Ayana Forward, financial advisor + MORE Feb 18th

Meet Ayana Forward

Ayana Forward is a Certified Financial Planner based in Ottawa, Ont. She owns Retirement in View, a fee only financial planning firm that specializes in helping clients within one to five years of retirement navigate the financial and lifestyle aspects of transitioning out of the workforce. 

She helps clients prepare for retirement and make more informed decisions about their finances. She offers comprehensive financial planning, from creating tax-efficient income streams to timing benefits from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) to ensuring their portfolios will last once it is time to start drawing down savings. 

Services• Financial Planning• Investment Planning & ImplementationSpecializations• Comprehensive Financial Planning• Retirement Income Planning• Tax PlanningPayment Model• Fees paid by clients based on assets managed by advisor• Fees paid by clients for advice (not based on assets) Languages written and spoken• English

Why did you become a planner?

I’ve always enjoyed budgeting and money management…

Investing is a bit like renovating your home. The cheapest way is to do it yourself, with a Canadian online broker. Of course, the result will depend on your know-how and skills, and it will consume a lot of your time. Conversely, you can outsource the job to a master contractor and not lift a finger, but it’ll probably cost you a bundle. And still there’s no guarantee you’ll be satisfied with the outcome. But robo-advisors, like the ones we rank here for our best-of class in Canada for 2025, are like a contractor buddy, who will help you for a couple of beers and a pizza.  

Of course, for cost savings, you can’t beat doing it yourself. You can open a brokerage account, and assemble your own portfolio of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stocks, bonds and/or guaranteed investment certificates (GICs). Conversely, you can pay a wealth manager or investment advisor to do it for you. Taking the latter approach, there are direct and embedded management fees that will almost certainly exceed 1% (and possibly 2%) of the value of your investments every year…

Doing your own taxes? Prepping your documents for a tax professional? Either way, welcome to the MoneySense guide for personal income taxes, your information hub for filing your 2024 return (bookmark it now). We will be updating it frequently, as information becomes available and deadlines approach. Plus, we get answers from the experts you won’t find anywhere else, thanks to our Ask MoneySense and Ask a Planner columns. But, first, let’s look at this year’s changes and upcoming tax deadlines.

Tax news in Canada
New capital gains inclusion rate: With its 2024–25 budget, the federal government announced that capital gains in excess of $250,000 per year would be subject to a 66.7% inclusion rate effective June 25, 2024. That’s up from the 50% that applied previously (and which still applies to your first quarter-million in yearly gains). However, with the prorogation of government and the fact that the actual amendment to the Income Tax Act bringing the rule into effect has not yet passed, many wondered if these changes would apply to your 2024 tax return…

Savings comparison tool

Find the best and most up-to-date savings rates in Canada using the comparison tool below. Plus, use the filters to assess your estimated return based on the size of your balance.

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MoneySense is an award-winning magazine, helping Canadians navigate money matters since 1999. Our editorial team of trained journalists works closely with leading personal finance experts in Canada. To help you find the best financial products, we compare the offerings from over 12 major institutions, including banks, credit unions and card issuers. Learn more about our advertising and trusted partners.

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Best high-interest savings account rates in Canada

Generally, savings accounts offer very low interest rates. So, if you want to earn on your deposits (rather than simply using your account as a temporary “holding tank” or directing to longer-term saving and investing vehicles), a savings account with a high interest rate is a no-brainer…