Putting your money where your mouth is.

When you are talking about your goals and priorities, are they matching up with your

actions?

Write down your top 3 core values.

For instance, are you claiming that you are a good saver, that you like giving back, that you have a healthy lifestyle?

Now take a good look at your bank statement, do your transactions match what you

are saying?

Looking at the above example, if you are aligned with your core values, you should see that money is automatically going to a savings plan and you’re donating regularly to your favourite charity.

If your focus is on health, does your bank statement show lots of fast-food purchases?

Make sure that the ideal version of you matches your bank statement. It’s a good place to start.

Preparing for your taxes- 2025

While tax season isn't until the end of the year, there are some benefits to planning

ahead so you have a clearer idea if you will receive a bill or a refund. One of the best ways is to be aware of the tax deductions and credits you may qualify for.

Tax deductions vs. tax credits

So, what’s the difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit, anyway?

Both can help lower the amount of tax you might have to pay, but they go about it differently.

Deductions work to lower your taxable income, so less of your earnings are subject to tax in the first place, potentially dropping you into a lower tax bracket.

Tax credits, by comparison, reduce the amount of tax you pay, potentially lowering your tax bill. There are two types of tax credits: refundable and non-refundable.

Refundable credits are paid out even if you don’t owe any income tax.

Non-refundable tax credits,however, can only be used to offset income tax you owe. While non-refundable tax credits can reduce your tax bill to zero, they won’t qualify you for a tax refund.

Popular tax deductions in Canada

Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) contributions

RRSP contributions are arguably the best-known tax deduction. They are so popular

that a whole event has been built around the filing deadline. But it’s important to

remember there’s a limit on how much you can contribute each year. For 2024, the

contribution limit is $31,560, or 18% of your income earned the previous year,

whichever is less. That said, unused contribution room carries over, so you may be able to contribute more if you haven’t maxed out your available contribution room from the previous year. Although you can make contributions at any time, the deadline to be able to apply those tax credits to your previous year’s earnings is typically 60 days after the end of the calendar year.

Keep watching our posts for more tax deductions..

Financially Secure

Want to create a better, more financially secure life?

It starts with you

Make time to get clear on what your goals are and what it will take to get you there.

Work backwards from your dream and figure out how much it will take to make it come true.

For instance, if you would like to fund a family vacation, do the math to figure out the approximate cost. Let’s say that will cost 8,000$ in 1 year, then you have 52 weeks to save 154$ per week. If that is totally unrealistic for your current finances, don’t give up on that dream, simply stretch it out. Try 2 years as your goal, that means you have 104 weeks and you need to save 77$ per week.
It all starts with spending the time to figure out your goal.

What are your Money Beliefs

What money beliefs do you have?
Many times, these will stem from your childhood. How did your parents feel about money? Was there stress in the household about finances, lots of fights about money?
Take a moment and think about what your past experiences around money have been and if those stories are still true to you today, OR , do you need to change the narrative.
It’s never too late to create a new money story.
Saying things like “I GET to go to work” instead of “I HAVE to work”.
Subtle changes in your language around money can make a big difference.
Practice saying:
“Making money is easy”
“I am a money magnet”
Change your feelings around money from stress and pressure to what it represents to you; freedom, happiness and success.
Let us know of any changes you see happening when you change your beliefs and start practicing new language around all things money.

Tips for Planning

Four Planning Tips!

1. Understand your cash flow by tracking your income and expenses.

2. Automate your savings and transfers to avoid late fees.

3. Consider financial protection to eliminate risk.

4. Consult a financial planner and plan now for a more secure future.

Life's Better with a CFP® Professional!

When it comes to navigating your financial future, having a Certified Financial Planner® professional by your side can make all the difference. Here’s why:

64% say they are a trusted source of advice.

65% say they show how financial planning helps save money.

62% say they simplify and explain financial matters.

62% say they develop a long-term plan tailored to their needs to help achieve financial goals.

60% say they adhere to a rigorous code of ethics.

Whether you're planning for retirement, saving for a major purchase, or simply want peace of mind, a CFP® professional can help you make informed decisions that lead to a brighter financial future. Life truly is better with a CFP® professional on your team!

Talking Money with Your Partner

Money can be a touchy subject for any couple. Even if you agree on everything else, discussing finances might feel challenging. But by getting on the same page, you can significantly reduce stress. Here are some tips to help you navigate these conversations:

1. Set Your Goals
Start by discussing what’s most important to you. Go beyond just paying off the mortgage—think about what you’d like to do once it’s paid off and why it matters. When you share your vision of an ideal life, you can begin the real conversation. Meeting with a Certified Financial Planner® can be incredibly helpful in defining your short- and long-term goals and creating a strong financial plan.

2. Create a Plan
Once your goals are set, work together to create a clear plan. Whether or not your goals align perfectly with your partner’s, collaborate with your financial planner to explore different strategies for achieving them. A planner can help you:

Discuss and visualize your shared goals.
Communicate what you both like (and don’t like) about potential plans.
Establish the necessary steps to meet both sets of goals.
Talk about compromises if needed.

3. Check In Regularly
Regular check-ins are crucial for staying on track and reducing financial stress. Make it a habit to:

- Review your financial progress—how have things changed since you became more mindful of saving and spending?
- Reflect on your goals—are they still important? If you’ve made compromises, how do you feel about them?
- Communicate with each other—are your goals still aligned? Do any adjustments need to be made?
- Consult with your planner—what new questions have come up? Remember, your planner is there to help you refine your plan as needed.

Creating a comprehensive financial plan with your partner sets the stage for making the best choices for your future together. A professional financial planner can guide you every step of the way.

