by Ben Machel, CFP® For this month’s article we have a special treat – rather than my regular column I’ve brought in a guest writer. My son, Ben, joined the family practice seven years ago, and because the topic of this article is aimed at younger Canadians, I thought it would be best to hear from someone in that demographic. Read on for Ben’s thoughts about the Canadian … [Read more...] about Get your foot in the door of your brand-new home
Preparing for an emergency, the Go-Bag
We’ve all seen it in the movies or on a TV show. Someone gets a call. There’s no time. They need to leave NOW. Their “get-out-of-dodge” bag is already packed. They grab it and go. Are you preparing for an emergency? Could you Grab a Go-bag and be ready to go in minutes? Or even seconds? Sometimes referred to as a GOOD (short for Get Out of Dodge) bag, or more simply … [Read more...] about Preparing for an emergency, the Go-Bag
Emergency Preparedness: Building a Home Emergency Kit
Hopefully you’ve already identified the most likely hazards in your area (from the BC Hazard Map) and created an Emergency Plan (by downloading and completing the fillable PDF). The next step is building a home emergency kit. At the very least, your home emergency kit should consist of: 1. One of your go-bags (more details to come next month) 2. Essential supplies for … [Read more...] about Emergency Preparedness: Building a Home Emergency Kit
Emergency Preparedness 101: Creating an emergency plan
Just like nobody wants to think about death or the need for life insurance, encouraging people to think about emergency preparedness or potential catastrophes can be difficult. And then encouraging them to creating some sort of emergency plan can be even harder. I’m hoping I can help make that process a little less painful by sharing my experience with you. This month I … [Read more...] about Emergency Preparedness 101: Creating an emergency plan
Calling all people with Type 1 diabetes
Do you know any people under the age of 50 with Type 1 diabetes? Maybe someone you live or work with? Maybe your friend or neighbour? If you do know someone who fits this description, you NEED to read this and pass it on to them. When I first started in the industry back in 1995, I remember Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) were a terrible deal. I regularly … [Read more...] about Calling all people with Type 1 diabetes