Kay Crawford | Crawford • Ashwood Financial

As we approach the end of yet another year, I like to take some time to reflect on the past year to appreciate all the experiences I have had. Although we share a planet, we all live in our own worlds and as human beings we all experience both pain and pleasure. Our experiences never seem to be a nice balance however. Some years we are given more pain than we think we can endure, and other years we pinch ourselves for all the good fortune we have. Our job, as your financial advisors is to guide you to a…

It has been a good eighteen months since we have seen any significant corrections in the world’s stock markets. We have enjoyed a long stretch of growing portfolios, and now we are experiencing a normal correction in the markets. To put this into some perspective I will share some thoughts from a selection of sources, including some portfolio managers I spoke to last week at a conference I attended in the U.S. Taking a macro view (large overview) there are a few things that are affecting the psychology of investors at the moment. The first is simply that many stock…

Debt is a passionate topic to me. Why? Because a poor understanding and use of debt can determine the financial success or failure of an individual and a family. Debt can be insidious. It can creep up on you gradually until you find that you owe an unmanageable amount of it. Low interest rates have not helped. Nor has rapidly rising house prices which have allowed lines of credit to grow along with the house values. In my opinion, lenders also have a lot to answer for. They have a way of making you feel happy when they solve your…

You suddenly receive tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is a scenario that many people secretly wish for, and for an increasing number of people (especially baby boomers) it is becoming a reality as their parents—now in their eighties and nineties—are inevitably dying, leaving their heirs sizable inheritances. Unlike boomers (many of whom love to spend their money), their parents were much more likely to be savers than spenders. This ‘saving’ mentality is what is providing many boomers with inheritances of significant value. Handled correctly, these gifts from parents to adult children can be life changing. Handled…

We are sharing this article with you because it provides a terrific summary of how to make money by investing in good businesses. These wise words from some of the world’s most successful investors highlight some simple rules, that when combined with in-depth research, can beat the average investor’s tepid returns. It is our emotions as individuals that lead us to make bad investing decisions. You hire us to create a plan for you and ensure you make good decisions. We hire portfolio managers for you, to ensure emotion is taken out of your investing. I hope you find the…

Facing retirement full in the face can be a really frightening prospect. Moving from actively earning your income, to passively receiving retirement income leaves many people weak at the knees. Will you have enough income? Should you take CPP early or late? When should you withdraw from RRSPs? Should you buy an annuity or move to a RRIF? What should you do with your company retirement pension or group RRSP when you retire? There are a lot of decisions to make, and it is important to make them informed decisions. Will you have enough income? The most important step here…

As we approach the end of 2013, it seems a good time to share some insights on the investment climate. Freshly back from a conference and meetings with some professional money managers, I can share how they are positioning portfolios, and making their buy/sell decisions. Stock Markets It has been a good year for stock markets generally, with most major stock indices of the world moving up as investors gradually gain confidence again. Europe is slowly easing out of recession. Asia, although slowing, is moving from an export economy to a more domestically driven economy, and is still growing at…

Part of being a really good financial advisor lies not only with investment selection or the ‘numbers’ of financial management, but with understanding human behavior, and how that can assist or impair an individual to achieving success. I recently read a book that can help all of us in our search to live a better life. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg shares the most recent research done to figure out why we do what we do in life and business. By understanding how our brains work (habits become very ingrained), we can then modify our behaviours to create new habits.…

Over the past few months you may have heard some news about a name change to our DundeeWealth business. As of today, November 1st, 2013, the DundeeWealth advisor network, owned by Scotiabank, has adopted a new brand identity – HollisWealth™. A little history Scotiabank acquired DundeeWealth in 2011 at which time The Bank of Nova Scotia and Dundee Corporation entered into several agreements regarding the trademarks used by the businesses. One of these agreements licensed the use of the DundeeWealth trademark to the Bank and this license expires on February 1st, 2014. This is why the new brand name HollisWealth…

We are all so busy living day to day, we often don’t take the time, or see the value in looking at the big picture. Or we are afraid of what that picture will look like so we actively avoid thinking about it. The beginning of any plan, financial or otherwise, involves having a vision for your life, both now and in the future. What would you like to do when you stop working at your full time job? Are you someone who is content to be at home surrounded by familiar things, with family and friends? Are you someone…

Author Archives: Kay Crawford

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