Rule of 72

The Rule of 72 is a simple way to calculate how long it will take for your money to double with compound interest. Just divide 72 by your expected rate of return, and you'll get the number of years it will take for your investment to double.

For example:

At a 6% rate of return, your money will double in 12 years: 72/6 = 12
At an 8% rate of return, your money will double in 9 years: 72/8 = 9
Remember, the higher your rate of return, the fewer years it takes for your money to double. Over a lifetime, this can lead to substantial growth!

#InvestmentTips #RuleOf72 #CompoundInterest #FinancialLiteracy #SmartInvesting #MoneyManagement #WealthBuilding #FinancialFreedom #InvestWisely #GrowYourWealth

Building Wealth

Compounding provides a big opportunity to build wealth over the long term. (see our previous post).

Using your money to grow, and then get growth on that growth, creates the snowball effect that will, over the long term, provide gains that will add up. The earlier you start the more time you have to make your money work for you.

Bear or Bull Market

Being in a bear market is never fun!

This is a term used when the stock market drops by more than 20% for an extended period of time.

Stock market declines happen when the world is fearful, things like wars, elections or recessions can create fear and cause markets to drop. Even if you are holding stock of good quality companies, they can get caught up in fear causing their price to drop.

If you have a long-time horizon for your investments it could represent a great time to buy, if you have the stomach for it.

Opposite of a bear market, a bull market is when stock markets are up over 20% for a prolonged period of time. This is a time when those good quality stocks you bought during a bear market have increased dramatically in value. Much more fun than a bear market, bull markets are typically when investors feel “richer than they think."

#BearMarket
#StockMarket
#FinancialEducation
#InvestingTips
#MarketTrends
#StockMarketNews
#InvestmentStrategies
#WealthBuilding

Compounding

When your money earns interest or gains, and that interest earns interest, that’s compounding. It helps your money grow quicker. Think of a snowball rolling down a hill gathering more snow and getting bigger and bigger.

Here’s an example. If you invested $1,000.00 with a 6% rate of return, after 1 year you would have earned $60.00 for a total of $1,060.00. Keep that invested for another year, and in year 2, you would have earned $63.00 and now have a total of $1,123.60. Interest on your interest adds up!

Stay invested and watch how that snowball grows!

#Finance
#FinancialPlanning
#FinancialAdvisor
#MoneyMatters
#WealthBuilding
#LongTermInvestment
#RetirementPlanning
#FuturePlanning
#SavingForTheFuture

Cash Wedge

Creating dependable income is a key priority in the retirement phase of life. When turning a lifetime of diligent savings into a reliable income stream, you’ll want to know your money is secure without giving up on the prospect of long-term growth. You can achieve these goals using a Cash Wedge investment strategy.

#investments #InvestmentSuccess #InvestmentStrategy #investmentsolutions #cashwedge #cashwedgestrategy

Buying a Home- Are you Ready?

Enough?

It’s a simple question that we can apply to almost every part of life. How much time should we spend on grocery shopping? How much time should I spend exercising each week, or, how much should we spend on the new car we’ve been saving for? How much should your kids practice sports each week or study each night?

And when it comes to your net worth, how much is enough to be considered wealthy?

According to a recent Schwab survey, you’ll need at least $2.2 million to be considered wealthy in the U.S. Yet, despite that large number, 48% of those surveyed said they feel wealthy with a net worth of $560,000. Also, the younger crowd, 57% of millennials and 46% of Gen Z individuals feel rich in today’s time.

According to the research, 2/3rds of those surveyed described having healthy relationships with their loved ones describes the meaning of wealth to them better than simply having a lot of money. A whopping 70% said that wealth is not having to worry about money, rather than having a large bank account.

I have seen this in working with our clients over the years. Our happiest, most content clients are those that have enough, not the most. They are financially independent, not worrying about the ups and downs of the market, but rather how to spend time with their family, plan a bucket list trip, or work on their pickleball game.

While it’s important (and necessary) to save for retirement, understanding your purpose is the paramount question. Enough is a variable number to everyone. Your enough is unique to your goals, dreams, and what you want to accomplish.

So, the big question is how much is enough and how do you get there?

Cyber Security -Series - Part #9

Continuation of our Cyber Security Series

Part # 9 - Types of Security Attacks: Social Media-Based Attacks

Social media-based attacks remained a major threat in 2022. A survey by the Identity Theft Resource Center showed that social media account takeover attacks had increased 1,000% from 2021. Most of the attacks were on users’ Instagram accounts, with their accounts being hijacked to promote cryptocurrency scams. These attacks draw on the social engineering technique of social proof, the idea that if other people around you are doing something, it’s probably a good idea for you to join in. They take advantage of their target’s social capital and reputation to trick others into acting.

Cyber Security -Series -Part #8

Continuation of our Cyber Security Series

Part # 8 - Types of Security Attacks: SIM Swap Attacks

In a SIM swap attack, your data is the target, but the means of attack is through your mobile phone provider. Threat actors contact service providers pretending to be customers and convince them to transfer your account to a new SIM card, giving them control of your phone. If you have MFA associated with your phone number, they can then reset passwords and gain access to your accounts. Threat actors use personal information leaked in breaches or data scaping (gathering data that has been freely shared on social media) to convince the mobile provider that they are the account holder.

As we store sensitive information, especially financial information, and cryptocurrency, on our phones, they have become a more appealing target to threat actors. In February of 2022, the FBI issued a warning that SIM swap attacks were on the rise with 1,611 reported attacks in 2021.

Some signs that you may be part of a SIM swap attack include finding you have no cell service when you should have good reception, being locked out of your phone online account, and receiving account login notifications that you weren’t expecting. Contact your phone provider immediately if you suspect that you are being targeted.