Why You Don’t Want a Tax Refund

A stack of dollar bills wrapped in metal chains secured with a padlock, symbolizing the importance of tax planning, set against a solid green background.

Canadians often see a tax refund (the balance owed or owing after the process of submitting your tax return) as a small victory at the end of the year—a “bonus” cheque from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that feels like a reward for another successful filing of taxable income. In reality, a large refund is […]

A Guide to Charitable Giving in Canada

Two open hands are held up against a plain blue background, symbolizing charitable giving and generosity in Canada.

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank Canada’s charitable landscape is shifting. Fewer philanthropic Canadians claim charitable donations on their tax returns each year, yet total giving and the average donation have reached record highs—signalling a quiet concentration of generosity among a smaller group of committed households. For families with the […]

Understand What You’ll Need to Retire Comfortably

A book titled How Far Can $500,000 Last in Retirement? by Christopher Lerville features an older couple smiling on a sailboat and explores key retirement planning tips to help you retire comfortably.

How Far Will $500,000 Last in Retirement? A step-by-step guide to create your retirement plan was created by Family Wealth Advisor Christopher Jardine, CFP®, to help pre-retirees in Canada answer the age-old question, “How much will I need for retirement?” At first glance, $500,000 seems like a reasonable nest egg—half a million dollars is a […]

Third Chapter: An Update on Settling My Mom’s Estate

Row of traditional brick terraced houses with chimneys along a residential street, hedges in front, and clear blue sky above—an inviting setting often pictured during an estate settlement or an estate update.

Today’s article is a guest submission from Janine Guenther CFA, CMT, a Portfolio Manager and Senior Wealth Family Advisor with over 30 years of industry experience. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Bellwether Investment Management.

10 Things to Know About Dividend Tax Efficiency

A young plant sprouting from soil against a plain blue background, with roots and seed visible below the surface—symbolizing the growth potential of tax-efficient investing from the ground up.

“A stock dividend is something tangible—it’s not an earnings projection; it’s something solid, in hand. A stock dividend is a true return on the investment. Everything else is hope and speculation.” —Richard Russell — Richard Russell

What are the Tax Implications of Charitable Giving?

One person holds a wooden bowl with coins while another hand drops a coin into it, symbolizing charitable giving against a green background.

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 […]