investment planning

There is almost always chatter in the media about the next possible correction or recession. The most recent buzz is about a possible US recession where Canada would likely follow suit. The chatter also includes opinions about a "soft" versus a "hard" landing, etc. The primary challenge for individuals trying to build wealth is that this background noise (chatter) has nothing to do with…you!

Monica was alarmed to hear from her mother's financial advisor expressing concern over some unusual financial requests. She called her mom, who seemed fine, but Monica couldn't get the conversation with the financial advisor out of her head. She travelled to see her mom in person and was dismayed to discover numerous unpaid bills and an uncompleted tax return. Her mother had always been very meticulous about money, so something was off. Monica's concerns turned out to be well-founded. Within a few months, her mother was diagnosed with dementia.

Working towards financial independence includes assumptions about how the world operates and how we navigate within that environment. These assumptions work best when the world remains the same allowing you to make reasonable future projections.

Challenges come when changes occur in the operating environment which may require reassessing wealth building strategies. The disruptions from early 2020 (Covid, supply-chains, etc.) seem to have ushered in some significant changes in our world.

You've likely heard the term "financial resilience". You may even know it refers to a household's ability to navigate and overcome financial stress and hardships that life inevitably throws at you. But did you know that financial resilience can be measured?

Investment icon Warren Buffett says there's wisdom in being "fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful." ¹ He first gave this advice in 1986 and has re-iterated it over the past few decades during times of financial uncertainty: 9/11 in 2001, the 2008 mortgage crisis, the 2011 Black Monday crash and the 2020 global pandemic.

The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) was introduced in 2009 to offer Canadians an incentive to save over their lifetimes. TFSAs provide tax-free growth, flexible investment options, and easy set-up and withdrawals, making this registered account a powerful tool for financial well-being. Below are some key features.

Below are some key features:

If you are a prudent investor, then you have a financial retirement plan that will ensure you have sufficient funds for the lifestyle you envision after you stop working. What constitutes sufficient depends on your ambitions and your hobbies, and also on how long you live. People are living longer, and it's not unreasonable to think that you could live into your 90s.

It's challenging to be patient in a fast-paced, immediate gratification world, but some things are worth the wait. Consider, for example, how a powerful financial reality (compound interest) can help investors accumulate a lot of assets over time to reward their patience and perseverance. Here's how it works:

Getting emotional about investments can easily lead to poor decisions as investors fall prey to negative thoughts and fears. The chart below helps to illustrate the emotional aspects of investing.

The human brain constantly searches for trends or patterns in things, trying to make sense out of even random events and data. This essential life skill is not very helpful when it comes to investing.