Blog | Crawford • Ashwood Financial

I recently attended HollisWealth’s 9th annual Year Ahead Investment Conference in Toronto, featuring some of North America’s top investment minds. The focus of the conference was to hear first-hand from experts on the economic and investment outlook for 2015. A number of speakers presented throughout the day including Scotiabank’s Chief Economist, Warren Jestin, Scotiabank’s Commodity Market expert, Ms. Patricia Mohr, Dynamic’s Chief Investment Strategist, Myles Zyblock, three sector analysts from Scotia Capital as well as panel discussions with Portfolio Managers and ETF experts. The speakers discussed a range of topics and some of the common themes that emerged are highlighted…

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…

You buy house insurance to protect your home, auto insurance to cover your car, and life insurance to ensure your family and loved ones will be financially cared for after you’re gone. But what about protecting your ability to pay all the expenses associated with becoming seriously ill? Unfortunately, most of us know someone who has been affected by cancer, heart attack, or stroke. Having enough money to see you and your family through the hard times is not always easy. Critical illness insurance is a type of protection that can provide you with a lump sum payment if you…

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…

Some experts say that new parents spend $10,000 during their first year in parenthood. You knew having kids wasn’t cheap, but that’s a lot of money on top of your regular living expenses. You would need to come up with $250 a week for nine months to save that amount of money ahead of the baby’s arrival. That’s around $1000 a month! The key is to start early. Start early. If you are planning on starting a family soon, and have a couple of years to build up the resources required, you might need only $96 a week. A Tax…

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…

Every parent wants the very best for their child. Life changes as soon as a new baby comes into this world, and parents are on cloud nine (and probably sleep deprived). There is so much to learn as a new parent and setting up savings plans for your new child’s future education is an important one. We urge you to do your due diligence before signing any contracts for RESPs or Scholarship funds. There are companies who obtain names of new parents/babies and call you to offer their help with setting up a new plan within weeks of your baby’s…

So you’ve just bought a house! Congratulations. This is an exciting time in your life, and it is important to ensure you protect this big purchase. But what kind of protection do you need? Mortgage insurance is easy, convenient, and covers you for just the right amount. Life insurance offers many options for you to consider. I find many people don’t know the differences between mortgage insurance and term or permanent life insurance. Let me break down some key differences for you. Payout With insurance you get from your bank/mortgage company, the amount of coverage and subsequent payout if/when you…

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…

2015

Help to Meet Life’s Challenges

Critical Illness Insurance

Today’s Markets

Staying home with baby?

Understanding Debt

How to Plan for an Inheritance

RESPs vs. Scholarship Funds

Mortgage Insurance vs. Life Insurance

Wise words for do-it-yourself investors