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Taxation of Life Insurance – New Rules Offer a Window of Opportunity
Permanent life insurance, such as Whole Life or Universal Life, has long been accepted as a tax efficient way of accumulating cash for future needs. Soon the amount of funds that can be tax sheltered within a life insurance policy will be reduced by new tax rules which take effect January 1, 2017. These changes may make 2016 the best year to buy cash value life insurance.
The changes to the tax rules regarding life insurance have resulted in an update to the “exempt test” which measures how much cash value can accumulate in a policy before it becomes subject to income tax.
Highlights of the new rules and their effect
For Cash Value Life Insurance: Read more
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Six creative ways to teach your kids about money
Understanding financial issues is challenging enough for adults, so it’s no wonder many parents struggle when it comes to teaching them to kids.
According to a Harris/Decima Youth Financial Literacy Study for the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, 84% of Canadians believe young people are ill-prepared to manage their finances when they enter the workforce. While 78% of Canadian parents have attempted to teach their children financial management skills, 60% believe that they haven’t been successful. Read more
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The Best Way to Insure Your Mortgage
If you have a mortgage it makes good sense to insure it. Owning a debt free home is an objective of any sound financial plan. In addition, making sure your mortgage is paid off in the event of your death will benefit your family greatly.
The question is should you purchase this coverage through your lending institution or from a life insurance company? A good rule of thumb to follow when searching for advice? Ask an expert! Read more
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The Estate Bond
Growing your estate without undue market risk and taxes
Often we see older investors shift gears near retirement and beyond. Many become risk adverse and move their assets into fixed income type investments. Unfortunately this often results in the assets being exposed to higher rates of income tax and lower rates of return – never a good combination.
Or maybe the older investor cannot fully enjoy their retirement years for fear of spending their children’s inheritance.
The Estate Bond financial planning strategy presents a solution to both of these problems. Read more