What have you always wanted to do? Some people have a lifelong dream to visit a faraway place, such as New Zealand, Ireland or even Whitehorse. Others dream of owning a cottage in a rural area. For others, starting a new business is their main...
When it comes to planning your estate, some decisions are easier than others. Some of the hardest decisions involve choosing the right people to take your place when you’re gone, including your executor and the guardian of your children. The two roles are very different, but...
More than half of Canadians don’t have a will. Ultimately, this lack of foresight is a truly selfish decision. It leaves your family members in a terrible position where they have to guess what you would have wanted. Let’s say you didn’t do any estate planning....
For many people, the phrase “trust fund” conjures up images of wealthy, irresponsible young people, wasting their time and money in ways that are completely unfathomable to hardworking, dependable businesspeople. Although you may not want your children to become wealthy overnight – not to mention careless...
If you have an RRSP, a TFSA or a life insurance policy, you’ve probably designated a beneficiary for that account or policy. But did you think it through carefully first? Or did you just write down the first name that popped into your head? Conventional wisdom...
When people think of writing a will, most people don’t consider the beneficiaries that carefully. Of course you’ll leave your estate to your spouse or partner, you think, with some special mention of your kids or grandkids. Perhaps you’ll include some other relatives who are...
If you’re like most people today, your family situation is complicated. More than a quarter of Canadian children live with only one biological or adoptive parent.[1] You may be divorced and even remarried. You may have kids with more than one partner. In other cases, you...
In about a third of Canadian households, women and men are earning roughly the same amount. And in 17% of families, women are actually earning more than their husbands.[1] With women contributing a greater percentage to the family’s overall income, it’s important for married women to...