Posted on: December 11, 2023
Most people want to be wealthy, or at least financially independent. The sad truth is that very few people are financially independent when they reach retirement. The rest are dependent to some extent on others or government benefits for their daily money needs.
Far too many people today live a lifestyle that is under a mountain of consumer debt. In many cases, that debt follows them into retirement. There are simple strategies to achieve financial independence; however, they may not necessarily be easy to follow.
Posted on: November 13, 2023
November is financial literacy month - a great time to reflect on your relationship with money and the decisions you make that guide you toward a secure future. Financial literacy is a set of five key skills that help Canadians navigate the complex world of personal finance with clarity, empowering them to achieve their important financial goals. These key pillars of financial literacy typically include the following:
Posted on: October 11, 2021
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 around the globe.
Posted on: May 10, 2021
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 a living, and for many small business owners, it has threatened their very survival. No matter how much planning small business owners did before the pandemic hit, very few set aside enough capital reserves for 12 months or more.
Posted on: March 9, 2020
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) and "Dow drops more than 2,000 points amid oil price war, coronavirus fears” (New York Post) it is easy to forget that the world has been in similar situations before.
Posted on: September 9, 2019
If you were going to recommend a treatment plan for a loved one suffering with alcoholism, would you prescribe more alcohol as the best course of action to help them to recover or otherwise improve? Now put this question aside for the moment.
Let us look at the personal situation of the average Canadian these days and make some observations about what their circumstances look like as they go about their daily activities in life, work, & family. Then we will tie these real-life situations together with the riddle.
Posted on: June 10, 2019
Clients often call when markets are looking a bit shaky, or newspaper articles are predicting the next market correction, recession, bubble, etc.
The challenge with reacting to such events or news is that the external circumstances rarely have anything to do with your specific situation and plan. Your mission, should you choose to embrace it, is to build assets through savings and investment returns so that you reach your targeted savings value needed to support your lifestyle and cash flow needs in retirement.
Posted on: June 12, 2017
What problems does the financial industry solve for Canadian consumers? Where is the value added for interacting with the financial industry and why use an Advisor versus doing it yourself online?
To address these questions, here is a refresher on why the financial industry exists in the first place.
Simply speaking, there are two basic functions for the financial industry:
Posted on: May 9, 2016
If you are concerned about your future finances, you are certainly not alone as noted in a global survey of 19,000 adult in over 19 countries (including Canada).
Nearly 68% (or two thirds) of the 1000 Canadians interviewed in the survey conducted by the Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) said they still had concerns about their personal finances. For those in mid-life, anxiety caused by an unknown financial future is greater with a reported 79% worried, which shows it is not wise to procrastinate in your early life.
