Why A Buy-Sell Agreement Is Vital For Your Business

A buy-sell agreement is a legally binding document that sets out what must happen to a business if one or more of the owners is no longer involved. It is crucial for businesses as it protects both shareholders and the business itself in the event of a partner's departure. A buy-sell agreement provides many benefits, including maintaining business continuity, minimizing disputes between remaining co-owners and the family of the departing owner, decreasing stress and uncertainty for all business owners, and protecting business assets and liquidity with a solid financial and tax plan.

Tax Tips You Need To Know Before Filing Your 2022 Taxes

It’ll be time to file your 2022 taxes soon, and you must take advantage of every tax credit and deduction you can! Our article covers the following: • Canada Workers Benefit. • Claiming home office expenses. • The tax deduction for zero-emissions vehicles. • Return Of Fuel Charge Proceeds To Farmers Tax Credit. • Eligible Educator School Supply Tax Credit.

When and Why You Should Conduct an Insurance Audit

As our lives grow and change with variable circumstances, new additions, and job transitions, our needs for insurance will also evolve. Additionally, economic fluctuations and external circumstances that influence your insurance policy will need frequent re-evaluation to ensure that you are making the most appropriate and financially favorable decisions. Talk to us we can help.

Federal Budget 2023 Highlights

On March 28, 2023, the Federal Government released their 2032 budget. This article highlights the following financial measures: • New transfer options associated with Bill C-208 for intergenerational transfer. • New rules for employee ownership trusts. • Changes to how the Alternative Minimum Tax is calculated. • Improvements to Registered Education Savings Plans. • Expanding access to Registered Disability Savings Plans. • Grocery rebate. • Deduction for tradespeople tool expenses. • Automatic tax filing. • New Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Saskatchewan 2023 Budget Highlights

On March 22, 2023, the Saskatchewan Minister of Finance announced Saskatchewan’s 2023 budget. We have highlighted the most important financial measures you need to know, with an emphasis on the following: • Corporate tax incentives. • Tax credits and PST changes. • Commitments to healthcare, education and social services. • Infrastructure spending.

Essential tips and tricks for paying less tax and keeping more of your retirement income

It’s important to make the most of your retirement income. To do so, you need to be aware of what income is and isn’t taxable, and also how to make the most of the tax breaks you’re entitled to. This article outlines the four main steps you need to take to ensure you keep as much of your retirement income as possible: 1. Make a financial plan. 2. Split your pension income. 3. Buy an annuity. 4. Be aware of retirement-related tax breaks.

TFSA versus RRSP - What you need to know to make the most of them in 2023

When looking to save money in a tax-efficient manner, Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA) and Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) can offer significant tax benefits. The main difference between the two is that TFSAs are ideal for short-term goals, such as saving for a down payment on a house or a vacation, as its growth is entirely tax-free, while RRSPs are more suitable for long-term goals such as retirement. When comparing deposit differences, TFSAs have a limit of $6,500 for the current year, while RRSPs have a limit of 18% of your pre-tax income from the previous year, with a maximum limit of $30,780. In terms of withdrawals, TFSAs have no conversion requirements and withdrawals are tax-free, while RRSPs must be converted to a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) at age 71 and withdrawals are taxed as income.

2023 Financial Calendar

Welcome to our 2023 financial calendar! This calendar is designed to help you keep track of important financial dates and deadlines, such as tax filing and government benefit distribution. You can bookmark this page for easy reference or add these dates to your personal calendar to ensure you don't miss any important financial obligations.

2022 Year End Tax Tips and Strategies for Business Owners

The end of 2022 is quickly approaching – which means for business owners, it's time to review tax tips and strategies to maximize your benefits.

2022 Personal Year-End Tax Tips

The end of 2022 is quickly approaching – which means it’s time to get everything in order, so you’re ready when it comes time to file your taxes. We’ve broken this article into the following sections to make it easy to find the tax tips you’re looking for: • Investment considerations, including how to best contribute to TFSAs, RRSPs, and RDSPs. • Families, including how to claim childcare expenses and make the most of RESPs. • Retirees, including essential details about applying for CPP and OAS.

Permanent versus Term Life Insurance – What are the Differences?

