Articles
What Happened to the Preferred Shares Market?
The stock market suffered a big market drop in the Fall / early Winter, but has since had a substantial recovery. Bonds posted solid returns this past year. Preferred shares have had a very different experience. They declined last year, had a modest recovery and have sold off again in the past few months, leaving…
Read MoreThe Spousal RRSP – Does it still have a place in Retirement Planning?
One of the more frequent questions I get from clients regarding their retirement planning is, with the pension income splitting legislation, are spousal RRSPs worthwhile anymore? The answer is yes, in several situations. Before I outline the planning situations that are useful for spousal RRSPs, first a little primer on what they are and how…
Read MoreFinancial Post columnist (Rechtshaffen) shows how many Canadians can afford Retirement Homes
A financial expert and Financial Post columnist compares the costs of senior housing options including home care, long-term care and a retirement home. A newspaper columnist recently contacted Amica to research an article on the cost of private retirement living. This wasn’t any reporter: it was Ted Rechtshaffen, a personal finance columnist for the Financial…
Read MoreFinancial Post/Rechtshaffen: How wealth advisors provide a significantly higher value service for core clients than roboadvisors
Advisors know which clients to put on which path to achieve the best big-picture result Several people have asked me lately about the Questrade TV ads that feature someone in their 30s going to what appears to be their parents’ financial advisor to tell them why they are leaving. My first thought was, “Why did…
Read MoreFINANCIAL FACELIFT: Can this couple retire at 60 and afford to keep the cottage in the family?
Below you will find a real life case study of a couple who are looking for financial advice on how best to arrange their financial affairs. Their names and details have been changed to protect their identity. The Globe and Mail often seeks the advice of our VP, Wealth Advisor, Matthew Ardrey, to review and…
Read MoreThe maximum OAS a couple can get is $25,600 in 2024. Here’s how to collect all of it
Old Age Security (OAS) is a funny part of Canadian retirement planning. Many Canadians assume they won’t receive it, or even if they do, they believe it won’t last many more years. The truth of the matter is that for a couple, it can generate as little as $0 or as much as $25,600 a…
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