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Everything you need to know about your car insurance deductible + MORE Mar 12th
If you just bought a new vehicle or are reviewing your insurance coverage needs, you may have questions about your deductible. Questions like: How does a car insurance deductible work? Do I need one? Will my premiums be affected? And, how much will it cost me? Once you understand the basics, you can.... More »
Does driving school lower insurance for Canadian drivers? Nov 16th
When you’re a new driver, insurance companies view you as being at higher risk of accidents than someone who’s been on the road for several decades. The risk of collision is highest within the first year a driver is on the road, and it decreases as drivers gain more experience. As a result, new .... More »
Graduating Students and Guaranteed Health Insurance Oct 7th
Oftentimes graduating students have pre-existing medical conditions that will no longer be covered by their student health insurance.
If a graduate is able to get employment and if their employer offers employee benefits then their medical conditions will be covered by these group benefits. However,.... More »
What to know about credit card travel insurance as an Air Canada strike looms Aug 16th
After carefully planning a summer vacation, the last thing on your mind should be finding alternate transportation. But some travellers could be left scrambling as the clock ticks down to a possible work stoppage at Air Canada. The airline says it will gradually suspend its flights starting Thursday.... More »
Mortgage premium hikes reduce case for borrowing to boost down payment + MORE Mar 19th
With mortgage insurance premiums rising, homebuyers whose down payments are just shy of 20 per cent may be considering whether to tap extra sources of credit in order to avoid the higher costs.
But mortgage brokers say recent government rule changes lessen the case for doing so because people may en.... More »
Do I really need life insurance?
– moneysense.ca
Q: I am a single 70-year-old woman with a reasonable mortgage of about $115,000 on my home. I have no family and no dependents. On my limited budget I find life insurance on my mortgage is a cost I would rather do without. Do I need life insurance? And if so, then what for?
—Katerina, Halifax
A: You raise a good point Katerina. In general, life insurance is most necessary when you have dependents who would be impacted financially by your death. Typically, life insurance is used as a way to pay off a large debt, such as a mortgage on a home that you want to leave to your heirs. In many of these cases, a term life insurance policy is often the most inexpensive choice and the full face value of the policy pays out on the policy holder’s death. (This is also a great option for many families who often get mortgage life insurance instead, which is more expensive than term life and the payout declines as the face value of the mortgage declines.) Other popular reasons for having life insurance include: Income replacement for dependents; to pay off debt like a mortgage or a line of credit; to create an emergency fund; to cover final expenses incurred upon your death; for estate planning reasons or to leave money to a favourite charity…
Canadians face some tax changes in the new year after a busy 2016
– canadianbusiness.com
MONTREAL — Canadians will ring in the new year with a number of tax changes that will affect the bottom line of federal and provincial governments. Here’s a look at some of them:
Nationally:
The federal government is ending four child tax credits this year: arts, fitness, education and textbooks in 2017. Parents of children under the age of 16 can pre-pay 2017 arts and fitness programs to claim them on 2016 tax returns as long as total spending for 2016 does not exceed $250 and $500 limits, respectively.
It is also cancelling income splitting for families, a tax reduction measure that allowed someone to transfer up to $50,000 of income to a spouse with lower income if they had a child under 18 years of age. The tax credit for income splitting was capped at $2,000.
Offsetting those changes are the Canada Child Benefit and changes to Employment Insurance benefits introduced in 2016.
“High income earners in most provinces will pay more but for the majority of Canadians, these two changes will mean more money in their pockets,” Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Aaron Wudrick said Wednesday in a news release…
Nationally:
The federal government is ending four child tax credits this year: arts, fitness, education and textbooks in 2017. Parents of children under the age of 16 can pre-pay 2017 arts and fitness programs to claim them on 2016 tax returns as long as total spending for 2016 does not exceed $250 and $500 limits, respectively.
It is also cancelling income splitting for families, a tax reduction measure that allowed someone to transfer up to $50,000 of income to a spouse with lower income if they had a child under 18 years of age. The tax credit for income splitting was capped at $2,000.
Offsetting those changes are the Canada Child Benefit and changes to Employment Insurance benefits introduced in 2016.
“High income earners in most provinces will pay more but for the majority of Canadians, these two changes will mean more money in their pockets,” Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Aaron Wudrick said Wednesday in a news release…
Manitoba Crown corporations, communications jobs need trimming: premier
– canadianbusiness.com
Manitoba’s Crown corporations, especially their communications departments, seem next in line for Premier Brian Pallister’s cost-cutting efforts.
In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Pallister touted his 2016 measures to reduce spending in government — cutting the number of cabinet ministers by one-third, eliminating some civil service management jobs, and starting a value-for-money audit of programs and services.
The core government is just the beginning, he said.
“We’re starting on core but we’ll move to Crowns. And the Crowns, because of the nature of monopoly delivery systems, they’re not subject to the same checks and balances that Great West Life or Ikea has to deal with.
“So because of that, they get really big in the middle and at the top.”
Of the province’s big three Crown corporations — Manitoba Hydro, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries and Manitoba Public Insurance — Manitoba Hydro is facing the biggest financial challenge…
In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Pallister touted his 2016 measures to reduce spending in government — cutting the number of cabinet ministers by one-third, eliminating some civil service management jobs, and starting a value-for-money audit of programs and services.
The core government is just the beginning, he said.
“We’re starting on core but we’ll move to Crowns. And the Crowns, because of the nature of monopoly delivery systems, they’re not subject to the same checks and balances that Great West Life or Ikea has to deal with.
“So because of that, they get really big in the middle and at the top.”
Of the province’s big three Crown corporations — Manitoba Hydro, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries and Manitoba Public Insurance — Manitoba Hydro is facing the biggest financial challenge…
Tax changes you need to know for 2017
– moneysense.ca
MONTREAL — Canadians will ring in the new year with a number of tax changes that will affect the bottom line of federal and provincial governments. Here’s a look at some of them:
Nationally:
The federal government is ending four child tax credits this year: arts, fitness, education and textbooks.
It is also cancelling income splitting for families, a tax reduction measure that allowed someone to transfer up to $50,000 of income to a spouse with lower income if they had a child under 18 years of age. The tax credit for income splitting was capped at $2,000.
Offsetting those changes are the Canada Child Benefit and changes to Employment Insurance benefits introduced in 2016.
Nationally:
The federal government is ending four child tax credits this year: arts, fitness, education and textbooks.
It is also cancelling income splitting for families, a tax reduction measure that allowed someone to transfer up to $50,000 of income to a spouse with lower income if they had a child under 18 years of age. The tax credit for income splitting was capped at $2,000.
Offsetting those changes are the Canada Child Benefit and changes to Employment Insurance benefits introduced in 2016.
How the federal budget will affect income tax
“High income earners in most provinces will pay more but for the majority of Canadians, these two changes will mean more money in their pockets,” Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Aaron Wudrick said Wednesday in a news release.
Several other changes at the federal level will affect life insurance, business owners selling their companies and some mutual funds…
