Pay Attention to your Beneficiary
Naming a beneficiary is a valuable feature of life insurance and segregated funds policies so it is important to carefully choose your beneficiaries.
Naming a beneficiary is a valuable feature of life insurance and segregated funds policies so it is important to carefully choose your beneficiaries.
You have spent your life working hard and accumulating wealth for you and your family to enjoy. While you are living you pay taxes annually on both your earned and investment income. But did you know that your assets may also result in a tax liability upon your death or the death of your spouse? In Canada, a taxpayer is deemed to dispose of all of his or her assets at death. If the value of these assets exceeds their cost, then, without proper planning, taxes could be payable.
But the good news is, it might be possible to reduce or at least delay the payment of this tax by organizing or re-allocating certain assets that would result in a tax liability at your death. There is also a way to cost-effectively accumulate tax-free funds to pay all or part of any taxes that may become due upon your death.
Of course, every situation is different, so you should consult with a financial advisor before making any big decisions. Below is a simple guide that will help you structure your estate in the most tax-advantageous method.
Deciding when you should purchase life insurance varies by person and the individual’s circumstance. But there are both benefits and drawbacks to purchasing life insurance at certain ages. Although the general consensus is that you should purchase when you are younger, there is no “wrong” age to consider purchasing life insurance.
That’s a good thing. Chances are your family may change or grow at different stages of your life, prompting you to consider purchasing a certain life insurance policy at different ages. Below we take a look at why it is a good idea to have life insurance at any age.
Have you been considering opening a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) to strengthen your retirement plan? Perhaps you are considering opening a TFSA but are not quite sure how it could be used to complement your existing RRSP.
Every individual has a different wealth management strategy and retirement goals, so you should speak to a financial advisor to determine if a TFSA is right for you. Below is a helpful guide to determine if a TFSA would make sense for your wealth management strategy.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.