Opportunity: Canadian Dollar Stabilizes, Somewhat

Things have started to turn around for the Canadian dollar in the second quarter of 2025. It hit a 22 year low in January of 2025. Investors and property owners, who have been swooning at the high burn rate in their travel plans and property maintenance abroad, may wish to consider recent more positive trends and consider some risk mitigation opportunities now that the dollar is stabilizing somewhat.  

Effective August 1, new 30-year mortgage amortizations are available for first-time home buyers purchasing newly built homes. For our August poll we asked tax and financial professionals if this is an option they’d recommend to their clients, and there was an interesting mix of votes, 66% said “no”, but 34% said they would – their comments provide great insight for homeowners who may be eligible for this program.

The system is just wrong!  Think of the problems your clients are having with CRA and their TFSA audits.  The TFSA contribution room on the MyAccount portal does not coincide with actual contributions, yet CRA is giving.  Another issue is the lack of use, improper use and/or set up of health spending accounts which are so important to small business owners.  How do you make sure that these plans are audit proof? Lastly, there are inheritance/crypto scams out there. . .are you talking to your clients about this?  Find out more in this informative Society of Real Wealth Managers Round Table hosted by Doug Buss,  CLU, CPCA, CFP, CEA, RWM™, FDFS™ at the September 18 Virtual CE Summit.

Dr. Andreaa Vanacker will share her remarkable story and experiences to help you consider the role of joy and purpose in financial decision-making. You’ll be exposed to a new perspective in encouraging those you influence, to assess their legacy and optimize their most important asset: time. Learn more, only at the Acuity Conference for Distinguished Advisors November 10-12 in Montreal. Register by the September 15 early-bird deadline!

This is an annual favorite book, especially at year end tax planning time, by Jenifer Bartman and Evelyn Jacks from publisher Knowledge Bureau. It addresses a common family secret that plagues millions of Canadians from coast to coast: what to do with the family business at a time when boomers are contemplating retirement.  Will the business sell for the millions owners hope for, blow up, or just wind down?   Will family relationships survive it all?

Especially if you are working with a business owner thinking of transferring the interests in their small businesses to the next generation, consider commenting on the draft legislation released by the Federal Government on August 12.  These clients require more information about new taxing initiatives; in particular, the changes to the Capital Gains Inclusion Rates (CGIR) and the related Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption (LCGE), the new Canadian Entrepreneurs’ Incentive (CEI) and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs).  But the rules are very complex and the deadline for response to the draft rules is short: for the CGIR rules, it’s September 3.  For the case of the CEI it’s September 11.   Here’s what you need to know:

Real estate investments have been all over the news with the announcement of several new tax provisions recently.  One of these concerns residential property offered on platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO as a short term rental.   Expenses normally deductible in reducing rental income will be denied effective January 1, 2024 if the property is not in compliance with provincial or municipal laws.  That naturally leads to an important question: what is deductible if the properties fall in line with the law?  Here’s what you need to know: