Financial Library

Five Pillars of Financial Literacy

November is financial literacy month - a great time to reflect on your relationship with money and the decisions you make that guide you toward a secure future. Financial literacy is a set of five key skills that help Canadians navigate the complex world of personal finance with clarity, empowering them to achieve their important financial goals. These key pillars of financial literacy typically include the following:

Tips for Dealing with Higher Inflation

Inflation is a reality of modern life, and in recent years, it has become increasingly challenging to manage personal finances in a higher inflation environment. Higher inflation can lead to higher prices for goods and services, which can in turn make it harder to save money and plan for the future. However, there are steps you can take to successfully manage your personal finances in a higher inflation environment.

September Cool Down

Our last newsletter talked about how the Canadian Economy had slowed down in the second quarter of the year. The good news from that was the possibility that the Bank of Canada would stop raising Interest Rates. Unfortunately, we have seen more of a mixed picture since then. After falling to a two year low of 2.8% this June, Inflation has come back up. Canada’s Annual Inflation Rate went up to 4% in August. It was 3.3% the month before that1. One of the major factors that is keeping the Cost of Living higher is Oil Prices.

CPP at 60? Pros and Cons

As individuals approach retirement, they must decide when to start receiving their Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments. While the standard age to begin receiving CPP payments is 65, it is possible to start as early as age 60 or delay until age 70. This decision should never be taken lightly, as it can significantly impact an individual's financial situation during their retirement years. In this article, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of taking Canada Pension Plan payments early.

All-Weather Investing

There is almost always chatter in the media about the next possible correction or recession. The most recent buzz is about a possible US recession where Canada would likely follow suit. The chatter also includes opinions about a "soft" versus a "hard" landing, etc. The primary challenge for individuals trying to build wealth is that this background noise (chatter) has nothing to do with…you!

Interest Rates and Your Financial Strategy

Working towards financial independence includes assumptions about how the world operates and how we navigate within that environment. These assumptions work best when the world remains the same allowing you to make reasonable future projections.

Challenges come when changes occur in the operating environment which may require reassessing wealth building strategies. The disruptions from early 2020 (Covid, supply-chains, etc.) seem to have ushered in some significant changes in our world.

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