Taking My Own Advice
Over the years I have talked with my clients about protecting and building their financial security, and the importance of taking steps to prepare for the future. To continue on this strategic path and to serve my client’s needs going forward, I am pleased to announce that while I have no immediate plans to retire, I have established a succession plan …
Keeping Perspective – The August 2015 Correction or beginning of a Bear?
Ken Stern, Aligned Capital PartnersNo Panic, No Sell. No Sell, No Lose!With the summer doldrums and lots of people being away on holidays, we’re in the right frame of mind to deal with an event that seems a lot worse than it is. Since the 2008 stock market crash, share prices have been up in five of six years (2011 …
Know the Facts about dividends. They can be toxic when calculating OAS Clawback
Ken Stern, Aligned Capital Partners. This article was written by Wilmot George of CI Mutual Funds As Canada’s baby boomers settle into retirement, many are being caught off guard by their complex financial situations. Getting the most out of Old Age Security (OAS), which for 2015 pays a maximum of $6,780, is a key challenge their advisors need to …
The Incredible Shrinking Rate of Return
Ken Stern, Aligned Capital Partners Rates of return going forward won’t resemble those you’ve gotten used to in the past. Investors can find plenty of advice about how to make retirement money last. Some financial planners tout the 4-per-cent rule, where you withdraw no more than 4 per cent each year from your nest egg. Others recommend working a few …
Money doesn’t make one smart. Check out these crazy purchases…
Sometimes people with a lot of money and too much time on their hands do weird things. Some may call them eccentric but I call them crazy! http://bit.ly/1xrCDCo
Beware The Pitfalls of Travel Insurance
Don’t let a dream vacation turn into a financial nightmare. While you can’t always avoid falling ill, you can limit the impact on your wallet. If you haven’t read the fine print in the exclusions and limitations section of your insurance coverage, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise. Horror stories abound… Read more
Get The Right Insurance for YOUR Stage of Life
Protect What Matters Most. (click here) WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP, your parents probably told you to look both ways before crossing the street, eat your vegetables and brush your teeth before bed. This wasn’t to make your life less fun, but to help make sure you were safe and healthy. Now, as an adult, you want to make sure …
How much are you paying for investments & advice? New rules tell you exactly how much.
Ken Stern, Aligned Capital Partners Now that the cost of do-it-yourself investing has been pounded almost into the ground, we need to do something about people who have advisers. A DIY investor can build a simple but effective portfolio of exchange-traded funds with commission costs of $10 down to nothing per transaction, and only a tiny cost of ownership. In …
Optimize your after-tax income. If you own a corporation, listen up. You likely know some of these strategies.
When running a private business, you need cash flow to support your lifestyle. The challenge is minimizing personal taxes, while optimizing income. But removing money from your company for your benefit requires careful planning. Here are some of your options to extract cash. Each has unique considerations and income tax consequences. Salary and/or bonus These options are deductible by the …
There are many reasons to buy life insurance – some of which may surprise you. Here are 6 good ones.
For many people, their first experience with life insurance is when a friend or acquaintance gets an insurance license. In my case, a college friend, recently hired by a major insurance company, contacted me (along with all of his other friends) to buy a $10,000 policy underwritten by his company. Unfortunately, however, this is how most people acquire life insurance …
