Money Architect Financial Planning

Market-linked GICs are often thought of as one of the best solutions for protecting your money while giving you the potential for stock-market-like growth. I look at the seductive claims and questionable advantages of such products in my latest post. https://moneyarchitect.ca/the-seductive-draw-of-market-lin/

"If you want good investment performance, forget you have an account." My latest blog post explores the insight that frequently adjusting your investments in order to improve performance will likely lead to under-performance. https://moneyarchitect.ca/embrace-laziness-the-best-approa/

Debt, especially high-interest debt, needs to be wrestled into submission before you can start saving and investing for the future. In my latest blog post, I discuss strategies for paying down your debt. Read more here: https://moneyarchitect.ca/strategies-to-pay-down-your-debt/

What is a stock split? A couple of months ago, Apple and Tesla, split their stock. Apple did a 4:1 split and Tesla split its stock 5:1. This made big news, but it is not always clear to the general public what this means. Read more about this subject in my latest blog. https://moneyarchitect.ca/what-is-a-stock-split/

A title in financial services hardly seems like a burning topic for most people, and yet, there is no regulation in Canada, outside forward-thinking Quebec, regarding the use of the titles financial planner or financial advisor. Consequently, there is confusion about the meaning of these titles among the public, potentially leaving them at the mercy of unqualified bad actors. Ontario (closely followed by Saskatchewan) is, however, creating regulations that will limit the use of such titles to those who hold qualifying credentials beyond simply a licence to sell a financial product. Read more about this subject in mt latest blog post: https://moneyarchitect.ca/whats-in-a-title/

Sequence of returns risk is the risk that just as you are about to start withdrawing from your retirement investments, there is a sudden and prolonged downturn that will reduce your income for the remainder of your retirement years. Read more about this issue and considerations about how to deal with it in my latest blog post: https://moneyarchitect.ca/sequence-of-returns-risk/

Dan Bortolotti, of Canadian Couch Potato fame, has written a very good series on Vanguard's new Retirement Income ETF, VRIF. In this latest post, he also points out some of the risks of investing in income funds. It is well worth taking the time to read, especially if you are nearing retirement and thinking of shifting your investment assets toward the generation of income.

As I write this in mid-September, there are rumblings in the media that the upcoming throne speech from the Government of Canada will include a significant push toward some version of Universal Basic Income (UBI). Is this the solution to the enduring problem of poverty? Read my latest blog post for some thoughts and initiatives on this issue. https://moneyarchitect.ca/why-do-people-stay-poor/

The value and validity of economic forecasts?

High house prices mean big mortgages. Tough economic times thanks to COVID-19 have also resulted in lower interest rates. That had me wondering whether it might be worthwhile to review your current mortgage. Here's my latest post which discusses breaking your mortgage contract or choosing a blended mortgage. https://moneyarchitect.ca/breaking-your-mortgage-contract/

In my latest blog post, I write about organ donation as a component of estate planning. According to the Canadian Transplant Society, 90 percent of Canadians support organ and tissue donation, but less than 20 percent have made plans to donate. Read here to find out more and about how to register as an organ donor in your province. https://moneyarchitect.ca/organ-donation-as-a-component-of/

My introduction to Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) began at church but you can read all about SRI or ESG Investing right here. Given the legitimate concern that you invest your money in line with your own convictions, this once marginal approach to investing has gone mainstream. Read my latest blog post to find out more and feel free to share it with anyone who may be interested. https://moneyarchitect.ca/investing-with-a-conscience/

Financial abuse is the most common form of elder abuse in Canada. Read more about this important subject in my latest blog. Included are links for assistance in every province and territory in Canada. https://moneyarchitect.ca/financial-elder-abuse/

Behavioural Finance as an area of study arose, at least in part, because of the complexities and competing goals we need to contend with. In my latest blog post on the topic, I offer some ways in which our all-too-human behaviour can be altered toward our long-term advantage. https://moneyarchitect.ca/behavioural-finance-some-solutio/

Have you been wondering about how your attitude toward money affects your behaviour? Take a look at my latest blog post on Investor Personality. https://moneyarchitect.ca/behavioural-finance-investor-per/

After assuming for many years that the average human is rational when it comes to all financial matters, economists have begun to realize how much we are swayed by our emotions and cognitive errors. Enter behavioural finance, the application of psychological insights into the worlds of finance and economics. Read my latest blog post for an introduction to the subject. https://moneyarchitect.ca/behavioural-finance-the-end-of-h/

Two weeks ago I wrote a blog post about lump-sum investing vs. dollar-cost averaging (DCA). In the period measured, DCA came out slightly ahead. This time, I measure two different periods. Check out the results here: https://moneyarchitect.ca/lump-sum-investing-vs-dollar-cos/

Behavioural Finance is an emerging field that uses the insights of psychology to help people "behave" better around investing and other financial matters. Follow this link to Morningstar's website to watch a brief introductory video (less than 2 minutes). https://www.morningstar.ca//how-to-be-a-better-investor-ep

When is the best time to begin receiving CPP payments? You have a decade-long range available, from 60 to 70. In my latest blog post, I explore some of the reasons to start early or wait longer. https://moneyarchitect.ca/when-should-i-begin-taking-cpp/

The investment fund giant, Vanguard, published a study a while back showing that both history and theory favour up-front Lump-Sum Investing over Dollar-Cost Averaging. In my latest blog post, I test those two approaches to see which came out ahead. Read on to find out more: https://moneyarchitect.ca/lump-sum-investing-vs-dollar-cos/

Please have a look at my latest blog post, in which I walk through the process of narrowing down the 1000s of mutual funds to make a reasonable selection. https://moneyarchitect.ca/selecting-a-mutual-fund/

