Absolute Return vs. Relative Return: Key Differences
“The wise man is he who knows the relative value of things.“ – William J. Bernstein
Advisor Highlight: An Interview with Chris Jardine
“A good financial planner knows your goals, but a great one understands the motivations behind them.” — Chris Jardine CFP®, CIM Making the move from one financial services firm to the next can be daunting, but when you make the right choice, it can make all the difference for you and your business. As a […]
Is $2 Million the New 1$ Million for Retirement?
“A million dollars isn’t what it used to be” — Howard Hughes Born in Texas in 1905, the (in)famous business magnate’s words still hold weight. Suddenly, the romanticized goal of $1 million is under scrutiny as a realistic, sustainable nest egg for retirement. Inflation may eat away at your savings, but if you understand how […]
What’s a Nominee RRSP Account?
5 Common Retirement Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
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.
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 […]
How COVID-19 Is Impacting Retirement Planning
The COVID pandemic has upended everyday life and changed our view of the future. Many Canadians have also experienced some degree of financial upheaval, either through a job loss, thwarted business plans, or even time off work due to illness. For those nearing retirement, pandemic-related financial disruption can pose a lot of challenges. Let’s look […]
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?
6 Tips to Help You Stay Financially Secure In Retirement
“What if I don’t have enough?” If you are concerned that you won’t have enough for your future, then it may be time to make some tough choices and get creative. The good news is, there are a range of options to explore in order to ensure that you live comfortably in your golden years.
Retirement expense cheatsheet for investors
It can be a daunting task to get a full picture of your retirement expenses. Use this cheatsheet as a way to prepare to complete a more comprehensive retirement expense calculator or retirement expense worksheet. That way, when you sit down to do the math, you aren’t having to get up every 30 seconds to […]
How your biases are getting in the way of achieving your retirement goals
It’s human nature to opt for a sure thing when the stakes are high. In retirement, we need to know our savings will last, and the double whammy of insecurity around income and uncertainty about how long we’ll be alive leads us to make investment decisions based on a fear of losses. This article explains […]