Depending on the item, paying more for a product can be a good thing.   Last fall, Jenny Hall bought her dream car: a new Mercedes sedan. While the London, Ontario-based real estate agent is at a stage in her life where she can afford a pricey vehicle, she didn’t just buy it because it was a Mercedes. She purchased it because it received the highest ratings for quality and longevity. “I didn’t just rush out and buy it,” she says. While...

Finances can be tough to talk about, but keeping your money issues a secret can be bad for your health.   Growing up, Sanna Guerin learned one thing about money from her family: It causes stress. “My mom spent, and my dad complained about the spending. They didn’t talk about money at all. All I remember is them fighting about it,” says Guerin,‎ now a program officer at the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General in Ottawa. Guerin’s...

Many entrepreneurs are so focused on their business that they don’t invest outside of their company. But they should. When Brendan Charters started renovation and home building company Eurodale Developments in 2003, he made a promise to himself: he wouldn’t plow all of his assets into his business. Many owners have a lot of their wealth tied up in their companies, but he didn’t want to be exposed to a single sector and company. “The old adage...

To be a successful saver, you’ll need to get your risk profile right. Whether you’re new to investing or have had a lifetime of stock market experience, there’s one thing that can derail a financial plan: the fear of losing money. History is littered with stories of people who have created plans, only to tear them up after a recession or some unexpected drop in the market. Investing isn’t just about picking securities that will make money. It’s...

A study reveals that retired women are concerned about making funds last. Recently retired women are more worried than their male counterparts about stretching funds over their remaining years. This heightened concern, as highlighted in an Investors Group study, may be related to the well-known fact that, statistically speaking, women generally live longer than men. Another likely contributor is that, while working, women tend to earn less than...