- Actually, boomers are retiring in droves
- Can financial infidelity lead to divorce?
- A better way to manage your retirement
- Can living together save you money?
- The ‘inside or outside’ asset debate
- How patience can lead to financial success
- Are you really listening to any of that money advice?
- Set yourself up for retirement
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- Actually, boomers are retiring in droves
While a number of mature workers may be putting off full retirement, few see themselves staying at work more than a few years.
- Can financial infidelity lead to divorce?
How to work together as a couple to realize your financial goals.
- A better way to manage your retirement
Managing your assets like a pension plan, particularly if you don’t actually have one, is the path to a successful retirement, according to a new report.
- Can living together save you money?
While the idea of merging households may seem attractive, make sure you’re on the same page financially before moving in together.
- The ‘inside or outside’ asset debate
Once you’ve accumulated some assets, you have to decide where to put them — a decision that’s not as obvious as one might think.
- How patience can lead to financial success
Learning to wait for what you want is a valuable lesson, at any age. But it’s never too late to start.
- Are you really listening to any of that money advice?
There’s lots of information around about what makes a good advisor. But what about being a good client?
- Set yourself up for retirement
Looking to mutual funds to anchor your financial plan? Cheaper offerings tend to beat their more expensive counterparts time and time again.
- Missed the RRSP deadline? It's not too late
Concerned about the stock market and fed up with paltry returns on term deposits, fewer Canadians contributed to their RRSPs this year. That’s likely a short-sighted decision.
- Is it time to buy that place in Florida?
Home prices in the U.S. Sunbelt have dropped sharply. But most Canadian buyers should still think twice before they jump in.
- The retirement savings dilemma: RRSP or TFSA?
The Tax-Free Savings Account is now a little more than three years old but most investors still aren't taking advantage of its potential.
- Where things can go wrong in retirement
When it comes to retirement, when you make your money can make just as much difference as how.
- What is your retirement IQ?
The quality of life you want in the future will depend on how well you plan for your retirement now.
- Is it time to revamp Canada’s retirement age?
As baby boomers approach retirement, the cost to government of providing public pensions is set to skyrocket. And that means changes are afoot.
- Smart women protect their assets
Too often, women delegate their financial security to a spouse or significant other only to have divorce or death drive them into poverty.
- The danger behind leveraged ETFs
Exchange traded funds can be a great addition to your portfolio but some investors may be using them incorrectly.
- The importance of visualizing your retirement
Rather than worry about a magic number to save for retirement, workers may be better off knowing how much monthly income their nest egg might produce.
- An investor's worst enemy: you
Behavioural finance attempts to explain why people make financial decisions that are often contrary to their own interests.
- Should you help your kids buy a home?
Parents who want to help their children buy their first home should think twice about how they provide financial support.
- Marriage may be good for your wealth
Interested in being better off? Getting married, or at least living together as partners or significant others, seems like the sensible thing to do.
- Year-end tax tips
While your 2011 taxes aren't due for another four months, there are only a few days left for you to save on taxes before year-end.
- Your home isn’t a piggy bank
For most Canadians, the equity in their home represents a significant part of their wealth. But depending on it to carry you in retirement can be costly.
- Is your retirement plan realistic?
Most Canadians face a large 'preparedness gap' when it comes to matching their retirement hopes and their actual plans. And that's largely because they don't have all the facts.
- Rethinking your retirement portfolio
If you’re already near retirement, capital preservation is paramount. But if you’re not there yet, being too cautious may hurt you.
- How to make your retirement money last
The thought of running out of money worries many retirees but there are several steps you can take to reduce the risk.
- Just how ‘rich’ is rich?
While the Occupy movement may fade from the headlines, the questions it provoked likely won’t.
- Pooled pension plans: a primer
The federal government has introduced legislation to overhaul how some Canadians save for their retirements.
- Why people are mad about the pension gap
The current tax rules on retirement savings have created an unfair disparity between members in guaranteed pension plans and those struggling to save on their own.
- Should you aim for a mortgage-free retirement?
Carrying a mortgage in retirement can be a bit of a burden but what if homeowners can receive a better return by investing the money elsewhere?
- Why investors are loving dividends
More companies are paying dividends than in the past and income-hungry investors are looking for the best way to get on board.
- Is your financial advisor obsolete?
If all your advisor does is provide investment advice, then you’re probably paying too much for too little.
