Now May Be a Good Time to Review your Estate Plan

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It has long been an accepted strategy to provide sufficient estate liquidity to pay taxes due at death from the proceeds of a life insurance policy. In Canada we are fortunate to have permanent life insurance policies that insure an individual for their entire life with a premium that is guaranteed not to increase. It is feasible to be able to use these policies in an effective estate plan.

Insurance Planning for Incorporated Professionals

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For incorporated professionals, making sure your business is financially protected can be overwhelming. Incorporated Professionals face a unique set of challenges when it comes to managing risk. Insurance can play an important role.

Shielding Your Family From Your Creditors With Life Insurance

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Naming a beneficiary of a life insurance policy provides a significant benefit in planning and protecting one’s estate. With a named beneficiary, the death benefit is paid directly to the beneficiary and is received tax-free. It bypasses the policyowner’s estate and is not subject to probate or any other administrative fees.

The Five Steps to Investment Planning

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An investment advisor can help you figure out what the right investment choices are for you. The five steps to investment planning are: • Meeting your investment advisor • Determining your goals and expectations • Developing your investment plan • Implementing your investment plan • Monitoring the plan The sooner you start planning for retirement, the sooner you can get there! An investment advisor can help you get there quicker.

Don’t lose all your hard-earned money to taxes

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It’s essential to manage your tax planning properly – both while you are living and for after your death. You want as much of your money as possible to go to your beneficiaries, not the government. Our article contains three tips to help you do that: 1. Learn how to make the most of the lifetime capital gains exemption. 2. Figure out ways to decrease your end-of-life tax bill. 3. Look into Immediate Financing Arrangements.

Group Life Insurance – Only Part of The Solution

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If your goal is to replace income for your family for more than 2 years, you may want to add an individual policy to your group insurance coverage. According to the same LIMRA study, on average, households with only group coverage can replace the household’s income for less than 2 years. Households with both group and personal life coverage can replace income for more than 5 years.

Five Ways To Withdraw Money From Your Business In A Tax-Efficient Manner

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You have worked long and hard to build up your business, and now you are ready to withdraw money from your business' bank account. But you don't want to get hit with a huge tax bill. So here are 5 ways to withdraw money from your business in a tax-efficient manner.

Is it Time for Your Insurance Audit?

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Has it been awhile since you last looked at your insurance portfolio? Are you a little vague in your recollection of all the coverage you have and why you have it? Are you uncertain as to whether or not your portfolio reflects your current situation? Just like going to the dentist for regular checkups is a necessary evil, reviewing your financial plan and products on a regular basis is also recommended. Circumstances can change over time and making sure your protection is keeping pace is a worthwhile exercise.

Financial Planning For Self-Employed Contractors

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Being a self-employed contractor can bring you a large cash flow and the satisfaction of being your own boss – but it can also make financial planning more complicated than being an employee. When creating a financial plan, Self-employed contractors need to keep a number of items in mind. Read to find out!

Estate Planning for Blended Families

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In today’s family, it is not unusual for spouses to enter a marriage with children from previous relationships. Parents work hard at getting these children to functionally blend together to create a happy family environment. Often overlooked is what happens on the death of one of the parents. In most cases, special consideration for estate planning is needed to avoid relationship loss and possibly legal action. Typically spouses leave everything to each other and when the surviving spouse dies, the remainder is divided amongst the children. The problem? Even with the best of intentions, there is no guarantee that the surviving spouse will not remarry and inadvertently disinherit the deceased’s children.