For months my siblings and I have been researching, touring and vetting Assisted Living Retirement Communities for our mother.  As a planner, I have always known the importance of having enough money to cover this type of care for when…

When you split up with your spouse you will need to divide your assets evenly. The division of assets upon relationship breakdown is a provincial/territorial concern and there are variations across the country depending on where you live. There are…

Although most people (78%) have no experience in managing an Estate, more than 80% of us choose a family member or close friend as our executor, according to a CIBC poll.  While family and friends may be dependable, more often…

For as long as I can remember August has always been a slow relaxing month – but this August was anything but that for investors.  Volatility hit the highest level thus far in 2019 as trade frictions continued to dominate…

Every three minutes Cancer picks a fight with another Canadian.   Becoming critically ill is something none of us want to think about; but we all know families whose lives have been dramatically affected by this terrible disease. Some of you…

Chances are if you left a previous employer and transferred your pension monies to another financial institution the money now sits in a Locked-in Retirement Account (LIRA).  These accounts are very similar to your regular Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP),…

Being accepted into university, college, or grad school is a major milestone in your child’s life.   Before they head off to campus next month be sure to advise them on how to attend post-secondary without racking up debt.   A…

  More than 1.3 million women and almost 350,000 men become widowed in Canada every year.    Losing a spouse unleashes a deluge of financial tasks that can be daunting, even if the survivor was actively involved in the financial matters…

If your child just graduated from high school and is looking forward to attending post-secondary next month, chances are you will need to redeem money from your Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).  You will have to provide proof of enrollment…

For most of our working lives Canadians focus on saving and accumulating assets for retirement.   Once retired, the focus shifts to the decumulation of those assets.  During this phase, retirees must figure out how much income to draw from their…