Blog | Crawford • Ashwood Financial

We recently attended our national investment conference and met with various investment & market strategists, and some of your Portfolio Managers. There was much talk around the recent market sell-off that we have seen over the past couple of weeks, so we thought this a good time to share a summary of what has been happening, and the feelings moving forward. The recent sell-offs are thought to be linked to the Federal Reserve (Fed) hiking interest rates, which in-turn negatively affected the bond market. This causes uncertainty and emotions have been running high in day-to-day stock traders who think there…

I recently had a meeting with a Tax & Estate specialist who spoke about Digital Assets, and the importance of covering these assets through your Will (and Powers of Attorney). Even 5-10 years ago, these assets were not of much value, and certainly were never thought to be included in your estate plan. So, What are Digital Assets? Digital Assets are essentially your financial footprint in the online world. Do you collect grocery points, airline rewards, credit card rewards, gas station points? It might seem silly, but there have been studies that have found by the year 2020 (not so…

We are moving into a period of uncertainty with mounting tensions over trade wars, and continued surprises via Tweets from the U.S. President. I thought this a good time to share what the effects may be on your investments. 2017 was the year of calm, with little volatility in the markets; surprising – given the almost constant flow of tweets and government chaos south of the border. In fact, business enjoyed lower taxes and improved earnings in the U.S. throughout the year. This was reflected in their stock market. Lesson: the noise and silliness from Trump has largely been ignored…

As loving parents, we teach our children the important life skills that we hope will give them a happy & productive life. Money Management is a skill that needs to be learned and it is our job to give them a good foundation on which to build their futures. I have observed two very interesting realities interacting with several generations of families while coaching them about money management. One is that there does seem to be a personality type (or as we laughingly call it a money gene) that will give children a tendency to be good with money, or…

Anyone who is an employee, and many people who are self-employed are part of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). But how much do you really know about this foundation of your retirement plan? Both you and your employer contribute to this pension. The contributions will depend on what you earn, up to a maximum that can be contributed each calendar year. If you are a lower income earner, you will not be contributing the maximum, thereby saving less. The result will be that your income from the CPP when you retire will also be less. You can check what your…

Sometimes it is time to go back to basics. I have been working with families for over twenty five years now and deal with some complicated planning issues. Reflecting on what the key components are to clients’ success in achieving their financial goals, I find that some very basic principles apply. I’d like to share those with the readers of our blog. Lifestyle Choices You might think that my largest and most successful clients have fancy jobs and high incomes. Some do, that is certain. But whether they are high or mid income earners, one of the key components in…

Every home owner dreams of being mortgage free. In today’s environment, home prices are some of the highest they have been, and with that, mortgage sizes are significantly larger. Today’s home owners tend to feel it is the norm to always have a mortgage and never pay it off completely. The truth is, there are many opportunities to paying down your mortgage more quickly, and this could save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage. Accelerated Mortgage Payments Do you pay your mortgage monthly? Call your lender and ask to switch to weekly or accelerated…

No matter the circumstances, losing a spouse through divorce can be an emotionally devastating experience. It is also a time when many financial matters require your immediate attention. To help avoid making emotionally driven – and potentially harmful – financial decisions, it’s important to get advice and organize yourself. Here are six important action steps that can help protect your personal finances. 1. Update your financial accounts When you are starting your new life as a single, you will need to change the registrations on any financial accounts that are owned jointly. Such ownership changes typically require certain documentation. It’s…

The birth of your baby is the perfect time to review your financial life. You want your loved ones cared for if something were to happen to you or your partner, and be in the know regarding benefits and savings options available for your new bundle of joy. I am sure you and your partner put a lot of time and research into what went on your baby gift registry, and read every review under the sun regarding car seat safety, and what perfect shade to paint the nursery. Wouldn’t you agree that you should plan to keep your little…

Marriage is arguably one of the biggest and happiest events in many people’s lives. Those rose coloured glasses are in full effect when we are in love and joining our lives with another. There are a few simple things you can do financially to keep the bloom on that rose. Number one is communication. It is extremely important, from the get go, to be brutally honest about your past and current financial life, and what you ultimately want your financial lives to look like together. If you are coming into a marriage with debt, then you need to disclose that,…

Market Update

Digital Assets

Trade Wars and the Tweet Effect

Teaching Our Children Money Skills

Canada Pension Plan Primer

Creating Wealth

Be Mortgage-Free Faster

Divorce

The Birth of Your Baby

Money & Marriage