Hub Blogs

Hub Blogs contains fresh contributions written by Financial Independence Hub staff or contributors that have not appeared elsewhere first, or have been modified or customized for the Hub by the original blogger. In contrast, Top Blogs shows links to the best external financial blogs around the world.

Banks, Blockchain & Economic Liberty: A follow-up

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By Adam Goldman

I wrote a piece last September titled ‘Why Our Economic Liberty Depends on the Blockchain’, providing an analysis on why I am certain distributed ledger technology is important to securing our rights under the law in the digital age.

In an ever-increasing realm of technology that is meant to improve (in positive ways) facets of our lives, the imperfection of humanity still exists while greed heavily plagues the banking world. As a firm advocate for the rule of law, I find recent revelations by CBC’s Go Public , that highlighted rampant fraudulent activity occurring amongst Canada’s largest financial institutions (TD, BMO, RBC, CIBC, and Scotiabank) disturbing to say the least.

‘This is why the only solution really is to have government step in and look after the Canadian people.’ says lobbyist Stan Buell as quoted in the CBC article.

Ultimately directives from above led to not only immoral, but also illegal tactics that chased their bottoms lines. Adding more bureaucracy at a government level will only exacerbate the climate.

Blockchain is the answer, not government

In my previous article I had given several broad examples of current institutions that could improve themselves, one being quasi-relevant to the financial fraud currently being exposed in Canada.

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How Small Businesses can leverage SEO & the Internet for marketing

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By Mike Carroll

(Sponsored Content)

Big company or small, marketing isn’t what it used to be. In fact, it isn’t what it was last week. Marketing and sales are so tied to technology that they are evolving almost faster than you can manage.

So businesses move quickly to find the consultant or manager to assume the demands of SEO, SEM, social media, and more of the contemporary tools available. Businesses simply don’t have the time or experience to optimize the business’s branding and identity.

What to look for?

Small businesses, perhaps through cost concerns, make the mistake of leaving these issues to an employee with some internet experience or some third party tech-savvy freelancer.

What they need is a full service consultancy, experienced in the intricate and specific tools and capabilities. You want experts who are ahead of the curve in technology and content. You want the firm with a demonstrated history of building and optimizing traffic to a company’s website.

What you want is a higher ranking for your website that sells candy. You want your Sweet Services online store to appear early when people use their browsers. The higher it appears, the more likely your site is to sell. Boosting your ranking takes skill and real time management.

Search Rankings

Adam Heitzman wrote in Inc.com that no one and no SEO firm can guarantee you #1 rankings. You can’t take the SEO firm’s word for it, but you can demand they show proof of what they have done for other customers.

Expertise

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Why it’s NOT okay to be in debt when approaching Retirement

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By Douglas Hoyes

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

While we all strive for a Victory Lap leading to our Findependence, a growing number of Canadians can only dream about getting out of debt.

Every two years my firm, Hoyes, Michalos & Associates Inc., releases our Joe Debtor report, where we profile our clients who have filed a bankruptcy or a consumer proposal.  In our report two years ago we reported that seniors are the fastest growing risk group for insolvency, and that’s still the case today.

Almost one in five insolvencies involve pre-retirement debtors in their 50s, and more than one in 10 (12%) involve seniors in their 60s and 70s.

What’s the problem?  Shouldn’t older Canadians have a lifetime of savings to rely on as they enter their Victory Lap?  Many do.  If you had a well-paying stable job that allowed you to save and build assets,  have an employer-provided pension, or have been fortunate enough to own a house during the current real estate boom, you are probably in great shape heading into your golden years.

Many over 50s still have dependents

However, not everyone in the over 50 crowd is as fortunate.  Continue Reading…

The 6 steps to Financial Independence

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L to R: Ed Rempel, Jon Chevreau, Mike Drak

By Ed Rempel, CFP, CMA

Special to the Financial Independence Hub 

What is financial independence? How do you get there?

Financial independence means work is optional. You have enough money to live the way you want without having to earn money.

When you get there, life changes. You have freedom. You can do only what you enjoy or find meaningful.

If you don’t like your job or your boss, just quit. Your life is full of options. You can make the most of your own life.

When you get there, you can have a quiet confidence. You are financially secure.

Your plan should start with understanding your inner motivation and defining specifically the lifestyle you want to have once you are financially independent. It is your opportunity to determine your future.

Becoming financially independent requires planning and effort, but it is worthwhile to live a more fulfilling life. “It’s not about the money. It’s about your life.”

“Real freedom is financial freedom.” When is your Findependence Day?

Achieving financial independence is a very broad topic. Writing nearly 1,000 comprehensive, professional financial plans specifically for real Canadians has given me a deep insight into what really works.

Seminar in Toronto this Wednesday evening

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The evolution of Robo advice

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By Josh Miszk, CFA, CFP

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Alongside the rapid growth of the online wealth management space is the speed with which firms are evolving to investors’ demands.

Some of the first online investment managers in Canada have evolved their initial investing models to include services like financial planning, advisory firm partnerships, and now, a platform offering portfolios from multiple management firms.

One of the challenges in evaluating cost, performance, and reputation across multiple “robo-advice” platforms is looking at their similarities and differences to get a real sense of how each portfolio compares. In addition, many firms are relatively new and, while investors like the experience of working with an online advisor, they’re restricted to portfolios designed solely by the same firm they feel provides that great experience.

A simple way of choosing the right portfolio

In response to the demand for greater choice, we’ve created a platform that offers clients multiple portfolio options created by two of the largest and most reputable institutional money managers in the industry; BlackRock and Vanguard. In working with these two firms, we are not only leveraging the quality of their investment products, but also their expertise in providing great portfolio solutions.

This addition will allow potential clients to compare and select portfolios based on our recommendations for them, as well as the elements of a portfolio they value most, like performance, asset allocation, and cost.

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