Financial enabling describes a pattern where short-term monetary help becomes a long-term problem. Well-meaning parents or relatives provide repeated cash infusions, paying bills, or covering lifestyle expenses so adult children remain dependent instead of becoming self-sufficient. While the initial impulse is often compassionate—protecting loved ones from hardship—the result can be counterproductive: dependency, stalled personal growth, … Read more

This post is one of a series reviewing returns in the decade after the financial crisis. The past decade rewarded investors who maintained broad global equity exposure far more than those who favoured UK-focused stock funds. A globally diversified approach outperformed most domestic UK funds: the MSCI World delivered about 12% annualised in the period … Read more

Canada Tax Changes for 2017: What Individuals and Businesses Should Know As the calendar turns, Canadians will see a number of federal and provincial tax changes taking effect that will influence household budgets, business transactions and investment strategies. Below is a concise, practical summary of the most important federal and provincial measures for 2017 and … Read more

Rampant inflation is the top concern for many investors. A common defence is index-linked government bonds—known in the UK as linkers—which adjust their coupons and principal in line with RPI inflation. Index-linked gilt tracker funds are the easiest way to gain exposure to linkers. But UK linker funds can present a mismatch between what investors … Read more

Just over a year ago we witnessed one of the most dramatic, synchronized global market meltdowns in recent memory. The shock waves are still being felt. For many people it was like standing on train tracks as a locomotive barreled toward them — you could see disaster coming, but felt helpless to stop it. Savings … Read more

The job of a restaurant or café server is demanding: carrying food and drinks, managing orders, and delivering a welcoming experience. Tipping is how many customers say thank you—but how much is appropriate? We surveyed 1,500 Canadians about tipping habits and asked four front-line servers across the country for their perspectives on what constitutes fair … Read more

What caught my eye this week. I really hoped I wouldn’t be writing again about the UK’s fiscal and political turmoil so soon. But the story refuses to go away, and it continues to have immediate consequences for markets, households and public finances. This week felt like a moment of truth and forced compromise: the … Read more

(Illustration by Amedeo De Palma) Phil and Candace Ranjan are well-educated, hardworking young chiropractors living in London, Ont. Between them they hold four university degrees and earn a combined annual income of $110,000. Still, despite their promising careers, the couple faces heavy debt: $47,000 in student loans, $94,000 on a line of credit and a … Read more

Edward and Penelope Arneson of Cochrane, Alta. (Photo by CHRIS BOLIN) THE PROBLEM Edward (60) and Penelope (58) Arneson of Cochrane, Alberta, retired five years ago. They are grateful for Edward’s defined benefit pension, which delivers reliable, inflation-indexed income, but they are increasingly dissatisfied with their long-time adviser and their investment results. Their portfolio currently … Read more

What caught my eye this week. With Bitcoin trading above $120,000 and US regulators moving in a noticeably crypto-friendly direction, digital assets now feel poised to enter the mainstream institutional arena. That shift brings both opportunity and risk — and I say that as someone who remains broadly sceptical. My view over the past decade … Read more