You know you need life insurance – but you’re not sure which kind is best for you. There are two main kinds of life insurance: • Permanent, which lasts for your entire life. Premiums can be more expensive, but you can also use the policy to build up cash value. • Term, which is only good for a set amount of time. Premiums are less expensive, and you cannot build up cash value – but coverage is easy to get and understand. We can help you determine which type of insurance is best for you and how much it will cost you.

Salary vs Dividend

As a business owner, you have the ability to pay yourself a salary or dividend or a combination of both. In this article and infographic, we will examine the difference between salary and dividends and review the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Retirement Planning for Business Owners - Checklist

As a business owner, one of your challenges is learning how to balance between reinvesting into the business and setting money aside for personal savings. Since there are no longer employer-sponsored pension plans and the knowledge that retirement will come eventually, it’s important to have a retirement plan in place. We've put together an infographic checklist that can help you get started on this.

Five Ways To Withdraw Money From Your Business In A Tax-Efficient Manner

You have worked long and hard to build up your business, and now you are ready to withdraw money from your business' bank account. But you don't want to get hit with a huge tax bill. So here are 5 ways to withdraw money from your business in a tax-efficient manner.

The Six Steps to Financial Planning

A certified financial planner is trained to focus on all aspects of your finances – everything from your taxes to retirement savings. The six steps to financial planning are: • Meeting your financial planner • Determining your goals and expectation • Reviewing your current financial state • Developing a financial plan • Implementing a financial plan • Monitoring the plan A certified financial planner will develop a plan that works for you both today and in the future.

Why Insurance Is So Important If You’re A Single Parent

Being a single parent is a lot of responsibility. Learn how the right types of insurance can provide you and your family with the financial protection they need.

Don’t lose all your hard-earned money to taxes

It’s essential to manage your tax planning properly – both while you are living and for after your death. You want as much of your money as possible to go to your beneficiaries, not the government. Our article contains three tips to help you do that: 1. Learn how to make the most of the lifetime capital gains exemption. 2. Figure out ways to decrease your end-of-life tax bill. 3. Look into Immediate Financing Arrangements.

Life Insurance after 60- is it necessary?

You may have had life insurance for as long as you can remember. You knew it was important to make sure that your family would be taken care of and be able to pay their bills if anything happened to you. But now that you’re over 60, your children are grown, and your mortgage is paid off, you may feel you don’t need life insurance anymore. However, there are some circumstances under which it may still make sense for you to have life insurance: • You still have substantial debt. • You have dependent children or grandchildren. • You want to be able to leave a financial legacy.

2022 Federal Budget Highlights

On April 7, 2022, the Federal Government released their 2022 budget. Our article contains highlights of the various financial measures in this budget, divided into these sections: • Housing • Alternative minimum tax • Dental care • Small businesses • Tradespeople • Canada Growth Fund • Climate • Bank and insurer taxes

2021 Income Tax Year Tips

It’ll be time to file your 2021 taxes soon, and you must take advantage of every tax credit and deduction that you can. Our article includes information on a variety of subjects you need to know about, including what to do if you’ve had to repay COVID-19 benefits, how to plan ahead if you’re self-employed or retiring soon, and what you need to know if you have a home office or employer-provided benefits.

Estate Freeze

No business owner likes to think about handing over their business they've built from the ground up. But the fact of the matter is, you will have to do it eventually. Even more concerning, what if you were to become ill or incapacitated? Making a decision of this magnitude during trying times would not be ideal. For the business owner, an estate freeze can be an integral part of your estate planning strategy. The purpose of an estate freeze is to lock-in (freeze) the value of the business, freeing the successor from the tax liability that may arise should the business' value increase.

Saskatchewan 2022 Budget Highlights

On March 23, 2022, the Saskatchewan Minister of Finance announced Saskatchewan's 2022 budget. We have highlighted the most important financial measures you need to know, with an emphasis on: • An increased Saskatchewan Value-added Agriculture Incentive. • An increased Saskatchewan Technology Start-up Incentive tax credit. • Changes in Education property taxes and what the PST is charged on. • Financial commitments to healthcare and child care. Budget 2022 includes no changes to personal or corporate tax rates.

Accessing Corporate Earnings

One of the financial planning issues that business owners face is how to access their corporate earnings in a tax efficient way. Please contact us to learn how we can get more money in your pocket than in the government's.