- Easing capital gains tax on the cottage
Unless you plan ahead, high cottage values can lead to succession challenges and surprisingly large tax bills.
- How to hand down the cottage
Shared memories at the lake are priceless. But poor succession planning when it comes to cottages can still lead to bitter family quarrels.
- Do people become better investors as they age?
Many Canadians believe investing skill increases with age, but studies show otherwise.
- Finding your true risk tolerance
Measuring your ability to handle the ups and downs of the stock market is tricky. But one researcher thinks the financial industry could be doing a better job.
- Have the markets gone crazy?
Stocks markets have produced some real gut-wrenching swings in recent weeks. Are things different this time around?
- Should you take your pension with you?
Changing jobs? Don’t be too quick to cash in those pension plan savings. They may be worth more than you realize.
- Does leasing a car make sense?
While it’s generally more expensive to lease a car than to buy one, lots of Canadians are signing up anyway. But are they driving a ‘nicer’ car than they can really afford?
- Who will look after your money when you can’t?
As life expectancy rises, more and more Canadians will face declining cognitive abilities. What will this mean for the quality of their financial decisions?
- Are you saving too much for retirement?
Worried about life after work? What if funding your future isn’t actually that difficult?
- Is there such a thing as ‘good’ debt?
Spending money you don’t have isn’t usually a wise move, but it can work to your benefit on occasion.
- The danger of living on dividends alone
Planning on living on just dividends in retirement? Good luck with that.
- Can you time the market?
Market timing systems based on the stock market’s 200-day moving average may have worked in the past but not so much in recent years.
- Are you really sure you want to retire?
Retirement used to signal the end of a productive life for workers, but it’s really a transition point for the start of a new phase in your life.
- The growing guaranteed retirement market
Canada’s banks and insurance companies square off in fight to decide who should provide aging boomers with ‘guaranteed’ retirement income.
- When grown kids ask for money
Is it possible to lend money to your adult kids without keeping them forever in your debt? Yes, providing you’re careful.
- Are your retirement assumptions realistic?
Most Canadians face a large ‘preparedness gap’ when it comes to matching their retirement hopes and their actual plans.
- Five reasons to sell that fund
When it comes to mutual funds, buy and hold is generally sound advice. But it’s not the only road to wealth.
- Approach retirement like a business
Successful retirement planning involves identifying the factors that you can actually control.
- The pension battle is heating up
Faced with mounting costs, more Canadian companies are seeking to shift pension risk back to employees.
- How inflation can ruin your retirement
While inflation is a fact of life for everybody, it affects some people much more than others — particularly those who have left the workforce.
- The new reality in retirement
Many middle-aged investors fear they haven’t saved enough and will run out of money during their retirement, a new study reports. They may be right.
- Don’t let the taxman take your RRSP savings
RRSP oversights tend to last a lifetime. Don’t be caught out when it comes to choosing a beneficiary.
- Look for funds that get along with others
Choosing investments based on how they behave in relation to one another can reduce risk and help ease the tension in your portfolio.
- How best to fund your retirement
Target-date funds take a lot of the work out of building a diversified portfolio. But not all investors appreciate the convenience.
- The best ways to donate
How do you give to charity if you don’t have much money? Well, if you still want to help, you need to develop a longer-term view.
- What to do after losing your job
Losing your job is always devastating, but navigating your way through the legal morass that follows can make things even more stressful.
- Are healthcare benefits for retirees a thing of the past?
According to a recent survey of 500 major Canadian employers, fewer than half of provide medical coverage for their retirees.
- Money matters for blended families
The makeup of the average household has evolved into a web of relationships, forcing many families to rethink the ways they handle their money.
- Get the most bang for a rising buck
The Canadian dollar is now worth several cents more than its U.S. counterpart. What should you be doing to take advantage of the currency’s renewed strength?
- Does Harper’s parental tax break mean savings?
Conservative leader Stephen Harper is promising a big tax break for two-parent families, although they'll have to wait a bit for it to happen.
- Figuring out your true risk tolerance
Gauging your ability to handle the stock market’s gyrations can be tricky. But understanding a few key issues can make all the difference.
- Use your kids to help save on taxes
Raising children costs a ton of money, so it make sense to look for ways you can use your kids to offset some of those expenses.
- How to live a tax-efficient retirement
From a tax point of view, how you generate income in retirement can be every bit as important as how much you actually make.
