Industry leaders suffering from optimism bias

February 10, 2025

4 min read

Opinion: Whither independence?

Regulators remain indifferent as clients are misled and advisors are censored, writes John De Goey

November 8, 2024

4 min read

Opinion: Regulators, industry must embrace strategic risk allocation

Risk is dynamic, so product ratings should be too

June 24, 2024

4 min read

Jamie Golombek

Tax & Estate

Tax Court case shows consequences of missing — or ignoring — CRA mail

The case involved a mail carrier who claimed he never received notices of reassessment

October 31, 2023

3 min read

Advisor learns the hard way that TFSAs are not for frequent trading

A Tax Court case led to a hefty tax bill

March 31, 2023

3 min read

TFSA overcontributions still a problem

Federal Court case is the latest reminder of the costs

November 7, 2022

4 min read

Akua Carmichael

Tax & Estate

When a gift may not be a gift

Help your client avoid potential litigation over a resulting trust

November 12, 2024

5 min read

Appointing adult children to manage finances

Clients often grant power of attorney for property to a trusted family member; an adult child is not always the best choice

October 1, 2024

4 min read

Common gaps when appointing an attorney for property and personal care

A case study explains the challenges

November 10, 2022

5 min read

Alyssa Mitha

Estate Planning

Managing digital assets in estate planning

From family photos to Netflix accounts and cryptocurrency, your clients’ digital assets require special planning — or they could be lost

August 29, 2024

4 min read

Problems with pour-over trust clauses in wills

Caution is warranted when trusts are revocable

June 12, 2024

4 min read

Mark Soth

Planning and Advice

Realizing capital gains for CCPCs before June 25

Business owner’s compensation is one of several factors to consider

May 8, 2024

5 min read

Benjamin Felix

Planning and Advice

Realizing capital gains for CCPCs before June 25

Business owner’s compensation is one of several factors to consider

May 8, 2024

5 min read

Should business owners avoid CPP by paying themselves dividends?

Research and a case study help clear the misconceptions

March 20, 2024

5 min read

Understanding the role of bonds in retirement portfolios

For better client outcomes, move beyond the common asset allocation advice

February 5, 2024

4 min read

Coreen Sol

Strategy for consistent performance is often most difficult one to adopt

Don’t let behavioural biases impede your investment success

May 7, 2024

4 min read

Finding your volatility sweet spot

Selecting investments with predictable patterns of gains and losses can help keep you invested

March 7, 2024

4 min read

Unravelling confirmation bias

Use these tools to challenge your existing views

December 15, 2023

2 min read

Kevin Wark

Insurance

Income splitting revisited

Options to address attribution rules include planning with life insurance

April 15, 2024

4 min read

AMT and life insurance planning

Understand the alternative minimum tax’s impact

October 18, 2023

4 min read

Corporate-owned life insurance as a charitable gift

Avoid bloopers when designating a charity as policy beneficiary

June 2, 2023

5 min read

Doug Carroll

Tax & Estate

Shuttle strategies to boost tax-sheltered plans

TFSAs can be used to route funds into home, education and retirement savings plans to increase benefits

April 9, 2024

4 min read

What to know before commuting a pension

The rules are complex, and so is your decision

November 27, 2023

5 min read

What you need to consider before downsizing in retirement

There’s a lot more to think about than projected savings

October 10, 2023

3 min read

Aravind Sithamparapillai

Planning and Advice

Should business owners avoid CPP by paying themselves dividends?

Research and a case study help clear the misconceptions

March 20, 2024

5 min read

Sam Sivarajan

Planning and Advice

Buckle up: Money’s wild ride through the world of social identity

A client’s social status may affect how they invest

February 15, 2024

3 min read

Understanding clients means helping them feel in control

Applying lessons from the marketing world to financial advice

December 20, 2023

3 min read

How our five brains affect financial advice

Understanding how decisions are made can make us better advisors

October 23, 2023

3 min read

Catherine Hung

Tax & Estate

Beware of tainting GRE status

Warn executors about paying for estate expenses out of pocket

January 17, 2024

4 min read

Avoid double taxation on wealth transfers to the next generation

Clients should think twice before selling assets at a discounted price

October 26, 2023

4 min read

Bare trusts: Is your client prepared for increased tax filings?

Failure to comply with new tax rules could result in penalties

July 31, 2023

5 min read