Which survivor benefit option is best for Tom and Liza?
After 35 years of working for the city, Tom is keen to retire in January. He is 58 and earns more than $155,000 a year. ...Which pension survivor option he should take?
Can 54-year-old Ivy and Gabriel afford to retire in three years?
Gabriel and Ivy have well-paying professional jobs, three children and a mortgage-free house in small-town British Columbia ... “Can we afford to retire at age 57?”
As markets roil, advisors toil: how you handled the SVB fallout
Volatile markets this past week reflect a global financial system under pressure as banks in the U.S. and Europe struggle under the weight of rising interest rates.
Can Sadie afford to retire with an after-tax income of $60,000 a year?
When a person dies, they are deemed to have disposed of their property at the time of death. If they are married, their assets can pass to the surviving spouse on a tax-deferred basis.
Help your clients find their “Independence Day”
When setting a retirement date, several factors must be considered, including clients’ goals, circumstances and worst-case scenarios
When should Peggy and Howard sell their rental property – and their own family home?
Now, with their working years approaching an end, they’d like to help their two children financially. “We never expected to have this ability,” Peggy writes...
Why stock market forecasters are in need of a reality check
You are doing your clients a disservice when you forecast what the stock market is going to do. This is an intervention...
When a client request raises red flags
Thorough KYC lays the groundwork for advisory action. The quandary, your client Ken is an elderly widower you suspect has dementia ...
How advisors are helping clients tap into RRSPs tax efficiently amid COVID-19
As some Canadians looked to make ends meet during the pandemic, accessing extra funds may have meant tapping into savings ...
Can power savers Gavin and Audrey retire at 58 and still afford a $100,000 yearly budget?
At age 48, Gavin and Audrey have been diligently paying down the mortgage on their Calgary house, setting aside money...
Can Tim and Tamsin afford to retire after years of running a business?
After years of running a successful business, Tim and Tamsin are hoping to retire by the end of 2023...
Can Kevin and Lara retire early? And when should they take CPP?
Kevin and Lara want to quit working as soon as possible, but they’re not sure they can afford to. They are both age 58 with three children in their early 20s...
The perils of passing down the family cottage
Besides fighting through traffic snarls to get there, the family cottage by the lake has typically been viewed as a place of tranquility with a lifetime of fond memories...
Empty nesters face familiar refrain: The need to catch up on savings
Bruce and Bonnie are “middle-aged and still enjoying their professional careers in the non-profit sector,” Bonnie writes in an e-mail, but they’re looking ahead...
Early retirement goals come with tradeoffs
It’s been said that people begin seeking work-life balance in their mid-40s, and so it is with Leif and Sam. Leif, who works in education, is 46...
With an indexed defined benefit pension, does Benjamin still need to contribute to a TFSA or RRSP?
A few years back, Benjamin made a work decision that changed his life for the better. He’s 34, single and living in British Columbia, where...
Are winds in the right direction for Nancy and Nathan to reach their early retirement goals?
Vancouver professionals Nancy and Nathan are in the enviable position of being able to contemplate retiring from their jobs at age 55 while still enjoying...
MSC Wealth Monitor Newsletter Fall 2019
Can Beatrice, 91, Afford to Stay in Her Home Indefinitely?
Before Beatrice’s husband died, they sold the family house and invested a substantial sum in a portfolio designed to generate as much income as possible...
Money 123: Make the Most of Your Money
First, there was the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which millions of Canadians are well acquainted with by now. This week the government started taking...