- Common-law relationships vs. marriages
Despite a recent court ruling on sharing assets after the breakup of couples who live together, common-law splits are treated differently than marriages that end in divorce.
- How workplace pension advice can save you money
The numbers of employers providing retirement guidance to employees is rising slowly, but very few workers seem to be taking them up on the offer.
- The problem with office lottery pools
Tossing a few bucks into a lottery pool at the office can be fun. But what happens if you actually do hit the jackpot?
- Are you saving too much for retirement?
Figuring out how much of your current income you'll need to live on when you retire is tricky and the number may not be as high as you think.
- Retirement lessons from those who’ve been there
Rather than concentrate solely on money, more and more people are starting to discuss the health and social aspects of retirement planning.
- Guaranteeing income in retirement
Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit funds have been a huge hit in Canada and one more company is looking to gain shelf space.
- How to retire effectively
What do you really want your retirement years to be like, how much is your dream going to cost you and how are you going to manage it all when you get there?
- U.S. taxes: What snowbirds need to know
While a strong loonie has many Canadians thinking about a winter escape, longer stays across the border can have significant financial implications.
- The danger of joint accounts
While avoiding probate taxes may seem appealing, transferring assets into joint ownership with your children can sometimes backfire.
- Seven biggest estate planning blunders
What are the costliest money mistakes you can make?
- Pre-nups are an important part of any marriage
An increasing number of couples are signing pre-nuptial agreements to protect themselves in case of divorce.
- Time to make a living will?
Making sure your medical wishes are clearly understood now can save a lot of heartache later.
- Where to stash your cash right now
Despite low interest rates, investors are anxious to protect more of their money as an uncertain economy continues to threaten their savings.
- Retirement for the suddenly single
Rather than something to look forward to, retirement can be fraught with uncertainty for those who find themselves alone.
- Generating income in retirement
Investors looking for ways of improving income without piling on too much risk may want to consider an insured annuity.
- Why you should be paying back your student loan
Today’s students are graduating saddled with debt and taking much longer to become financially self-sufficient.
- Are dividends or a salary better for small business owners?
Tax planning should be a year-round event. But, for small business owners, important decisions have to be made before year-end.
- Where does all your money go?
Never quite enough cash to do the things you want to do? Tracking expenses can help your money go the distance.
- The six stages of retirement
Although described as an event, retirement is really a series of stages that we migrate through, not all of which are centred on money.
- Does dollar-cost averaging always work?
Popular wisdom suggests that regularly investing month after month is the best way to make money. But is it always?
- Why it’s harder for women to retire
Women face a retirement savings gap that’s more than twice the size of the one men face.
- Seven money facts you should know
Money is an uncomfortable subject for many Canadians but understanding a few key issues can make all the difference.
- How to create your own guaranteed pension
Annuities can help anchor your personal pension plan, providing you understand the math and the tradeoffs.
- 11 ways to reduce wedding costs
Weddings are wonderful, but very expensive. Watch out for all those pricey extras that can slide in under the radar.
- Key to a successful retirement
By redefining their needs and wants, boomers can ensure they are well prepared for their after-work years.
- How retirees think
The retirement choices people make are often affected by the way their options are presented to them.
- Enjoy your retirement debt-free
Don’t let debt haunt your retirement. Follow these tips to optimize your finances before you retire.
- When adult children come back home
You’ll love them for always but don’t let your adult child move back in without a plan.
- How to get out of a car lease
When money is tight, it's easy to understand why someone might want to get out from under a costly car lease that still has two or three years to run.
- The retirement bucket list
Getting a handle on retirement expenses and then creating a bucket for shorter-term income needs can help secure peace of mind.
- How to get past the TFSA confusion
Despite some recent misunderstandings, tax experts maintain that the TFSA is a useful financial planning tool when used properly.
- How to lower your financial stress
Most people avoid budgeting because the process seems too confining. But a realistic spending plan can help change all that.
- Covering your assets before a divorce
If you suspect your soon-to-be ex is keeping you in the dark financially, don’t let yourself be victimized.
- Act now to prevent elder abuse
Ensuring that there’s someone to look after your affairs down the road is a wise move. But choose your advocates very carefully.
- Retiring? Watch out for benefit surprises
Employees of large companies have long had access to cushier retirement benefits than most other workers. But that gap is closing fast.
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