By Michael Bronstine The personal Perspective Life insurance is well known for its ability to provide liquidity to fulfill financial obligations arising on death. What is less well known is that life insurance is a versatile financial instrument that can also be used to accumulate…
Let’s face it, life insurance does not have the “sex appeal” of other types of financial products available to high-net-worth (HNW) individuals. But most wealthy individuals and business owners have purchased life insurance for the significant benefits these products provide to their overall financial and…
It’s rare that a month goes by without a new survey describing Canadians’ poor retirement planning. Some are only moderately alarming, featuring data about working longer and anxiety at the prospect of outliving savings, while others reveal generational gaps in planning that will become harder…
Buying a house can be a stressful event, with more paperwork than the average consumer has ever faced. It’s not surprising, then, that first-time buyers can inadvertently sign up for something they may not need—like mortgage life insurance. “They’re dealing with a lot all at…
Todd Gotlieb Investors should recognize what financial advisers can, and can’t, do. The new regulation requires anyone getting paid to provide investment guidance on a retirement account to act solely in the investor’s best interest. But what that means and how to measure it are as…
Michael Bronstine Many retirees are in an enviable financial position: They have worked hard, invested wisely and spent prudently, leaving more than enough to fund their retirement. They won’t outlive their assets. This will leave a sizeable inheritance for their children. However, there is more…
Michael Bronstine GBK April 2018 The risk of growing old, or infirmed, are not the only reasons that you should be thinking of planning to pass on your business. Your business value will increase if you are planning for its, and your own, future. By…
Financial planning is not a one-time event, but rather an ongoing process Michael Bronstine, GBK Strategic Financial Partners As a child my family went on a number of driving vacations. Before leaving, my parents generally contacted AAA and obtained a step-by-step series of maps of…
Few would dispute that the marijuana industry in Canada will become a significant part of our capital markets. That means, once the froth comes out of share prices, advisors will be faced with trying to value individual shares on a fundamental basis. Industry momentum has…
The country’s annual pace of inflation sped up to 2.2% last month to rise above the central bank’s ideal target of 2%, Statistics Canada said Friday. The agency’s February data showed a significant boost to the inflation rate compared with the month before when it…