In a previous blog, I opened up the debate on whether it is of value for employers to offer the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) to their employees as another savings vehicle. Since that posting, I came across an interesting piece of information about the TFSA that I thought I’d pass along.

 

In June, the Ontario [...] read more »

A piece of news just popped into my inbox that I thought might be of interest. Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced today the creation of a Task Force on Financial Literacy, as originally promised in the 2009 federal budget.

 

“Whether it is a question of saving for retirement, financing a new home or balancing the family chequebook, improving the financial [...] read more »

The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) came into effect January 2, 2009. Since then, there has been some debate as to whether employers would be interested in offering it to employees as a savings vehicle.

 

The appeal of the TFSA is that it allows Canadians to set aside $5,000 a year without accruing tax on the income it generates. This may be an option for Canadians who have already maxed out their [...] read more »

This summer, I’m planning a few hikes that aren’t too far from home. I’ll definitely do the Bruce Trail, and likely a few others. From what I’ve been reading lately, I’m not the only one who is planning to vacation near home.

 

Canadian tour operators are reporting their travel business is down by 15% this year, according to a recent article on “staycations” that [...] read more »

It’s probably not a surprise to hear the recent economic uncertainties and turbulent financial markets could be adding to the personal and financial stresses of you and/or your employees.

 

A recent report by employee assistance providers Shepell.fgi says they saw a 13% increase in the number of people who contacted them on financial issues in the second half of 2008, compared to the same period in 2007.

 

Even prior [...] read more »

There have been many articles lately about investing amid turbulent portfolios and what some have perceived as “good deals” in the market. But what I think is even more important to understand – and something my colleague, Sonia Spekkens of Cowan Financial Solut [...] read more »

The VP of Benefits at Cowan, Teresa Norris-Lue, recently made me aware of proposed changes to the Canada Pension Plan, and I thought I would pass the information along to you in case you hadn’t yet seen it.

 

Starting in 2012, Canadians as young as 60 will be able to start drawing on their CPP benefits without leaving their jobs or having a reduction in work hours or earnings. Currently, Canadians [...] read more »

Recently our Commercial Lines division celebrated the re-opening of a restaurant we insured that had been gutted by fire. It took more than a year for the business to rebuild, but today things are back to normal, and the customers – and many of the staff members – have returned.

 

The re-opening [...] read more »

If you’re like me, the warmer weather has got you thinking about vacations and activities for the summer. Typically, we take a lot of road trips, and I was interested to find that our Cowan Connection newsletter has some [...] read more »