What problems does the financial industry solve for Canadian consumers? Where is the value added for interacting with the financial industry and why use an Advisor versus doing it yourself online?

To address these questions, here is a refresher on why the financial industry exists in the first place.

Simply speaking, there are two basic functions for the financial industry:

As the human brain ages and matures, it’s perfectly natural for memory to undergo a great deal of changes. The brain becomes less pliable and less able to form memories, which can lead to occasional forgetfulness or absent-mindedness.

The new October 2016 Federal Government Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) rules are causing many Canadians to review and revise existing Wills and Estate Planning strategies according to STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Planners).

No one wants to think about having their identity stolen or experiencing a theft of their finances. It is unpleasant, distasteful, and often feels like the type of thing that happens to other people, not to ourselves.

The sad truth is that, every single year, identity theft crimes result in billions of dollars lost by individuals just like you. Unfortunately, those numbers are expected to continue rising in the future.

There is a common misconception that, if left unaddressed, can having a devastating effect an individual’s long-term financial well-being. It is the belief that long-term care costs are fully covered by provincial health care plans if you or a loved one ever need this special type of care.

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Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. While programs do exist to cover some needs like these, most of the burden of long-term care costs usually fall to the individual or their family members.

With spring just around the corner, many Canadians have young people in their lives who are graduating from university, professional schools or community colleges. When the excitement of Commencement wears off, they are faced with the challenge of finding their first full-time paid jobs.

What is your most valuable asset? Many people will think about this question and come up with a variety of answers, but most people will likely say their home is their most valuable asset, while others may say a business they own or a retirement portfolio.

But for some people, understanding the answer to this question comes too late. Without warning, bad health can take its toll which can leave you disabled or severely ill and unable to continue with your everyday responsibilities.

No one likes to think about their own mortality, but making a proper estate plan can help to lessen the grief of loved ones left behind. Alternately, without a written estate plan, surviving family members are often saddled with the responsibility of making estate decisions without a clear understanding of the deceased’s wishes.

With many Baby Boomers now moving into their sunset years, the growing concern is how they will efficiently and effectively plan for the transfer of their wealth to the next generation?

A recent survey by RBC Wealth Management estimated that the amount of money changing hands over the next twenty years is about $400 billion. Yet, only 22 per cent of wealthy Canadians have a detailed Estate Plan on how they plan to pass on their assets according to this survey.*

Many people have no idea. Some people have a vague idea. A few people, a very few, have it all worked out. When it comes to retirement planning, many people do not take action until forced to by a mid-life event (career change, death of loved one) or by hearing about seniors running out of money.