Once again, we find ourselves witnessing drama due to the debt ceiling in Washington. This political theater tends to unfold when Congress and the White House are controlled by different parties. The party in Congress tries to exploit the issue to gain leverage and political concessions. The frustrating aspect of this situation is that the…
RRSPs are a popular retirement savings account, but it may be advisable to draw them down aggressively once retired. Here are 3 reasons to aggressively drawdown your RRSPs. RRSP Tax Bomb There are many people out there who hate RRSPs. I often hear stories like, “My parents had money in RRSPs, and when they…
Many investors and financial advisors are fond of dividends and base their entire investment strategy on companies that pay dividends. However, it’s time to take a closer look at the reality of dividends and their impact on investment performance. The truth is, and I might be upsetting the dividend-loving crowd, but dividends do not add…
It’s always nice to hear positive news. So as we head into 2023, here are a few things to look forward to 10 Positives Back-to-back negative stock market years are rare having only occurred 9% of the time since 1928. Although still high, inflation has been decreasing over the past 6 months 2023…
It’s the beginning of December, and Bob has purchased a rental property from his brother. Imagine how unfair it would be if Bob had to pay tax on his brother’s rental income for the entire year. Fortunately for Bob, that’s not the case, but this can happen when you purchase an investment in a non-registered account. Today, we’ll look at the dangers…
What is year-end tax-loss selling, and should you care? When stock markets go through a tough year, the opportunity to take advantage of tax-loss selling arises. So, what exactly is tax-loss selling? Let’s go through an example to find out. Tax-Loss Selling Judy bought $400,000 of ABC Bank shares in her non-registered account. Today her ABC Bank shares are…
Can you deduct your financial advisory fees? The short answer, It depends. Today, we’ll be going over the top 3 methods Canadian advisors use to charge their clients and whether or not those methods allow you to deduct their fees on your tax return. Method 1: Fee for service The first payment method we’ll be…
With the recent decline in stock markets, some of you have called looking to take advantage of this drop and buy low. The one question that comes up in every conversation is: “I know I should buy when stocks are down, but should we wait until things start to look better before investing?” …
Whether you are looking to hire a financial advisor or already working with someone, there are a few key questions that you should get answered. Let’s dig into these questions and review some of the answers that should raise red flags. Are you a fiduciary? If you asked a friend or family member whether…
Instances of clients using multiple advisors rose after Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme was revealed during the 2008 financial crisis. However, in good or bad times, multiple advisors can lead to higher fees and lost efficiencies. Ponzi Scheme Protection Nobody wants to be the victim of a Ponzi scheme, so using multiple advisors sounds appealing as…
Is now the right time to be buying a GIC? Lets start with, what exactly is a GIC? A GIC is a term investment that pays you a guaranteed interest rate on the anniversary of your purchase. Generally speaking, the longer the term of your GIC, the higher the interest rate you will receive, and…
Here is a real-life example of how two tweaks to a couple’s retirement plan, saved them over $900,000. For this video, we start by going over Donna and Steve’s (names have changed for confidentiality reasons) background and going over a few assumptions that need to be made. Follow along as we find out what their…
As we find ourselves in a new bear market, let’s review three different strategies for making the most of this market condition. The Bear Market Playbook bases each strategy on a different risk tolerance level. Option 1: Poke the Bear Rebalance Your Portfolio Rebalancing your portfolio is the process of making trades to move…
Video Transcript: 4 Conflicts Faced by Financial Advisors If you are working with a financial advisor, you need to be aware of a few conflicts of interest that can affect your bottom line. Conflicts of interest will arise when your financial goals or interest are not in line with your advisors. Most of these conflicts…
Today I will be discussing an option that business owners have when they have some cash inside the corporation that they do not need to fund their business. The question is “I have some money. Where should I invest? Inside my corporation, or should I invest it personally inside an RRSP?” Two Options Imagine…
Cash & Your Capital Gains Exemption Today I want to talk about your corporation and how having too much cash inside of it can inadvertently affect your capital gains exemption if you’re planning on selling. LCGE In 2022, if you sell shares of your small business in Canada, you have a $ 913,630-lifetime capital…
Where are we today? When it comes to the markets, as of today May 10th, 2022, the market is down 15% from its high back on January 3rd of 2022. We are trending downwards so I want to talk to you about what a bear market is and how you can invest during bear markets.
