The following are some ideas for individuals and business owners to reduce income taxes as 2024 draws to a close.
Individuals should consider doing their RRSP contributions before the RRSP rush in the first 60 days of 2025. You can get better values by buying today than when all the last minute procrastinators rush to buy their RRSPs in the New Year and temporarily push up market values.
Recent college or university graduates with their first career job have an understandable itch to spend money after years of living on Kraft Dinner.
Yet this is the ideal time in life to start developing the correct habits that will lead to a comfortable future lifestyle. But we often hear reasons why now is not the right time to get started.
We all know how easy it is to romanticize our retirement years. Many of us make lengthy lists of things we will do and experience in those golden years. We have little doubt about our ability to enjoy the perfect blend of leisure and excitement, which is what makes the very idea of retirement seem so priceless. However, it would be a mistake to equate "priceless" with "cost-free!"
Those golden years might cost you more than you think. Are you prepared for those costs?
As Canadian and US stock market indexes hit new highs this year, many investors began expressing anxiety about a possible ‘correction’. Financial media personalities have also been speculating about the timing of correction from these recent market highs – following a strong run over the past year.
Before a sky scraper can reach for the clouds, it needs a very strong foundation. Once the building is complete, the foundation is virtually unseen. The same goes for our financial strategies. Following are the basics of a strong financial foundation:
Budget – Governments and businesses use budgets to properly allocate resources. It’s known as good business. A budget can help you figure out where your hard earned income is going and to identify ways to cut spending or increase savings.
Recently, a client wanted to leave all their money to two charities through their Will. They wanted to leave a legacy to a few charities, and they didn't have any close family members.
Here is her situation: Age 80, $550,000 in savings (75% non-registered and TFSA), with income of $70,000 annually from pensions and RRIFs. She was also spending an additional $20,000 a year from savings to support her lifestyle.
