Investments Too Good to Be True
Another large speculative company fails, and investors lose billions, writes Peter Watson. In life, people like to pick a winner, and this is certainly true in the world of investing. But this can sometimes backfire. Until recently, FTX was a global giant as a cryptocurrency exchange platform. According to CNBC its value was $32 billion. […]
Stock Market Can Provide Useful Investing Insights
Understanding how the stock market works can be a useful guide to personal investing, writes Peter Watson. Do you want to know the best place to look for reliable information on the stock market? The answer is simple. Look to the stock market. The reason is buyers and sellers come together to trade a stock. […]
Estate Planning Gone Terribly Wrong
The Rogers family public battle is a lesson on how estate planning efforts can backfire, writes Peter Watson A large part of estate planning is deciding how to allocate your wealth to different beneficiaries. For most families this means distributing your wealth to your children. The late Ted Rogers built his tech company and according […]
Dementia can cause debt or the loss of financial assets
According to the Alzheimer Society 564,000 Canadians are living with dementia, and that number jumps to 937,000 in 15 years. It is very likely this disease will affect you directly, or indirectly with a family member or close friend. On June 17 the federal Health Minister held a news conference in Toronto and outlined Canada’s […]
Fair wills help avoid resentment during a difficult time
Do you know what some adult children do after their last living parent dies? They fight. And sometimes they fight big time. Battles can ignite instantly if assets are distributed unfairly, even if there is a perception of unfair distribution. Making a will is about respecting family values and fairness. It’s not just a simple […]
Do you have an up-to-date will?
In many cases, people who don’t have a will are knowledgeable individuals with financial and real estate assets that will need to be distributed upon their demise. Most people without a will clearly understand they should have one. They have understood this for years but have done nothing about it. I find that curious. The […]
Should Canada implement an inheritance tax?
David Macdonald, Senior Economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and author of the report Born to Win – Wealth Concentration in Canada since 1999, thinks Canada should have an inheritance tax. Currently in Canada taxes are paid before an estate is distributed to its inheritors. For example, there is an assumed deemed disposition […]
Reflect on the future with 2018 New Year’s resolutions
Making New Year’s resolutions can be a learning experience for us all. It provides an opportunity to reflect on our future and our priorities. My theme this year is governance. How do we manage our financial planning goals? And how do our actions affect those we love? Consider all aspects of your financial life and […]
High investment industry fees do not result in superior returns
Warren Buffett thinks investment industry fees are too high. This was one of his messages in the 2017 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. Excessively high fees are not a new topic for Warren Buffett, or this column. “When trillions of dollars are managed by Wall Streeters charging high fees, it is usually the managers […]
New Year’s resolutions… It’s that time of year again
Start this New Year by making some financial resolutions. Think about what is important to you and then spend some time deciding ways to advance your financial circumstances. The following resolutions are my top four recommendations to consider for 2017. One. Save. All good financial plans include a savings target. Large purchases made in […]