Why don’t we sell and get back in once it’s better? Trust me, I would love to do that for you, but the risk isn’t worth the reward. To begin this analysis, let’s go over your two options Ride the wave Get out and then get back in 1.Ride the Wave Strategy With this…
Your Investment Questions Answered Part 2. 2022 is off to a rocky start. What is happening? If you focus on short-term swings in financial markets, you will probably ride the emotional rollercoaster, which will make it difficult to make sound, objective investment decisions. We have certainly seen this going back to Q4 2018, when…
The recent Russian invasion has affected us all. From a humanitarian perspective, we hope this war is resolved quickly, and no further loss of innocent life will occur. From a portfolio management perspective, we recognize that these events are reverberating across global markets as investors are trying to assess and make sense of the…
As the US stock market (S&P 500 index) has officially closed in correction territory (down 10% from its previous high, bear markets are 20% declines), the question is, “What should you do”? To answer this question, we first need to consider – how common are market corrections? How often do they experience 10% drops? Looking…
Did your portfolio make 21% in ‘21? As you begin to receive your 2021 annual reports & statements, one of the questions you should be asking yourself is, “how did I perform in 2021?” Understanding your rate of return is important so up can compare how you stacked up against the global equity markets. By…
Are you taking advantage of your corporations to their full capacity? Here is one strategy that may be suitable for your situation. We will use John, a 45-year-old non-smoker for a quick case study. John has $100,000 to invest in his corporation. That investment is earning 6% of interest income and we will assume John…
Tax Preparation In Tax Season – Part 2, I dive deeper into what exactly tax preparation is and what you should look for. Whether you’re a do-it-yourself tax filer or hiring someone to do it for you, it can help you understand what questions you should ask and what questions they should be asking you.…
Tax season is here Your season is in full swing. It’s a new year and playoffs will be here before you know it. For most North American professional hockey players, tax deadlines and playoffs are around the same time. The timing is not ideal. Instead of waiting until just before the deadline, I encourage you…
Insurance Coverage in the NHL A few weeks ago, I wrote an article explaining some of the special risk insurance options available to professional hockey players. Following that article, I received some questions regarding players’ insurance coverage. Specifically about the coverage through the group-sponsored plan outlined in the CBA. If you’ve read my pension article,…
Question 1: We’ve had a very good run in stocks. How will we know when the current market is getting long in the tooth and when it is time to get out and go to cash? It is natural for investors to worry about market declines as there have been some very large ones in…
Better to have Insurance is one of those things that fall in the category of “better to have and not need, then need and not have.” There are numerous types of insurance available such as life, disability, critical illness, home, vehicle, etc. Whether or not you need any of these depends on your personal situation,…
The advice you should be getting It’s not enough to just receive basic investment and financial advice. Professional hockey players can benefit from a more holistic approach. An approach where the financial advisor facilitates all of the financial options that are available. Let’s use an example. You are on the power play, and it runs…
The Number One Reason Investing will forever see its ups and downs, but over the long term markets have continued to grow. Having a professional in your corner during the tough times (March 2020) will help assess the situation at hand and steer you towards the correct decision. A decision in this case that was…
Do you own mutual funds? If so, there’s likely a 98% chance your portfolio has had a below-average performance.
Are Tax-Free RRSP Withdrawals possible? Let me tell you how we are able to do this. Last week, I was sitting down with a gentleman we’ll call John. Like many Canadians, John had buyers remorse regarding his RRSPs. When he went to make a withdrawal, he realized that withdrawal would be 100% taxable! “Had I…
Inflation is continuing to be a hot topic these days, hitting 4.1% in Canada. In this video, Colin goes through an example showing how inflation is reducing your buying power, and what can you do with your portfolio to counteract inflation. To read more on How to Tackle Inflation here. And be sure to check…
In this video, I’ll show you how you can grow your net worth by using the equity already built into your home.