TFSA versus RRSP – What you need to know to make the most of them in 2022

TFSAs and RRSPs can be significant savings vehicles. To help you understand their differences, we have put together this article to compare: - TFSA versus RRSP - Differences in deposits - TFSA versus RRSP - Differences in withdrawals Understanding the differences between these two types of tax-advantaged accounts can help you better plan for future purchases and your eventual retirement.

2022 Financial Calendar

Looking for an "at a glance" document covering all the important dates you need to know to stay on track with your financial planning in 2022? Our 2022 financial calendar (which you can easily bookmark or print out) makes sure you're always in the loop! It lists important dates, including: • Payments dates for the Canada Child Benefit, CPP, OAS, and the GST/HST credit. • When TFSA contribution room starts again. • Tax filing deadlines. • Charitable contribution deadlines and the last day to contribute to registered investment accounts. • When the Bank of Canada interest rate announcements are.

2021 Personal Year-End Tax Tips

The end of 2021 is quickly approaching – which means it’s time to get everything in order, so you’re ready when it comes time to file your taxes. We’ve broken this article into the following sections to make it easy to find the tax tips you’re looking for: • Individuals, including details on COVID-19 benefits and important tax credits. • Investment considerations, including how to best contribute to TFSAs, RRSPs, and RDSPs. • Families, including how to claim childcare expenses and make the most of RESPs. • Retirees, including essential details about applying for CPP and OAS.

2021 Year-End Tax Tips for Business Owners

We’re approaching the end of the year, so it’s time to review your business finances. We’ve put together an article highlighting the most critical tax-planning tips you need to know as a business owner. We’ve focused on: • How to determine the right salary and dividend mix. • The best ways to handle compensation. • How to make sure you can take advantage of the small business deduction. • What you need to know about depreciable assets and charitable donations. • How to make the most of Covid-19 relief programs.

The Five Steps to Investment Planning

An investment advisor can help you figure out what the right investment choices are for you. The five steps to investment planning are: • Meeting your investment advisor • Determining your goals and expectations • Developing your investment plan • Implementing your investment plan • Monitoring the plan The sooner you start planning for retirement, the sooner you can get there! An investment advisor can help you get there quicker.

When should I buy life insurance?

Life insurance is something you can use at any age. Whether you’re in your 20s or approaching retirement, you can benefit from having life insurance. Our article, “When should I buy life insurance”? can help you understand: • What the two main types of life insurance are – term and permanent • When term insurance is better for you and when permanent insurance is • How life insurance can benefit you at different ages • What costs life insurance can help your loved ones’ cover

"Final Pivot" - COVID-19 Emergency Benefits expire October 23rd, replaced by targeted supports

On Thursday, October 22nd, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the "final pivot in delivering the support needed to deliver a robust recovery." This "Final Pivot" means several existing pandemic support programs for individuals and businesses will expire on October 23rd, 2021: -  Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)  -  Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)  -  Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) 

Why Should I Review My Life Insurance?

It’s important to review your life insurance regularly to ensure your policy is up-to-date and see if you require any coverage changes. Here are some reasons you may need to update your life insurance: • You’ve gotten married or divorced or had a baby. • You’ve changed jobs. • You’ve taken on some debt. • You’re supporting additional family members. • You’ve bought a new home. • A loved one has a change in their health.

Retirement Planning

Most of us understand the benefits of sensible retirement planning but when it comes to actually creating your personal retirement strategy and putting it into effect it doesn’t feel quite as straightforward. The reality is that, while there are lots of variables to consider, it isn’t as difficult to create an effective plan for retirement as you may think.

Paying for Education

Post-secondary education can be expensive, however having the opportunity to plan for it helps with making sure that you’re capable to meet the costs of education.

Insurance Planning for Business Owners

For business owners, making sure your business is financially protected can be overwhelming. Business owners face a unique set of challenges when it comes to managing risk. Insurance can play an important role.

The Best Way to Buy Mortgage Insurance

Before buying insurance from your bank to cover your mortgage, please consider your options. What does the insurance cover?

Group Retirement Benefits

Working at an organization that offers a pension plan is one of the greatest financial advantages a Canadian can enjoy. Pension plans are designed to provide retirement income and help employees reach their retirement goals and for business owners- help retain key employees.

