Investing on your own can be incredibly stressful and challenging. Bridge to Wealth can help you examine all of the different investment tools and select the vehicles that are right for you. We’ll also help you understand how to plan your investments for the medium and long-term, so when the time comes, you’ll have the funds you need to live life with comfort and security.
For long-term growth and stability, mutual funds are a great choice. These managed group funds have a professional directing investment strategy and purchasing securities on your behalf. Mutual Funds can be held in a registered investment vehicle like an RSP or as a non-registered investment to build wealth. Mutual Funds are an excellent complement to a well-balanced investment portfolio.
A segregated fund is a financial product issued by Canadian insurance companies. These funds offer security to the investor as they are held separately from the insurance company’s other investments. Segregated funds also provide certain guarantees such as a stable payout in the case of term maturity or death of the holder. Proceeds from a segregated fund can be paid to a beneficiary and estate fees avoided.
A GIC, or Guaranteed Investment Certificate, offers a specific rate of return over a specific period of time. Because it is a low risk vehicle, returns are typically not spectacular, but GIC’s are useful when stability is the investor’s primary concern. A great aspect of GIC’s is that the principal invested is never at risk.
Post-secondary education is getting more expensive. An RESP allows parents to invest on behalf of their children so when the time comes, the necessary funds to pay for college or university are in place. Investments are made with after-tax dollars and withdrawals are taxed at the recipient’s rate (typically very low to non-existent for a student) so it’s a great way of funding an education. An added bonus is that the government will contribute up to $500 a year to your child’s RESP.RDSP (Registered Disability Saving Plans)
These vehicles are designed to offer those with disabilities long-term financial security, with help from family and friends. You can invest up to 200,000 after-tax dollars in a RDSP and name a beneficiary with the Government matching personal contributions through the Canada Disability Savings Grant. Much like an RSP, taxes on earnings and growth are deferred until withdrawal of funds.
RSP – An RSP (Registered Savings Plan) allows you to use before-tax dollars to invest for your retirement. It’s a great ways to defer taxes until withdrawing funds and potentially even lower your current tax bracket. You can contribute a set amount according to your level of income up to a government-imposed maximum, which tends to increase each fiscal year. You can choose a number of investment vehicles within your RSP to grow your savings, and because of the magic of compound interest, it’s the retirement savings tool of choice for many Canadians.
At the age of 71, Canadians have to change their RSP to an RIF (Registered Income Fund). You’ll draw income from your RIF during retirement. Your savings grow the same as they would in an RSP, minus withdrawals, but once it becomes active you’ll no longer invest money in the RIF fund.
A LIF (Life Income Fund) is a registered retirement income vehicle that holds pension funds and pays out retirement income over time. The fund is designed to provide funds to retirees in a sustainable manner for the life of the holder. LIF’s don’t allow for lump-sum withdrawals but instead ensure you’ll have yearly income to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.
Insuring your employees are prepared for unexpected health issues while making sure they’re financially healthy for their retirement is the mark of a great business. Bridge to Wealth will help you design the perfect benefits and pension solutions to match your company. Protect yourself and your people with our sensible financial products.
Group Benefits provide security to your company’s employees in the case of recurring or unexpected health issues. Many companies offer Group Benefits as part of their compensation package to ensure they both take care of their employees’ health and as a way of retaining the best people. In many cases, employees contribute financially to their own plan, which spreads the risk among a larger pool of people.
Help your employees save for retirement and make sure that when the time comes, they’re in a healthy financial position. We can help you tap into great group pension plans that are professionally managed and attract the best employees to your business. Today, successful businesses understand that potential employees take more than base compensation into account when choosing an employer
Life happens when you least expect it. Bridge to Wealth will make sure you’re prepared when faced with unanticipated events that most of us deal with at some point. There are many different types of insurance and figuring it all out can be difficult. We can help you choose the right products for your situation. Remember, insurance is not just about you; it’s about providing for your family and protecting your business – now and into the future.
Term insurance provides specific payouts over a fixed period of time, or the ‘term’ of the insurance plan. If the insured dies during the term, a death benefit is paid to the named beneficiary. Once the term is up, a new insurance agreement must be negotiated. Term Insurance is a great option for income replacement should an unexpected event occur.
Whole Life Insurance pays a fixed amount over the life of the insured as long as premiums are paid into the plan each year. It offers a cash-value and a death benefit and is a tool often used in estate planning. Whole Life Insurance ensures you and your family will be financially protected both during your lifetime and after your death.
Universal Life Insurance allows you to protect yourself while investing the money from your premiums within the policy. As you pay premiums, a cash value is associated with your policy and interest accrues. You can actually use the interest to pay your premiums if necessary. As your circumstances change, you can often negotiate the terms of your policy.
Critical Illness Insurance offers protection should you be diagnosed with an illness listed in the policy. Most plans are structured to pay a lump sum to the insured though in some cases regular payments could be made. This type of insurance is a great option when you want to protect yourself against the unexpected illnesses that many of us get at some point in our lives.
Disability Insurance is a type of protection that insures your working income if you are unable to fulfill your duties due to illness or disability. Disability insurance will cover you for sick-leave pay as well as short- or long-term illness.
A risk management tool providing you with peace of mind when operating your business. For example, Business Insurance can protect your assets should a lawsuit be filed against your company or if there is damage to your property. All businesses should consider this coverage as a basic precaution.