Has this ever happened to you?  You’re buying property or refinancing, you have paid for a lender appraisal but you can’t have a copy of it.  Not being able to read a report you paid for is odd on the face of it, especially if you paid for the service in relation to […]

  Start your teen off right and help them prepare for as smooth a financial road ahead as possible. Needs vs. Wants Tweens and teens need to learn to differentiate between needs and wants and to prioritize how they spend their money.  Value and cost are two more important concepts they need to understand.  A […]

Financial independence is a critical skill for future success.  As parents, we have the opportunity to nurture our children’s healthy relationship with money.  Here are a few points to consider with respect to helping them in this area: Review Your Attitude Towards Money: What is your own attitude towards money?  Are you a penny pincher?  Frivolous […]

  Part Three: Navigating Your Way Forward Using Property Equity Through Retirement In the first two installments of this series, we’ve looked at equity and strategies around using a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), also referred to here as a Line of Credit.  Let’s now look at HELOC considerations toward the end of one’s […]

  Part Two:  Heightened Financial Potential Through Your Property’s Equity: Benefits and Strategies In the first post of this series, we looked at the concept of equity and the Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), also referred to as a Line of Credit here. This second post of this three-part series looks into the reasons […]

With last Friday’s publication of the anemic second-quarter GDP data, it was obvious that the Bank of Canada would refrain from raising rates at today’s meeting. Economic activity declined by 0.2% in Q2; the first quarter growth estimate decreased from 3.1% to 2.6%. Today’s press release announced, “The Canadian economy has entered a period of […]

  Part One: Unlocking Your Property’s Hidden Value: The Power of Equity Most real estate might appear to be comprised of four walls and a roof, but beneath the surface lies a hidden gem: your property’s equity. In this series, we’re simplifying the concept of property equity to introduce you to a potentially powerful tool—the […]

  I am deeply saddened by the events of the wildfires and their impact on so many this year.  Dealing with the aftermath of a home or property lost to wildfires can be incredibly challenging. If this has happened to you, I express my sincere sympathy and hope these steps can be of some assistance: […]

  If you happen to be carrying extra debt from credit cards or other loans (such as car loans, personal loans, etc.) you may benefit from simplifying and reducing your overall monthly payments, especially given rising costs in the current economic climate.  Rolling extra debt into a mortgage could be a great solution. Consolidating other […]

  A quick review with your insurance agent can ensure your strata’s insurance policy aligns with your individual unit’s insurance coverage.  This can safeguard you from a potentially overwhelming and unexpected financial expense you shouldn’t have to worry about. Condominium or strata insurance covers the entire building including common areas such as hallways and elevators.  […]