Insurance, Investments and Group Benefits

If the past 6 months has taught is anything, it’s that you can never be too prepared for the unexpected. For many of us across Canada, that has meant taking a hard look at the emergency response plan we have for our families and our futures. We think that plan should include some form of individually owned life insurance.

Thinking about buying life insurance can be overwhelming – especially when it’s your first time. There are a lot of choices out there and many factors to consider. Our goal is to make your insurance shopping experienc

e as painless as possible. To help ensure that you navigate your journey successfully, we are going to share a simple tip every Tuesday during September to get you started.

Without any further ado, let’s get started with our first tip.

Who speaks for you when you can’t speak for yourself? Who handles your stuff when you can’t? What do they need to know? What are they supposed to do with them? How can you make it easier for the people who act for you under a power of attorney or will? Let’s focus on a growing area, digital assets and access. 

Summer is upon us, which means spending longer days in the sun and enjoying your cottage with your family and friends. This is also the time that you may start thinking about the future of your cottage and your plans to pass it down your family. If you have decided to bequeath your vacation property to your children in your will, you may know that there could be substantial capital gains taxes due. Where does the money come from? Let’s consider some alternatives.

As Millenials graduate and seek employment, many parents still feel the burden of financially providing for their children. Studies found that more than four in ten Canadians say their top source of stress is money¹. Specifically, nearly half of Canadian parents admit that supporting their adult children is causing them emotional and financial stress².

People can go to great lengths to avoid probate costs, sometimes making them turn a blind eye to much bigger costs that can be created by passing assets outside of the estate. Let's take a look at a recent case concerning an elderly gentleman and his son. 

It’s tax time again. You may be in the habit of completing your own tax return or having a professional do it for you. Either way, make sure you have the details and supporting documentation to get the most out of these five tax credits.

When saving for retirement, you may get sick or have an accident, suffer a critical illness, require long term care or pass away. These factors should be considered when looking at savings and spending during retirement. Contingency planning plays a key role in comprehensive retirement income planning.

What's the biggest cheque you or your estate will ever write? When do you think that might happen?

Do you have an issue with debt? Take a moment to answer these 13 questions and start a frank self-assessment of your money management habits.

You went into the recent holiday season with your accumulated 2017 debt and you may have spent more than you should have. Now, you’re going head first into 2018 with even more debt.