The US has had tariffs since the Tariff Act of 1789. They are not new. Free Trade in North America is relatively new. We first crafted a Canada US Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA) in 1988. It was then followed up by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994 and finally that was replaced by the United State-Mexico-Canada Agreement (CUSMA). Prior to that we had … [Read more...] about Understanding tariffs and how they may affect you
Arnold Machel, CFP®
Arnold Machel lives, works and worships in the White Rock/South Surrey area and has been writing articles for the Light Magazine for over 10 years. He is a Certified Financial Planner® with Visionvest Financial Planning & Services.
Scary Times: Three strategies to reduce your anxiety
Lately, clients have been coming into my office and expressing shock and awe at how well their portfolios have done. I’d love to take the credit, but for the most part it’s been due to a mismatch between reality and a perception caused by media coverage. Things just aren’t as bad out there as you might believe if you based everything on what you heard in the media. Never in … [Read more...] about Scary Times: Three strategies to reduce your anxiety
It’s a taxing time
Six strategies to lower your tax bill for 2025 Yuck – it’s tax time... again! Maybe you’ve already completed, filed and paid for the year. If so, then way to go! You are in a very proactive minority. There aren’t a lot of stats about when people file, but a survey in 2019 indicated that on April 2, 51percent of British Columbians had yet to file their tax returns. If you … [Read more...] about It’s a taxing time
Where there’s a will: 5 estate planning pitfalls to avoid
Let’s just start off with a huge caveat. I am not a lawyer. I don’t prepare or give advice on the preparation of wills, powers of attorney or representation agreements. I do, however, help people to understand the financial implications of their decisions and so I often help guide people with those items. In short, I work with families and lawyers to assist in good decision … [Read more...] about Where there’s a will: 5 estate planning pitfalls to avoid
Christmas in February
Taking advantage of temporary legislative changes On November 15 of last year, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers initiated strike action, suspending delivery of mail in Canada. In this day and age of email and online payment systems, postal strikes do not have anywhere near the negative consequences as in the past. Our clients choose for the most part to receive their … [Read more...] about Christmas in February