Do You Need Individual Life Insurance?
Canadians may need to rethink their risk management
In a recent study conducted by the Life Insurance and Market Research Association (LIMRA), it was reported that 61% of Canadians hold some form of life insurance. Surprisingly, it also revealed that only 38% of Canadians own an individual life insurance contract.
In another study of middle class Canadians, Manulife reported that 79% had no individual disability insurance and 87% had no individual critical illness coverage.
What both of these studies conclude is that most Canadians rely heavily on their group benefits for their family’s insurance protection. Read more 
Taxation of Life Insurance – New Rules Offer a Window of Opportunity
Permanent life insurance, such as Whole Life or Universal Life, has long been accepted as a tax efficient way of accumulating cash for future needs. Soon the amount of funds that can be tax sheltered within a life insurance policy will be reduced by new tax rules which take effect January 1, 2017. These changes may make 2016 the best year to buy cash value life insurance.
The changes to the tax rules regarding life insurance have resulted in an update to the “exempt test” which measures how much cash value can accumulate in a policy before it becomes subject to income tax.
Highlights of the new rules and their effect
For Cash Value Life Insurance: Read more
A Lifetime Gift for Your Grandchildren
The Cascading Life Insurance Strategy
If you are a grandparent wishing to provide an asset for your grandchildren without compromising your own financial security you may want to consider an estate planning application known as cascading life insurance.
How does the Cascading Life Insurance Strategy work?
- The grandparent would purchase an insurance policy on his or her grandchild and funds the policy to create significant cash value;
- The grandparent would own the policy and name their adult child as contingent owner and primary beneficiary;
The Best Way to Insure Your Mortgage
If you have a mortgage it makes good sense to insure it. Owning a debt free home is an objective of any sound financial plan. In addition, making sure your mortgage is paid off in the event of your death will benefit your family greatly.
The question is should you purchase this coverage through your lending institution or from a life insurance company? A good rule of thumb to follow when searching for advice? Ask an expert! Read more
The Estate Bond
Growing your estate without undue market risk and taxes
Often we see older investors shift gears near retirement and beyond. Many become risk adverse and move their assets into fixed income type investments. Unfortunately this often results in the assets being exposed to higher rates of income tax and lower rates of return – never a good combination.
Or maybe the older investor cannot fully enjoy their retirement years for fear of spending their children’s inheritance.
The Estate Bond financial planning strategy presents a solution to both of these problems. Read more