Today we are talking low-risk investments. The assumption is that low-risk investments are the safest option. When in fact, you are losing your purchasing power thanks to low-interest rates and rising inflation.
I just paid $100 for a chocolate bar! Some of you may remember when inflation hit double digits in the ’80s. Back then, paying 15% on your mortgage was reasonable, and Canada savings bonds were doubling your money every five years. When the cost of goods goes up, it has many effects. Only time will…
The Farm Transfer Tax Bill C-208 Explained As you may have recently heard, Bill C-208 is proposing to amend the federal income tax act so farm sales to children aren’t taxed at a higher rate when compared to selling the farm to a third party. Many articles explain that farm sales to third parties qualify…
Die with zero: Start spending more today If you ask someone when they plan on taking their Canada Pension Plan (CPP), I can almost guarantee they will want to take it as soon as they are eligible (age 60). The most common reason I hear is, “I have no idea when I’m going to pass…
In this weeks video I go over creditor insurance and how it can be replaced with more cost-effective personal insurance.
Should You Sell Your Home? Can you believe how much Tom made selling his house down the street? Chances are, you’ve likely been a part of a conversation such as this one over the last year. The Winnipeg housing market has been red hot, with homes going well above asking. “We’ve seen a few…
In Canada, there are three ways you can grow your savings tax-free. Tax-Free Savings Account Principle Residence MTAR Accounts Most Canadians aren’t aware of MTAR accounts and the huge benefits they provide. This is especially true if you plan on leaving funds to the next generation.
Last week, I spoke about buying into the stock market when prices were low. As we saw, there have been many occasions where it would have been opportune to buy low over the last 25 years. How about investing when markets are at all-time highs? As we can see from the graph above, the US…
Our quick thoughts on whether or not you should be adding Bitcoin to your investment portfolio. Here are a couple of links if you are looking for more information on Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies What are Cryptocurrencies Bitcoin Chart
Have you ever heard the term “buy low, sell high?” For those of you who haven’t, this is a simple investment strategy that advocates to buy into the stock market when prices are low and to sell when prices are high. If we look back at the US stock market, we see numerous occasions where…
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the stock market hitting its bottom on March 23, 2020. At the time, there were still so many unknowns with COVID-19. In fact, the media was still calling it the Coronavirus. A couple of days after the market hits its bottom, I wrote an article called Click Here to…
See my latest video on the craze that is Gamestop’s stock. I try to keep it simple so you can understand what’s going on and why this is so interesting to watch.
Are All Financial Advisors the Same? The 3 Types When choosing a financial advisor, it can be challenging to differentiate between all available options. They all say: “I’ve been doing this for X years, and my returns have been stellar.” But what else should you be considering beyond returns? While all advisors have something to…
4 Things you can do to help your grandkids today Traditionally, inheritances have been passed on to the next generation, but as Canadians are living longer than ever, that train of thought is changing. Many people realize that if they live into their early 90’s, that means their kids will likely already be retired. Because…
Should I Be Buying RRSPs? The answer to that question is going to depend on a few different factors. This latest video can help you understand whether or not investing in RRSPs is the right decision for you.
