Articles

Incorporated business owners can choose how to pay themselves. Some receive limited input from their accountant regarding their compensation strategy, or they simply continue using the same approach without occasionally reconsidering it.

With the rise of social media and influencers sharing all kinds of information, it’s not always easy to know what to believe. This is also true with financial influencers or “finfluencers” who offer financial advice to their audiences. What’s important to remember is that you can’t always trust what you see or hear on social media. And with an increasingly complex financial landscape, it can be daunting to know how to choose financial products and services that are right for you.

2025 has been another solid year for the overall U.S. stock market. As of September, both the S&P 500 (SPY) and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) have delivered strong total returns, providing investors with year-to-date gains of around 13% and 17%, respectively. This marks the third consecutive year of double-digit returns.

Most financial advice is geared to middle- and upper-income Canadians. Ironically, the low-income earners most in need of financial advice feel they can’t afford it, while fee-based advisors have little incentive to seek out those with tiny accounts.

A research report led by Securian Canada from October 2024 revealed that more than one in five Canadians, or about 7.3 million adults in Canada, participate in the gig economy. Further, the study revealed that almost three-quarters of them do gig work as a “side-hustle”, meaning they are also employed full-time or part-time.

I am a 46-year-old widow. My late husband’s accounts were recently transferred to me, and I would like your opinion as to what I should do with the holdings. My goal is to maximize growth over the long term for the benefit of my two young children. I will have no need to draw income from these sources. My husband’s TFSA and RRSP are in an RBC Monthly Income Bond Fund - Series A and RBC Select Balanced Portfolio - Series A.

Longer lifespans mean planning now for later-in-life cash flow. Traditionally, employer-sponsored pension plans provided a solid income base. Today, fewer than 40% of Canadians have one. While public sector pension coverage is over 90%, the number drops to around 23% of workers in the private sector. The latter tend to be Defined Contribution (DC) plans versus the more secure and valuable Defined Benefit (DB) plans. In 2023, nearly 14% of seniors 65+ had an after-tax income of less than half the national median; obviously, some folks face a cash shortage later in life when they have fewer options.

It was a dark and stormy night…

Uncertainty and danger lurked around every corner as an eerie orange glow lingered over the street. While elbows were up, they could only remain so for so long, and one misstep could spell disaster.

Millions of retail investors remain underserved by traditional financial advice channels due to high account minimums, excessive fees, poor service, and a lack of trust in the advice being offered. Historically, many turned to their banks for guidance. Unfortunately, bank branch sales personnel—often cynically referred to as "regulated finfluencers"—typically promote only proprietary products, essentially acting as distributors of sponsored content. These products are frequently high-cost, actively-managed mutual funds with embedded sales commissions, creating significant conflicts of interest that regulatory frameworks attempt, but often fail to mitigate.