Exploring the New FHSA: A Savings Plan for Your First Home
Written by Jack Lumsden, MBA, CFP®, Financial Advisor, Assante Financial Management Ltd. Additional editing by ChatGPT. Are you a Canadian resident dreaming of owning your first home? (unfortunately, with housing prices and mortgage rates today, often it is only a dream.) As of April this year, a new savings plan has been introduced to help […]
What Are the Retirement Income Investment Options?
As you transition from your working years to retirement or optional work years, creating a cash flow stream from your investments is critical to retirement planning. There are five main retirement investment options to consider when developing a prudent plan for retirement cash flow: Income Only Investing, Income Focused Investing, Guaranteed Income Products, Total Return […]
Chapter 3: Protecting and Preserving your Wealth
“Well, David, I have to say one thing—you sure have become a good cook. This has been one of the best breakfasts we’ve had all summer.” David’s face was rife with suspicion as he glanced over at Alice. “It’s only our second Saturday breakfast, dear, and I think I know why you’re buttering me up. […]
The 32 Blog Posts from 2022
Below I have sorted the thirty-two blog posts I wrote last year by topic of interest to make the content easier to find. Some of the articles are good, some are ok, and some are… Feel free to forward them to any family or friends who may find them of value. If you have any […]
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 […]
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 […]
How to Navigate a Market Downturn for Retirees
With the market decline this year, people want to know what they can do. The following are suggestions and actions you can take to help navigate a market downturn. Key Suggestions Complete a Portfolio Performance Review The first step is to find out if other portfolios with a similar investment mix have declined about the same […]
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 […]
Seven Strategies to Withdraw Corporate Assets for Retirement
A great strategy that many owners of Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPC) use to build up retirement savings is to invest within their corporation using the benefit of the tax deferral between their personal income tax rate and the small business income tax rate. At retirement business owners may end up with investment assets within their […]