The term asset mix refers to the portion of your investments that are held in cash, fixed income, and equities. Asset mix has historically been touted as the most important decision with respect to managing risk adjusted returns. We don’t disagree. The key question that many people should be asking themselves is the portion of […]
In the last 10 years, there have been a number of changes to investments and regulations. Many of these changes have an impact on your financial plan and tax situation. All firms have been spending significant amounts of capital to become compliant on the disclosure rules and upgrading technology and systems. These systems are designed […]
Seeking out the best risk adjusted returns for clients involves allocating investment dollars outside of Canada. For over a decade we have been educating clients on the benefits of investing outside of Canada. Canadians are typically comfortable investing in domestic companies that are close to home, known as “home country bias.” Perhaps this was ingrained […]
Parents and grandparents, who typically set up Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs), are referred to as the “subscriber.” The children or grandchildren are referred to as the “beneficiary” of the registered plan. Parents are juggling many different things. Financial planning may not be the highest priority, especially if paying bills is a challenge. With all […]
In 1988, I got my first job working at an accounting firm. It was a great year to start in the accounting world as most clients were still doing everything manually. Individual tax packages could be picked up at the post office or mailed to clients for those who wanted to prepare the personal tax […]
Twice a year, Canada Revenue Agency sends out instalment reminder letters to those taxpayers who are required to make payments. The February letter outlines the required payments on, or before, March 15 and June 15. The August letter outlines the required payments on, or before, Sept. 15 and Dec. 15. The February 2019 notice […]
Most articles are written about “contributing” to an RRSP. This one highlights that many people should either avoid RRSPs or stop contributing to them. Going a step further, calculations should be made to determine if you should withdraw funds from an RRSP. In many cases, we will recommend that people convert their RRSP to a […]
For couples that make approximately the same annual income, a spousal RRSP may not be necessary. The greater the disparity between incomes with couples, the more important it is to consider spousal RRSPs. This is especially true if one person is in an upper tax bracket and your spouse is in a lower tax bracket. […]
The key word in Registered Retirement Savings Plan is savings. The government allows Canadians to defer up to 18 per cent of the previous years earned income, up to a maximum of $26,230 for the 2018 tax year. In order to reach the maximum, earned income would have to equal $145,722 or higher. If you […]
An RRSP could be an important vehicle in reducing the amount of tax you pay in your lifetime. However, an RRSP may not be for everyone. Last week, we reviewed marginal tax brackets and took a mathematical approach to determine whether you should contribute to an RRSP. Incomes below $39,676 in 2018 could save between […]
