tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45771517227599589212025-06-18T12:10:42.822-07:00Your Life Your Planhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07445291923031722569noreply@blogger.comBlogger461125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-5828714594550451892015-07-22T14:41:00.001-07:002015-07-22T14:41:44.584-07:00

John Stossel on the politicians' war on Uber

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-38032367317452191772012-05-25T16:56:00.002-07:002012-05-25T16:56:48.986-07:00

"I have never let schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain Now that I've completed my MBA, I can better see the wisdom in these words.  That's not to say that going to school is a bad thing, just don't let it box you in.  It should be the other way around; make it work for you. GB

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-27072969051241190682012-05-16T13:11:00.001-07:002012-05-16T13:11:49.740-07:00

With the title in mind, one should already know the outcome.  I'm referring to North American consumers and the North American economy.  Once every two years, I vacation with the family in Hawaii.  This year we're staying on the Island of Oahu, in Waikiki - a reward for the kids getting straight A's in school, and to say thanks to my wife for being patient with me while I

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-30796951410086059992012-05-11T08:07:00.005-07:002012-05-11T08:07:58.471-07:00

Criticism is important and invigorating for the following reasons: You're on the right track when a target appears on your back. It's part of doing business. Trying to get everyone to like you is mediocrity. Play big or play small; criticism will come either way.  You might as well play big. History doesn't remember those who play neutral. Speaking out draws criticism. Criticism parallels

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-40664096502803863432011-06-02T09:02:00.000-07:002011-06-02T13:00:41.161-07:00

It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future; and if your investment approach relies on making predictions, then your returns are only as good as your forecasts. I'd throw in timing as well. History shows that's a tough way to make a buck. The so-called 'experts' get it right less than 1-in-3, and we all underestimate the impact of outliers, or extreme events that few predict.

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-38415814709321758172011-06-01T10:04:00.001-07:002011-06-01T10:27:35.436-07:00

I have to share the following from today's edition of 'Diary of a Mad Hedge Fund Trader':There is no end to which they will go to understand the future direction of the world economy. Now apparently, the price of Brazilian bikini waxes is going through the roof; no joke, the Brazilian government includes this strategic activity in its basket of consumer services to calculate inflation. It is

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-59586992838171842092011-05-31T09:33:00.000-07:002011-05-31T09:53:41.216-07:00

Despite proven advantages of financial planning for retirement, the majority of Canadians don't have a financial plan for their future, according to an HSBC survey. According to their global study, 65% of Canadian respondents lack a financial plan, far more than the global figure of 50%. According to their study, those who have sought out advice and planned have amassed nearly 2 1/2 times more

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-2947288229502050682011-05-30T09:51:00.000-07:002011-06-03T07:15:49.129-07:00

The familiar rule of thumb for retirement income needs is 70% of pre-retirement income. Some financial planners think this is nonsense! They argue you need to look at your expenses and what you are actually spending today. Keep in mind that your lifestyle expenses will likely be higher in the 1st year of retirement than the 15th year. This assumes you aren't in a swank care home. A good question

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-57409394375725895522011-05-30T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-01T07:35:27.193-07:00

There's an idealized view of retirement that either shows you on a beach at age 55 fit as a fiddle or in the Tuscan Villa. That sounds great but what is wrong with living the way you did before you retired, or close to it? Even working at something you always wanted to do. A great excercise for those retiring within five years is to go through a retirement navigator and visualizer to see what

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-67945773361610532592011-05-30T09:20:00.000-07:002011-05-31T07:35:38.052-07:00

On the other end of the spectrum from yesturday's topic about OAS clawback 2 surveys were released this year showing a high level of concern among Canadians close to retirement whether they had saved enough. The results from the TD Waterhouse poll of people between age 45-75 was that 67% worried they hadn't saved enough and 39% planned to keep working to fund their retirement. From the Chartered

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-51366936871550693352011-05-30T07:26:00.000-07:002011-05-30T07:41:07.788-07:00

Are you questioning whether you will retain your OAS or whether you will get it clawed back. Rob Carrick featured a great article in the Globe and mail this weekend on how to avoid the dreaded OAS clawback. The maximum monthly OAS benefit right now is $526.85 or $6,322.20. The government claws OAS back by 15% of incremental income above $67,668 and it completely eliminates OAS with income of $

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-49680071334649287752011-05-27T07:02:00.000-07:002011-05-27T07:06:54.336-07:00

We are recommending a significant reduction in equities, with emphasis on U.S. and emerging markets shares," Mr. Coxe, who runs Coxe Advisors LLP, wrote in his latest Basic Points report. "Runaway bull markets reward strategists who look only one way when they cross one-way streets. We may not see such stock markets again for a long, long time."Here is a summary of his recommendations:1. Reduce

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-25813376772172876062011-05-25T20:57:00.000-07:002011-05-26T11:50:58.377-07:00

For more than 70 years, economists have been fixated with measuring economic output by gross domestic product; now GDP has its limitations: It doesn't take into account natural-resource depletion, and excludes unpaid services like volunteering. This week the OECD launched an alternative measure of well-being which appears to be a little broader. It includes 20 different indicators, from life

