As 2017 winds down, assess your finances and get them new-year ready. Your overall quality of life is directly related to the overall quality of your finances. So as one year ends and the next is about to begin, take some time to be sure you’re making the right choices financially. That will make for a truly happy new year. Set a budget And stick to it. With the holidays fast approaching, you need to create a realistic budget that will allow...
2017 Q2 Commentary
Canadian and U.S. stock markets parted ways in 2017’s second quarter. Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite Index drifted lower, led by resources and financials, even as south of the border the major stock indexes pushed to new all-time highs through May and June. The S&P 500 Composite advanced 0.45% $CAD (total return) while the Index Dow Jones Industrial Average fared slightly better at 0.68% $CAD. The U.S. advance continued to be fueled by...
The Challenges of Owning Two Homes
Sometimes, when you buy a second home, you can’t sell the first. Here’s how to cope. Until recently, Paul and Kelly were quite happy at their home in Sanford, Manitoba. They took care of their three foster children and ran their natural beauty business. Then the house next to Paul’s old family cottage in Kenora, Ont., went up for sale. It was everything they needed: a cottage-style house fit to raise the children and 160 acres to continue...
Automate Your Savings!
Why pre-authorized contributions take the emotional baggage out of saving. Canadians have many admirable qualities, but the ability to save isn’t one of them. According to Trading Economics, our household saving rate is 5.8 percent, which is below our historical average of 7.48 percent. A 2016 survey by the Canadian Payroll Association found that three-quarters of Canadians have saved 25 percent or less of their retirement goal. While the high...
Don’t Give Money the Silent Treatment
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...