by Rona Birenbaum BAS CFP®, CHFS | Nov 18, 2014 | Musings
I am one of those people that believes that once our basic needs are met (food and shelter), happiness is derived more naturally from things that don’t necessarily have a large price tag attached. This message was hammered home for me and my daughter this weekend...
by Rona Birenbaum BAS CFP®, CHFS | Jul 16, 2014 | All About Investing, Risk Management
There was a time (the early 1980’s) when 5-year GICs and government bonds were paying 12% yields. Investors think fondly of those days even though the inflation rate was also in double digits at this time, making the real rate of return (interest rate less inflation)...
by Guest Blogger | May 22, 2014 | All About Investing, All About Tax, Risk Management
Guest blogger: Mark Goodfield In August 2011, Mark posted a blog titled “The Income Tax implications of Purchasing a Rental Property”. There are 300 comments and answers on that post (so many that he added a note at the end of the blog a while back, that he would stop...
by Rona Birenbaum BAS CFP®, CHFS | May 15, 2014 | All About Investing, Risk Management
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is a Crown Corporation which administers the National Housing Act and provides mortgage insurance for high ratio mortgages. Mortgage loan insurance is typically required by lenders when homebuyers make a down payment of...
by Rona Birenbaum BAS CFP®, CHFS | Feb 13, 2014 | All About Investing, All About Tax
This special issue is designed to highlight the budget changes that will have the greatest impact on our clients. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list of the new budget measures. If you have questions about any of the budget announcements, please let us know....
by Rona Birenbaum BAS CFP®, CHFS | Feb 6, 2014 | All About Investing, Musings, We Think You Might Enjoy...
I’ll admit it, when I picked up a copy of Preet Banerjee’s new book, Stop Over-Thinking Your Money, The Five Simple Rules of Financial Success, I immediately flipped to chapter seven. This is the chapter on Financial Advisors and I was very interested in what Preet...
by Guest Blogger | Jan 3, 2014 | Estate Matters
Guest post by Jason Allan, Barrister and Solicitor Yes. The executor has the right to charge a fee or “compensation” for managing an estate. The Trustee Act states: “A trustee, guardian or personal representative is entitled to such fair and reasonable allowance for...
by Guest Blogger | Oct 3, 2013 | All About Investing, All About Tax
Guest blog from Mark Goodfield, CPA CA LPA Cunningham LLP Believe it or not you can be charged a 20% penalty for missing information that the CRA already has on hand. In the next month or two, the CRA’s matching program will begin kicking out notices of reassessment...
by Rona Birenbaum BAS CFP®, CHFS | Sep 10, 2013 | Estate Matters
Being appointed executor of a loved one’s Will is an expression of the ultimate trust that person places in you. Although you may emotionally feel the need to honour the wishes of the deceased, there are some practical aspects one should take into consideration...
by Rona Birenbaum BAS CFP®, CHFS | Sep 4, 2013 | All About Investing, For Business Owners
Whether incorporated or a home based sole proprietor, business owners can deduct many operating expenses from their income. Here is a list of the most common expenses and a tip for effectively keeping track of them. Advertising – Costs associated with marketing your...
