Foreign Currencies Gains and Losses

As we all know, it’s been a roller coaster week in tariff news. The Canadian dollar started to sink, although not to its lowest historical level-yet. The 30 day pause in implementation of the U.S. tariffs has provided a wake up call: What effect will such a Black Swan event have on portfolios and, by extension, retirement plans?

The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) has just released its first report on a broad range of physical, mental and social aspects of aging in Canada. Why should tax and financial advisors care about these trends at this time? The key findings may surprise you, as the vast majority of seniors say they are managing very well.

Despite good trends in overall wealth accumulation in Canada, recent reports show that many Canadians struggle financially with increasing personal debt levels, and rising mortgage interest rates. The  2018 Budget also voiced concerns about income equality and diversity, but it’s clear education is a key part of the solution.

According to the 2016 Survey of Financial Security, released in December of 2017, median net worth increased in Canada by 14.7 percent since 2012. The big ticket to success? Turns out, it’s real estate, pensions and according to other studies, entrepreneurship.

When an employee moves from one employer with a pension plan to a new employer with their own pension plan, pension adjustments can get confusing.

At November’s Distinguished Advisor Conference (DAC), Knowledge Bureau will be honouring tomorrow’s future leaders as the recipients of the Young Advisor Award. Applications are being accepted until June 30, 2018!

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) will increase this July for families that filed a 2017 tax return. However, the requirement to file a tax return is just one of the reasons why thousands of Canadians can’t access these generous, tax free benefits. The government will soon spend more on awareness; but the tax and financial services community can assist, too.