A goals-based approach targets financial planning to meet objectives throughout life. How do you measure the success of your investment strategy? Most people look at their returns: five per cent is better than three per cent. But investment returns don’t tell the whole story. Whether or not an investment strategy is successful depends on whether it delivers the money the investor needs at the right time, allowing them to achieve specific goals. That’s the aim of a goals-based approach to financial planning. Rather than chasing returns on investments, this approach identifies the amount of money required at different times throughout an investor’s life and structures separate investment portf

Protect the healthy lifestyle you’ve worked hard to build. Your health and well-being matter to you. Perhaps you play ultimate frisbee or sweat it out in high-intensity interval training. Maybe you follow fitness influencers on Instagram, meditate or meal prep on the weekends. Whatever your preference, chances are you make a commitment to feeling your best. But what if your world suddenly turns upside down? Ironically, millennials, widely considered the most health-conscious generation, often feel immune to the kinds of health problems that can derail the best-laid plans. Even if you know someone your age who has experienced a serious illness or disability, it can be hard to believe somethin

A systematic investing plan provides discipline and the potential for better returns. Investors who watch the markets closely can get dizzy tracking all the ups and downs – and, as prices fluctuate, often unpredictably, it can be hard to stay focused on long-term plans. When markets drop, it can be very difficult to fight the temptation to sell. When markets rise, it can be equally tough not to jump on the bandwagon and buy. The result, for many investors, is selling low during market downturns and then buying back as the market rises. Yet a simple strategy can help investors ride out volatility and achieve better long-term returns. A systematic investing plan quite simply means investing th

How small changes can help reduce your debt load and improve your financial outlook. Debt – a four-letter word that many of us know all too well. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, Canadians owe, on average, $1.78 for every dollar of disposable income earned. Whether or not you currently have debt, you likely have a good understanding of how easily it can accumulate and how challenging it can be to change spending habits. It’s no wonder, when you factor in the rising cost of living – from near-record-high housing costs to increasing child care, gas and grocery expenses – and how relatively cheap it is to borrow money, with interest rates at historically low levels. With borrowing costs