Year End Tax Planning Ideas
With the year’s end fast approaching, here are some ideas to minimize your 2023 tax bill. The first idea is to look at harvesting any tax losses in an investment portfolio to help offset any capital gains you may have triggered. Even if there are no capital gains, non-registered tax losses can be applied […]
All-Weather Investing
There is almost always chatter in the media about the next possible correction or recession. The most recent buzz is about a possible US recession where Canada would likely follow suit. The chatter also includes opinions about a “soft” versus a “hard” landing, etc. The primary challenge for individuals trying to build wealth is […]
Who is Your Trusted Contact Person?
Monica was alarmed to hear from her mother’s financial advisor expressing concern over some unusual financial requests. She called her mom, who seemed fine, but Monica couldn’t get the conversation with the financial advisor out of her head. She travelled to see her mom in person and was dismayed to discover numerous unpaid bills […]
Financial Resilience
You’ve likely heard the term “financial resilience”. You may even know it refers to a household’s ability to navigate and overcome financial stress and hardships that life inevitably throws at you. But did you know that financial resilience can be measured? This calculation is based upon key indicators that include household savings, stress levels around […]
TFSAs: Leveraging the Benefits
The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) was introduced in 2009 to offer Canadians an incentive to save over their lifetimes. TFSAs provide tax-free growth, flexible investment options, and easy set-up and withdrawals, making this registered account a powerful tool for financial well-being. Below are some key features. Below are some key features: Make […]
Don’t Give Up on Growth
If you are a prudent investor, then you have a financial retirement plan that will ensure you have sufficient funds for the lifestyle you envision after you stop working. What constitutes sufficient depends on your ambitions and your hobbies, and also on how long you live. People are living longer, and it’s not unreasonable to […]
The Power of Time and Patience
It’s challenging to be patient in a fast-paced, immediate gratification world, but some things are worth the wait. Consider, for example, how a powerful financial reality (compound interest) can help investors accumulate a lot of assets over time to reward their patience and perseverance. Here’s how it works: Now imagine how these numbers […]
Cycle of Market Emotions
Getting emotional about investments can easily lead to poor decisions as investors fall prey to negative thoughts and fears. The chart below helps to illustrate the emotional aspects of investing. The human brain constantly searches for trends or patterns in things, trying to make sense out of even random events and data. This essential […]
The Fed ‘Put’ Revisited
When investment markets officially hit “bear market” territory in June 2022 – while Central Banks in North America and elsewhere were continuing to raise interest rates – questions began swirling about whether the US Federal Reserve (Fed) would once again rescue the markets by exercising the famous Greenspan “put”! This is the move whereby […]
Portfolio Diversification
Looking back over the past few years, one thing is certain – we can never be absolutely sure what the financial markets will do at any given time. We can study charts and graphs, both historical and forecasted, we can consult with economic experts, business leaders, and government officials, we can look at inflation and […]