What are Segregated Funds?

Many people are familiar with mutual funds as an investment but are not as familiar with segregated funds. Segregated funds are investment funds (like mutual funds) that life insurance companies offer. How are they similar to mutual funds? The key features that are different from mutual funds: Unique Uses for Segregated Funds If you invest […]
2022 Year-End Planning Checklist

The end of the year is a great time to take a quick review of your personal finances to determine if you have any action items prior to December 31. To help this process below is a checklist that covers events, milestones, taxes, insurance, and retirement plans – areas that often need attention prior to […]
4 Things Retirees Should Know About the 4% Rule

When people are looking to make the transition to retirement, they want to know how much they can spend each year without running out of money. The amount of capital you can safely withdraw from your portfolio each year without running out of money has been called the “Safe Withdrawal Rate.” There is something called the […]
Chapter 2: THE DOUBLE O’s – What You OWN and What You OWE

Chapter 2: THE DOUBLE O’s – What You OWN and What You OWE Even though the first meeting was set for our cottage, I was surprised when Aunt Lorraine and Mark showed up so early on Saturday morning. It seems Mark’s boys had come up for the weekend with their girlfriends, and the atmosphere was […]
What to do during a Market Downturn or Recession

With the market decline this year and a potential recession, people want to know what they should do with their investments and financial plans. You can take the following suggestions and actions to help navigate a market downturn. Key Suggestions Avoid doing anything drastic With a market decline, it can be tempting to get out […]
Where do Financial Advisors work?

If you are unwilling to create and manage your own Retirement Road Map, you will want to find an advisor that specializes in working with people who, like you, are planning for the transition to retirement or who may already be retired. A report from July 2014 called “Sound Advice Insights into Canada’s Financial Advice […]
Planning your Will and Powers of Attorney

A common question we received is what we should consider when planning our wills and powers of attorney. The following excerpt from the Book – Preserving Wealth describes this. APPENDIX C: PLANNING YOUR WILL AND POWERS OF ATTORNEY Introduction This document contains background information regarding the planning of your Will and Powers of Attorney. Its […]
Why Invest in the Stock Market?

With the current stock market gyrations, people may wonder why they should invest in the stock market at all since stocks are not guaranteed and their values can go up and down. To help frame it better, it may be useful to replace the words “stock market” with the word “companies.” If you own a […]
Can we give money to our children to help with a home purchase?

In meeting with clients a common question we hear is, “Can we give money to our children to help with a home purchase?” With real estate prices today, the only way many young adults can afford to purchase a home is with help from the bank of Mom and Dad. People often ask if there […]
Preserving Wealth The Next Generation

The Definitive Guide to Protecting, Investing, and Transferring Wealth. This book is based on my experiences working with many families developing and implementing plans to build, preserve and transfer wealth. I hope you enjoy the first chapter! CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION—MEET THE CAST It was the usual opening day for our father’s summer cottage, the May […]