When it’s time to retire, many Canadians have several sources of income. We look at which sources you should draw from first to help minimize taxes.
Getting your retirement plan right is crucial; you need to be confident that your money will last throughout your retirement, while giving you the standard of living you need. That’s why it’s important to have a solid financial plan and also dependable advice. There have been a number of myths about retirement planning circulating for years that can have a negative impact on your retirement plans. Let’s take a look at some of the more common ones and the reality that lies behind them.
As the March 1 RRSP deadline nears, many Canadians will, as they do every year, stash a last-minute lump-sum of cash into their retirement accounts. While it’s better to contribute before the deadline than not contribute at all, investing under pressure isn’t the best way to maximize your savings. “For a lot of a people, it’s a bit of a scramble at this time of year to make an RRSP contribution,” says Todd Sigurdson, IG Wealth Management’s Director of Tax and Estate Planning.
Looking ahead to 2023, we’re feeling more optimistic towards both the equity and fixed income markets (we’re confident they’ll soon come out of their troughs). At the same time however, the probability of an economic recession in Canada and the United States is more likely. We also expect to see peaks in inflation, interest rates and economic activity.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have embraced an environment where employees work from home. With the opportunity to work from home, some Canadians are taking the opportunity to work from anywhere. For some that means working from the cottage or working from a foreign location. Before you switch from working from home to a location of your choice, there are a few things that you should consider.
Each June, we honour National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day. However, these observances cannot be recognized without acknowledging the atrocity of the remains of 215 children discovered in unmarked graves at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. This news has deeply saddened all of us at IG Wealth Management, and it is a sombre reminder of our country’s past and the injustice that continues today.
With an increasingly aging population, issues around providing services, including financial advice to seniors, are becoming more important. While attention is often focused on funding retirement and wealth transfer to the next generation, susceptibility to fraud often goes unnoticed.
One important lesson from the COVID-19 upheaval of the past year is just how ill-prepared many Canadians are for any disruption to their finances. That has opened up a significant opportunity for the financial advisory industry to enhance its relevance and value by adopting a more holistic approach to financial planning and ensuring investors consider all aspects of their financial well-being.
One of the most important documents you should have as part of your estate plan is an up to date power of attorney, otherwise known as a protection mandate in Quebec. This is a document that gives someone else the power to make financial decisions on your behalf if you are unable to. Needless to say, you need to give special consideration to whom you appoint as attorney or mandatary.
An important part of financial planning is making sure that you have an estate plan that meets your personal needs. A key component of any well constructed estate plan is to make sure that you have an up to date power of attorney for financial decisions (referred to as a “protection mandate” in Quebec).