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Is Critical Illness Right for You?

It is probably the most disturbing news an individual can receive during a routine checkup: you have a critical illness and you must receive treatment for it.

Thankfully, Canadians have access to healthcare and can receive treatment without spending an arm and a leg out of pocket. But what if the doctor’s orders also require taking a significant leave from work, leading to income loss? Or what if the rare but recommended treatment requires expensive travel to a clinic across the continent or even out of the country?

Have You Overlooked Assets in Your Estate Planning?

Digital assets are essentially anything that has inherent worth that is also in digital form. What establishes their status as an asset is the fact that they come with a “right to use” (e.g. a password). Without a right to use, they are just considered data. Digital assets could include family photos, air miles, hotel rewards, grocery store points, and especially cryptocurrency.

Don’t Qualify For Traditional Life Insurance? Consider These Options

It’s no secret that traditional life insurance, critical illness insurance and disability insurance offer amazing benefits to those who qualify for the policies. Through these plans, people can protect their families, their businesses, and their livelihoods against the unexpected occurring and disrupting their lives. Unfortunately, however, these policies often don’t extend to people who are facing serious health problems and who may need life insurance the most.

Several years ago, two alternative insurance products were offered to help cover people who may have fallen through the cracks when it comes to life insurance. These two new products fall into one of two insurance product categories: guaranteed issue and simplified issue.

All in the Family: Estate Planning for Farmers

Many farmers find it difficult to get any interest from their children in continuing to run the farm business – which can cause some complications when developing the best estate plan for farmers looking to retire.

In general, farmers are in an interesting position: they are asset rich due to the increased value of their land but struggle with the increasing costs related to their farming activities.

However, if the farm holds significant value but the children are not interested in working the land, what is a farmer to do?

Disability Insurance and Small Business: How a Small Business Owner Used Disability Insurance to Stay Afloat While Managing Depression

Sandra ran her own successful insurance agency company for over a decade before it hit her like a ton of bricks – she was chronically depressed and something had to change.

Triggered by a combination of constant stress leading to severe burnout and her 12-year-old son’s recent diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes, Sandra needed some time away from the office to recover and receive treatment. Her depression was absolutely debilitating and could have been devastating to her business and income.

Luckily, Sandra, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, had purchased two disability insurance policies eight years prior that would help her through such a turbulent time. Sandra worked in the insurance industry and had seen just how important it was to protect yourself from a loss of income in case of a debilitating illness or disease.

Who Should Own My Life Insurance?

The planning considerations of where and how to own your life insurance can be varied and sometimes complicated. It is important to remember that who owns the policy, controls the policy. The owner has the right to name a beneficiary, assign the policy, take cash value loans or even cancel or surrender the policy. The insured does not have to consent to these transactions although there are steps available to require his or her permission when necessary. This article focuses on the main, but not all, issues in determining the ownership of a life insurance policy.

Stop Living Paycheque to Paycheque and Start Living

We are now living in a gig economy as a result of wage stagnation and increased globalization. While previous generations have usually worked one full-time job, often with a pension plan, today more and more Canadians are working for several different companies as independent contractors.

While this type of work does offer much-needed flexibility for some, it also creates financial instability for millions of Canadians. A recent survey of all working Canadians by the Canadian Payroll Association suggests that 43 percent of workers were living paycheque to paycheque prior to COVID-19. That statistic does not take into account COVID-19’s impact on the workforce.

Extended COVID-19 Federal Emergency Benefits

On Friday, February 19, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an extension to:

– Canada Recovery Benefit
– Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit
– Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit
– Employment Insurance

Self-employed: Government of Canada addresses CERB repayments for some ineligible self-employed recipients

Great news for some ineligible self-employed Canadians who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

Blog

Is Critical Illness Right for You?

Have You Overlooked Assets in Your Estate Planning?

Don’t Qualify For Traditional Life Insurance? Consider These Options

All in the Family: Estate Planning for Farmers

Disability Insurance and Small Business: How a Small Business Owner Used Disability Insurance to Stay Afloat While Managing Depression

Who Should Own My Life Insurance?

Stop Living Paycheque to Paycheque and Start Living

Extended COVID-19 Federal Emergency Benefits

Self-employed: Government of Canada addresses CERB repayments for some ineligible self-employed recipients

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