Red Ink on the Prairies
A day after Quebec’s Finance Minister Eric Girard brought down a Budget featuring a $6.3 Billion deficit, Saskatchewan’s Finance Minister Jim Reiter tabled his government’s budget on March 19. Next up was Finance Minister Adrian Salas, who tabled the Manitoba Budget on March 24. The common thread: there’s lots of red ink on the Prairies. But that’s where the budget documents differ between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Here’s the latest tax news and why it matters to the advice you give your clients.What Is a Recession and How to Help!
The “R” word is emerging daily as market volatility continues in response to the global trade war initiated by the U.S. How do you explain this to clients and guide them through this period of instability and uncertainty? Here are some thoughts:
Introducing the Distinguished Partners at DAC
Knowledge Bureau is honored and proud to introduce the distinguished partners at the Acuity Conference for Distinguished Advisors, November 23-26 in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. Please check out their unique value propositions in the financial services industries they serve and click on their logos on the official conference page for more information. Then check out the amazing agenda - so far – for this thought leadership event. A great way to earn CE/CPD credits and network with an outstanding audience of leaders from coast-to-coast:
The RWM Difference: Focus on Financial Stability
What’s keeping your clients up at night? How do we help clients accumulate, grow, preserve and transition wealth with the continued volume of change coming from new governments in Ottawa and Washington? How do we temper harm from difficult relationships people have with money? Share your thoughts on proactively managing client concerns with strategy, process, and answers to these three critical questions, as we hear case study approaches from our panelists at the April 23 Introduction to Real Wealth Management™ Orientation. Learn more and then join these professionals who are the change-makers of the financial services by earning your own specialized credentials as an RWM™.
CRA Service Levels Rate Poorly in Advisor Poll
Over 96% of advisors surveyed in last month’s Knowledge bureau Report poll said that despite ramping up various initiatives and staffing levels, CRA’s service levels have worsened significantly and the commentary around this was interesting. For the few who said yes, there were no specific embellishing comments, but for those who said no, there was a lot of scathing detail. Take a look:
Despite Inflation, No Raise for Seniors in Q2
Despite the fact that the cost of living seems to be increasing in the grocery story and when paying for transportation and costly medication, Old Age Security benefits will remain unchanged for the April to June 2025 quarter. While increases to OAS over the past year have been 2% from April 2024 to April 2025, the cost of living has increased more, as explained more fully below. You’ll also be interested in the prescribed interest rates applied to tax refunds and balances due, adjusted quarterly:
Quebec Budget Tabled March 25 Focuses on Record Deficit
Finance Minister Eric Girard tabled his 7th budget on March 25th. This is the most detailed, comprehensive and far-reaching budget we’ve seen from any of the provinces thus far. This budget focuses heavily on spending, producing a record deficit. It also reflects the Quebec government’s preoccupation with U.S. tariffs. The word “tariff” is mentioned no fewer than 161 times in this document.
