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 [...]
We’ve all seen the headlines: almost every part of our lives is becoming more expensive. So here’s an idea that might help you out. Try the acronym TFSN — “tidy” up, “fix” it, and just “say no” thank you. Here’s how: Tidy: Maybe you don't really need more living space, maybe it's just time [...]
You might not consider yourself one of the best money managers in Canada. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t help your kids get a head start on learning some good financial habits. The idea is to make learning this new skill fun and easy. Here are a few kid-friendly websites that you can [...]
Automate your debt payments Some of the best known personal finance experts recommend using the debt snowball technique to pay off debt. The idea is to list your debts from lowest to highest, and then set aside an amount of money each month to put towards the different items. The bulk of the money [...]
The simple answer is a Canadian resident for tax purposes who is 71 years or younger and making an income, up to the individual’s annual contribution limit. So, what if you’re on a temporary work visa or you’re a Canadian citizen who’s lived overseas for a while and have now moved back? The CRA [...]
We can all agree that the instability of last two years have been a challenge financially for many Canadians. However, a recent Canadian survey found that 40% of respondents were able to continue to contribute to their RRSPs, according to Benefits Canada, a financial industry trade magazine. In fact, the majority of the respondents [...]
A common concern of many Canadians is: “I can never retire.” It’s usually followed by: “I haven’t saved enough.” These worries are understandable since we live and spend money in the “now.” It’s much harder to visualize how we’ll live and spend money in retirement when it may be 5, 10, 15, 20 or [...]
Over the last few years, the financial industry has taken note that women are taking more responsibility for personal and household financial decisions. A recent article in the Toronto Star on the subject noted that 90% of Canadian women will find themselves in this role by way of personal lifestyle preference, divorce or by [...]
