Topic: Financial Planning
Building up your Retirement Emergency Fund
By: Elias KellendonkAccording to an Ipsos Reid Retirement Risk survey conducted earlier this year, roughly 72 per cent of Canadians approaching retirement are concerned over how they will maintain a comfortable standard of living through their retirement years. Most Canadians are additionally anxious that their savings will not be sufficient in covering needed health care expenses. Sun …
Budgeting for your Wedding
By: Bobbi TaylorClever Methods of Curbing Costs on the “Big Day” While your wedding should certainly be a day to remember, it best be for the good memories; not the hole it left in your wallet. More and more Canadians are steering away from the grand ceremonies, the extended family invites to people met only a handful …
Financial Dos and Don'ts for Couples
By: Elias KellendonkCommon Mistakes Couples Make when Dealing with Money “I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay,” sings Abba in their famed hit Money, Money, Money – it’s a rich man’s world. For the majority of couples who didn’t find their “wealthy man”, money is a weighty issue, …
Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver Top Out National Poverty Rates: Statscan
By: Elias KellendonkNew national data garnered by Statistics Canada has revealed that poverty rates in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are well above national averages. The agency used income reports taken from 2009 to acquire its prospective. More positively, data also seems to indicate that mid-sized cities are improving their poverty statistics despite …
REITs Forecasted to Produce another Year of Good Returns
By: Elias KellendonkAccording to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT), investors in REITs have enjoyed as much as 28 per cent returns in equity each of the last two years, and globally REIT values are up. The question is, can investors expect that same return this year? A recovering market provides several assets to …
45 per cent of Canadians Purchasing Property Solo: TD Poll
By: Elias KellendonkRising Trend – First-Time Homebuyers Purchasing Based on Price over Amenities and shirking the Fundamentals Results of the 2011 TD Canada Trust First Time Homebuyers Report showed that nearly half of first-time homebuyers will purchase their property alone. These figures, issued Wednesday, indicated that 57 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women …
'Playing it Safe' in a Volatile Market
By: Elias KellendonkAdvice on Keeping your Investment Ducks in a Row amid Turbulent Waters While the Globe and Mail reports that stocks this week were pummeled in trading, the paper also reported how one of the country’s top investors is keeping it safe amid an apparent “buyer’s strike”. Frank Mersch, portfolio manager and co-chief investment officer with …
Loonie Takes a Slide
By: Elias KellendonkThe Canadian Dollar Sees Biggest Daily Drop in Eight Months Side by side with a 7 per cent fall in the S&P/TSX index and a roughly 3.7 per cent decrease in oil prices, the Loonie has slid a full 1.5 cents to the U.S. dollar – the largest slump it’s seen in more than half …
Tips on Making the Most of your Holiday Abode
By: Elias KellendonkYour home away from home has turned out to be an oasis for the family weekends and summers away, but has it lagged in your expectations for generating rental revenue? This spring take note of some of the expert tips from CottageCountry.com. 1. Take Good Shots: Potential renters want to know that yours is a …
Seven items you should know before you enter into a contract
By: Elias KellendonkVirtually any time you apply for credit or financing you are entering into a contract, the elements of which you need be cognizant of.