As with many retirement savers, it took two major stock market events (Global Financial Crisis, Global Pandemic) to convince Adam and Sonya that trying to ’time the market’ or pick specific sectors was a costly exercise in futility.

But, with the value of their RRSPs nearly halved in the 2009 Financial Crisis, they also recognized that they could not afford to avoid equities if they were going to have any chance of meeting their retirement goals. That’s when they adopted the time-tested, academically based...

History tells us about half of marriages in Canada end in divorce. Andrew and Sara are about to end theirs and are concerned about the changes that will have to be made to their financial and estate plans. Some financial and estate issues they need to consider are:

Life Insurance – The first thing that needs to be done is a review of the beneficiary designations. If there are children, they may be the new beneficiaries and trustees will be needed if they are minors. This will affect both personal plans and group benefits. When one parent is responsible for child support payments, new life insurance may be needed to cover this obligation.

After the sale of their house, Andrew and...

By far one of the most crucial financial strategy steps is accurately estimating retirement expenses. Correctly accounting for retirement living expenses is critical to ensuring that retirees do not outlive their money. For those already retired, there are usually few good options for creating new income sources later in life.

Getting retirement spending projections correct is both an art and a science. To deal effectively in planning for future retirement needs, a financial professional can help determine the best course of action.

Early into her teaching career, Sheila started working with a financial advisor who helped her plan ahead for a comfortable retirement. She learned...