The Clear Money Mindset

“Nothing is Certain but Death & Taxes”- Benjamin Franklin    A Will is a great start to an Estate Plan and sometimes a properly done Will is enough, but sometimes a Will is not the best option when it comes to our final planning needs, and it can fall short - leading to a costly and stressful settlement after our death. In today's podcast we have Ashley Harmon, a Lawyer, and Partner with Hogar...

Life insurance as part of your overall investment strategy.    Many people think of life insurance as a product that protects your loved ones in case of your death.  We don't always think of using it as an overall investment strategy, but there are some interesting ways you can use life insurance to build and transfer wealth. In this latest episode Ben spills some creative ways that you can use li...

When it comes to finances, the bad decision is often the easiest to make. It is important we become mindful of those decisions and take steps to correct them. In a world where spending can happen in seconds and technology powers our lives, it’s easy to lose track of where our spending happens. In this edition of Savings Snippets, Ben outlines 5 common mistakes that many of us are making with our m...

What do you get when you cross a TFSA with an RRSP and use it to save for your first home?  The First Home Savings Account – A unique new investment account that we are excited to share with you. This is the multitool of savings vessels and offers the non-taxable withdraw of a TFSA with the Tax deduction of an RRSP. You can contribute up to $8,000 a year with a lifetime maximum of $40,000. This pl...

In the financial world there are so many ways to approach a singular issue - how to make the most money with the resources you have, so you can live the life you want to. Most plans would have a similar focus and that is to make sure that you are paying down debt, budgeting and saving money. On Today's Podcast we are objectively presenting you with another way of approaching your goals. We have in...

Life Insurance.  You have heard of it, you may have some, or at least know that you should have it.   Life insurance is something you, yourself, will not use but could mean everything to your family. In a world of ever-increasing costs and expectations, peace of mind in knowing that your loved ones will be taken care of in the event of your death is important (this is especially true in single-inc...

It may seem early but now is the time to start thinking about your taxes for 2022-2023 tax season. This podcast is a wonderful way to make use of a cold & dreary January day. We have the knowledgeable Josie Hope, CPA - LJ Business Solutions, once again joining this podcast where she and Ben discuss some of the latest updates that you need to know for this tax season.   On our cast today we are cha...

Oh-ho-ho my, it’s that time of the year again.   The Davies Financial Team is at it again, bringing on the holiday season with our Christmas Special Podcast Version 2.0. Ben, Andrea and Victoria get in the holiday spirit with some holiday trivia, fun festive facts, nostalgia, laughs and we’ve even thrown in some facts on how to stay safe when buying online (after all, it is a financial wellness po...

When planning for the future there are so many things to consider, planning for a person with a disability creates a unique set of challenges, we want to make sure that our loved ones are provided for and that their needs continue to be met. Today on the Podcast we welcome back Sebastian Schmoranz from McGregor, Sims, Schmoranz Law Office. Sebastian and Ben discuss some of the things that you can...

What is happening in the housing market? - Interest, Inflation, and Investment, oh my!   With an eventful 2022 slowly winding down but interest rates on the rise we knew it was time to have a professional come on the podcast and talk about the current state of the housing market. Rasha Ingratta, a mortgage expert with Mortgage Intelligence offers her expert opinions and insights on the unusual rea...

A podcast and a giveaway, what a beaut!  When we think of a budget, we don’t always jump up and down with excitement. It can seem daunting and make us feel restricted. What good is a budget if it is too rigid to stick with?  Enter PocketSmith, a New Zealand based budgeting app company, this app is as unique and individual as the person using it, it can help create flexible and sustainable budgets....

Wanted to learn about RESP's but have not had time to do the research?   On this episode of "The Clear Money Mindset" we will walk you through the basics of the Registered Education Savings Plan.   Who can open an RESP? What does the government contribute? What kind of school can I use the funds for? All these questions and more on the first of our "Savings Snippets" episodes!

