The March 2nd deadline is fast approaching – have you saved for your retirement? The March 2nd deadline only applies to those wanting to use their RSP contribution towards their 2014 tax year however it does serve to light a fire under those who procrastinate year round! If you plan to complete a 2014 RSP […]

The weather in Vancouver was gorgeous today and spring flowers have been popping up everywhere. You may wonder what on earth that has to do with money – in fact working on your finances might be the last thing you thought of dealing with today! The parallel is this – planting seeds today means beautiful […]

A Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a program under which you can save for your child’s education. As parents we try very hard to give our children every opportunity and one of the foundational bricks of many paths in life is education. The cost of post-secondary education increases each year and who knows what […]

It’s all planning until you turn it into reality…it’s not as tricky as you might think! It helps to be organized in terms of your filing system but the organization essentials are more about minimizing the administration. Credit Cards – Hold and carry 2 (put away or cancel the rest) Bank Accounts – 1 Chequing […]

This is Part 1 of a 2 part process to get your plan developed and implemented because it’s one thing having a plan but it’s another to make it happen! That’s the key – put your ideas into action to make your dreams a reality. There are essentially 2 steps to Part 1: Understanding the […]

Last week was the ‘why’ and this week is the ‘who’ and ‘what”. Who is you! Now you need the ‘what’ to put together a picture of your finances. Your prioritized goals from last week. A list of your assets and liabilities. Assets = Things like real estate, vehicles, savings and investments and Liabilities = […]

My girls are always asking ‘why?’ and much of the time I’m not able to provide a good answer. The question this morning was about the colour of planets, specifically Neptune. I was able to pin it on gases but couldn’t be any more scientific than that. However when they ask ‘why’ about finances, I […]

Not an easy task! There are so many sparkly and shiny things in the stores. I could suggest that you avoid stores and shopping altogether and advise you to make all your gifts however, unless you’re very crafty, it’s not a realistic suggestion.   Here are some ideas: Write down your holiday giving budget number […]

November is flying by but there are two weeks left to earn an ‘A’ in Financial Literacy. How do I do that you may ask? Definitions of literate include ‘to be knowledgeable’ or ‘to be well-read on a topic’. I don’t have a whole lot of time to read these days but thanks to the […]

I can thank my parents for teaching me and my brother valuable first lessons when it comes to finances. Save for what you want before you buy it Always pay the full balance owing on your credit card by the due date Save for retirement Spend wisely – if it’s something you really, really like, […]