We all say it.  Some variation of "I need to make more money".  It often starts out as "if only I made more money, I could..." and then you insert your desired situation "save for retirement, get a bigger house, afford a vacation".  It's natural to focus on income when you're feeling strapped for cash but how about the other side of the equation - what you're spending.

The majority of the time people cannot control their income greatly. Yes, you may be able to work more hours or take on a se...

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*As published in the Fall 2013 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

As the year comes to a close, it’s natural to reflect on what you’ve accomplished during the past year and what you want to accomplish in the year to come. When it comes to financial goals, the best advice is not to wait: the timing will never be perfect, you’ll always have bills to pay, but if you start now you can vastly improve your financial future.

Financial goal: Saving for your retirement
Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Securit...

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*As published in the Feb 2012 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

You’ve got insurance on your home, car, and possibly an extended warranty on your LCD television but do you have insurance on your greatest asset, yourself? If not, is cost your limiting factor?

Term life insurance, or life insurance that covers you for a specified length of time, is an inexpensive way to provide protection for you and your family. Typically purchased for periods of 10 or 20 years, term policies pay out should you pass aw...

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Spring is upon us and with the rains washing away the winter dirt, many people start cleaning and organizing their households.  One thing that often gets overlooked in this period of purging and simplifying is your household finances. This year grab all your papers, open up your online accounts and tackle spring cleaning your finances.

#1: So many insurance policies, questionable benefit
It might seem odd for an insurance broker to say that you might not need all the insurance you are paying fo...
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If you've visited my newsletter page, you'll notice that I haven't posted anything in about a year.  As much as I feel badly for neglecting to add new information to my own site, I'm happy to be writing for a great online financial magazine: www.FinanceWorks.ca

It offers fantastic articles on a variety of topics from budgeting, to mortgages, to insurance (by me!), to travel and more. And now it's available in Chapters and Indigo stores across Canada as well as online. 

Bryan, the creator and ow...

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As someone who is constantly watching the worldwide markets and business news reports, I sometimes feel like a ping pong ball: being hit back and forth between ‘it’s great’ and ‘it’s terrible’ versions of the same story.  I thought I’d show a couple examples of how analysts, experts, world leaders etc. conflict in opinions and change their stories over time. 

The Lost Decade

With the debt crisis in Europe continuing to plague the worldwide stock markets, there’s much ...

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We live on a society that operates on credit.  Gone are the days of our grandparents who saved up and purchased their homes, cars, and everything they needed or wanted cash.  It takes a half a lifetime to own a home now but everyone understands the need to get on the property ladder.  Home ownership goes hand in hand with having a mortgage.  If you are talking to a neighbor or friend and they say they own their home mortgage-free, are you not shocked and wonder to yourself "How?"  But getting...

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Today is April 30^th or tax d-day for all those earning an income in Canada.  Employees have taxes taken off at the source by their employers.  The payroll deductions should make it so that you don’t have any extra to pay on this day.  However, sometimes the payroll deductions aren’t perfect or you have other sources of income that cause you to owe more than you’ve paid in during the year.  If you’re facing a tax bill due today, then here are some tips to ensure that it doesn’t h...

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Thank you for visiting my website: www.jfordfinancial.com.  I hope to make this website more than a contact page but a resource for my clients.  I will continue to add interesting articles and useful financial calculators. But at the end of the day, planning needs a face-to-face consultation for me to be able to create a customized financial plan for you. 

Please contact me to arrange a sit down to get the planning process started: 250-808-5359 or jford@jfordfinancial.com. Whether you just ne...
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