From the Editor: Happy New *Planning* Year

Q3 | October 2019

Laptop, notebook, Tablet and coffee on work desk

Topic: Wealth Planning

Dianne C. White, CPA, CA, CFP, TEP

October 1, 2019

Image used with permission: iStock/PRImageFactory


Print & Share

Print

From the Editor: Happy New *Planning* Year

Q3 | October 2019

As the weather cools and the leaves begin to change colour, it seems to me that fall is the more natural start of a new year compared to the start of the calendar year. Perhaps it’s the reflex of the back-to-school routine that makes me feel this way. But, in the fall, I am ready to embrace a new season and make some changes. It is a time to identify potential resolutions – those areas of opportunity for growth and development. So, why not start with an assessment of your financial life? Ask yourself, is everything in good order?

The first step is to make sure you have a financial plan and you are sticking to it. A good, comprehensive financial plan includes an assessment of where you are and where you are heading. It also addresses what your objectives are – is it “freedom 55” or owning that country estate? The plan captures all the financial details required to assess if you will be able to meet your objectives.

The next step is to consider whether you have all your “ducks in a row” when it comes to estate planning. We recently hosted the fourth instalment in our Women and Wealth presentation series where we revisited the topic of estate planning. Laura Ross, an estate consultant who has a wealth of hands-on experience dealing with estates, agreed to join us to discuss what clients can do to get their “ducks in a row”. Laura’s presentation focused on some of the softer issues that come along with estate planning. When most people think of estate planning, they focus on the documents required: wills, powers of attorney and various trusts that represent the legal framework of an estate plan. It is easy to get bogged down in the legalese of these documents and forget about how important it is to communicate your wishes. To quote Laura: “Death is the elephant in the room. It happens to all of us, but no one wants to talk about it. Talking about your wishes with respect to your health, finances and your estate is the best gift you can give your family to ensure they maintain a solid relationship after you pass.” Key take-aways from our events with her: make sure your will is current, make sure your executors and power of attorneys understand your wishes in plain language (not just have a copy of the legal document), and organize your affairs so your family knows where everything is. We plan to ask Laura back in early 2020. These new sessions will extend beyond our Women and Wealth series and all clients will be invited to attend. More information will be available in the coming months, so stay tuned!

In this issue of Nexus Notes, we continue to look at planning and returns, specifically expected investment returns. This article is an extension of one published last quarter on the return assumptions Nexus uses and how they translate into the asset projections in each plan. The article is penned by the newest member of our Nexus team, Brad Weber, who recently joined us from BMO Private Wealth. You can learn more about Brad in our Inside Nexus feature.

Also in this issue is an article that, at first glance, appears to be about literary classics, but is in fact about interest rates. Yes, the abnormally low, historically unprecedented, and potentially negative interest rates have become a significant global development. Investors are indeed living with strange circumstances just like Gulliver and Alice. You can read about how these otherworldly rates are causing real world problems and about the implications for borrowers and savers. We hope you enjoy this edition of Nexus Notes and happy new *planning* year to you!

More Like This...

See another CRM2 blog post that may be of interest to you.

CRM2: The Nexus Approach to our CRM2 Reports

Topic:
CRM2
Excerpt:
With changing securities regulations coming into effect, investment firms are now required to provide individual investors with specific additional in

More Like This...

See another Foundations & Endowments blog post that may be of interest to you.

Charitable Giving Made Easier

Topic:
Foundations & Endowments
Excerpt:
Giving to charities and supporting our community are important to us at Nexus. We donate a portion of our management fees back to the charities and

More Like This...

See another Human Interest blog post that may be of interest to you.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Topic:
Human Interest
Excerpt:
A recent article by David Brooks in The Atlantic magazine argues that, despite the heavy shroud of pessimism that envelopes most of our current

More Like This...

See another Inside Nexus blog post that may be of interest to you.

Here we Grow Again!

Topic:
Inside Nexus
Excerpt:
Recently, the Nexus team welcomed our seventh new face to join us since the start of the pandemic in 2020. As growth is an integral part of our

More Like This...

See another Investments blog post that may be of interest to you.

The Demise of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried

Topic:
Investments
Excerpt:
At the beginning of November 2022, Sam Bankman-Fried was crypto-currency’s “White Knight”. The flip-flop and t-shirt-wearing 30-year-old was the found

More Like This...

See another Pearls of Wisdom blog post that may be of interest to you.

“Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work”

Topic:
Pearls of Wisdom
Excerpt:
This has been a busy year. I’ve had lots happening on the home front (a wedding!) and lots going on at the office (too long to list!) Managing work

More Like This...

See another Tax Planning blog post that may be of interest to you.

Saving in my Professional Corporation – It’s a Great Idea!

Topic:
Tax Planning
Excerpt:
The ability for professionals in Canada to incorporate their practice has existed for some time. Doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, and other

More Like This...

See another Wealth Planning blog post that may be of interest to you.

Living to 100

Topic:
Wealth Planning, Living to 100
Excerpt:
“You’re going to live to 100!” For some, this may sound like a fantastic, welcome prognosis. They imagine gazing at sunsets every evening at the

On a Side Note…

See another CRM2 Nexus Notes Quarterly article that may be of interest to you.

No posts found.

On a Side Note…

See another Foundations & Endowments Nexus Notes Quarterly article that may be of interest to you.

Charitable Giving Made Easier

Topic:
Foundations & Endowments
Excerpt:
Giving to charities and supporting our community are important to us at Nexus. We donate a portion of our management fees back to the charities and

On a Side Note…

See another Human Interest Nexus Notes Quarterly article that may be of interest to you.

The Case for Openness – An Open and Shut Case?

Topic:
Human Interest
Excerpt:
From time immemorial, mankind has been open. Open to new ideas, open to trade, and open to migration – the three critical ingredients for progress.

On a Side Note…

See another Inside Nexus Nexus Notes Quarterly article that may be of interest to you.

Here we Grow Again!

Topic:
Inside Nexus
Excerpt:
Recently, the Nexus team welcomed our seventh new face to join us since the start of the pandemic in 2020. As growth is an integral part of our

On a Side Note…

See another Investments Nexus Notes Quarterly article that may be of interest to you.

Lessons From the Art World and Beyond

Topic:
Investments
Excerpt:
“Exactitude is not truth.”

On a Side Note…

See another Pearls of Wisdom Nexus Notes Quarterly article that may be of interest to you.

A Table for None, Please; Working From Home on the Rise

Topic:
Pearls of Wisdom
Excerpt:
Reading is one of the principal occupations in our profession. As we digest a wide range of material, interesting ideas and surprising facts – some

On a Side Note…

See another Tax Planning Nexus Notes Quarterly article that may be of interest to you.

Saving in my Professional Corporation – It’s a Great Idea!

Topic:
Tax Planning
Excerpt:
The ability for professionals in Canada to incorporate their practice has existed for some time. Doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, and other

On a Side Note…

See another Wealth Planning Nexus Notes Quarterly article that may be of interest to you.

From The Editor: What’s My Age Again?

Topic:
Wealth Planning, Living to 100
Excerpt:
How old are you? It’s a simple question, one we readily know the answer to, although some of us might not want to talk about it. And why do we know