I was overwhelmed with the response from readers about the previous column I wrote on reverse mortgages. There seems to be many Canadians considering this product as a way to inject the much needed funds into their later years of retirement. Many of you had questions about other alternatives so I wanted to provide you with one that I believe would indeed be a better option: a collateral charge. [...]
I love the latest TV commercial with actor Tom Sellick about reverse mortgages. It must be his fabulous moustache and soothing voice. Okay, all joking aside, it is almost impossible to escape the cadre of aging male actors and athletes who’ve found a second career as pitch-men for reverse mortgages. Kurt Browning is the front man for Canada’s CHIP reverse mortgage product. So, should you consider it? Reverse [...]
Hustle culture is something my demographic, (ages 45 to 55) and our parents have been used to all our lives. Living by the motto that you can’t be successful unless you “work really hard, show up every day ready to overcome any obstacle, with a no-limits attitude, and of course, programmed for greatness.” We quickly passed judgment on anyone who didn’t seem to be working hard, and everything in [...]
I recently went to a friend’s home and had the pleasure of reading a book to her 4-year-old granddaughter and I had forgotten how wise these children’s books are. Written by adults for children, but with a message in the story for us all. The book was called “Days with Frog and Toad,” written by Arnold Lobel. The story starts with Toad waking up one morning and complaining [...]
Did you know that according to Stats Canada there are approximately 7.3 million women between the ages of 51 to 62 in Canada? That’s a lot of ladies. I love to be in the company of so many Canadian women. Women born in the late 50’s or 60’s were told they should grow up to be secretaries, grocery cashiers or better yet just be a good mother. Now [...]
We all have different financial goals and different routes and timescales for getting there. For example, you might want to get out of debt for good and stop having to meet expensive interest payments. You may want to consolidate your debt or find a more structured debt repayment plan to free yourself from serious debts for good and start again. You might want to see a financial adviser to [...]
We all want to enjoy better financial security for ourselves and our families. After all, a lack of financial security often means that we are constantly worried about how we are going to pay the next bill that comes up or how we are going to cover any unexpected costs. This is one of the reasons that so many people choose to use the services of a personal financial [...]
Behind every successful person, there is usually a coach of some kind, whether it's in the field of sport, business or finance. In fact, it's puzzling that many people haven't yet considered using the services of a financial advisor or coach, especially given how hard we work to earn our money and want to make the most of it! What a finance coach does? As with any good coach, [...]
There are plenty of times during your life when it makes good sense to review your finances and future financial planning. But unless you really know what you're doing, it can be a challenging, daunting and sometimes expensive effort - if you get things wrong! With that in mind, here are five reasons why you should consider financial planning and advice from a professional financial services advisor. Financial planning [...]
Retirement Bucket List: 6 Types of Buckets for Your Money! We have all heard the term “retirement bucket list.” A list of things that you would never do when you were working, but now that you are child-free, work-free, and hopefully care-free, you can do all the things you have always dreamed of. Maybe it is sky diving, buying a motorcycle, learning something new, traveling to an exotic [...]
