A Financial Success Plan For New Graduates

A Financial Success Plan For New Graduates

All across the country, university and college students are finally donning their robes and mortarboards and stepping across the stage to receive their diplomas. It’s an exciting time. For many new graduates, it may be the first real taste of independence – finding a job, a place to live, paying off those student loans. It…

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Try A 30-Day No Spending Challenge

Try a 30-Day No Spending Challenge

The rule is simple. Cut out all non-essential spending for one month. No dining out. No trips to the craft or home improvement store. No new clothes or gadgets. No movie theatre, local pub, or sports event. Absolutely no credit card purchases. You still need to pay your normal bills – rent or mortgage, utilities,…

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It’s Time To Overhaul The Finance Industry

Time To Overhaul The Finance Industry

Canadians have been abuzz with the news of shady bank practices and the “what’s in a name?” controversy over advisors vs advisers instigated by the CBC. But the real problem is how the entire financial industry is regulated. Provincial regulators need to overhaul the requirements for the financial industry to better protect investors. Sure, they’ve…

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Building Your Wealth: Employee Stock Purchase Plans

Employee Stock Purchase Plans

I regret to say I didn’t participate in my employer’s pension plan. However, I did join the employee savings plan – now called employee stock purchase plans. The resulting investment eventually became the backbone of my retirement plan. Many employers have stock plans that allow their employees to purchase shares in the company at a…

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Growing Your Wealth: Managing Investment Fees

Managing Investment Fees

Effective January 1, 2017, new rules compel investment firms and advisors to clearly outline the costs of any funds held by their clients. Previously, many investment fees were hidden within incomprehensible prospectuses and financial reports that most investors rarely read. How do the various fees you pay on your investments – whether you do it…

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Don’t Allow Debt To Derail Your Retirement Plans

Don't Let Debt Derail Your Retirement Plans

Many people approaching retirement may be delaying those plans due to their debt loads. Boomers are not known for thrifty living. They have earned the title of the “most indebted generation.” According to a Statistics Canada 2012 Survey of Financial Security, 70% of people aged 55 to 64 are carrying some debt. One-third still have…

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Banks Behaving Badly

Canada's big five banks behaving badly

The media has been all abuzz lately about the Big-5 Banks and the shady practices they are using to dupe unsuspecting customers. I was approached twice by CBC for an interview which I declined both times. The reason? First of all, the mere thought of appearing on live national TV gives me a full-blown panic…

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Good Riddance To Deferred Sales Charges

As of January 1, 2017, Investors Group has eliminated deferred sales charges (DSC) on all new lump sum investments to their funds. The good news is that dropping the DSC is part of a new trend by investment brokers to replace this archaic charge for withdrawing your own money with a more up front fee-for-advice…

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