Tax Avoidance, Financial Stress & Well Being

Earlier this month, Statistics Canada published a report titled Stretching the Loonie: a time series analysis of financial difficulty and quality of life. The report is based on a nation-wide survey and the results are concerning. They reveal a serious trend and it is possible this is contributing to the late filing trend we are seeing this tax season.

Virtual DAC Acuity 2021, October 17-19 will feature the thought leadership of 8 senior executives, 2 best-selling authors, leading scholars and top wealth advisors. It’s an online conference experience that tax and financial professionals won’t want to miss. Share the knowledge: enrol yourself and bring your team along at a reduced tuition fee, until September 30.

Sharon Timson is a DFA-Tax Services Specialist™ Designate who has been able to increase the value she offers to her clients, while diving deeper into the important financial conversations. See what she has to say about her experience in earning these important credentials.

CRA launched its new Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) calculator today, to assist businesses in applying for support based on “incremental remuneration” in the period June 6 to November 20, 2021.  The program will overlap with CEWS and is meant to help businesses grow again as the economy reopens, as a result of hiring staff, increasing pay, or increasing shifts. It’s good news and advisors will want to bring details to their business owner clients immediately.  Here are the details:

What matters is what you keep. As we have reached the 2021 halfway point, from a tax planning point of view it’s high time focus on ways to keep more money in your clients’ pockets before year-end.  A key question arises for pre-retirees in the post-COVID environment:  what are the right next steps if TFSA, RPP and RRSP contribution room has been maximized for every adult in the family?  The answer takes the investor back to three basics:

On June 23, the April 19, 2021 Federal Budget was passed into law by the House of Commons.  It included changes to pandemic supports, including the extension and reduction to the Canada Recovery Benefit to $300 per week. Our June Poll asked our readers if they feel this move is premature, and the answers provide insights to the question “Is it time to get our economy back to normal?” For the majority of our June Poll respondants (66%), the answer is ‘yes’ it’s time.  But it was a close neck-in-neck race and insights from both sides of the equation are enlightening.  Please read on to find out why:

Are financial advisors failing the next generation?  A new survey says “yes”, as younger investors are dropping their financial advisors in favor of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) investing.  This requires introspection, especially by advisors who want to build practices for the future.  Fees are a big trigger, but looking more closely, there are two more compelling reasons which top advisors can step up to address.