Wanda has been investing for a long time and is quite familiar with buying when prices are low and selling when prices are high. Past non-registered account purchase In 2010, she had purchased $100,000 of ABC Corp, and today, it’s worth $250,000. Wanda is now ready to sell her investment as she believes the stock…
Tax-Loss Selling Judy bought $400,000 of ABC Bank shares in her non-registered account. Today her ABC Bank shares are worth $375,000, and she is showing a $25,000 loss. Judy plans on holding these shares for the next ten years, so she isn’t overly concerned with the short term drop in her investment. For this week’s…
Guest Post by Property Pillar Management. They provide residential and commercial property management in Winnipeg, Manitoba and surrounding areas. From small single family homes to apartment blocks to commercial spaces. Buying an investment property in Canada is one of the best ways to diversify your assets. In addition to the promise of earning passive…
It’s the beginning of December, and Bob has purchased a rental property from his brother. Imagine how unfair it would be if Bob had to pay tax on his brother’s rental income for the entire year. Fortunately for Bob, that’s not the case, but this can happen when you purchase an investment in a non-registered…
Much like the summer months, December seems to come and go in the blink of an eye. We’re all so busy with work events and family gatherings that year end tax planning often gets neglected. With COVID forcing most of us to stay home this year, we can all use this opportunity to make sure…
Managing Your Portfolio in Retirement The financial industry tends to make things more complex than they need to be. As a result, topics like this usually go in one ear and out the other. My aim with this webinar is to simplify this topic by providing an explanations (in simple English). This webinar will cover topics to be aware of as you approach or are…
The US election is weeks away and there is no shortage of predictions on how the winner will impact the markets and economy as a whole. Although our natural reaction is to guess how the outcome of the election will impact your wealth, it becomes a futile exercise when we realize how much there is…
You’ve worked hard for decades, and now that you are approaching or entering retirement, you could find yourself exposed to significant taxes without the proper strategies in place. Keep more of what you’ve built and enjoy the retirement you deserve. This complimentary video will cover the following topics: Am I on track…
I often receive these types of calls after a farm is sold: What can I invest in that’s going to give me a reasonable rate of return? What can I invest in that is safe? What can I invest in that’s going to match the farm rent I was receiving? There are unlimited options to…
The S&P 500 rises to a record close, fully wiping out its coronavirus losses With the US market hitting a new all-time high yesterday, I wanted to review one of my favorite sayings when it comes to investing: “The Market Has Never Taken a Dollar from Anyone” Whenever I mention this to new investors (and…
Deciding between commuting your pension or opting for the monthly income stream is a big retirement decision that contains several complexities. In this brief 3-minute video I provide clarity on the benefits of taking the commuted value compared to the monthly income stream. If you’d like to discuss your personal situation and explore your financial…
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been having this discussion with clients. Why does the market continue to rise while unemployment in the US is sitting at 40 million (the size of Canada’s population), and most businesses aren’t even close to running at 100% capacity? Everyone has their opinions and theories as to what is…
As I write this on April 29th, 2020, US markets have bounced back 31.38% over five weeks from their March 23rd lows. For those of you who invested when markets were down 30%, well done. You have made a rapid 30%. If you hesitated or you still have some cash sitting on the sidelines, I…
Warren Buffet has two rules when it comes to investing. Rule No.1: Don’t lose money Rule No.2: Don’t forget rule No.1. As much as he may have said this tongue in cheek, he does have a point. Losing money is no fun from an emotional standpoint and it makes it even harder for your portfolio…
As we stay home to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, most of us are guilty of relying on Netflix for some cheap entertainment. My wife recently started watching Grey’s Anatomy, so by association, I was now watching it as well. For those of you who haven’t seen it, the show follows a group of…
Last week we looked at the cash flow farmland generates (See Part 1). We assumed one acre was worth $6,000 and the rental income was $130/acre. This gave us a rate of return of approximately 2.17% on the rental income. We concluded there were alternative investments with better rates of return (GICs and dividend-paying stocks…
My immediate response would be, who’s asking? An investor or a farmer? Because their goals for the farmland are completely different. Farmers have multiple reasons why farmland would be a good investment beyond simply looking at the rate of return. For this analysis, let’s look at it from the perspective of an investor. This could…
My wife always makes sure to remind me to wear sunscreen whenever I go out golfing. I have to tell her not to worry because I spend most of my round in the shade as I tend to hit a lot of trees. This past summer, I found myself deep in the bush searching for…
In this new era of “fake news” it’s becoming more and more difficult to distinguish between what is true and what is false. Politicians use this to their advantage and often repeat false statements so often that we begin to believe they are true. You may have noticed this particular strategy used by a certain…
