Who will replace Brad Wall as Saskatchewan Party leader? – CBC.ca + MORE Aug 12th

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Over the summer we’ve looked at how to deal with Service Canada to get retirement benefits from both Old Age Security (OAS) and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). As noted here and here, the Government reaches out to qualifying Canadian residents when they reach age 64, in plenty of time to start receipt of benefits at age 65. As the earlier pieces recounted, I received Service Canada letters about both OAS and CPP shortly after I turned 64 this spring.
But what about the third leg of the government retirement benefits stool? That’s the Guaranteed Income Supplement or GIS: a supplement to OAS.  Unlike the other programs, I did not receive a letter from Service Canada about GIS. According to Doug Runchey, a former Service Canada employee who is now president of Vancouver Island-based DR Pension Consulting, the OAS application includes a question about whether you wish to apply for GIS. If you say yes and are approved, they then send you the GIS application.

What to expect when receiving OAS at 65

Service Canada says as of June 2017, 1…

A pension is not always a sure thing. Currently, workers at both Sears Canada and Northstar Aerospace are facing deep concerns about their pension prospects because of problems plaguing their employers.

CBC.caWho will replace Brad Wall as Saskatchewan Party leader?CBC.caSaskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has announced his retirement and political analysts say there are no obvious candidates who might replace him. "Saskatchewan needs renewal, a fresh perspective in leadership," Wall said Thursday. He also said the …In the popular-premier sweepstakes, Brad Wall leaves a winnerThe Globe and MailSaskatchewan Premier Brad Wall planning '60s Scoop apology next weekCTV NewsRex Murphy: Brad Wall's departure a rare show of sanity and humility in politicsNational PostMacleans.ca -BNN -The Battlefords News-Optimist -Melfort Journalall 164 news articles »

Q If I’m an American living in Canada, have a TFSA, but never used it to invest, just holding it as a savings account, do I still need to report it on the U.S. tax return? If so, what forms are required?
—Thanks, Jimmy
A Any income received in a TFSA needs to be included on a U.S. tax return as income. In addition, if the account is set up as a trust (look for an Agreement of Trust in the fine print of the application), you will need to file foreign trust forms (Forms 3520-A & 3520) with the IRS each year.
Failure to file or late filing of either of these forms, when required, can attract a $10,000 U.S. penalty. Further, if you have mutual funds or ETFs as investments, you may also have to file Form 8621 to report the existence of/and income from a PFIC (passive foreign investment company).
The taxation of these types of investments can be punitive if not dealt with early and by a tax professional that understands the tax regulations around them.
Cleo Hamel is a senior tax expert with American Expat Taxes in Calgary
Ask a Tax Expert: Leave your question for Cleo Hamel »
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TORONTO _ The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, the country’s biggest public pension plan, says it got “a significant uplift” from global equity markets during the April to June quarter, resulting in a 1.8 per cent rate of return after costs.
The CPPIB says that put the pension fund’s long-term rates of return well above the minimums required to be sustainable for decades.
Publicly traded equities made up 38.9 per cent of the fund’s total assets, or $126.9 billion, as of June 30.
The fund also invests in private equity, government bonds, credit investments, real estate, infrastructure and other assets.
The Toronto-based fund manager ended the quarter with $326.5 billion in net assets, up $9.8 billion from March 31 when CPPIB’s 2017 financial year ended.
The CPPIB says its 10-year rate of return after accounting for expenses and inflation was 5.2 per cent.
The Chief Actuary of Canada estimates the fund can be sustainable for 75 years with an average rate of return of 3…