Personal Finance | Crawford • Ashwood Financial

We wanted to share this short video from one of our favourite investment companies, EdgePoint. The video shares one person’s experience of being invested over the past 10 years, through the ups and down, and why it pays to think “long-term” when investing your hard-earned money. Many of our clients have had a similar road to the character in the video, and we continue to buy these funds for our clients and our own personal portfolios, as we believe in a long-term investment strategy. The take-away is to be patient; and know that both good and bad years don’t last…

Well, here we go again. After nearly a decade of rising markets, with only a few bumps along the way, it seems we are back to more normal market fluctuations. It probably feels worse for many people because we have become used to more positive days, weeks and months. One of the guarantees in investing is that volatile markets will persist. Our job as investors is to ensure we do not act irrationally. Volatility is actually a friend to us as investors. For example, if you were to see that your favourite food at the grocery store was on sale…

Canadians are generally a very giving lot – 84% of Canadians made a charitable donation in 2010; the last year Statistics Canada kept records. Between time spent volunteering in a wide range of organizations and money donated to worthy causes, philanthropy in its various guises seems to be in our DNA. Our reasons for giving are as diverse as we are as a people, but according to Imagine Canada, we give out of compassion for others, for a cause we believe in, to make a contribution to our community, or for something that touches us personally. Whatever the reason, we…

As loving parents, we teach our children the important life skills that we hope will give them a happy & productive life. Money Management is a skill that needs to be learned and it is our job to give them a good foundation on which to build their futures. I have observed two very interesting realities interacting with several generations of families while coaching them about money management. One is that there does seem to be a personality type (or as we laughingly call it a money gene) that will give children a tendency to be good with money, or…

Sometimes it is time to go back to basics. I have been working with families for over twenty five years now and deal with some complicated planning issues. Reflecting on what the key components are to clients’ success in achieving their financial goals, I find that some very basic principles apply. I’d like to share those with the readers of our blog. Lifestyle Choices You might think that my largest and most successful clients have fancy jobs and high incomes. Some do, that is certain. But whether they are high or mid income earners, one of the key components in…

Every home owner dreams of being mortgage free. In today’s environment, home prices are some of the highest they have been, and with that, mortgage sizes are significantly larger. Today’s home owners tend to feel it is the norm to always have a mortgage and never pay it off completely. The truth is, there are many opportunities to paying down your mortgage more quickly, and this could save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage. Accelerated Mortgage Payments Do you pay your mortgage monthly? Call your lender and ask to switch to weekly or accelerated…

No matter the circumstances, losing a spouse through divorce can be an emotionally devastating experience. It is also a time when many financial matters require your immediate attention. To help avoid making emotionally driven – and potentially harmful – financial decisions, it’s important to get advice and organize yourself. Here are six important action steps that can help protect your personal finances. 1. Update your financial accounts When you are starting your new life as a single, you will need to change the registrations on any financial accounts that are owned jointly. Such ownership changes typically require certain documentation. It’s…

The birth of your baby is the perfect time to review your financial life. You want your loved ones cared for if something were to happen to you or your partner, and be in the know regarding benefits and savings options available for your new bundle of joy. I am sure you and your partner put a lot of time and research into what went on your baby gift registry, and read every review under the sun regarding car seat safety, and what perfect shade to paint the nursery. Wouldn’t you agree that you should plan to keep your little…

Marriage is arguably one of the biggest and happiest events in many people’s lives. Those rose coloured glasses are in full effect when we are in love and joining our lives with another. There are a few simple things you can do financially to keep the bloom on that rose. Number one is communication. It is extremely important, from the get go, to be brutally honest about your past and current financial life, and what you ultimately want your financial lives to look like together. If you are coming into a marriage with debt, then you need to disclose that,…

Today we continue with our Life Events series, and discuss planning tips for dealing with a disability. A disability for you or a close family member creates new challenges for you and your family. Have you ever considered what would happen if you or the main breadwinner in the family was no longer able to work? Would that income stop? Could you survive on only one person’s income? Would this cause issues for the care of your children? You should also consider the impact disability would have on a stay-at-home parent. This is a hugely important role, which may not…

Category Archives: Personal Finance

An Investor’s Journey : A Video

The Rewards of Volatile Times

Generosity Helps Everyone

Teaching Our Children Money Skills

Creating Wealth

Be Mortgage-Free Faster

Divorce

The Birth of Your Baby

Money & Marriage

Disability