Category: Financial Planning

 Should you transfer your pension at retirement? It depends on 5 key factors. In this episode, Canadian CFPs Zena Amundsen and Nicole Putz break down the exact framework they use with clients to make this pension transfer decision, including real scenarios where they told clients to LEAVE their pension…

 Why Pay for Your Financial Plan Before Becoming a Client? In this episode of ‘Heart of Your Retirement,’ Nicole and Zena discuss a frequently asked question in their office: Why should you pay for a financial plan before becoming a client? They explore the reasoning behind this practice, emphasizing…

 Federal Government Early Retirement Offer: Should You Take It? In this video, we delve into the timely topic of early retirement for federal government employees. With recent news about an offer allowing eligible workers to retire early without pension penalties, many are questioning if they should take this opportunity….

Welcome to Heart of Your Retirement! In this episode, hosts Zena and Nicole provide an inside look at Astra Financial, where they’re shaking up their usual retirement-themed content. Meet Nicole Putz, a certified financial planner (CFP) with a decade of expertise, and now a partner at Astra. They reveal their…

Most retirement planning focuses on one thing: the numbers. And yes, financial security matters. You need that foundation in place. But here’s what most people don’t expect: You could have every financial box checked off and still feel lost, bored, or lonely in retirement. There’s a lot that goes into…

Hiring a financial planner shouldn’t feel like a leap of faith, but for many people, it does. Maybe you’ve never worked with one because trust feels impossible. Or maybe you’re stuck with an advisor who doesn’t seem to have your back – someone who pushes products instead of creating plans,…

What should have taken a few weeks to sort out took nearly a year. A family friend passed away with a beautiful legacy—savings, a cabin, investments. But probate delays, unclear paperwork, and taxes turned grief into a nightmare for her kids. That’s exactly what we’re avoiding today. You don’t need…

Think legacy planning is only for the wealthy? Think again. Legacy planning isn’t about building hospital wings or naming stadiums after yourself. It’s about having your ducks lined up, organizing things, and making life easier for the people you care about when you’re gone. Canadian legacy planning can be as…

Have you ever looked back and thought, “I can’t believe how much everything costs now compared to when I started out”? In 1996, I bought my first house for $40,000 with a $350 monthly mortgage payment. Today, that same house would sell for eight times as much. This is inflation…

We spend our working lives saving for retirement, but what if the biggest risk isn’t the markets? It’s living too long. The average Canadian retiree now lives well into their eighties—great news, unless your money doesn’t last as long as you do. Most retirement income plans quietly taper off around…