Debt & Frugality

As Didi says in the novel (Findependence Day), “There’s no point climbing the Tower of Wealth when you’re still mired in the basement of debt.” If you owe credit-card debt still charging an usurous 20% per annum, forget about building wealth: focus on eliminating that debt. And once done, focus on paying off your mortgage. As Theo says in the novel, “The foundation of financial independence is a paid-for house.”

Debt is more than a four-letter word during your drawdown years

Posted By |
_MG_4309
Doug Dahmer

By Doug Dahmer, Emeritus Financial Strategies

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

 The month of April is always a particularly busy time for Retirement Income Specialists. One of our key roles is to provide each of our clients with a year-by-year draw-down recipe: outlining how much and where to source their annual cash flow needs.

The ultimate goal is not to minimize the amount of income tax they pay on any given year, but instead to minimize the amount of tax they pay over the balance of their lives. (Please note these two goals are frequently confused, and seldom accomplished simultaneously as often you will need to pay more tax sooner in order to pay significantly more later.)

One of our many sources of insight for the guidance we provide is found within our clients’ annual tax returns. At the same time our clients’ previous year’s tax returns act much like a report card, keeping them informed as to how well we performed our role over the previous year, as we endeavor to accomplish this important long term goal.

Debt can more than offset taxes

Continue Reading…

Sensible Investing TV: final episode of How to win the Loser’s Game

Posted By |

Screen Shot 2016-04-13 at 9.17.13 PMOur journey is almost done.

We’ve explained how the odds are heavily stacked against the ordinary investor – and how, by settling for an average return, and refusing to pay a small fortune in charges, you can end up as one of the winners, saving yourself a great deal of time, effort and worry in the process.

But there is a much bigger issue here. It’s not just we as individuals who are losing out. The whole world faces a pensions crisis. We’re living longer, and although most of us will work longer, there’ll be huge numbers of people retiring without enough funds to sustain them through their later lives.

How to cope with the looming global pension crisis

Continue Reading…

An investing guide for beginners

Posted By |

group elementary school students in computer classBy Robb Engen, Boomer & Echo

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Young readers often ask for investing tips and wonder how to get started. My typical response is that once you have a good handle on your finances – no credit-card debt, student loans fully paid (or close to it), some cash saved up for emergencies, short-term goals are funded (or on the way) – then it’s probably a good time to start your investing journey.

Finding the right investing approach can be tricky for beginners. There are plenty of options available, from GICs and bonds to mutual funds, stocks and ETFs. Then you need to consider your age and risk tolerance. Do you have the stomach to handle stock market fluctuations of 25 per cent or more, or would you prefer to see returns that are lower, yet less volatile?

If you’re serious about saving for retirement, you need an investing guide. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

First time investors: Building your portfolio

Continue Reading…

20 different ways to use your tax refund

Posted By |

Tax refund ahead clock

By Adrian Mastracci, KCM Wealth

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Let’s examine some wise ways to apply your tax refund in 2016. There are no shortages of sound possibilities for the personal finances.

Everyone can reap value from these practices. For example, refunds can be spent, saved and invested.

First park the refund into a saving account to resist impulse, say for 30 days.It gives you time to reflect and evaluate your needs and options. Try your best to get lasting value from this worthy source of cash. Many of the allocations you make are typically not reversible.

Here are 20 sensible ideas dealing with your tax refund: Continue Reading…

How to eat Healthily without Breaking the Bank

Posted By |

By Sandy Cardy

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

The price of groceries is on the rise again. However, there are ways you can limit the amount of money you spend when it comes time to grocery shop.

During the holiday season, I wrote an article about over-consumption – the gist being that the over-consumption of credit can leave us with debt troubles and how over-consumption of the wrong foods can leave us with harmful health debt.

There’s a general consensus that it costs too much money to eat healthily all the time. While it’s true that natural food products can be quite expensive, especially if you eat gluten-free or vegan packaged foods, there are ways to stretch your dollar at the grocery store.

The rising cost of groceries has made headlines again; in 2015 the average Canadian household spent about $325 more on food and is expected to spend an extra $345 in 2016, according to the University of Guelph’s Food Institute.

Meat and produce are expected to see the biggest price jump, with meat seeing a 4.5 per cent increase and fruits and vegetables rising between 4 and 4.5 per cent this year.

There’s good news though! Eating healthy doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. By stocking up your pantry on a variety of everyday superfoods and pairing them with fresh ingredients, dinners to feed the family can cost you less.

Stock Your Pantry Continue Reading…