Life Insurance and Living Benefits

Depending on what days you might work around Christmas, we only have 30 workdays left in 2015. While the Christmas rush is not necessarily upon us, the final 30 days of your work year certainly are. Whatever your 2015 New Year’s resolutions were, and no matter what your 2015 business and personal objectives were, you only have 30 days to make it all count. So, here is a question for you: What can you do in the next 30 work days that will help you complete 2015 in the best way you can? Are you going to close every last piece of business you can? Or, are you going to open as much as you can to get a jump on 2016? Regardless of your direction, the final 30 days are important. It’s the last leg of the year. Do you call your top 30 clients and ask them if you can help them in any way? Do you make a list of projects that need to be completed before the ball drops on 2015? Do you look back over 2015 and call all the clients you sold, and wish them a happy holiday? The specific ac...

Two weeks ago I was in Toronto and delivered a speech to a group of 750 insurance advisors from across Canada. The audience was diverse, made up of everyone from the brand new insurance advisors to a few celebrating their 55 th year with the company. I had butterflies in my stomach; but, truth be told they were all flying in formation. I was introduced and walked on to the stage to a round of polite applause. My talk began as usual with a few spots of clean humor to get the audience’s emotions moving, humor is a great way to test the emotion of a group. I introduced myself as one of them and told a few stories about my youth. Soon, the light laugher calmed down as people found themselves caught intently listening to my story; and as I spoke, the laughing became silent and then tears were seen. This is why the next joke seemed so funny… not because of the humor, because of the release. I was told later, the hour flew by as if my talk had only lasted minutes. One lady approache...

There are some things that you should just try to avoid at all costs. For one: brussels sprouts, those little cabbage looking things that your mother told you to eat, and supposedly are good for you. Fiber and protein are good; however, it’s that  funny  texture and odd aroma that gets me. Too bad some retirement investments didn’t come with an odd smell that would ward off unsuspecting baby boomers. I’m referring in particular to one aspect of a Mutual Fund which most investors are simply unaware… Your Estate . The question that you should ask is “If I predecease my spouse, what path will the proceeds in my RRSP “Mutual Fund” take?” The answer may surprise you, as it does most people. Let’s say you have a mutual fund and you use it as your retirement savings. You have named a beneficiary- say your husband or your wife. Let’s also say you are 60 years old, even though you look younger. At your death, the mutual fund becomes part of your estate regardless to whom you...