Managing Your Finances
Managing your finances is an important component to any financial security plan. Along with the protection offered through insurance and the goal setting provided by investment choices, money management strategies help you manage your savings on a daily basis.
From mortgage payments to tax savings, we can help you manage your money as effectively as possible, given your personal situation.
For Individuals
For Businesses
Your Budget
Some of our most popular questions from clients are:
What's the difference between good debt and bad debt?
How can someone build savings while paying down credit card debt?
How do I begin an investment program?
We can help. It starts with assessing your current debt load and spending habits and then we'll give you the tools to assemble a sound plan for successfully managing your debt. The idea is to develop a personal balance sheet, a spending plan, and a monthly budget.
In short, no matter your life stage, contact us today to learn how to balance savings and investing with your other commitments.
Succession Planning
Preparing for succession after death is a difficult issue to discuss, but it is also an important part of any comprehensive financial plan.
We can help you and your loved ones approach succession planning in a constructive manner that ensures they avoid problems and are well cared for in the event of your death. The process involves two main considerations: life insurance and preparing a will.
Life insurance can ease the financial burden and provide security for your loved ones in the event of your death. A lump-sum payment can be used for mortgage costs or to supplement lost income, helping your successors during a difficult period. Financial security and stability can make it easier to cope with the loss of a loved one.
A written will provides a means to guide your loved ones through the succession process. By naming your executors and providing instructions on the distribution of your estate, your surviving loved ones avoid having to guess your wishes. Rather than provincial law determining how your assets are to be divided—a situation that can result in lengthy court proceedings—a clear, carefully considered written will provides clear instructions to your successors. Save your loved ones the stress of dealing with financial issues by planning for your succession while you are alive.
Contact us today to discuss succession planning in more detail.
Mortgages
Buying a home can be one of the most exciting purchases of your life—but it is also a big decision that will have a major impact on financial planning. Whether you’re looking at a one-bedroom condominium or a five-bedroom house, we will work with you to help plan a mortgage strategy that fits your needs and considers your other financial responsibilities.
From choosing the right time to buy a house to deciding whether it is even a good idea, we can help guide you through this important decision. By assessing all the costs involved - from taxes to renovations - we will work with you to determine whether taking out a mortgage makes sense for your budget.
If you are considering taking out a mortgage, contact us today to discuss how to do so in a way that best fits your situation.
Financial Planning for Business Owners
Business owners face unique challenges—and opportunities—in terms of financial planning. You’ve worked hard to develop your ideas into a successful business, or perhaps you’re considering moving into self-employment. Regardless of your situation, choose a financial planning strategy that takes advantage of your unique situation.
If you are considering moving to self-employment, contact us to discuss how to revise your financial plan. Working together, we will help you adjust from a situation where a previous employer might have provided benefits, such as health or life insurance or a company pension. Life and disability insurance can be difficult to purchase at first, since many insurers want two years of tax results. As well, self-employed people can gain tax write-offs for some health insurance premiums.
You may also need to negotiate a bank loan or line of credit to help fund office space, materials and other business investments. We can help you explore options to effectively secure these start-up expenses.
Tax planning is another important component of a strong business strategy. Depending on your business, consideration may include paying wages or collecting GST. You also need to pay your own CPP and EI, and possibly make quarterly tax installments. As well, you can take advantage of capital cost allowances on equipment such as computers or vehicles, and business expenses such as advertising, salaries, or travel.
No matter what stage of growth your business is in, contact us today to design a tax-efficient business planning strategy.
Business Succession Planning
You worked hard to develop a business, and now is time to enjoy the results. Many entrepreneurs spend years of focused effort building up a business, but then fail to consider how to make the transition to retirement. A financial security advisor can offer expert advice in how to plan an effective business succession strategy.
Entrepreneurs can work to turn equity in the business into capital that can be used to fund retirement. A financial advisor can help business owners with tax-effective retirement strategies, such as using life insurance policies, paying yourself a salary as the business founder, or arranging for an heir to slowly buy up your shares.
Life insurance is another consideration when planning business succession. If the founder is nearing the end of his or her life, a well-planned life insurance policy can help successors transition into business owners. Upon death, successors face estate taxes on business values of more than $500,000—with the tax-free amount potentially offset by any capital business losses the owner declared during his or her lifetime. Life insurance is one way that successors can cover the remaining amounts.
Smaller businesses may not need to pay estate taxes, but can still benefit from a plan that ensures an equal legacy for their successors. A financial security advisor can help entrepreneurs plan an inheritance that is fairly distributed among all loved ones.
Contact us today to discuss strategies for business succession.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax or legal advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor.
