FISCAL AGENTS: Financial Services Group


Open the QuickNav window
Home
Search
Site Map
Contact

Knowledge Bank
Money Centre

Financial Tools
Newsletter
Products & Services

About Us





More Quotes





As an authorized distributor for ING Bank of Canada, Fiscal Agents can now offer clients the selection of high interest rate savings accounts they provide.
  View ING Section
  Savings Account
Rates

Links


Review our Website
Headline News
Canada411
Postcards
Postal Codes
Road Maps
Yellow Pages






Top Stories
   

The Learning Centre

Estate Planning:
Death and Taxes
We all know of the two certainties in life - death and taxes. Estate planning is the process of strategizing how, when and to whom, the proceeds of your accumulated wealth is distributed.

In today's complicated world, you'll need to understand the legal and tax ramifications of your requests, and how they impact the value of the estate and its obligations. The learning Centre - Estate Planning hopes to educate and inform you. However, we believe its better to do this planning with the help of professionals such as a lawyer with estate experience, as well as an accountant, insurance broker and investment advisor where their input is required. (Click to read the complete article)
The Newsletter: RSP Planning

Consider transferring an RRSP at maturity
When your fixed term GIC RRSPs are up for renewal, it sometimes makes sense to consider transferring the investment to another institution.

Despite the obvious reason of transferring for a better rate at maturity, another reason to consider this action is to obtain guarantee on your renewal rate of interest prior to the actual maturity date. For reasons unknown, some institutions refuse to offer existing RRSP clients any rate guarantee on their maturing investments. They will however, on the other hand, extend a rate commitment of anywhere from 30 to 60 days for new business being transferred in from elsewhere. (Click to read the complete article)


Spotlight on TFSAs
   

The Learning Centre

Moving assets out of an RRSP into a TFSA:
Consider Early RRSP withdrawals

We asked Mathieu Paradis of AdvisorPractice.com, a firm that provides services to Financial Advisers.

The clawback issue, combined with the availability of a TFSA, means more people may benefit from making annual withdrawals from their RRSP and depositing the proceeds to their TFSA before age 65. For example, a retired Ontario resident with a $30,000 pension could withdraw $5,000 annually from age 57 to age 64 and still be in the lowest marginal tax bracket. The proceeds could then be invested in her TFSA. At 65, more assets would be held outside her RRSP and withdrawals from her TFSA would not reduce the age tax credit. This could be a potential saving of hundreds of dollars annually.

The Money Management Bulletin

TFSA abuses irk Ottawa
The tax-free savings account has not even celebrated its first birthday, but the Department of Finance is already cracking down on TFSA abuses.

The Department of Finance has announced it was proposing amendments to the Income Tax Act to penalize those exploiting TFSAs to avoid paying tax. (Click to read the complete bulletin)

The Money Management Bulletin

Tax Free Savings Accounts -The basics

Tax-Free Savings Accounts are flexible, general-purpose savings vehicles that will allow Canadian taxpayers 18 and over to make annual contributions of up to $5,000 in 2009. (This amount will be indexed in future years to the nearest $500.) (Click to read the complete bulletin)

The Learning Centre

Tax Free Savings Accounts:
A great place to park your tax refund
Should you make an RRSP contribution or buy a TFSA? The simple answer is you can do both - and very easily. It makes perfect sense to contribute annually to your RRSP. Let’s look at it this way, say your contributing $12,000.00 (1,000 per month) per year, and in the 40% tax bracket. That should generate almost $5,000.00 as a refund. Then use that refund and purchase a TFSA.


Features
   

The Learning Centre

Ask An Expert
Question: My Mother has some GIC's with your Company from several different banks and trust companies. Can she put beneficiaries on them, or will they have to transfer to her estate when she passes?

Answer: She can't put beneficiaries on them as there isn't a beneficiary option for a Bank, Trust Company or Credit Union GIC. What she can do is have the GICs in joint names so that they do not have to be included in probate when she passes away. The joint ownership can be structured so that the joint owner either becomes a beneficial owner of the investment ( the money will pass directly to the joint owner when your mother passes away) or the joint owner can just be there for convenience to avoid probate but the money will actually go to your mom's estate rather than the joint owner. There is a declaration that can be signed for either circumstance depending on your mother's wishes. (Click to read more Q&As)
Financial Tools

The Cornerstone Household Directory of Documents

The Cornerstone Household Directory of Documents is a record keeping tool designed to allow you to document important information about you and your family. When completed, the information contained within this 32-page directory will be invaluable to you as well as those closest to you.

The directory covers a wide range of topics, ranging from personal and professional contacts to investment information in order to present a clear picture of your current situation. (Click to view the download section)


Products & Services

The Cornerstone of Financial Independence is not a privilege of the rich... It's a plan of the wise...®
The concept of Cornerstone® Planning stems from the simple "plan of the wise" statement above. By following the process that we have put together, you will have the benefit of the collective investment wisdom which we have acquired over our 20-plus years in this business. We have been through both bull and bear markets, as well as periods of high and low interest rates. Why not benefit from our learned wisdom now rather than make costly mistakes as a result of investment inexperience? (Click to read the complete article)
The Newsletter: Managing Money

Setting personal investment goals

Mutual Funds, GICs, T-Bills, Canada Savings Bonds - today's investor has no shortage of investment options to choose from. Along with a staggering array of products to consider, investors also face the challenge of trying to predict where the market is going. "As part of our commitment to our clients and their needs, we have chosen flexible investment products that remove some of the guess work," says Martin Kosterman - our Retirement Income Specialist. (Click to read the complete article)




Friday, March 12 2010



Looking for the best GIC Deposit Rates?




The Best of The Best
Canada Wide Survey
Comparison Calculator

GICs
Max Rate
RRIFs
RRSPs
T. Deposits
Savings A/C
View Full Listings


Free Newsletter





Have our free, monthly
E-Mail Newsletter sent
directly to your Inbox.

Click here
to subscribe.



The 10 Principles
of Being Rich

The Ten Principles of Being Rich follows the life stories of three typical investors, and explains how investment fundamentals are influenced by time constraints as they develop and monitor their financial plans.


Your comments are important to us!

Please take a minute to answer our 12-question
survey about our new site, so we can continue to improve.


What the Papers Say

A selection of links to prominent financial columnists in the leading Ontario newspapers.





Member of the RDBA
(Registered Deposit Brokers Association)
Site Rated by the ICRA
(Internet Content Rating Association)