Commercial Services

Protection for your business and the people who make it a success.

Learn More >>

Personal Services

Protection for your yourself and your family.

Learn More >>

Archive for February, 2010

22
Feb

RRSP – There Is Still Time

We are in our last week of “RRSP Season”, the time in which you are eligible to make contributions to your RRSP and have them counted towards your 2009 tax year. Most of our clients prefer to do regular, automatic, monthly deposits, and so do not have to concern themselves with finding “leftover” money to put in after the holiday season… if you don’t have a pre-authorized deposit plan set up, I highly recommend you take this opportunity to start one for 2010 (you can start with as little as $25 per month).

To give you an idea of the value of using an RRSP as part of your retirement plan, I encourage you to play around with Mackenzie’s RRSP Illustrator. You can also see just how much more can be saved by reinvesting the tax refund earned from RRSP deposits. If you have any questions, please give us a call!

As we move into the March tax season, it is the perfect time of year to give yourself a financial makeover. After the last couple years, are your investments still in line with your goals and risk tolerance? Do you have enough, or are you saving enough, to enjoy the kind of retirement you would like to have? Is your money protected from future economic downturns, from creditor’s claims or unnecessary probate costs, or from a personal emergency? We have options designed for people in all stages of life and business, please give us a call to talk about which ones are right for you.

If you are curious about the technical structures behind Canada’s RRSP program, here is a link to the Canada Revenue Agency’s Registered Retirement Savings Plan site.

Grant MacEwan University "Tilt-Shifted" Photo (Edmonton, Alberta)

Grant MacEwan University "Tilt-Shifted" Photo (Edmonton, Alberta)

Photo credit: “Grant MacEwan University Tilt-Shift” by pixelens photography (Flickr)

01
Feb

TFSA or RRSP

Good Day everyone! This is my first attempt to communicate to you this year as we were down in Australia visiting our daughter in Melbourne. Michael came with us to celebrate her graduation from Law at the University of Melbourne. The weather was fantastic, people were great and the food was fabulous, not mention the exceptional wine. We wish all of you a very good 2010!

Many questions we get are about the TFSA (Tax Free Savings Account) vs the RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan).  We believe the best savings plan for most people is an RRSP but with the addition of a TFSA it gives us so much more flexibility for planning.  Please review the linked article and if you have any questions please call us.  Here is an idea for you: What about combining the RESP with a TFSA?  Lets discuss over coffee… Harvey

TFSA or RRSP: How to choose? – The Globe and Mail

As Canadian savings rates rise, a BMO report says older and wealthier Canadians are among those who should look at parking their money in a TFSA.

Happy New Year from our family Down Under

Happy New Year from our family "Down Under"