News and resources for Canada's top financial advisors
Tax News
Yesterday, President Obama and the Republican Congressional leadership tentatively agreed to work on draft legislation that would reinstate U.S. estate tax January 1, 2011, with an “exemption” of U.S. $5 million for U.S. citizens and U.S. domiciliaries and a maximum estate tax rate of 35%.
By Terry F. Ritchie |December 8, 2010
1 min read
Tax Strategies
January 1, 2011 will see the first of a number of changes impacting how clients (and advisors) incorporate Canada Pension Plan (“CPP”) retirement benefits into their financial plans. These changes will become effective between 2011 and 2016. Clients who are thinking about retirement need to be informed of the new rules. The benefits will differ depending on client age and earnings history, as well as their ability or desire to work past the age of 60.
By Carol Bezaire |December 7, 2010
4 min read
It’s a truism in the advisory business that client relationships can very often turn into family affairs. Building a sound relationship with one person can lead to relationships with spouses, close relatives and, eventually, the children. When we talk about clients, we often focus on baby boomers, the generation with the greatest numbers and the […]
By Michelle Munro |December 2, 2010
6 min read
December is a busy month for advisors, but you can help your clients close out 2010 on a positive note with these year-end tax tips.
By Gena Katz |December 1, 2010
3 min read
Estate Planning
Elena Hoffstein is a partner in the law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin. In addition to personal tax and estate planning, her practice includes charities and not-for-profit law. This conversation focuses on philanthropy as part of an estate plan.
By Anne Brayley |December 1, 2010
I first wrote about this topic this past spring, but since then, taxpayers continue to get hit with severe penalties for not filing the form on time, notwithstanding that all their foreign income was fully declared and taxed on their personal tax returns.
By Jamie Golombek |November 17, 2010
5 min read
Planning for the day a client passes away is one of an advisor’s more difficult tasks. It’s not just an emotional experience, it’s complex too. Although the practical tasks that accompany a death range from assisting with the will to finding an executor and working with powers of attorney, end of life issues often involve […]
By Bryan Borzykowski |November 15, 2010
“It was a strange situation,” says Michael Berton, recalling one of his more unusual estate planning cases. “But it’s what the family wanted to happen.” The story goes like this: Husband and wife, Chet and Marie (not their real names), had a joint account. It was assumed that since Chet, who had been in the […]
If you have clients who are turning 71 this year and are in good health, by all means congratulate them. Even in an era of growing life expectancy, 71 is a notable age. It is also an important marker in a person’s financial lifetime because this is the age at which individuals are required by […]
November 2, 2010
Your client just finished his or her last day of work and tomorrow begins the new adventure of planning out the retirement years. He or she is now thinking about winter vacations, golf-course memberships, summer trips with grandchildren and possibly even a winter home down south.
By Mike George |November 1, 2010
8 min read
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