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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

Published on: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 In a television commercial for an electric power generator you can purchase for your home, an actor tells us “the number one thing to prepare for is a power outage”. Really? Number one? Perhaps that’s true if you live in an area where power is precarious and you rely on it for more than just lights and appliances. It might run your well or heat your home as well. But for most of us, … Continued

Published: Monday, September 9, 2024 Last time, I introduced you to Joe, the “retired” electrician who now operates a coffee and gelato shop in downtown Toronto. Now, I want you to meet my Aunt Virginia. Whereas Joe tried retirement and decided it wasn’t for him, Aunt Virginia has never even considered it. She’ll be 90 years old early next year, and she still works full-time as the director of the fundraising arm of a Catholic charity. Aunt Virginia easily looks 20 … Continued

Published on: Thursday, July 4, 2024 Continuing my exploration of retirement, I want to build on my last two blogs and introduce you to my friend Joe. He has a less common approach to retirement. And he has some terrific insights which he has graciously shared. Joe is an interesting guy. He is 70 years old and worked as a self-employed electrician for 40 years. He retired from that about 10 years ago. He’s well-read, reflective and philosophical. He loves … Continued

Published on: Tuesday, June 18, 2024 Last time I talked about people in their 50’s with busy careers who are getting tired and are starting to see the finish line. Today, I’ll tell you about someone who crossed it recently and the unexpected impact it had on him. Most people expect their life to change in positive ways once they retire. That usually means having more free time to do the things they always had to reserve for evenings, weekends … Continued