Articles & Insights
Summer 2023 Market Update
The summer began on an optimistic note for stock markets, with the S&P 500 closing the first half of this year with a gain of more than 20% since its October 2022 low. As a result, many believe that this was the start of a new bull market cycle. However, in my opinion, I don’t…
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Investment Income & Income Tax
Interest income refers to the compensation an individual receives from making funds available to another party. Interest income is typically earned on fixed income securities, such as bonds and Guaranteed Income Certificates (GICs)…
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Spring 2023 Market Update
Special Update – What happened to Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)? In its most simplified form, a bank’s activities traditionally boil down to taking deposits (a short-term liability for the bank) and making loans (a long-term asset). To ensure its sustainability, the financial institution must therefore ensure that it maintains sufficient high-quality liquid assets to meet…
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Winter 2022 Market Update
Since our update in September, we have seen a considerable rebound in most markets, with the Canadian and U.S. indices up over 5% in November…
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EI Update: What you need to know
As of December 18, 2022, employees can collect sickness benefits from Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) plan for an additional 11 weeks, bringing the total period of coverage to 26 weeks (up from 15 weeks). That sounds like good news for both employees and employers—but is it? As is often the case when there is change,…
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The Art & Science of Group Retirement Programs
What do Van Gogh and retirement savings plans have in common? Not so much on the surface, perhaps, but painting is a useful analogy to demystify the seemingly complicated options for employer retirement programs. “For an artist, the colour palette of paint in essence hasn’t changed for hundreds of years, yet every painting is different.…
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Canada’s Two Dental Programs: Get the Facts
The federal government has formally begun the process of creating the Canadian Dental Care Program (CDCP) by 2025; however, it’s not to be confused with the Canada Dental Benefit (CDB) that took effect on December 1, 2022. “We have an interim measure right now for children up to age 12. But it’s not really a…
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Bring your A-Game to Recruiting
Imagine your workforce is like a hockey team vying for the “Stanley Cup” in terms of performance and profitability. But you don’t have enough top players to make up even one of your four lines of play. The vision of a championship quickly becomes a pipe dream—yet that’s the reality for most employers today. Employees…
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New Era for Health Benefits?
Has the war for talent ushered in a golden era for health benefits plans and wellness programs? The 25th annual Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey appears to suggest that. While “golden” may be too strong a word, given competing pressures for sustainability, today’s market certainly does reflect a changing mindset for a growing number of plan…
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Why Financial Wellness Pays Off for Employees
When employees are financially well, employers reap the rewards of a healthier, more productive and loyal workforce, emphasizes Saijal Patel, founder and CEO of Saij Wealth Consulting and creator and host of The News Forum’s national online personal finance program, Strictly Money. In a recent webinar for The Benefits Alliance Group, the financial wellness consultant…
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