Federal Budget 2021 Highlights

On April 19, 2021, the Federal Government released their 2021 budget. Our article contains highlights of the various financial measures in this budget, divided into three different sections: • Business Highlights, including an extension to COVID-19 Emergency Business Supports, new programs to support job creation, and a change in interest deductibility limits. • Individual Highlights, including details on the tax treatment and repayment of personal COVID-19 benefits (such as CERB), eligibility changes to the Disability Tax Credit, an increase in OAS for those 75 and up, and support for job skills retraining. • Additional Highlights, including a proposed federal minimum wage of $15, changes to the GST New Housing Rebate conditions, and new or increased taxes in areas such as luxury goods, tobacco, and Canadian housing owned by non-resident foreign owners.

What’s new for the 2021 tax-filing season?

Tax season is upon us once again. But since 2020 was a year like no other, the 2021 tax-filing season will also be different. Due to all the changes in both where and how Canadians worked, the Canadian government has introduced some new tax credits and deductions to keep pace with these changes. Our article covers all of the following: • How to claim home office expenses • The new Canada Training Credit • Pandemic emergency funds • New digital news subscription tax credit

Estate Planning for Blended Families

Blended families – where two people get married but have children from previous relationships – are becoming more common. On top of the day-to-day challenges of blending a family, new spouses also have to figure out how to plan their estates, so everyone is properly taken care of. We cover all of the following a blended family must consider while estate planning: • Sharing the Family Home • Make the Most of a Registered Retirement Savings Plan • How to Share Non-Registered Investments and Other Assets • Why It's Important to Select a Good Trustee • The Advantages of Life Insurance for Blended Family Planning

Extended COVID-19 Federal Emergency Benefits

On Friday, February 19, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an extension to: - Canada Recovery Benefit - Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit - Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit - Employment Insurance

Self-employed: Government of Canada addresses CERB repayments for some ineligible self-employed recipients

Great news for some ineligible self-employed Canadians who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

TFSA vs RRSP – What you need to know to make the most of them in 2021

Both TFSAs and RRSPs can be significant savings vehicles for your clients. We've put together an article to help your clients easily understand the differences between them – with one section focussing on differences in deposits and one focussing on differences in withdrawals. The deposit section focuses on: • How much contribution room is available each year • How carry forward works for TFSAs and RRSPs • Tax deductibility of contributions • Tax treatment of growth The withdrawal section focusses on: • Conversion requirements • Tax treatment of withdrawals • Impact of withdrawals on government benefits • Impact of withdrawals on contribution room

2021 Financial Calendar

We’ve put together a financial calendar for 2021. It contains all the dates you need to know to make the most of your government benefits and investment options. Whether you want to bookmark this or print it out and post it somewhere prominent, you’ll have everything you need to know in one place!

Why You Should Consider Critical Illness Insurance

There are no perfect answers in the area of your personal finances, but if you are looking for an option that has the potential to offer you a real sense of peace of mind to secure the financial future of you and your family, critical illness insurance is certainly an interesting avenue to explore.

Business Owners: 2020 Tax Planning Tips for the End of the Year

It's a great time to review your business finances now that we are nearing year-end. We have listed some of the critical areas to consider and provide you with some helpful guidelines to make sure that you cover all the essentials. We have divided our tax planning tips into four sections: - Year-end tax checklist - Remuneration - Business tax - Estate

Personal Tax Planning Tips - End of 2020 Tax Year

To help our clients, we’ve put together a comprehensive article filled with great tips on how to get ready for 2020 tax season. Here’s a summary of our personal tax tips article: • Details about the different COVID-19 benefits programs and the tax ramifications of them • Information about family tax issues including the Canada Child Benefits and tips on how to split income. • Managing investments. Details about contributing to various savings plans such as a TFSA, RESP, or RDSP. Also tips on how and when to donate to charity and how to time the purchase or sale of investments. • Retirement planning. How to make the most of your RRSP, things to know if you’ve turned 71, and tips on RRIF conversion.

The Importance of a Financial Plan

Working with us to create your financial plan helps you identify your long and short term life goals.

Getting the best from a financial advisor

Working with a professional to help you to make sense of your finances can be a wise move, but for this relationship to work effectively it is important that you understand what to expect from your financial advisor.

ADVANTAGE ACCOUNT PROMOTION

Promotional interest rate of 2.15% for 4 months. Application deadline of October 31, 2020.