I was reading the other day that the current cost of raising a child from birth to 17 is about $325,000. And yet, after all that we still want to gift them our wealth?!?! We must be crazy! But having had a child in the last year, I get it. There’s nothing a parent wouldn’t…
Consider these two stocks. Over the last five years, Stock “A” has seen its share price sputter with a negative return of 3.19%. Over that same period, its revenue growth ranks dead last compared to its competitors. Its historical valuation multiple also ranks last, which indicates that its competitors have a greater opportunity for growth.…
You’ve done your tax and succession planning, you’ve had the big farm auction, and your farm is sold. You’ve given some money to the kids, you’ve paid off your debt, you’ve made a few charitable donations, and you’re left sitting with $2,000,000 in cash. Now you’re left wondering, “Where do I even begin with this…
Do you recall the last time you turned off the nightly news and told yourself, “I feel great about where the world is headed!”? It’s probably been a long time. You’ll be hard pressed to come away with one feel-good story because the fact of the matter is these stories don’t sell. Don’t buy into…
Are you tired of turning on the nightly news and worrying about how the day’s events are affecting your retirement portfolio? Are you worried about the day-to-day fluctuations of the stock market? This week we take a look at how to properly manage your retirement portfolio with the Bucketing Strategy so that you can…
Rate of return vs timing of return Many people believe that the rate of return they earn in their investment portfolio is the number one factor in determining the success of their retirement plan. Although essential, today I want to review why it’s even more important not to lose money, especially as you are entering…
When I first started working in the financial industry over 3,000,000 minutes ago, one of the common rules of thumb was that you needed to save 20% of your income for your retirement. I immediately began to question this advice as it seemed too simple to implement, not to mention an extreme generalization. Imagine if…
Have you ever been to a Jets game and heard the person next to you yell that they could do a better job than the coach? How difficult could it be when you have great players on your team like Wheeler and Schiefele? Like most things, it’s probably a lot tougher than it looks, but…
Is your portfolio properly structured to minimize tax? Can I keep more money in my pocket without increasing the risk in my portfolio? Find out why your RRSP should grow as little as possible in this week’s video. Enjoy videos? Check out the Video Category for more great strategies.
According to Stats Canada, almost 5 million Canadians consumed Cannabis products last year and spent nearly $5.7 billion dollars on the way. From these numbers, it is safe to assume that Canadians’ demand for Cannabis is there. With legalization past us now, it is going to be a big month for weed smokers, producers, and…
It seems like everyone has a story about a memorable car purchase. Lucky for me, I got my story when I was purchasing my last vehicle five years ago. Let’s just say it finished with paperwork being ripped up and thrown in my face all because I didn’t want the pothole protection insurance. Perhaps the…
For those of you lucky enough to have a defined benefit pension plan, you may have to decide whether to take your pension as a monthly income or as a lump sum payout upon retiring. There isn’t a universally accepted answer when deciding between these two options, as it mostly depends on your personal circumstances.…
You’ve put in years of blood, sweat, and tears into your life’s work and you’re finally able to enjoy the fruits of your labour. You no longer have to worry and stress about grain prices, rain, carbon taxes or whatever other phenomena that affected your crops. You’re now sitting at home, looking at your (presumably…
Growing up, the local credit union in my town set up a program where kids could bring money to school with them and have it deposited into their bank accounts. Every month, I would try to fill up my deposit envelope as much as I could. I’d save my birthday money, my allowance, and whatever I could find in the couch. I would retain a few dollars for myself, so I could afford to buy candy, but other than that it all went towards my savings. Looking back, I wasn’t…
I wasn’t a big fan of chores growing up and as a result, I would leave my weekly responsibilities to the last minute. Every Sunday night was a mad dash to cut the grass, take out the garbage and “clean” my bedroom, all to earn my $5 allowance before the school week started again. We’re…
Debt has a way of playing psychological games with people, and I can attest to this myself. My mother always made sure to let my siblings and I know that debt should always be paid back as quickly as possible as you never wanted the guilt associated with owing someone money. I’m thankful for these…
That depends. Contrary to popular belief, you have a lot of options when it comes to investing inside of a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). Many people believe a TFSA is simply a savings account that you get at the bank where your interest grows tax-free. Although technically correct, a TFSA can be a much more…
Have you ever looked at your monthly portfolio statement and wondered, “Why is it that my US investments have stayed flat while the US market is up this year?” Quite simply, the reason is currency. US investments vs. Canadian dollar value When the Canadian dollar increases in value compared to the US dollar, it decreases…