In bull markets, some investors develop unhealthy expectations as to the long term yields their investments should provide. Ten years ago, some came to accept returns as high as 15% to 20% per annum as the base return their fund and portfolio managers were expected to provide. Of course, these expectations came crashing back to earth in 2008 as the bull was chased away by a very large bear. Today, many fund managers are of the opinion that double digit returns are going to be very difficult to achieve with any consistency over the long term. Is it time for us to lower our expectations?

Executors often find that the probate process can be both time-consuming and expensive. Planning strategies exist that may eliminate or reduce the requirement of having assets probated.

Given the problems encountered by some large financial institutions in the United States, how concerned should we be about the state of the life insurance industry in Canada?

If your goal is to replace income for your family for more than 2 years, you may want to add an individual policy to your group insurance coverage. According to the same LIMRA study, on average, households with only group coverage can replace the household’s income for less than 2 years. Households with both group and personal life coverage can replace income for more than 5 years.

Mortgage life insurance from the major banks can be significantly more expensive when compared to life insurance from an insurance advisor. As well, there are additional advantages to buying life insurance through your advisor including the ability to choose your beneficiary, flexibility and more. See our infographic to learn more about the differences between mortgage life insurance through the bank versus your insurance advisor!

You have spent your life working hard and accumulating wealth for you and your family to enjoy. While you are living you pay taxes annually on both your earned and investment income. But did you know that your assets may also result in a tax liability upon your death or the death of your spouse? In Canada, a taxpayer is deemed to dispose of all of his or her assets at death. If the value of these assets exceeds their cost, then, without proper planning, taxes could be payable. But the good news is, it might be possible to reduce or at least delay the payment of this tax by organizing or re-allocating certain assets that would result in a tax liability at your death. There is also a way to cost-effectively accumulate tax-free funds to pay all or part of any taxes that may become due upon your death. Of course, every situation is different, so you should consult with a financial advisor before making any big decisions. Below is a simple guide that will help you structure your estate in the most tax-advantageous method.

Many farmers find it difficult to get any interest from their children in continuing to run the farm business – which can cause some complications when developing the best estate plan for farmers looking to retire. In general, farmers are in an interesting position: they are asset rich due to the increased value of their land but struggle with the increasing costs related to their farming activities. However, if the farm holds significant value but the children are not interested in working the land, what is a farmer to do?

A year ago, the projected deficit for 2020 was estimated to be $20 billion. Shockingly, as a result of Covid-19, this projection has risen to over $380 billion by the end of the year. So, what does that mean for tax rates and how will this affect your estate plan?

It is important to have a valid Will to avoid the challenges of intestacy – dying without a Will. Indeed, eventually, everyone ends up with a Will of one sort or other, either the deceased gets to decide how assets are distributed by writing one before death or the provincial authorities get to decide based on intestacy rules. So, it’s always best to get a Will written in advance. The question is, do you need more than one? Getting one Will is trouble enough, so why would anyone want to have two?

During this stressful and challenging time, many are wondering what effect COVID-19 could have on their life insurance. Some may be worried that the insurance companies would make changes to their existing policy due to coronavirus concerns, resulting in an increase in their premiums or a restriction to their coverage. It should be reassuring to all that insurance companies are generally not able to change the contractual provisions of the insurance policies that are in force.

For many Canadians, especially those with young families, term life insurance is most often the product of choice for protecting one’s family. The major reason for this is that it is the lowest entry-level cost to purchase life insurance.

The Application portal for the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) opens at 8:00am EST on May 25th

On May 8th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that they will extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) beyond June.

On April 16th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced support for to help small businesses with their rent for the months of April, May and June. The program is being worked out with the provinces and more details will be available shortly.

A big win today for some small business owners who previously did not qualify for the $500/week Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or the 75% Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).