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-20123009645174564112011-05-18T10:43:00.000-07:002011-05-25T07:33:44.822-07:00

There's a lot of talk these days about rising inflation and rising interest; so I thought I'd summarize a dialogue in the most recent edition of the CFA Magazine. The article is titled 'The Race to Zero' and it's narrated by journalist Jonathan Barnes based on his interview with Richard Hokenson, founder of demographic economic firm Hokenson & Company.Hokenson feels that the future will

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-21456015446420715812011-05-17T06:49:00.000-07:002011-05-19T07:31:48.886-07:00

Starting this year the CPP retirement pension amount will increase by a higher percentage if taken after age 65 and will decrease by a larger percentage if taken before age 65. For example in the past if you took the CPP at age 70 you received 30% more than if you had taken it at age 65. By 2013, an individual who starts receiving CPP at age 70 will receive 42% more than if they had taken it at

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-52112608739234819002011-05-17T06:40:00.000-07:002011-05-17T07:02:24.403-07:00

There are some upcoming changes to CPP that will affect whether you take your CPP early or later than 65. You can elect to take it as early as 60 or as late as 70. If you are approaching age 60 and are eligible for CPP it is a worthwhile excercise to access when to apply for your CPP retirement pension. Some key considerations are employment opportunities, other retirement income, your health and

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-63350167195743003022011-05-17T06:30:00.000-07:002011-05-24T07:32:31.310-07:00

I recently ran the numbers comparing taking the CPP at age 60, 65 or age 70 from a present value perspective with 3% discount rate. If you took your CPP at age 60 versus age 65 the breakeven point is at age 72. This means that if you expect to live beyond age 72 you would be better off waiting till age 65 to take your CPP. If you took your CPP at age 65 versus age 70 the breakeven point is at

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-57073588443663775162011-05-11T11:32:00.000-07:002011-05-11T11:47:55.811-07:00

Well so far in May, North American stocks are down, more so in Canada than in the US thanks to falling commodity prices which is typical this time of year. Is this the seasonal 'sell in may, go away', or is this a buying opportunity?There's a correlation between bond yields and stock prices. Typically, when bond yields fall from January to May, stocks do relatively well from May to October;

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-67929424517492765692011-05-09T08:25:00.000-07:002011-05-16T07:35:24.111-07:00

The conventional thinking on spending in retirement was that there would be a burst of spending in the immediate years after retirement on things like travel, after which health issues and fatigue associated with age would lead to less active lives and lower spending. Maybe so... but most boomers will be dragged into their rocking chair kicking and screaming. If so it's possible spending will

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-39415720117431119382011-05-09T08:16:00.000-07:002011-05-13T11:51:57.728-07:00

Another finding from the US Trust Research I talked about yesturday is that many wealthy invetsors are interested in seeing the impact of their giving now, rather than leaving a legacy when they pass away. Despite this 4 in 10 affluent investors haven't sought advice on their legacy or philanthropic strategies. The implication for this in retirement planning is that advisors should enagage their

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-90022938706937409862011-05-09T08:06:00.000-07:002011-05-17T06:30:39.022-07:00

A recent research study sponsored by US Trust reinforced the dramatic differences in priorities for boomers compared to previous generations. High Net Worth Investors were asked what they wanted to acheive with their money. Financial freedom and financial security ranked at the top - no surprise there. Then came travel and improving relationships with family and freinds. Past generations would

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-87357581857028818952011-05-09T07:55:00.000-07:002011-05-11T07:05:35.338-07:00

A Merrill Lynch survey pointed out differences in how men and women expect to spend time in retirement. With regards to activities they plan to pursue once retired: 86% of Woman vs 66% of Men plan to travel, 74% of Women vs 60% of Men want to pursue a hobby, 64% of Women vs 43% of Men want to be involved in the community and 62% of Women vs 41% of Men want to do charity work. An implication of

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-4015547186484839252011-05-09T07:32:00.000-07:002011-05-10T07:34:22.133-07:00

A recent Meryl lynch survey of affluent boomers aged 46-64 offer some insights into how boomers are planning to operate differently in retirement than their previous retirees. 86% plan a more active lifestyle, 84% say their retirement will look different and 72% expect a higher standard of living. Digging deeper 70% plan to keep working, 32% expect to pursue additional professional success, 26%

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-23609279858201417932011-05-09T07:18:00.000-07:002011-05-09T07:55:26.583-07:00

Environics Research Group, a leader in social values research conducted a study contrasting attitudes towards retirement of today's boomers (age 50-62)with the previous generation of retirees who were in their sixties in 1992. Today the boomers are more likely to pursue active outdoor activities, explore exotic places and take classes to develop their interests. At the same time, they're much

David Allardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12288879201819572661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577151722759958921.post-79650625012521906772011-05-03T11:23:00.000-07:002011-05-03T11:40:58.201-07:00

The big news in Canada today is yesterday's election. The nation is still divided in terms of the popular vote, but we now have a right-of-center majority in parliament and a very left-of-center opposition. Contrary to expectation the TSX Composite index and the CDN$ have been in the red all day. So what can investors expect?The Tory government should be friendly to corporate bottom lines,

Gordon Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10881180531029160728noreply@blogger.com0