The Importance of Provincial Budgets: Elbows Up and No Bracket Creep!

Some of the right things are happening in Nova Scotia, from the perspective of improving standards of living in that province.  And that’s important news because according to the Fraser Institute, Canadians have suffered the worst five-year decline in their standard of living over the 2020-to-2024 period since the Great Depression.  It notes, our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person decreased by 2.0% (0.4% annually) ; this despite aggregate GDP growth of 1.5% over the period.  Further, all ten provinces are experiencing stagnation, which is unique in our history.  So what’s the good news in Nova Scotia, at this critical juncture?

Are you managing your assets with tax efficiency?  This year make sure both you and your spouse review your personal net worth statements to ensure your tax advantages are taken advantage of.  Here are three tips to consider.

This is the time of year that high net worth clients are looking for one more tax saving opportunity before year end.  Donations of flow-through shares, commonly available from corporations in the oil & gas, mining and renewable energy sectors, will still be allowed. However, many tax and financial advisors will want to brush up on their knowledge of the subject first.

The most recent Distinguished Advisor Conference tour saw an unprecedented level of deep thought on the integration of the Canadian personal, corporate and trust tax structures as the sustainability of family wealth was under scrutiny in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver.

As DAC 2016 wraps up in beautiful San Diego, CA, we are excited to announce the site of the 2017 DAC:  beautiful Kelowna, BC, where we will celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday November 5-8.  Reserve now at special pre-conference early bird rates.

Largely due to advances in preventing heart disease and with Baby Boomers leading healthier lifestyles, Canadians who reach age 65 are more likely than ever to live into their 90's.  This takes retirement income planning into a much longer period, in which a focus on continued accumulation and investing is as important as tax-efficient withdrawal of funds.  Capital must be preserved at the same time.

"You learn far more from negative leadership than from positive leadership. Because you learn how not to do it. And, therefore, you learn how to do it."  Norman Schwarzkopf