Angels there for you began with a chance meeting after a great dissapointment. Patricia Cruz arrived in Canada from Chile with nothing but suitcases of clothes and books. She and her teenage children were homeless, sleeping on the floor of her friends’ home. She knew this was not a permanent solution and that she needed work that would provide for her and her children. … [Read more...] about Angels there for you
Life
Navigating the facets of everyday life including managing finances, growing old, being single, staying healthy and more.
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
Happy Valentine’s Day, honey – RRSP deadline coming is up
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and so is the deadline for Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) contributions. What could be better than the gift of a spousal RRSP contribution? OK. Maybe I’m saying that a bit tongue-in-cheek. A spousal RRSP may not be the sexiest gift you can give your valentine, but it’s still a great thing to consider. You know how an RRSP works, but … [Read more...] about Happy Valentine’s Day, honey – RRSP deadline coming is up
How to read the statement, it’s all in the numbers
It’s a new year! Time to learn something new. Today we are going to tackle one of the most basic (and most frequently asked) questions we get: “How do I read my statement?” First, let me differentiate between the two types of mail you would typically get from an investment company, as they are often confused with one another. Statements are for a period of time … [Read more...] about How to read the statement, it’s all in the numbers
Risky Business, the hidden costs of bank deposits
Recently a reader asked me to discuss term bank deposit options, guaranteed investment certificates (GICs), and alternatives considering the crazy low interest rates being offered right now. And that got me thinking about risk. I just looked up the rates available at a major big bank right now – a 5-year non-cashable GIC pays 1.40% per year1 You could go to a smaller … [Read more...] about Risky Business, the hidden costs of bank deposits