Losing a loved one is a stressful event; between emotions, finances, family, and final wishes it can be a challenging time to navigate this unfamiliar terrain. There are many things to consider from both a financial and legal perspective - there are at least 87 decisions to make, pieces of information to gather or things to do when someone dies. Today on our podcast Ben is fortunate to be joined b...

Lending Dollars & Saving Percents - Part 2   Rob Zanet of Axiom Mortgages continues his conversation with Ben as he provides more professional insight into the mortgage world. In the second part of this 2 part podcast Rob discusses his experiences with re-financing (this may be a big trend over the next few years), private mortgages, stress tests, and much more including variable versus fixed mort...

A podcast that really hits home (owners).  With the cost of housing going up, those who are looking to buy a home (or refinancing your current home) must work hard to save money. This is where the mortgage broker – a professional whose job is to find you the best mortgage rate, enters the conversation. Rob Zanet of Axiom mortgage walks you through what you need to know in part one of this 2-part p...

Investor emotions have a big impact on investor behavior. That can often lead to making the wrong decisions a the wrong time. This can affect how we react in both up and down markets. Our first podcast in 2020 was about navigating our emotions in investing. We want to revisit that today. 2022 continues to be a tough year. We want to look into how the right mindset can have an impact on our investm...

What would you do if we told you that your “Very Strong” password could be figured out within an hour with no other information about you and if small amounts of information are known it can be minutes or seconds? Many people are unaware of seemingly innocent ways you give your information and how that may make you very susceptible to online hackers. You may be at risk if:  Any of y0ur p@$$w0rd$ l...

What does a modern hacker look like? Many of us have a picture of a person sitting in the dark surrounded by computers and monitors **cue suspenseful music and typing sounds**but this is no longer the face of hackers. You may be surprised at how susceptible each of us can be if we are ever chosen as a target for what has become a lucrative and profitable industry. Today Chris Martin – Staff Softwa...

The Reality of Realty version 2.0 - the second half of our podcast episode explores more inside information from a professional in the real estate industry. If you are planning on buying or building this is a MUST listen, some topics we discuss are: - The importance of credit monitoring - The problem with pools and how to protect yourself - What your Real Estate Lawyer does and why it is important...

For many, buying a home is a daunting experience. In this sellers market it can feel like you are rushed into something you do not fully understand, but you feel the need to act quickly. It would be great if before we got into the housing market, we could sit down and chat with a professional with a ton of knowledge of the industry and get an idea of how buying or selling a home works, and the thi...

I wanted to share some thoughts on Ukraine, and how the crisis there is affecting the markets. We want to be careful to acknowledge that our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine. The trouble of navigating investments during this time pales in comparison to what the people there are going through.    We have also issued a newsletter on this topic, it can be found at the link below. G...

It is 2022 and tax time is just around the corner. We want to give listeners a heads up on any changes and give them some tips as they prepare for tax time. So we have invited Josie Hope back on to the Podcast. Josie is a Chartered Professional Accountant who has over 10 years of experience working at the CRA. Josie Hope, CPA, CMA is a Partner at LJ Business Solutions. More information on Josie ca...

Welcome to 2022. We hope you had a great holiday! The new year is usually a great time to take things more seriously and do some of the things you have been putting off. Today we want to help you will that. We are going to be talking about the importance of wills, and how we can go about getting one. We will also walk you through what happens if you die without a will. Our guest today is Ashley Ha...

The Davies Financial team is taking on Christmas in this special podcast. Ben, Andrea & Victoria are talking fun stats, eggnog, and all things holidays in this round table discussion. This podcast addresses all of the questions you did not know that you had including:   Do you how many tons of turkey are produced in Canada? What do you know about the lucrative Christmas tree industry? Who at Davie...

Today we have a very exciting show. Call it what you want budget, spending plan, cashflow management. We have come up with all sorts of fancy and less abrasive ways of talking about the need to plan how we spend our money. Life is busy, and managing spending can be a challenge.   If you are like most people, and you struggle to find a way to plan your spending each month, this episode is for you....