Federal Budget – Get the LowDown

On Wednesday, March 22nd at 4 pm, Bill Morneau, Federal Minister of Finance, delivered his Federal budget in the House of Commons.  The budget is titled “Building a Strong Middle Class”. What you Need to Know The Federal budget was described as a “wait-and-see” budget by CBC news, with a…

Money and Relationships -Adding Heart To Decisions

    It took almost a decade for me to realize the importance of money and relationships.  My career was beginning in finance and my life was becoming the place to practice my passion. I have learned things along the way from books, courses, professional designation, but more importantly from…

Finding A Financial Planner- the right member of your team

Where do you get your money advice from? Is it a friend who you think is money smart, maybe a parent or co-worker? Your money advice should come from a professional that can step back from the emotional side of money. Finding a Financial Planner should be a priority.  We…

First Woman on the Canadian bank note

$10 Canadian Bank Note Viola Desmond is considered an icon of human rights and freedom movement in Canada. She was a successful Nova Scotia business woman known for defiantly refusing to leave a whites-only movie theatre in 1946.  She was jailed, convicted and fined.  Her case was the first known…

Retirement Myths Debunked

We are experiencing a silver Tsunami. The leading edge of the Boomers turned 65 six years ago. On average, 1,250 Canadians turn 65 years old every single day. Most Boomers were born between 1961 -1965. That’s why you feel everyone has been turning 50. And people are living longer, much…

Brexit and Canadian Investors

Executive Summary Great Britain has decided, via referendum, to leave the European Union.  The shock and surprise of this decision sent markets into turmoil after the result was announced. There is much to be decided, and the effects of these decisions, that will then become the basis for further negotiation…

Can you answer these 3 questions?

Are You Smarter Than A 20-Something American? There is a study from San Diego State University that found a gap in financial knowledge and behaviour in young people.  The study asked the following 3 questions. See if you know the answer. Do you think that the following statement is true…

Estate Planning Mistakes of the Rich and Famous

In the spirit of our Wills & Executor 101 evening coming up on Wed April 27th, I thought I would share a few stories from Estate Planning Mistake of the Rich and the Famous.  Michael Crichton, best-selling author did leave a will but it excluded any unborn  children. This is a…

Investment Success, Defining Financial Freedom and The Big Short

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend the evening with the EdgePoint team and fund manager, Geoff MacDonald.  Geoff is outstanding at explaining  why Edgepoint invests in the companies they do and why those companies are successful. I left the meeting with 90 slides, graphs and charts,…

The Bull and the Bear

What is Meant by Bull and Bear Markets? No one really knows the exact origin of the terms “bull” and “bear” to describe the stock market, but their meaning is clear.  The most important thing to know about these terms is that they describe long-term trends, not short-term changes.  Bull…