Insurance Planning

Insurance is often thought of as an optional extra in the area of personal and business finance – a “nice to have” which can offer protection if things go wrong but certainly not as an important asset in its own right. However, it’s true to say that intelligent insurance planning is a strategy which can protect the vital asset of your ability to earn an income – perhaps the most important asset that you have.

The Benefits of Working With An Employee Benefits Specialist

We understand that when looking for employee benefits, you're looking to do so cost-effectively. But it's essential to make sure you work with an employee benefits specialist, no matter what the price tag is on your benefits package. We'll explain how an employee benefits specialist differs from a generalist and why working with an employee benefits specialist is so important.

Is it Time for Your Insurance Audit?

Has it been awhile since you last looked at your insurance portfolio? Are you a little vague in your recollection of all the coverage you have and why you have it? Are you uncertain as to whether or not your portfolio reflects your current situation? Just like going to the dentist for regular checkups is a necessary evil, reviewing your financial plan and products on a regular basis is also recommended. Circumstances can change over time and making sure your protection is keeping pace is a worthwhile exercise.

Tax Tips You Need To Know Before Filing Your 2022 Taxes

It’ll be time to file your 2022 taxes soon, and you must take advantage of every tax credit and deduction you can! Our article covers the following: • Canada Workers Benefit. • Claiming home office expenses. • The tax deduction for zero-emissions vehicles. • Return Of Fuel Charge Proceeds To Farmers Tax Credit. • Eligible Educator School Supply Tax Credit.

The Best Way to Buy Mortgage Insurance

Before buying insurance from your bank to cover your mortgage, please consider your options. What does the insurance cover?

Federal Budget 2023 Highlights

On March 28, 2023, the Federal Government released their 2032 budget. This article highlights the following financial measures: • New transfer options associated with Bill C-208 for intergenerational transfer. • New rules for employee ownership trusts. • Changes to how the Alternative Minimum Tax is calculated. • Improvements to Registered Education Savings Plans. • Expanding access to Registered Disability Savings Plans. • Grocery rebate. • Deduction for tradespeople tool expenses. • Automatic tax filing. • New Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Ontario 2023 Budget Highlights

On March 23, 2023, the Ontario Minister of Finance delivered the province’s 2023 budget. Our article covers the highlights as follows: • Corporate tax credits. • Indirect tax changes. • Increased healthcare options. • Supporting communities. • Supporting the economy and infrastructure.

Get Your Corporate Dollars Doing Double Duty

Owners of very successful private corporations are well aware of the importance of cash flow. Many are protective of how they allocate corporate capital so that business ventures are adequately funded and investment opportunities are not missed. The Immediate Financing Arrangement offers an opportunity to provide life insurance coverage and accumulate wealth on a tax-advantaged basis without impairing corporate cash flow.

TFSA versus RRSP – What you need to know to make the most of them in 2023

When looking to save money in a tax-efficient manner, Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA) and Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) can offer significant tax benefits. The main difference between the two is that TFSAs are ideal for short-term goals, such as saving for a down payment on a house or a vacation, as its growth is entirely tax-free, while RRSPs are more suitable for long-term goals such as retirement. When comparing deposit differences, TFSAs have a limit of $6,500 for the current year, while RRSPs have a limit of 18% of your pre-tax income from the previous year, with a maximum limit of $30,780. In terms of withdrawals, TFSAs have no conversion requirements and withdrawals are tax-free, while RRSPs must be converted to a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) at age 71 and withdrawals are taxed as income.

Retirement Planning

Most of us understand the benefits of sensible retirement planning but when it comes to actually creating your personal retirement strategy and putting it into effect it doesn’t feel quite as straightforward. The reality is that, while there are lots of variables to consider, it isn’t as difficult to create an effective plan for retirement as you may think.

Getting the best from a financial advisor

Working with a professional to help you to make sense of your finances can be a wise move, but for this relationship to work effectively it is important that you understand what to expect from your financial advisor.

Five Ways To Withdraw Money From Your Business In A Tax-Efficient Manner

You have worked long and hard to build up your business, and now you are ready to withdraw money from your business' bank account. But you don't want to get hit with a huge tax bill. So here are 5 ways to withdraw money from your business in a tax-efficient manner.

Group Insurance vs Individual Life Insurance

While it’s great to have group coverage from your employer or association, in most cases, people don’t understand the that there are important differences when it comes to group life insurance vs. self owned life insurance.

