What You Need to Know About Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit Annuities
Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefits, or GMWB, are options in some segregated fund contracts that allow the policy holder to receive a guaranteed income for life. These types of contracts can be appealing for retirees looking for a guaranteed income stream and who are nervous about market fluctuations.
Essential Tax Numbers for 2019, 2020 and 2021
With a new year comes new tax numbers! Below is a quick reference of important tax numbers for three years, including 2021. CRA has utilized a 1% indexing (inflation) for those numbers subject to that condition.
The Saving Versus Mortgage Dilemma: How to Best Utilize
Investors often are conflicted on what to do with surplus cash. Your options for available cash usually fall into three categories: spending it, investing it, …
Creating and Maintaining an Estate Plan
While uncomfortable to think about, effectively planning ahead for when you are no longer here can save your loved ones a great deal of time, money, and emotional hardship. Estate planning can be complicated, but there are some basic “must-do’s” that should be regularly updated and reviewed. Below is a simple checklist for making sure your estate plan is up to date.
6 Tips for More Successful Investing
There is no one and done way to invest, but there are a few tried and true principles that have served investors well over the years.
RESPs and Grandparents 2020 Update
The cost of university has risen sharply, and so has the importance of graduating with a desired and marketable set of skills and knowledge. Without a post-secondary education, employment and life opportunities are more limited now than ever before. Contributing to a grandchild’s education helps them and their parents, and helps you stay connected in a meaningful way.
RRSP vs TFSA
Whether you should invest in a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) or a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) is a question that affects almost every investor, regardless of age or amount of savings. For most, the answer is a bit of both. If you have a looming short or medium-term need (under five years) that will require funds, the untaxed TFSA withdrawals is likely the right choice. For longer term, retirement needs, you’ll want to invest in an RRSP.
What Does it Actually Mean to Diversify
Diversification is a concept that the majority of investors understand on some level. It makes sense to not put all your eggs in one basket, but diversification is more than just investing in more than one fund or stock. Diversification is the basis of modern portfolio theory and it is an essential risk management tactic that every investor should be utilizing.
How to Make RESP Withdrawals
Registered Education Savings Plans, or RESP’s, are a great way to save for a child education. While setting up a contributing to a RESP is a simple process, knowing the rules around withdrawals can be confusing. Below is a quick overview of everything you need to know about drawing down an RESP.
Retirement Myths Debunked
We are experiencing a silver Tsunami. The leading edge of the Boomers turned 65 six years ago. On average, 1,250 Canadians turn 65 years old every single day. Most Boomers were born between 1961 -1965. That’s why you feel everyone has been turning 50. And people are living longer, much longer.
With all of this happening, it’s small wonder that the media, politicians and the financial services business are all talking about retirement. That kind of focus may be good, because of what it means for savings habits and pressures on goods and services.