Succession planning is essential for businesses worldwide, but certain aspects make it particularly important in the Canadian context. Here are eight compelling reasons why business succession planning is crucial in Canada
Considering that the proceeds of a life insurance policy are received tax-free upon the death of the life insured, it is not surprising that the premiums for the policy are not tax deductible. There are two circumstances, however, where premiums would be deductible for income tax purposes…
New Rules governing the Canada Pension Plan took full effect in 2016. Under these rules, the earliest you can take your CPP Pension is age 60, the latest is 70. The standard question regarding CPP remains the same – should I take it early or wait?
Medical practitioners today will confirm what Dr. Barnard observed – the lower your stress levels, the better the chances for your recovery. When one is ill with a serious illness, having one less thing to deal with, such as financial worry, can only be beneficial.
The Sandwich Generation, coined by Dorothy Miller in 1981, describes adults caring for both aging parents and their own children. This dual responsibility is emotionally and financially draining. Effective financial planning is crucial, involving open discussions about family resources, life insurance needs analysis, disability and critical illness coverage, long-term care insurance, and drafting a living will. Addressing these issues can alleviate stress and ensure financial security for all generations.
If you think your heirs are not quite old enough or prepared enough to discuss the wealth they will inherit on your death, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, this way of thinking can leave your beneficiaries in a decision-making vacuum: an unnecessary predicament which can be avoided by facing your own mortality and creating a plan.
Avoiding the subject of your own mortality can also be an extremely costly to those you leave behind.
One change proposed in the April 16, 2024 Federal Budget is raising the inclusion rate on capital gains from 50% to 66.7%. For individual taxpayers, the initial $250,000 of capital gains remains taxed at the 50% inclusion rate. However, for corporations and trusts, the increased inclusion rate applies to all capital gains. These adjustments are slated to come into effect starting June 25, 2024.
What does this mean for individual taxpayers?
If you are an active investor, your investment holdings probably include many different asset classes. For many investors, diversification is a very important part of the wealth accumulation process to help manage risk and reduce volatility. Your investment portfolio might include stocks, bonds, equity funds, real estate and commodities. All these investment assets share a common characteristic – their yield is exposed to tax.
If you are interested in creating a legacy at your death by making a charitable donation, you may wish to investigate using life insurance for that purpose. There are different ways you can structure life insurance for use in philanthropy.
Debt today is so common, you might say it can’t be avoided. Most people are not in a position to purchase a house or car for cash, while those who can buy such things outright may prefer to finance and keep control of their capital.
The truth is, while most of us see debt as a bad thing, any money borrowed to generate income or increase net worth can be considered “good debt.”
If the amount borrowed is invested for an overall gain, the debt is a tool. Borrowing to further your education, for example, is good debt since an education generally increases the likelihood you will earn more in the future. Most often, too, the interest paid on this type of debt is tax deductible.
