Financial, Retirement and Estate Planning

CanadianCapitalist.com - Canadian personal finance weblog maintained by an Ottawa software developer.

http://nancyzimmerman.com - Vancouver-based, self-described "money coach", Nancy Zimmerman doesn't sell financial products but gets people thinking about how they handle money.

www.thefinancialblogger.com - A former banker who uses only his first name, Mike, hooked up with a chartered financial analyst named Pierre. The two have created a site to provide tips and information about personal finance and investment.

www.canadianfinancialdiy.blogspot.com - Personal experiences, analysis and assessments by a mid-50s Canadian. The writer takes a do-it-yourself approach, covering taxes, investing, ETFs, portfolio and asset allocation, insurance, annuities and related book reviews in Canada.

Financial Webring - The Webring is an informal group of websites which promote individual financial education and empowerment. Browse the individual sites in the Webring, or visit the lively but moderated discussion forum to read comments about finances and other subjects from individuals with a wide range of views.

www.EfficientMarket.ca - News and information on RRSP's, mutual funds, exchange traded funds, and Canadian personal finance. Efficient Market Canada analyze RRSP asset allocations, tax strategies, and review the financial literature as it relates to RRSP and non-RRSP investment, and personal finance for Canadians.

www.livingto100.com - How long will you live? Here's a site which can estimate your answer based on various kinds of information that you supply. (You may have to use a zip code if your postal code doesn't work.)

Investor Education Fund (a non-profit set up by the Ontario Securities Commission)- www.investorED.ca - Resources are objective, easy to understand and free. Learn more about choosing financial advisers, visit the Money & Investing and Kinds of Investments sections and make use of the calculators and worksheets.

FPSC - Financial Planners Standards Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to benefiting the financial planning profession and the Canadian consumer by establishing and enforcing education, examination, experience and ethics requirements for financial planners who choose to earn the CFP designation. There are currently about 13,000 planners licensed to use these marks in Canada. CFP and Certified Financial Planner certification marks are used by FPSC under license agreement with the CFP Board of Standards, Inc. 

Human Resources Department Canada - www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca - Information releases, updates on Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Also www.cpp-rpc.gc.ca - Reports on financial reviews of CPP by federal and provincial governments.

Canada Pension Plan - Watch how your dollars are being invested by the CPP Investment Board at www.cppib.ca. Results posted quarterly in August, November, February and May.

www.canadabenefits.gc.ca  - This federal government site offers provincial and federal information about financial benefit programs for individuals, eg. student loans, public pension plans, employment insurance, housing assistance and payments to parents, immigrants, disabled individuals, veterans, athletes and artists.

www.ic.qc.ca - Industry Canada's site. Tools to help you reduce monthly banks charges and credit card costs. Details on most credit cards. Inquiries encouraged. This site offers general business data from Industry Canada.

Funerals With Love - www.funeralswithlove.com - Trusted advice on funeral planning, burials, writing the eulogy, funeral expenses and more. Free, downloadable "Funeral Cost Calculator."

www.itfigures.ca  - Designed to help you make informed decisions about a variety of areas from your home's mortgage to lease payments on a new car. Calculators include: loan and mortgage calculator, time value of money, net worth calculator, currency converter, investment yield calculator, and how much one saves by not smoking.

CIBC teaches children of all ages how money works and how to think about money. This Canadian bank offers two sectors for youth: "SmartStart for Kids" and "Student Life".

www.advocacycentreelderly.org - This Toronto Centre for the Elderly provides legal services to low-income seniors in Ontario.

www.ccels.ca - The Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies at the British Columbia Law Institute reveals legal issues that affect older people.

U.S. Sites

www.moneychimp.com - This American site supplies several important financial calculators. The Monte Carlo calculator can help you project your retirement needs. Others include: compound interest, bond yield, annuity, mortgage, capital gains, inflation and a stock-related calculator on P/E, P/S and PEG ratios. A glossary and articles supporting the sue of the calculators are helpful.

www.kidsmoney.org - This U.S. site is chock-full of all money matters for kids and their parents

www.martindale.com  - Jim Martindale's site has over 18,200 calculators. The huge list is alphabetized and cross-indexed. It appears that every conceivable topic is covered—from health to household to financial fields. Take your time!