What Happens When Someone Dies Without a Will in Canada
Originally posted on December 3, 2024. Updated on July 9, 2026.
Investing for Peace of Mind: Security and Protection with Bellwether
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Ukraine-Russia War: Strategies to protect your portfolio
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has heightened volatility in stocks, bonds, commodities and currencies. While it’s important for investors to assess the economic impact and potential for future disruptions, it’s also critical to assess the situation from a rational and long-term perspective, no matter how hard it may seem today. In this blog, we’ll walk you […]
Meet our new Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer
Bellwether Investment Management is pleased to announce the appointment of Julianna Varpalotai-Xavier as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer.
What are the Tax Implications of Charitable Giving?
According to Statistics Canada, Canadians contribute billions of dollars to charity every year, more recently $10.3 billion in 2019. Most people don’t seem to be motivated by tax incentives to donate to a good cause. There is, however, no disadvantage to claiming charity tax credits when filing your income tax return: it is simple and […]
Making a Difference: How to Optimize Your Charitable Giving Strategy?
While a charitable contributions plan should never be pursued primarily for the goal of claiming a tax credit, there are methods you can contribute to help charities in need today while simultaneously claiming the maximum benefit available to you. The ideal charitable giving strategy for you will be determined by your age, the quantity and […]
How to structure your investments for retirement
Structuring your investments is a critical consideration as you approach retirement. But how do you structure them? How do you fund your retirement in the right way, achieving reliable growth of wealth as well as cash flow? Let’s take a look.
Never too early or too late: When to start planning for retirement?
It’s difficult to say exactly how much money you will need once you retire — lifestyles, circumstances and needs vary — but it is estimated that Canadians require around $1M to retire comfortably. This is a little worrying when we consider that 32% of Canadians between 45 and 64 years old have no retirement savings, and 43% […]
How to Grow Your Income After Retirement
Achieving a reliable retirement income is a major concern for many people these days. Canadians are living longer, with life expectancy increasing by more than 11 years in the last half a century, and expect to maintain a high standard of living throughout retirement. But how can this be funded? With the right approach, retirees […]
Can I Retire Early? Living the Dream with Retirement Planning
Early retirement — this might seem like an impossible dream. But is it really so impossible? Not with the right approach to retirement planning. Take a look at some top tips to making your money work for you so you can plan for early retirement in the right way.
How to Approach Investing in the New Normal
Things have changed. A lot. The pandemic has shifted wealth, pushed some industries down while propping others up, disrupted global supply chains, uprooted workforces, and reminded us all that the only constant is change. Making investment decisions in this chaotic environment can be tricky, especially if you are nearing retirement and may need to access […]
Retirement Planning Tips for the New Normal
Did your retirement plans change during the pandemic? Whether your earnings were impacted or you have different priorities, if you are like many Canadians, your retirement goals are different today than they were in 2019. In a 2021 financial industry survey, more than half of the respondents claimed they are now rethinking where they want to live […]
Midyear Financial Checkup — Are You Ready for the Rest of 2021?
We’re halfway through the year — are you on track to meet your financial goals for 2021? Use this midyear financial checkup to see where you stand.
How Bellwether Is Different Than Traditional Financial Planning Firms and Banks
Your nest egg is more than just money. It may represent years of hard work and financial diligence, as well as the promise of a prosperous future for you and your family. Naturally, you want to be discerning when deciding whom to seek financial guidance from. Someone who doesn’t have your best interests in mind […]
5 Habits of High-Net-Worth Individuals
High-net-worth individuals (HNWI) enjoy plenty of financial freedom. If you want to have the flexibility to do more with your money too, consider picking up some of the most common habits of the comfortablywealthy. The following are prudent habits anyone can use to build and maintain wealth.
3 Ways a Financial Advisor Can Help You Build Wealth
With the internet, you have access to endless information online, enabling you to research different investments and wealth-building strategies yourself. So, the question is, if you have useful info at your fingertips, what will you gain from consulting with a professional advisor? Is a financial advisor worth it? You can make smart financial decisions […]
Should You Take Your CPP Early or Wait?
Whether you start early or wait, the age that you begin withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) will impact how much income you have at your disposal during retirement. Take CPP early and receive less each month but for a longer period of time. Wait until 65 or 70 and count on more income […]
How to Plan For Retirement at Every Stage of Life
Retirement planning isn’t a linear process. Your plan should be dynamic, evolving with you as you reach each life stage and as your financial circumstances change. Here’s a helpful guide to retirement planning by age. Use it to identify what you can focus on at different periods of your life.
What Can I Expect from CPP?
When planning for retirement, you’ll want to factor in how much you should receive from Canada’s public pensions. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) pays out a monthly, taxable benefit to all eligible Canadians and acts as a source of income during retirement. However, it’s important to view CPP as only one part of your overall […]
When Should You Start Planning for Retirement?
When it comes to personal financial goals, saving enough money to live comfortably during retirement is one of the most critical, yet many Canadians don’t believe they’re saving enough. According to a 2020 Scotiabank Retirement Survey, 68 percent are saving for retirement, but 70 percent are worried that they’re not on track. The earlier you start […]
COVID-19, the Stock Market, and Retirement Planning — Should I Sell if I’m Retiring Soon?
During the early months of the pandemic, the North American stock markets dropped more than 30 percent from their record highs in 2019. While stocks have rebounded since then, there is still plenty of uncertainty. But what does this mean for those nearing retirement?
What Is Holistic Financial Planning?
Holistic financial planning takes every piece of your unique financial puzzle into account. It looks beyond the numbers and financial modelling. Personal goals—how the decisions you make today impact long-term objectives—, investment preferences, lifestyle priorities; any variables that may change along the way. A holistic plan considers all of these, and more, to identify actions […]