All posts by Jonathan Chevreau

Weekly Wrap, Easter edition: finding purpose, Declaration of Financial Independence & more

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Light at end of the tunnel.By Jonathan Chevreau

Since it’s Easter weekend and Passover begins tonight, I thought we’d dedicate the Hub’s weekly wrap to more spiritual matters or at least view personal finances through a spiritual lens.

We’ll start with this essay from Peter Grandich:  A Biblical Perspective on Matters of Finance. As Peter noted in an email to me, “We know that matters of finance are the second most talked about topic in the Bible.”

One of five “Religious Personal Finance” blogs flagged on the Hub’s Top Blogs tag is Out of Your Rut. It recently ran an intriguing piece entitled 10 ways to be rich without being wealthy. Continue Reading…

On Retirement — early or never?

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MarieEngen
Marie Engen (photo: Google Plus)

By Marie Engen, Boomer & Echo

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Our current concept of retirement is relatively new. Past generations had no idea what it meant not to work. They stopped only when they physically had to.

Here’s an interesting tidbit – in 1890, nearly everyone died while still employed, and if they were healthy enough not to expire on the job, they retired at age 85.

Boomer parents were retirement pioneers.

The retirement age of 65 was first set in Germany in 1916, adopted by the U.S. in 1935, and in Canada shortly thereafter. It was probably the advent of CPP and OAS benefits that created the mindset to retire at age 65. Then came the lure of Freedom 55 and people were led to believe that 55 was a reasonable retirement age.

Related: How much do you need to save for retirement?

Presently the average age of first retirement is about 56 years, often followed by a return to work, at least part-time.

According to Statistics Canada, the retirement age is actually increasing. Continue Reading…

No April Fool’s: it’s time to get serious about tax-filing

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Tax Due DateHere’s my latest MoneySense blog. Now that it’s April and Easter is almost here, you know what that means! It’s tax-filing time: April 15th for Americans, April 30th for Canadians.

As the piece recounts, even if you’ve been staying on top of inputting tax slips and receipts, if you have taxable income you’re better off waiting a few days before filing.

But the good news is that once you file, the onerous task is over for another year, and many can also expect a refund. Plus, of course, winter is finally all but over.  Continue Reading…

7 tips to achieve a Findependent Life

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financially-independentBy Good Nelly,

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Are you dreaming about a financially independent (aka “findependent”) life free of debt?

What do you mean by “Financial Independence?” Before you start working towards achieving “Findependence,” ask yourself: What does this mean to you?  Do you dream of a life in which you can spend your time as you want? Does it mean a rich and varied lifestyle you wish to have? In short, you need a vision, depending on which you can plan your action.

Here are seven tips to achieve a financially independent life:

1.) Make yourself disciplined

Continue Reading…

Why “Healthspan” trumps “Lifespan”

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danrichards
Dan Richards (youtube.com)

By Dan Richards,

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Advisors spend a great deal of their time with clients who ask, “Will I run out of money?” As a result, few issues get more attention than the sustainable withdrawal rate in today’s environment.

But new research shows that an equally pressing question is, “How can I enjoy life in my 60s, before health issues creep in?”

Remarkable growth in lifespans

A couple of years back, I wrote an article titled “Will I be able to pay for a hip replacement when I’m 85?,” highlighting the boomer focus on withstanding the ravages of age. In another article, I described boomers as not your parents’ retirees. Compared to their parents: Continue Reading…