Published on: Monday, July 20th 2026 I recently bought an extended warranty for the first time in my life. I once heard a comedian do a bit about buying a toaster at a department store. When he went to pay for it the clerk asked him for his name and address. He said: “I want to buy it, not adopt it.”She explained that it was to register the warranty. He said: “It’s a $40 toaster. I’ll take my chances”. And … Continued
Published on: Thursday, June 29th 2026 I’m putting the finishing touches on some new blogs. While I do that, I wanted to share a blog written by someone else on a topic my clients often ask me about – making their adult children joint owners of homes or investment accounts for estate planning purposes. That someone else is our son Robert. Many of you are aware that he is a lawyer practicing Estate Planning with Cambridge LLP in Burlington. This … Continued
Published on: Tuesday, June 02, 2026 There is a podcast I enjoy listening to on Bloomberg Radio called Masters in Business. It is hosted by Barry Rithotz, the founder of a very successful investment management firm in the US; the author of “How Not to Invest” and a frequent commentator in the business media. He interviews prominent people in the business world – mostly from the wealth management industry. Every interview/episode begins with him reviewing the guest’s background, highlighting where … Continued
Published on: Friday, June 06, 2025 There is an episode of The Simpsons where Homer is working at his computer, responding to queries with “yes” or “no”. Homer quickly determines that the proper response is always “yes”. And he then realizes that he doesn’t have to type the whole word but just the “Y”. So he sets up one of those bobbing, perpetual motion drinking birds to keep hitting the Y, and he goes off and enjoys his day. Artificial … Continued
Published on: Monday, April 21, 2025 Watching capital markets lately has been like watching the weather in Calgary. There, they will say, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes”. I’ve seen a lot in over 20 years of doing this, but the recent swings in the value of both stock and bonds are uncommon, to say the least. I’ve seen some social media posts that scold advisors for saying things like “the markets have always recovered” … Continued
Published on: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 A client of mine recently lost her mother. The client, along with her father and brother, cared lovingly for the mother who suffered from dementia for several years, first at home and then by visiting and assisting daily when she moved to a nursing home. It involved hours of my client’s time every day. The client is married, in her early fifties, with two teenagers and a management position that carries a great deal … Continued
Published on: Wednesday, March 12, 2025 I’m often left with the impression that people have a limited view of what I do for clients. People understand that I am a Portfolio Manager and that I handle my clients’ investments. But I am also a Financial Planner and that can entail many different things, depending on the client’s circumstances. I use the term “comprehensive” planning as a way to say that it can go well beyond determining if they have enough … Continued
Published on: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Clients of mine recently took a trip to Ireland. They are 78 years old and they rented a car so that they had the freedom to see the countryside and carry out the itinerary at their own pace and in their own way. Since they were over 75, they needed to produce the following to rent the car: A letter from their insurance company in Canada stating that they were insured, that their policy … Continued
Published on: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 I first heard the expression “Widow Boom” when I was writing “When the Pictures Changes – Gaining Financial Control After the Loss of a Spouse”. It derives from the fact that there had been a Baby Boom and women generally outlive men. Those demographics were creating a Widow Boom. The Baby Boom has now also created a Grandparent Boom. According to Statscan, there are close to 8 million people in Canada who are grandparents … Continued
Published on: Monday, February 3, 2025 Years ago I was speaking with the father of one of my close friends. He had been having health problems and I asked him how things were going. He said that he had an appointment with a cardiologist the following month but he didn’t think it was going to help him. I asked why and he said, with his Italian accent, “I think he’s going to be a shoemaker”. Now, for those who are … Continued