How do you find out if a potential investment advisor has been banned or has a history of regulatory violations? Read this post to find a quick path to checking out someone to see if they are "legit." https://moneyarchitect.ca/is-your-investment-advisor-legit/

Although books have been written on Estate Planning, this is my final post on the subject for now, this time on the role of the executor, also known as an estate trustee. https://moneyarchitect.ca/the-role-of-the-executor/

As you think about writing or revising your will, have you thought about making a charitable donation as part of your estate plan? Please read my latest post on estate planning to learn more. https://moneyarchitect.ca/charitable-giving/

In my latest post, I discuss making arrangements for the financial care of your children as part of your estate plan, in particular trusts and RESPs. Please read and share. https://moneyarchitect.ca/children-trusts-and-resps/

What happens to your minor children when you die? A carefully prepared will can take that possibility into account by designating a guardian. Read my latest estate planning post on guardianship. https://moneyarchitect.ca/children-guardianship/

It doesn't feel particularly good to give up power over your life. And yet, for many of us, there will come a time when we can no longer wield that power properly. If we've made plans, we have granted that power to someone else. Today's post is about powers of attorney and related legal documents. Read on to learn more. BTW, in this post there are links to more information for every province and territory in Canada. https://moneyarchitect.ca/power-to-the-people-what-is-a-po/

It is a given of life that we are all going to die. Nevertheless, whether for fear of death, or denial, too many Canadians fail to do one of the most loving things they can for their families - write a will. This is the first in a series of blog posts on Estate Planning. In today's post, I write about wills and the implications of not making a will. https://moneyarchitect.ca/were-all-going-to-die/

Retirement planning may have a lot to do with the numbers, but it probably has more to do with lifestyle goals and the plans to get there. Read this post for more about clarifying your vision for retirement: https://moneyarchitect.ca/clarifying-your-vision-for-retir/

My latest blog post addresses some of the issues raised when a couple with a significant age gap plans for their retirement. https://moneyarchitect.ca/im-not-old-youre-just-young-reti/

"How much do I need to retire?" In this post on retirement planning, I introduce some information to consider, all the while recognizing that assumptions are necessary and inevitably subject to change. It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future. Danish proverb https://moneyarchitect.ca/how-much-do-i-need-to-retire/

This is my first post in a new series on retirement planning. Retirement planning is notoriously difficult because there are so many variables to account for that are simply unknown. Nevertheless, planning is essential. https://moneyarchitect.ca/when-can-i-retire/

My latest blog post in my series on tax planning. This one gives some pointers on charitable donations - and also makes suggestions for possible charities to which you can contribute in this age of COVID-19. https://moneyarchitect.ca/the-benefits-of-charitable-donat/

In my latest post, I discuss the taxation of investment income: interest, dividends and capital gains. https://moneyarchitect.ca/taxation-of-investment-income/

Let’s assume a married couple: one spouse works in an essential service and is busier than ever; the other spouse works in a field deemed non-essential and is without work or income. This may present a tax-saving opportunity. https://moneyarchitect.ca/income-splitting-and-attribution/

Would you consider what you are experiencing now, in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic, a kind of grief? Here's an interview article with grief expert David Kessler, that may help. https://hbr.org/20//that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief

This is a very good article about managing your finances in the face of Covid-19 challenges. https://www.lowestrates.ca//emergency-funds-budgeting-fina

The Coronavirus is changing many aspects of our lives that we consider normal. Our financial plans are not exempted. Here are some suggestions from me about how to respond. https://moneyarchitect.ca/the-coronavirus-covid-19-in-fina/

In this post on taxation, I talk about taking advantage of capital losses in your non-registered account (this doesn't work in your RRSP or TFSA). If you have an investment that you have lost money on, you may want to consider selling it in order to pair it off against gains you have made from selling other investments at a profit. Read and share this to find out more: https://moneyarchitect.ca/taking-advantage-of-a-loser-tax-/

As much as we might like to deny it, taxation is an integral part of financial planning. Indeed, taxation can often be a Canadian household’s biggest single expense. Please read and share my first post in a series introducing tax planning. https://moneyarchitect.ca/giving-the-government-its-due-ta/

Yesterday, stock markets worldwide were down, apparently largely due to fears about the impact of the novel coronavirus, aka Covid-19. While there are ways to manage the risks associated with investing in volatile markets, this post is about insuring against the risk that the investment firm where you hold your investments becomes insolvent. Please read the following to learn more about these means of investor protection. https://moneyarchitect.ca/insuring-your-investment-dealer/

You may have seen commercials for CDIC on TV. What's that about? The initials stand for Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation. Read (and share) here for more info on "Insuring Your BFF": https://moneyarchitect.ca/insuring-your-bff-your-bank-or-f/

I didn't work for this division of TD then, but I was working at a related discount brokerage back in 2008-09 when margin sellouts were huge. People who use margin are playing with fire. "TD Waterhouse Wins Margin Account Dispute" https://tinyurl.com/qmuwjuf

So you buy a life insurance policy. How do you know that life insurance company is going to be around to pay your beneficiaries when you die? This post is about Assuris, which insures the insurers. Read on to find out more. https://moneyarchitect.ca/assuris-insurance-that-manages-t/

You're just about ready to retire. You know you have enough in savings to last you until age 90. What happens if you live to 95? Or 100? How do you manage the financial risk of living too long? Enter the annuity. Read and share my latest post here: https://moneyarchitect.ca/annuities-managing-the-risk-of-l/

Wouldn't you want an investment that is guaranteed not to lose any money? Such an investment exists. It's called a segregated fund. But is the cost of such insurance worth it? Read my latest post, on segregated funds, here: https://moneyarchitect.ca/segregated-funds-mutual-funds-wi/