Interestingly, when stock markets reach new highs, different investors may react in opposite ways. Some investors are elated and want to make the most of a booming market. Others are fearful that what goes up must come down.
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A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a flexible charitable vehicle you can use to flow donations through to your favourite charities today and as part of your estate planning. However, the administrative burden and costs are much lower with a DAF.
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Even if you are a registered donor, there is no guarantee you will be one, but there is a chance you can save someone’s life and give them the opportunity to enjoy a better quality of life.
Remember that many people would not be alive today if it weren’t for all the families who, in the midst of their heartbreak, made the decide to donate organs and give the biggest gift of all.
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A previous blog—“Have you built charity and philanthropy into your estate plan?”—provided an overview of strategies to give to charity on death. Now, let’s delve more deeply into how you can plan for a direct gift to charity in your estate plan. Here are five ways to accomplish this:
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When you imagine the post-secondary education you’ll fund with a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP), you may first think of a university or college. However, the government lists several hundred institutions beyond traditional universities and colleges that have programs eligible for RESP funding.
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Life is different once your children leave home and start out on their own. Whether you have a sense of melancholy or feel free and easy as you look forward to a new chapter, it’s important to recognize that various aspects of your financial life may change.
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How much annual retirement income can you safely withdraw? Which source of savings should you access first? When should you start government benefits? What guidelines can you follow?
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Tax season is approaching, which means looking for credits and deductions to pay less tax wherever possible. However, other opportunities are available to save tax that may be implemented at any time during the year.
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If there’s one thing we can count on every January, it’s financial forecasts for the upcoming year. Whether online, in the business press, on television or on the radio, predictions abound on markets and the economy.
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With the winter holidays fast approaching, many media campaigns are asking us to remember the less fortunate in our communities and beyond, and to donate generously to help support them.
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If you own or plan to own a U.S. property, seek legal and tax advice from an advisor specializing in cross-border estate planning to ensure your wishes on death are realized in the most tax-effective manner.
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When a person dies, decisions regarding the funeral are left to that individual’s executor (liquidator in Quebec). Practically speaking, funeral planning normally falls to the family. Without clear instructions, this may result in distress and uncertainty.
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Events in your life or changes involving the person you designated may call for a review of your executor—also known as a liquidator, estate trustee or personal representative, depending on the province.
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Whenever you have a chance to defer paying tax, a common thought is, “Why pay tax now when I can pay it later?” However, there’s more to the story than simply postponing the tax bill.
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In a typical estate plan, each spouse leaves their assets to the other. When the second spouse passes away, assets are distributed to the children. However, an estate plan is not usually typical when you remarry and have children from a prior marriage.
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You may think the vast majority of couples retire at the same time. However, the last time Statistics Canada reported on Canadians retiring together or not, only about 30% of couples retired together.
Here’s a look at why couples retire together or apart and how each choice comes with its own benefits and concerns.
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The Bank of Canada’s interest rate cut in June was slight, yet significant. It was the first rate reduction in more than four years and a signal of cuts to follow, which we’re already seeing.
One of the first things that interest rate cuts bring to mind is lowering the cost of borrowing, but they can also affect investment performance.
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Interestingly, spouses with very different—even opposite—investment personalities may quite easily develop an investment program that’s just right for the couple. Yet, in some cases, partners who view investing the same way may need to proceed with caution.
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Whether the amount is small or large, whether it applies to a couple of years or many, Canadians don’t like their Old Age Security (OAS) pension clawed back.
The clawback is officially known as the OAS pension recovery tax. A taxpayer repays 15% of the amount by which their taxable income exceeds the threshold amount, which is $90,997 for 2024. Here are some common ways to manage the clawback.
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Financial behaviourists have identified well over 20 investment biases that can tempt or lead individuals to invest in a particular way. Generally speaking, none of the biases is good news for investors.
Fortunately, investors who have an advisor aren’t vulnerable to making poor decisions out of fear, hope or any number of irrational reasons. However, understanding investment biases is still valuable.
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