The article “Joint Tenancy: How it Affects Capital Gains and Probate Fees” was originally published on MoneySense on April 21, 2015. Kim did some estate planning with her mother to avoid capital gains tax and probate fees. But it only half-worked. Q: I have joint tenancy with my mother on two…

The article “Financial Planner Without a Plan” was originally published on MoneySense on April 14, 2015. Despite having worked with several bank reps, George still doesn’t have a plan and it’s costing him dearly Q: I am a consultant and I am 62 years old. My wife is retired and is 60.…

The article “How to Maximize Government Pensions” was originally published on MoneySense on April 7, 2015. The timing of when to begin CPP can be more art than science Q: I am 65 in November and have applied for my CPP. I am considering applying for OAS, but know a huge…

The article “When Your Adviser Stops Caring” was originally published on MoneySense on March 31, 2015. John had his adviser’s attention at first. Now it’s started to wane. What should he do now that he seems to have lost his adviser’s attention? Q: I have had the same investment adviser since…

The article “Pension Withdrawals: Lump-Sum vs. Deferred Payment” was originally published on MoneySense on March 24, 2015. Bill is trying to make a choice between taking a lump-sum commuted value from his defined benefit pension or simply taking a monthly payment Q: I am about to make a decision on whether…

The article “How to Get Money Out of Locked-In Retirement Accounts” was originally published on MoneySense on March 17, 2015. Pete has a LIRA and wants to understand the rules on making withdrawals Q: I have a LIRA and have been told that each province has strict laws on when I…

The article “What To Do With An Inheritance” was originally published on MoneySense on March 10, 2015. Should Rich use his $200,000 inheritance to reduce his debt and increase his cash flow? Q: I recently inherited some farm land and it is worth $200,000. I have a relatively large mortgage of…

The article “Are You Ready to Retire?” was originally published on MoneySense on March 3, 2015. 9 questions to help you determine if you can afford to quit working Q: I am a 57-year-old widowed medical secretary earning $43,000 annually plus survivor pension of $560 monthly. I do not have a mortgage…

The article “How Pension Income Splitting Really Works” was originally published on MoneySense on February 26, 2015. Ken is trying to get some answers so he can plan a tax efficient retirement income for he and his wife Q: As I understand it, RRSPs have tax withheld at 30% and then…

The article “Optimize Your Retirement Income” was originally published on MoneySense on February 17, 2015. Jackie is approaching retirement and her husband is retired. She’s looking to optimize her retirement income and minimize her income taxes. Q: My husband is 63 and I am 58 years-old. We have defined benefit pension…

The article “Juggling Personal and Workplace RRSPs” was originally published on MoneySense on February 12, 2015. Make workplace RRSPs your primary focus Q: My husband and I participate in workplace RRSP top-up programs, and we have an RRSP loan to maximize my husband’s RRSP contribution. We’re not sure if this is…

The article “Using More Than One Financial Adviser” was originally published on MoneySense on February 10, 2015. At key times in your life, it makes sense to use more than one financial adviser. Does it make sense for Donna? Q: What are the benefits and/or drawbacks to using more than one…