What happens to your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) when you pass away? Without planning ahead, up to half of your registered assets could go to income tax. But by making a charitable gift…
On April 21, 2009, in the midst of the worst recession in 70 years, the Bank of Canada took the unprecedented step of lowering its key
lending rate to a record low of 0.25% in an effort to jump…
Oil prices have been extremely volatile over the past few years as a result of the global financial crisis. The price of a barrel of oil rose to the shocking high of US$140 in the first half of 2008, then…
If you are retired or close to retirement, generating income is probably one of your biggest concerns.
You count on your investment nest egg to supplement the income you receive from government sources. But in a low-interest-rate environment, your…
The popularity of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has exploded since 2007. Activity quadrupled to seven billion shares traded in 2008 in Canada, and there are now more than 100 ETFs listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. ETFs can be a cost-effective…
A beautiful piece of artwork can provide you with a lifetime of pleasure, and be a potentially rewarding investment, as well. But the
first rule of collecting art is never to buy purely for financial gains — you should…
After a rocky start, North American stock markets performed better than expected in 2009, and the Canadian economy is recovering faster than economists had predicted.
The stock market rally began in March and by the end of September — exactly…