StandOut

Financial illiteracy carries greater risks than you think

There’s a NFL football game in Seattle that you really want to see. Or a concert by your favourite band. Perhaps the rain in Vancouver is getting you down and you need a little retail therapy at Seattle’s Premium Outlet Mall.

We often forget that it’s not the money we make that funds our lifestyle in retirement — it’s the money we keep.

Seeking out a second opinion on your portfolio and investment strategy is one of the most important things you can do when you approach retirement or if you have recently retired.

The holidays are nearly upon us, and chances are you may already have started shopping for the loved ones on your list. But even though there are endless trinkets and treasures in-store, it can still be a challenge to find the perfect gift.

You’ve worked hard, saved hard. As the dream of retirement becomes real, you have a new worry: will I outlive my savings? Imagine how much better you’d feel if every month you were earning investment income.

You own lots of mutual funds in your retirement portfolio. Every time you go to the bank, your financial advisor shows you charts and graphs of how well they’re doing.

Let’s say you buy a nice waterfront condo in Tsawwassen as an investment property. Not only would you expect it to increase in value over time, but every month you receive a rent cheque from your tenant.

Estate planning is fraught with potential pitfalls but also full of opportunities to better disperse wealth for the next generation.

“Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” That’s what Dr. Brian Ruddy said when asked what drew him to dentistry back when he was preparing to graduate from high school in Montreal during the early 1970s.