by rising prices. The next round of […]
Holiday Spending Strategies
The holiday season is a time for connection and giving, but it can also be costly. According to PwC Canada’s 2019 Holiday Outlook report1, Canadians spent an average of $1593 on holiday shopping last year. As this year’s present buying season begins, here are some helpful tips that could help you avoid overspending and taking […]
Protect Yourself From Scams
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 45,000 Canadians lost more than $96 million to online and telephone scams in 20191. These stats are rising dramatically in our post-COVID reality. In April 2020 alone, there were 6566 reports and 2317 victims defrauded of over $8.3 million. The isolation and anxiety brought about by the global pandemic […]
A State of Financial Wellness
Money has long been the number one stressor for many Canadians, and there’s no doubt that COVID has magnified this reality. It has upended jobs, security, health and financial stability for people across the country. Millions of Canadians are struggling to cover their bills. In March of 2020, 49% of Canadians were just $200 from […]
Simple Strategies To Save On Your Mortgage
Buying a house is usually the most significant investment decision anyone ever makes. Owning a house also tends to have an outsized impact on a person’s overall financial strategy during their lifetime. Buying wisely and choosing the right debt strategy can get you mortgage-free faster. By just following a few simple strategies, you could live […]
The Basics of a Successful Financial Strategy
Before a sky scraper can reach for the clouds, it needs a very strong foundation. Once the building is complete, the foundation is virtually unseen. The same goes for a financial strategy. The following are the basics of a strong financial foundation: Budget – Governments and businesses use budgets to properly allocate resources. It’s […]
Global Economic Challenges
One of the world’s richest men, Warren Buffett, acquired his wealth by following a very simple rule during times of market volatility: “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.” With mass media websites trumpeting headlines like “Oil collapse and global stampede out of stocks trample loonie” (Financial Post) […]
New Year. Fresh Start.
With the holidays behind us, and the credit card bills arriving as testimony to your celebrations, perhaps now is a good time to reflect upon some potential Resolutions for the coming year. Goal setting is best done when goals resonate with your life plan! You need to be specific about what, when, where and […]
Simple Goals for Living Well
This seems to be an increasingly topsy-turvy world with wacky politics and trade wars between the US and just about everyone else. And in Canada we have all just witnessed another hard-fought federal election that ended with a minority government. The question is how to navigate such tricky waters in daily life? For example, […]