We can all agree that the last few years have been difficult. Sometimes, our financial challenges may not have been just about our income. More often than not, it’s been tied to the decisions we make about how we use our money. And those decisions can be emotional, too. For example, we take pleasure [...]
The first step to managing your debt is to understand the difference between good debt and bad debt. Good debt helps you to build on an asset, like your mortgage or to finance your education. Bad debt occurs when you borrow money to purchase an item that reduces in value over time. Credit card [...]
As we come to the end of a year that has been difficult for many CEIRP members, we can look ahead to 2024 as a fresh start, especially when it comes to how we manage our money. With this in mind, here is a simple money hack that you can try that will help [...]
Chris Enns is a unique financial advisor: he also has experience on the stage as an opera singer. Unlike other advisors, he has personal experience with the cyclical highs and lows of working in the entertainment industry. That’s why we asked him for his advice on how many of our members can cope financially [...]
One important habit to adopt in order to become a successful budgeter is tracking your expenses. Luckily, there are a lot of options available to help make your life easier. Here are a few ideas: Spending apps: regardless of whether you have an Android or an Apple phone, you can easily find a free [...]
There is one thing we can always expect after the holiday season: when the festive bubble bursts, the bills arrive and we realize that we should have done a better job budgeting for the holidays. We then start the year stressed because we have new debts to manage. So here’s a reminder about our [...]
Almost on a daily basis across Canada, we are hearing news reports about how expensive life is becoming. It just seems as if today’s financial news isn’t very positive and it’s hard to know when things will improve. But there are adjustments we can do right now to manage these increases and calm [...]
Now that school is back in session, here’s a quick reminder of how the Registered Education Savings Plan works: It is a tax-sheltered account to save money for a child’s education Parents, grandparents, guardians, family members and friends can open an RESP It provides grants (CESG) and various other incentives Individual and family [...]
If you and/or your spouse/common-law partner are thinking about going back to school, you can fund it by withdrawing $10,000 annually, up to a $20,000 maximum, from each of your RRSPs. Once you have finished your studies, you have ten (10) years to redeposit the amount you loaned yourself back into your RRSP [...]
If you were looking to rent a new apartment, would you know how to check your credit score? Even if you’re not looking to move, having an idea of where you stand with your creditors is another part of having a solid financial plan. The good news is that you can download a [...]
