3 Biases That Affect Financial Planning and How to Outsmart Them

Good financial planning decisions can make you smile

  “Effective financial planning is 90% mental.  The other half is about money.” — David Martin, Eltero Financial Partners   Ok.  So, I might have stolen and paraphrased Yogi Berra’s famous quote about baseball being 90% mental with the other half being physical.  The math might not add up but there’s a lot more correct […]

Embracing Summer: A Time for Relaxation and Financial Reflection

Summer financial planning

Who doesn’t love summer? Parks and beaches are full.  Cold weather scowls are replaced by warm weather smiles.  Flowers have bloomed.  Restaurants are busy.  The commuter traffic has been replaced with tourist traffic. As the warmth of summer begins to embrace Canada, I hope you take some time for relaxation, rejuvenation, and reflection. The sun-filled […]

When to take CPP and OAS

Show me the Money!! Who doesn’t want “free” money from the government? If you’ve ever looked at your pay stub or tax return, you know that the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) pension benefits you might be eligible to receive in retirement aren’t exactly “free”.  But that doesn’t stop people from […]

Pack Wisely

Moving through life, from our childhood and school-age years, through our working life, and finally into retirement, has sometimes been described as a journey.  I’ve heard financial advisors use analogies of a car trip, an airplane flight, or sailing on the ocean to relate life’s “journey”. I was hiking the other day on a very […]

Where are the Kardashians when you need them?

One of my guilty TV-watching pleasures is a show called “American Pickers”.  It’s a reality show (supposedly) that follows a couple of guys who travel the U.S. by van, stopping in on the homesteads of people who have amassed collections of antiques, collectibles, or just plain junk.  I’m amazed at the amount of stuff people […]