Many people most often ask me an apparently simple question: “Why do I need life insurance?” Let’s see if I can answer this question without boring you to death. Sorry, bad life insurance joke. Why do I need life insurance? Put simply, life insurance is meant to replace the income that you contribute to your...Read More
3 Government Disability Plans That May Not Protect You Like You Think Over the years, many people have told me that they felt income protection – “disability insurance” – wasn’t a priority. They believed that they were already covered by Employment Insurance, by “worker’s compensation” though the Workplace Safety Insurance Board or the Canada Pension...Read More
Critical illness insurance may not be what many people believe. There is a misconception that it is a financial benefit covered by our provincial health care plans. This couldn’t be further from the truth; governments do not pay us when/if we become critically ill, we have to manage our own financial affairs. In South Africa,...Read More
The primary source of retirement income for the majority of Canadians who are nearing retirement will be personal savings. This is especially important because evidence is showing that government pensions will not be enough. But things haven’t been easy for investors because of the market turbulence of the last several years. It’s for this reason...Read More
In the summer of 2014 Orlando Ali, Sr. – my father – the managing director of a Desjardins Financial Security Independent Network financial centre got the news that everyone dreads hearing; he had cancer. Now, this wasn’t a huge surprise because Orlando comes from a huge family of nine siblings; and between both his parents,...Read More
by Kusum Sen Critical illness insurance may not be what many people believe. There is a misconception that it is a financial benefit covered by our provincial health care plans. This couldn’t be further from the truth; governments do not pay us when/if we become critically ill, we have to manage our own financial affairs. In...Read More
For many people, the notion of estate planning is not very exciting. But take a closer look at the subject and you’ll see that it’s actually about keeping as much as possible of your wealth for your loved-ones. Whether you’re starting out in a new career, raising a young family, saving for a child’s education...Read More
It’s estimated that it costs well over $200,000 to raise a child from birth to age 18, not counting post-secondary education. (MoneySense.ca 2015) So when a new child joins a family, parents and grand-parents tend to think about starting an education fund like a Registered Education Savings Plan. While this is a very practical way...Read More
A key benefit of having a professional financial services advisor is that we are educated and experienced in innovatively solving our clients’ financial challenges. Oftentimes, I’m presented with situations that require all of my skills to find the best solutions for my clients, and recently one such situation presented itself. Over the years, I’ve provided...Read More
Mortgage insurance: Are you really protected? There’s nothing more exciting than signing the dotted line on your first mortgage. You’re a proud home owner now, with your ownership deed and a lighter wallet as proof. And if you’re like most Canadians, your home will be at the centre of your family and social life. So...Read More