2022 Ontario Budget Highlights

On April 28, 2022, the Ontario Minister of Finance delivered the province's 2022 budget. It's focused on five different pillars: • Rebuilding the economy. • Better jobs and bigger paycheques. • Building highways and critical infrastructure. • Keeping costs down. • Investing in health care. Budget 2022 includes no changes to personal or corporate tax rates.

2022 Federal Budget Highlights

On April 7, 2022, the Federal Government released their 2022 budget. Our article contains highlights of the various financial measures in this budget, divided into these sections: • Housing • Alternative minimum tax • Dental care • Small businesses • Tradespeople • Canada Growth Fund • Climate • Bank and insurer taxes

2021 Income Tax Year Tips

It’ll be time to file your 2021 taxes soon, and you must take advantage of every tax credit and deduction that you can. Our article includes information on a variety of subjects you need to know about, including what to do if you’ve had to repay COVID-19 benefits, how to plan ahead if you’re self-employed or retiring soon, and what you need to know if you have a home office or employer-provided benefits.

10 Essential Decisions for Business Owners

Business owners are busy… they’re busy running a successful business, wearing lots of hats and making a ton of decisions. We've put together a list of 10 essential decisions for every business owner to consider.

Estate Planning for Business Owners

What happens when the children grow up and they are no longer dependent on their parents? What happens to your other "baby"- the business? Estate planning for business owners deals with the personal and business assets.

TFSA versus RRSP – What you need to know to make the most of them in 2022

TFSAs and RRSPs can be significant savings vehicles. To help you understand their differences, we have put together this article to compare: - TFSA versus RRSP - Differences in deposits - TFSA versus RRSP - Differences in withdrawals Understanding the differences between these two types of tax-advantaged accounts can help you better plan for future purchases and your eventual retirement.

2022 Financial Calendar

Looking for an "at a glance" document covering all the important dates you need to know to stay on track with your financial planning in 2022? Our 2022 financial calendar (which you can easily bookmark or print out) makes sure you're always in the loop! It lists important dates, including: • Payments dates for the Canada Child Benefit, CPP, OAS, and the GST/HST credit. • When TFSA contribution room starts again. • Tax filing deadlines. • Charitable contribution deadlines and the last day to contribute to registered investment accounts. • When the Bank of Canada interest rate announcements are.

2021 Personal Year-End Tax Tips

The end of 2021 is quickly approaching – which means it’s time to get everything in order, so you’re ready when it comes time to file your taxes. We’ve broken this article into the following sections to make it easy to find the tax tips you’re looking for: • Individuals, including details on COVID-19 benefits and important tax credits. • Investment considerations, including how to best contribute to TFSAs, RRSPs, and RDSPs. • Families, including how to claim childcare expenses and make the most of RESPs. • Retirees, including essential details about applying for CPP and OAS.

2021 Year-End Tax Tips for Business Owners

We’re approaching the end of the year, so it’s time to review your business finances. We’ve put together an article highlighting the most critical tax-planning tips you need to know as a business owner. We’ve focused on: • How to determine the right salary and dividend mix. • The best ways to handle compensation. • How to make sure you can take advantage of the small business deduction. • What you need to know about depreciable assets and charitable donations. • How to make the most of Covid-19 relief programs.

Leaving a Legacy

There are so many options designed to help you to use a portion of your estate to benefit a good cause when you pass away. The estate planning process helps you to ensure that your estate is distributed as per your wishes and in the most tax efficient way as possible, but legacy planning goes further than this and aims to involve your family and loved ones in your plans to make a difference according to your personal values. The input of your family in this process should not be underestimated – they play a critical part in supporting the process to make your wishes become reality, so be sure to share your thoughts and intentions with them in good time.

“Final Pivot” – COVID-19 Emergency Benefits expire October 23rd, replaced by targeted supports

On Thursday, October 22nd, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the "final pivot in delivering the support needed to deliver a robust recovery." This "Final Pivot" means several existing pandemic support programs for individuals and businesses will expire on October 23rd, 2021: -  Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)  -  Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)  -  Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) 

Permanent versus Term Life Insurance – What are the Differences?

