As a cross-border financial planner I get one question the most often, “Am I better off retiring in the U.S. or Canada?” Now, there are many non-financial benefits of retiring in both countries. You may have family back in Canada…
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This Recession Indicator is Hopefully Wrong
September 2019: Investing Insights There are a few certainties in this world. Death, taxes, and the Detroit Lions missing the playoffs are a few of these. Another one of these certainties is the business cycle. There are different names given…
Collecting CPP in the U.S.
When I called a prospective client a week ago, my jaw dropped. "What do you mean you're not going to turn on your CPP benefit?", I asked in amazement. She had been told that CPP reduces her social security benefit,…
The 5 Biggest Risks of the Monthly Pension
Imagine working for a company for 40 years and finally making the decision to retire. Your financial situation looks great. A nice pension from your company as well as social security benefits for you and your wife. You figured that…
Collecting OAS in the U.S.
"I can travel more!" That was the first thing Anne said when we discovered that she should be receiving an extra $610 per month from Canada. It was a benefit, that her U.S. and Canada financial advisors had missed. The Canadian…
The 5 Biggest Cross-Border Planning Mistakes to Avoid In 2022
Sheila was advised by her U.S. based financial planner to withdraw her RRSP, and bring it to the U.S. She thought it was a reasonable request. At only $100,000, the RRSP represented only a small part of her total retirement…
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How Much Home Can You Afford in Retirement?
When Bob and Sally came into the office, their finances were a mess. They had recently retired and were withdrawing nearly 10% annually from their retirement savings. At their current withdrawal rate, they would be out of money by the…
5 Things You Should Never Do When The Stock Market Goes Down
“As soon as the stock market has another dip, I will be ready to get more aggressive”. I hear this from almost every investor during the good times when the market is heading higher. Then, we get the downfall and...crickets.…
Read More 5 Things You Should Never Do When The Stock Market Goes Down
5 Questions You Must Ask Before Buying An Annuity
Buying an annuity is not that different from buying a home. Let’s break it down: Both involve pretty high fees (6% realtor commissions don’t pay themselves)Both involve long time commitments as annuities have high surrender fees, and most homes aren’t…
CPP Spousal and Survivor Benefits in the U.S.
An interesting question came up the other day while meeting with a family. Will my wife get part of my CPP benefit now or if I were to die first? Here in the U.S., typically if you qualify for a…