Red Ink on the Prairies

A day after Quebec’s Finance Minister Eric Girard brought down a Budget featuring a $6.3 Billion deficit, Saskatchewan’s Finance Minister Jim Reiter tabled his government’s budget on March 19. Next up was Finance Minister Adrian Salas, who tabled the Manitoba Budget on March 24. The common thread: there’s lots of red ink on the Prairies. But that’s where the budget documents differ between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Here’s the latest tax news and why it matters to the advice you give your clients.

Knowledge Bureau author and speaker, Larry Frostiak, will be joining the Distinguished Advisor Workshop tour this November as a featured speaker for the Corporate Tax Bootcamp, November 1-6 in a city near year.

The Registered vs Non-Registered Savings Calculator let you see at a glance how your saving will accumulate over time based on your current savings balance and your plan for periodic deposits. The calculator shows the results in a non-registered savings account as well as in a registered savings account such as an RRSP or TFSA as well as the future value of the accumulated deposits.

Enjoying the summer cottage is a Canadian tradition. Do you know what your cottage is worth? According to David Christianson, this week’s guest columnist, a valuation this year might be a good idea, as high cottage values could bring succession challenges.  

Do you know of a non-resident receiving OAS? To ensure that OAS payments are not interrupted, please let them know that a special return must be filed.

Summer time is family time—and a good opportunity to review the funding of education for little ones. In this RESP review, the object is for advisors, parents, and grandparents to consider whether this registered plan is the right one for your new addition.

To everything there is a season. . .and, unfortunately within a circle of life, illness may arise. This event may in fact require an inter-advisory team of financial professionals to help your loved one transition from capacity to incapacity.