Last month we here at Visionvest received a real-life lesson in fake news, when things sound too good to be true. We discovered a few five-star reviews on our corporate Facebook page that didn’t make any sense. In each review we were highly praised (which we liked), but they were all for staff we didn’t have and actions we didn’t take. “I had a great meeting with … [Read more...] about Fake news, when things sound too good to be true
Arnold Machel, CFP®
Arnold Machel lives, works, and worships in the White Rock/South Surrey area. In 1995, he founded Visionvest Financial Planning & Services with the dual goals of “effecting positive financial change” and assisting clients to “Invest with Vision”. Since that time Visionvest has received numerous recognitions, including being voted in the top three in the Best Investment/Financial Advisor category by Peace Arch News readers for the past four years in a row.
Arnold has held the Certified Financial Planner® designation since 1998 and has served on many boards, currently sitting on the board of Abundance Canada (formerly the Mennonite Foundation of Canada), a national charity focused on helping Canadians give generously. He is currently a co-host with his son, Ben, on the popular monthly Retire In BC podcast.
Questions and comments can be directed to him at dr.rrsp@visionvest.ca. Please note that all comments are of a general nature and should not be relied upon as individual advice. While every attempt is made to ensure accuracy, facts and figures are not guaranteed.
Trust issues: Do you have a trusted contact person?
“Hey Arnold, can I get you to cash out another $15,000 for me?” “Of course,” I replied. “But Jane, forgive me, I just have to ask. This is the third time in three months that you asked to withdraw a large sum. Now, obviously, it’s your money and you can do with it as you like, but at this rate you are burning through it fairly quickly. Can I ask what’s going on? I know you … [Read more...] about Trust issues: Do you have a trusted contact person?
Charitable gifts: Tax credits and how they work
Some time ago, I had a conversation with a regular charitable donor that went something like this: “What a rip off! It’s not like it used to be. The government only gives a 29% tax credit for my charitable donation. I get way more than that for an RRSP contribution. I used to get a deduction for the full amount of my charitable contributions, just like my RRSPs.” “You’re … [Read more...] about Charitable gifts: Tax credits and how they work
War in Ukraine impacted stock markets
We watched the news with shock and horror as Vladimir Putin waged war on Ukraine, killing thousands of innocents and displacing millions more. The cost to the Ukrainian people is massive. We cannot express deep enough sympathies to them, their families and friends, and all the other victims of war. While it seems almost petty to even bring it up, Putin’s actions have … [Read more...] about War in Ukraine impacted stock markets
The building blocks of financial success
“What are the core principles we want to teach our children about money?” This was one of the many questions my wife and I had when our children were young. After much thought, we landed on the building blocks of financial success in these four principles: • Generosity – giving back • Saving – setting funds aside for the future • Freedom – spending … [Read more...] about The building blocks of financial success