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Author Archives: Brad Brain
Can you have too much in your RRSP?
“Occasionally somebody will ask me if it is possible to have too much money in their Registered Retirement Savings Plan. The concern is that at some point they will have to take the money out, and they could see excessive taxation, and/or the clawback of government benefits. So, can you have too much money in…
Posted in All Columns, Retirement Planning
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Do you drink your coffee at home?
“I keep seeing this idea that to retire wealthy you need to drink your coffee at home. In other words, if you have a $5 a day coffee habit, instead of buying the fancy gourmet triple lattes with cinnamon, you brew your own coffee at home at a fraction of the cost. Then you take…
Posted in All Columns, Investment Management, Money Management
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Knowing when you don’t know
“The inspiration for this week’s column comes from a series of social media posts from people who clearly did not know what they were talking about. Of course, opinionated people on social media with no knowledge of what they are talking about is nothing new. But one twitter thread, about inadvertently buying options contracts, was…
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What’s the big deal about inflation?
“There has been a lot of talk about inflation recently. Generally, this is the type of bland subject matter that only intrigues economists, but lately more and more people are paying attention. So, what is inflation, and why should you care?” Smart Money Whats the big deal about inflation
Posted in All Columns, Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Risk Management
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Chasing past performance
“All things being equal, if investment decision making was rational, then we would have seen record purchases of mutual funds in 2020 when investment prices were on sale, and a return to regular buying activity in 2021 after the big sale was over. Instead, we saw people stop buying in 2020 because the future was very…
Posted in All Columns, Investment Management, Risk Management
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Hot stock tips!
“I know that some people read this column hoping for some hot stock tips. And, without question, there is no shortage of that kind of content in the financial media. If you tend to read columns like this one, it won’t very long before you see an article along the lines of ‘Ten Stocks to…
Posted in All Columns, Investment Management
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How do you handle uncertainty?
“You can’t reach your goals without taking some risk. The question is, how much risk can you handle? Typically, there is no riskless financial planning strategy. Even “playing it safe” has an opportunity cost. You can’t just abstain from making decisions until you have perfect knowledge because then you would never leave the house.” Smart…
Posted in All Columns, Risk Management
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Financial New Year’s resolutions
“This is the time of the year where people will think about making improvements. In the spirit of New Year’s Resolutions, here are some suggestions to improve your financial situation.” Smart Money Financial New Year’s resolutions
Posted in All Columns, Planning Encyclopedia
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2021 was the year of audacious speculation
“In 2021 we saw the rise of meme stocks. “What the heck is a meme stock?” you may ask. A meme stock is a stock that experiences unbelievable price appreciation, not because of the fundamentals of the underlying business, but purely because the stock has captured the public’s imagination.” Smart Money 2021 was the year…
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Year end planning tips
“Did this year go by fast, or what? Maybe it’s all the pandemic disruptions that make it seem like there should be more to 2021, but the calendar doesn’t lie. You only have a few business days left to do some financial and tax planning for 2021. Here are some last-minute tips.” Smart Money Year-end…
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