You know you need life insurance – but you’re not sure which kind is best for you. There are two main kinds of life insurance: • Permanent, which lasts for your entire life. Premiums can be more expensive, but you can also use the policy to build up cash value. • Term, which is only good for a set amount of time. Premiums are less expensive, and you cannot build up cash value – but coverage is easy to get and understand. We can help you determine which type of insurance is best for you and how much it will cost you.

Do you REALLY need life insurance?

You most likely do, but the more important question is, What kind? Whether you’re a young professional starting out, a devoted parent or a successful CEO, securing a life insurance policy is probably one of the most important decisions you will have to make in your adult life. Most people would agree that having financial safety nets in place is a good way to make sure that your loved ones will be taken care of when you pass away. Insurance can also help support your financial obligations and even take care of your estate liabilities.

Wealth Protection – Disability Insurance

Everybody understands the value of life insurance and most of us who take our finances seriously have a solid life insurance policy in place. But what happens if you are unlucky enough to sustain a serious illness, chronic disease or disability which prevents you from working? Such a scenario could be disastrous for your family finances and this is where disability insurance comes in.

The Best Way to Buy Mortgage Insurance

Before buying insurance from your bank to cover your mortgage, please consider your options. What does the insurance cover?

Self Owned vs. Bank Owned Mortgage Insurance

Before buying insurance from your bank to cover your mortgage, please consider your options. What does the insurance cover?

Why You Should Consider Critical Illness Insurance

There are no perfect answers in the area of your personal finances, but if you are looking for an option that has the potential to offer you a real sense of peace of mind to secure the financial future of you and your family, critical illness insurance is certainly an interesting avenue to explore.

Federal Budget 2021 Highlights

On April 19, 2021, the Federal Government released their 2021 budget. Our article contains highlights of the various financial measures in this budget, divided into three different sections: • Business Highlights, including an extension to COVID-19 Emergency Business Supports, new programs to support job creation, and a change in interest deductibility limits. • Individual Highlights, including details on the tax treatment and repayment of personal COVID-19 benefits (such as CERB), eligibility changes to the Disability Tax Credit, an increase in OAS for those 75 and up, and support for job skills retraining. • Additional Highlights, including a proposed federal minimum wage of $15, changes to the GST New Housing Rebate conditions, and new or increased taxes in areas such as luxury goods, tobacco, and Canadian housing owned by non-resident foreign owners.

What’s new for the 2021 tax-filing season?

Tax season is upon us once again. But since 2020 was a year like no other, the 2021 tax-filing season will also be different. Due to all the changes in both where and how Canadians worked, the Canadian government has introduced some new tax credits and deductions to keep pace with these changes. Our article covers all of the following: • How to claim home office expenses • The new Canada Training Credit • Pandemic emergency funds • New digital news subscription tax credit

Importance of a Buy-Sell Agreement

Working as a partnership between 2 or more individuals is never an easy task, and the situation only gets more complicated when one or more of them exits the business. Protecting not only the business, but your personal interests, as well as your family’s future are very important objectives for any business owner, and should not be overlooked.

Insurance Planning for Business Owners

For business owners, making sure your business is financially protected can be overwhelming. Business owners face a unique set of challenges when it comes to managing risk. Insurance can play an important role.

Extended COVID-19 Federal Emergency Benefits

On Friday, February 19, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an extension to: - Canada Recovery Benefit - Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit - Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit - Employment Insurance

Self-employed: Government of Canada addresses CERB repayments for some ineligible self-employed recipients

Great news for some ineligible self-employed Canadians who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

Insurance Planning for Young Families

For young families, making sure your family is financially protected can be overwhelming, especially since there’s so much information floating online. This infographic addresses the importance of insurance- personal insurance.

TFSA vs RRSP – What you need to know to make the most of them in 2021

Both TFSAs and RRSPs can be significant savings vehicles for your clients. We've put together an article to help your clients easily understand the differences between them – with one section focussing on differences in deposits and one focussing on differences in withdrawals. The deposit section focuses on: • How much contribution room is available each year • How carry forward works for TFSAs and RRSPs • Tax deductibility of contributions • Tax treatment of growth The withdrawal section focusses on: • Conversion requirements • Tax treatment of withdrawals • Impact of withdrawals on government benefits • Impact of withdrawals on contribution room

2021 Financial Calendar

We’ve put together a financial calendar for 2021. It contains all the dates you need to know to make the most of your government benefits and investment options. Whether you want to bookmark this or print it out and post it somewhere prominent, you’ll have everything you need to know in one place!