Renée Sylvestre-Williams is a freelance journalist whose byline often appears on MoneySense. She writes about personal finance with a lifestyle perspective, making complex topics like investing, taxes and financial planning clear and relatable. If you appreciated her responses in this installment of My MoneySense, consider her book Money Myths and her biweekly newsletter, The Budgette, … Read more

When a buyer tries to back out of a real estate transaction, the courts typically favor the seller, says Ron Butler, an experienced mortgage broker and co‑founder of Butler Mortgage in Toronto. “If you’re the buyer, find a way to complete the sale—beg, borrow, do whatever you need to do—but close,” he advises. Judges are … Read more

During my working years I transferred non-registered investment shares to my wife (a stay-at-home mother) using a spousal loan. At the time of each transfer I reported the capital gain and paid the tax on the difference between the fair market value (FMV) and the adjusted cost base (ACB). Over time we also made additional … Read more

Is the investment climate shifting toward a more positive outlook? My short answer: very likely. Recent market behavior and central bank signals suggest the worst may already be priced in, and investors are beginning to respond with greater confidence. In mid-July I began to notice signs that markets were turning a corner. Companies were reporting … Read more

Kyle Prevost, editor of Million Dollar Journey and founder of the Canadian Financial Summit, presents this week’s financial headlines and context for Canadian investors. Banking on stability and caution Canadian investors have long relied on the country’s major banks for steady dividend growth and long-term capital appreciation. These institutions account for a significant portion of … Read more

One long-standing strategy in retirement planning is to increase government pension income by delaying benefits. In Canada, deferring entitlement can raise payments from both the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) — as well as affect the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). This is similar to the U.S. Social Security approach, where postponing … Read more

A will expresses your intentions for how your assets should be distributed after you die. However, wills can be challenged in court, and judges may vary or overturn provisions if they determine certain family members were not adequately provided for. One recent example is the Pascuzzi v. Pascuzzi decision from the Supreme Court of British … Read more

Kyle Prevost, editor of Million Dollar Journey and founder of the Canadian Financial Summit, reviews key financial headlines and explains what they mean for Canadian investors. U.S. retailers: Consumers are spending differently, but they’re still spending Readers of “Making sense of the markets” may recall that earnings from Walmart and other big-box retailers helped trigger … Read more

If you’re working to improve your financial picture, you likely think of paying down debt, building an emergency fund, investing in a tax-free savings account (TFSA) or a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP), or using other savings and investment vehicles. Those are all essential pieces of a solid financial strategy. But one important element that’s … Read more

I’m currently paying off some credit card debt and was wondering if I could apply for a line of credit to consolidate my debt at a lower interest rate and reduce my monthly payments. Is this a smart idea?—Nicole Resource highlight Find the perfect card with CardFinder In under 60 seconds, get matched with a … Read more