I’ve always loved reading the classics—Dickens especially. One of his most famous works, pulled out every year at this time (and rightly so), is A Christmas Carol. With the stingy …
How To Eliminate CRA From Your Estate
There is a BIG hole in most individuals’ tax planning – they try to reduce their annual taxes during their lives while rarely considering how much their estate will pay in taxes.
If this isn’t addressed, it can often lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes… sometimes millions of dollars in taxes. Sometimes the family cottage or other important assets must be sold to obtain the money to pay the taxes.
If you and your spouse had died yesterday, how much of your estate would Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) receive?
This is likely a big number and a significant percentage of your net worth. It’s critical you know this number and decide if you agree with CRA inserting themselves in your estate. I have yet to meet someone who knew this number before they were a client.
Three Steps To Eliminate Stress from Your Portfolio
“I have absolutely no concerns about our financial future”. This was the unsolicited response at the end of a recent client review. This client is a more sophisticated investor with a long history of investing in many types of investments.
Volatility is Optional for High Net Worth Investors
Are you tired of volatile equity markets? Want to escape the losses in your fixed income investments? If your investment portfolio exceeds $1M you can avoid the volatile equity markets, avoid losses in fixed income and generate solid, consistent returns. Ultra-high-net-worth investors and institutional investors have been doing this for decades with non-traditional investments.
What We Can Learn from Canada’s Richest Families
I was on a webinar recently that featured Paul Desmarais III. Paul is the Chairman & CEO of Sagard Holdings ULC and SVP Power Corp. The Desmarais family is one of the richest families in Canada. Three things stood out for me. Click to read our blog to find out what you can learn from Canada’s richest families.
The Most Important Discovery I’ve Made In The Last Decade
I am constantly learning; whether it is from great books (thank goodness for audio books) or great people who I have the privilege of interacting with.
Today, I want to share with you one of the most important discoveries I have made in the last decade.
It has revolutionized my life, reduced my stress, and made life incredibly more enjoyable.
It is called the ‘Belief Matrix’ and it was taught to me by my friend and mentor, Paul Anthes, of R3 Coaching.
Free Estate Planning Checklist
Fifty-one percent of Canadians do not have a will; now that is an alarming statistic*. Without a proper estate plan, over 50% of some assets could disappear to tax, and that isn’t the costliest aspect of having no plan in place. Read our blog to find our Free Estate Planning Checklist!
How Rich Are You?
It has been reported that when John D. Rockefeller was asked by a reporter “How much is enough?” he responded, “Just a little bit more”.
Although he was one of the most financially successful businesspeople in America, his response resonates with most of us. Regardless of the riches we have accumulated, we all know others in our circles that we feel have accumulated more and we would like to have more.
Warning: Your Estate Plan May Be Hazardous to Your Spouse
Here is a statistic I believe will shock you. The average age of widowhood is just 56 years old! For men, the average age of becoming a widower is 65.*
How Much Is Enough For Your Children
Nearly every will I review looks like this: Your total net worth, divided by the number of children you have. This may not lead to challenges if you’re estate is only worth $1M and you have three or four children.