There are more insurance options in Canada than you can shake a stick at! Stay on top of the best policies right here.
Latest News
How does flood insurance work? + MORE Jul 18th
Flood insurance offers you, as a homeowner or renter, financial protection in the event of damage to your living space due to a flood. It may sound simple enough, but it often gets confused with water damage, and the two are significantly different when it comes to coverage. And since instances of f.... More »
What types of insurance do I really need and which can I live without? Oct 7th
Life, disability, critical illness. The world of insurance can be confusing. A financial planner weighs in on the ones you might want to consider..... More »
“A dog bit me! Should I sue?” May 31st
The arrival of the warmer weather means that more people will be out and about. This also means that more people will be out and about with their dogs.
Every summer, numerous people want to speak to me after a dog has injured someone. Some of these people are the owner of the dog; some are the one.... More »
Your FHSA timeline: What to invest in and when Nov 29th
Before you make an offer to buy your first home, you’ll have to determine your budget and save up enough money for a down payment (typically about 20% of the home’s value). That’s probably going to be a good chunk of change—Canada’s housing market is expensive, and if you put down less tha.... More »
How to choose a financial advisor in Canada Mar 8th
Do you know what to look for when choosing a financial advisor? This person will be giving you advice on important things like insurance, money management and investing, so it’s worth taking the time to screen candidates carefully before you hire a financial advisor.
The terms “financial advi.... More »
CHMC explores cutting red tape for self employed borrowers
– moneysense.ca
OTTAWA — The national housing agency is exploring ways to make it easier for entrepreneurs and new immigrants to buy a home by cutting some of the red tape required to prove they can afford to pay the mortgage.
“Right now, under our mortgage insurance policies, you have to be able to document income to get mortgage insurance, to a level of specificity that discriminates against new Canadians, because they can’t do that,” Evan Siddall, the CEO of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., said in a wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press.
READ: Should you use RRSPs to pay down the mortgage?
“It discriminates against entrepreneurs, as well, because they can’t prove their income as well, so we’re looking at our own policies to try and make sure that there is more equity in our mortgage insurance programs,” he said.
Anyone who wants to buy a home in Canada without a down payment of at least 20 per cent of the purchase price is usually required to get mortgage loan insurance from the CMHC, which requires a smaller down payment of five per cent on a home worth up to $500,000…
“Right now, under our mortgage insurance policies, you have to be able to document income to get mortgage insurance, to a level of specificity that discriminates against new Canadians, because they can’t do that,” Evan Siddall, the CEO of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., said in a wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press.
READ: Should you use RRSPs to pay down the mortgage?
“It discriminates against entrepreneurs, as well, because they can’t prove their income as well, so we’re looking at our own policies to try and make sure that there is more equity in our mortgage insurance programs,” he said.
Anyone who wants to buy a home in Canada without a down payment of at least 20 per cent of the purchase price is usually required to get mortgage loan insurance from the CMHC, which requires a smaller down payment of five per cent on a home worth up to $500,000…
Bring back the $10,000 TFSA
– macleans.ca
Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau, left, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Jake Wright/CP)For those who pay attention to what politicians are up to on taxes, consider that since 2015, the focus has mostly been on raising them. From Atlantic Canada to Alberta, British Columbia and federally, new brackets were invented and other rates raised; in addition, new and higher taxes are yet to come including a federal carbon tax.
Even the new Progressive Conservative government of Brian Pallister in Manitoba, elected last year on opposition to a sales tax increase by the previous government, is toying with new taxes, including a carbon tax and higher taxes on insurance products.
One rare exception to this flurry of higher tax activity was in 2016 when the federal government dropped the rate for one middle income bracket, to 20.5 per cent from 22 per cent.
Middle-class Canada takes a hit
Regrettably, as the Fraser Institute discovered last week, that change wasn’t enough to offset the removal of many boutique tax credits…
