Articles

A picture is worth a thousand words. – As seen by a caregiver

Dedication: -This article is dedicated to the ‘Band of Brothers’ (like the war movie series) my three daughters and I who were in this battle together. We battled for 5 years to give the best care and support to my wife/ their mother. The outcome for each of us may have been very different without each other.

Recently, I was trying to understand why my energy and focus ...

Courtesy of Alexandra Evans-Munoz from The Mortgage Centre.

The following strategies will help you to minimize the amount of interest you pay and the number of years you hold your mortgage.

Increase your payment amount

It may take some adjusting to work into your budget, but increasing your monthly payment amount can save you thousands of dollars in interest over the duration of your mortgage and reduce the life of your mortgage for several years. For example, suppose you have ...

Courtesy of Janet Baccarani & Jennifer Black from Dedicated Financial Solutions.

Widows and widowers can face a variety of distinct issues come tax time. In our second installment on “Death and Taxes”, we examine RRSP options.
RRSP options after the death of a spouse

Let’s first deal with what some might consider the obvious. No contributions can be made to a deceased individual’s RRSP after the date of death.

Note however, the deceased individual’s legal representative can make contributions to the surviving ...

Courtesy of Robert Lamb from Maven Financial.

Yesterday A Wife, Today A Widow

When a widow first comes to me she often seems lost and very alone. “I believed my life was over. I believed I would never be happy again. I believed I had no reason for living…”

“Can I make it?” is the same question asked by widows whether they’re worth more than a million dollars or considerably less. As a financial planner the role becomes that of ...

Courtesy of Claire Sarda from Redsell-Seguin and Associates.

A Financial Recap on 2011

As we close out 2011, a heavily volatile year for stock markets, we breathe a sigh of relief that the year is now behind us. Some stock indices finished the year higher like the US Dow Jones Industrial Average, some lower like the Canadian S&P TSX. However, European markets by far took centre stage throughout 2011.

To recap, each quarter of 2011 was captivated by headline news. ...

Courtesy of Kareim M. Abbouda from Investors Group.

Is your business prepared for an unexpected ownership change?

A buy-sell agreement can help avoid future turmoil.

Your business couldn’t be better – and then it happens: a co-owner suddenly becomes disabled or dies from illness or accident. That could mean the disruption of your business, your income and possibly even a comfortable retirement.

Good business
That is why business succession planning – including a well-constructed buy-sell agreement – makes good business sense, for ...

Courtesy of Janet Baccarani & Jennifer Black from Dedicated Financial Solutions.

In our continuing series of blogs examining “Death and Taxes”, we turn our attention to beneficiary designations on your RRSP or RRIF.

When your spouse has died, you may need to change the beneficiary designation on your RRSP or RRIF.

Two approaches to beneficiary designations

The designation approach that generally makes the most sense is naming a new beneficiary on the plan application form itself.
In a case where you ...

Courtesy of David Mills from Mills and Mills LLP.

If a person dies without a valid Will, lawyers say that the person died “intestate” or that they left an “intestacy” (whereas a person with a Will dies “testate”). Many people have no idea – or, more frequently, the wrong idea – of what will happen to their money if they die intestate.

In Ontario, Part II of the Succession Law Reform Act governs how a person’s estate will be ...

Courtesy of Janet Baccarani & Jennifer Black from Dedicated Financial Solutions.

Tax season can be a challenge at the best of times – but, what if it’s following the loss of partner or spouse? What then?

Widows and widowers can face a variety of distinct issues come tax time. Memories are revived and emotions can come to the forefront again. And, then there’s the reality dealing with the numbers and the numerous questions that can ...

Courtesy of Gwen Price from Royal LePage North Heritage Realty, Brokerage.

Over the age of 50 and considering selling the family home?

You need a REALTOR® with senior experience, knowledge and marketing savvy.

Those qualities, along with a special knowledge of managing the sale of a home for those over the age of 50, are what SRES® designees can bring to your next real estate transaction.

SRES® designees are certified senior specialists and astute to the financial and emotional challenges ...