Investment planning
The mix matters far more than the picks, and the account you hold something in changes what you keep after tax.
Book a complimentary assessment
How should my money actually be invested?
Once the mix is set, the second question is which account holds what. Interest income is taxed most heavily, so it usually belongs inside registered accounts; Canadian dividends and capital gains are treated more kindly outside them. Getting that placement right is free money, and it is routinely ignored.
What are segregated funds and why would I use them?
Those features cost more in annual fees, so they are worth it only when you need them. They suit incorporated owners and professionals concerned about creditors, people who want assets to pass to a beneficiary without going through the estate, and nervous investors who will actually stay invested because of the guarantee. For a straightforward RRSP with none of those concerns, a lower-cost fund usually wins. Naming beneficiaries is covered in estate planning.
Should I invest inside or outside my corporation?
The watch item is passive income. Once your corporation earns more than $50,000 a year in investment income, your access to the small business deduction begins to be clawed back, which raises the tax rate on your operating profits. That is usually the point at which corporate-owned insurance, an Individual Pension Plan or simply paying more out becomes the better move. The full business owner discussion is here.
How much risk is right for me?
We would rather build a portfolio you keep than a theoretically optimal one you abandon in March of a bad year. If your plan does not need much risk to work, we take less of it, which is a decision people rarely regret.
What do I pay, and how?
Fees are not the only thing that matters, but they are the one cost you control with certainty, so they deserve to be stated plainly. Our full fee explanation is here.
What does the right account placement save?
An investment planning case study will be added here when the approved figures and story are ready.
See all case studiesWhat else do people ask?
Do I have to move my accounts to work with you?
No. Some clients keep their accounts where they are and use us for the planning, the mix and the reviews. If moving an account would genuinely improve the fees or the structure, we will show you the comparison and let you decide.
Do you try to beat the market?
No, and we will not pretend to. Our job is a mix matched to your plan, held through the bad years, in the right accounts for tax. That combination does more for most households than any attempt at market timing.
What happens when markets fall?
We call you, and the plan already says what we do. Portfolios are built so that the money you need within a few years is not sitting in anything volatile, which is what allows the long-term part to be left alone.
Can I hold investments inside my corporation?
Yes, and many incorporated clients should. It needs watching, because investment income inside a corporation is taxed at a high rate and can affect your small business deduction once passive income passes $50,000 a year.
How often will we look at the portfolio?
Twice a year as part of the standard review, and whenever your plan changes in a way that changes the mix. Rebalancing happens on that schedule rather than in response to headlines.
Is your money in the right accounts?
Book a complimentary 20-minute assessment and we will look at the mix, the placement and the fees.