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?

Knowledge Bureau and Manulife Investments, title sponsor of the Distinguished Advisor Conference and co-sponsor of the DAC Young Advisors Award, were delighted to announce last week the inaugural winners of this prestigious award. 

Technology has made the obvious possible: In most cases, the CRA already knows what your income is, because they have a copy of your information slips from employers and financial institutions. Now, starting in 2016, for the 2015 tax filing year, CRA is introducing the “Auto-fill my return” function.

Death is never timely, yet it comes to at least one per cent of the population each year. Advisors need to be able to help their clients minimize the income tax consequences before the event occurs. 

What does it take to be a Top Gun in the financial services? To be amongst the most highly regarded in your industry, you must exhibit the characteristics and skills reserved for the elite: exceptional academic achievements, outstanding personal leadership and teamwork abilities and most of all, a stronger drive than others to be at the top of your field.

“No one’s happiness but my own is in my power to achieve or to destroy.” - Ayn Rand

Neufeld v. Dafoe BCSC 2016. The Supreme Court of British Columbia recently varied the Will of a deceased person to provide funds to a plaintiff, who insisted she was his common law partner. The facts were quite unusual: the plaintiff’s marriage ended after she was taken hostage by her husband during a police stand-off in which he was killed.