Insights

In our view, the process of retirement planning should involve a greater depth of thought and breadth of preparation than simply asking “When?” and “How much?”. This guide distills our thinking about how best to prepare for a sound financial future in later life.

If, like many high-net-worth individuals, you are committed to supporting your community through philanthropic donations, then you might want to pay attention to upcoming changes to the federal government’s Alternative Minimum Tax program.

If you’re like many people, you will be trying to reap the best of summer while it lasts by spending extra time with your family. Yet, to the usual itinerary of eating great food, taking in the sun or the sights, or hanging out on the dock, try adding one other item: having a chat with your children about money.

We all want our retirement to embody positive change, of course. Yet, to make our retirement dreams come true, we need to understand how retirement itself is changing – and how our financial planning must adapt as a result.

Since 1992, the best option for tax-advantaged savings for a first-time home purchase has been the RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan, now there is a new king of the tax-advantaged ring in town in the form of the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account (FHSA).

When planning for risk, people often focus exclusively on “big” things like portfolio management, business structure, retirement goals, and the like. But the “little” things are often the ones that make life the most financially and emotionally difficult for families in the wake of a death.

Most people would consider receiving a large sum of money as an unadulteratedly happy occurrence. Yet, as we know from our decades of advising high-net-worth individuals and families, the reality is far more complicated than that, especially when an inheritance is involved.

No matter the size of the portfolio or the age of their children, many of our clients are wondering how to raise their kids with the skills and knowledge they need to be financially competent.

In our advisory meetings with family business owners, we have noticed that more and more of them are thinking deeply about what they really want to do with their lives in the future, including whether, when and how they will pass their company on to the next generation.

What was once only imaginable in our wildest dreams is now our reality ʺAs we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.ʺ – Bill Gates Tech Trends are Shaping […]

With interest rates rising, the housing market seems to be in a state of flux. The direction of housing prices – up, down or sideways – is a hot topic of conversation around dinner tables and office watercoolers, which is hardly surprising given how much wealth Canadians’ have tied up in their homes.

Of all our financial affairs, planning for when we are not around is probably the most tempting one to put off. But it is also one of the most important. Setting aside a day or two every spring to do a “clean-up” of your estate planning documents will ensure they accurately reflect your goals.

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on our daily lives for over a year. For many people approaching or in retirement, the pandemic has prompted a significant rethinking of their future lifestyle and finances. As part of our Wealth, Health & Kids series, the KJH team has outlined six considerations relevant to retirement planning in the post-COVID world.

As October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, KJ Harrison outlines the most common cyberattacks and how you can carry out simple security measures to protect yourself and mitigate potential security risks.

Since the first one launched in the early 2000s, special purpose acquisition companies – SPACs, for short – have largely occupied a small niche of the financial world.

KJH CEO, Joel Clark, and Wellington Square Portfolio Manager, Jeff Sujitno, outline the investment case for Senior Loans in a low-yield environment.

Ontario Dental Association, October 2020 - The COVID-19 environment has been tough on everybody, and dentists are certainly no exception.

A unique approach to strategic wealth management: a conversation with KJ Harrison CEO Joel Clark and Chief Investment Officer Peter Barlas.

No one goes into a relationship planning for it to end. But in many ways, the stakes are higher the second (or third) time around.

As natural as it is for parents to want to help their children, it is not a decision to be taken lightly. Beyond the impact on the parents’ financial situation, gifting or lending money to children for a home purchase can have legal and tax implications – and may even impact family dynamics and relationships.

KJ Harrison worked with Canada’s foremost financial services research provider, Strategic Insight (formerly Investor Economics), to publish a white paper on, The New Attitudes and Expectations Among High Net Worth Canadians.

“The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people is to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don’t know what the hell they’re doing or who on earth they are can get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self.”

Trusts are a valuable planning tool that can be a very important part of wealth management planning for high net worth families.  A well-structured trust can be very effective, allowing for a number of immediate tax strategies and future estate planning strategies.

Working with several high net worth individuals across the country, we at KJ Harrison Investors have come to understand and appreciate the many complexities associated with wealth, and the important role that having a solid strategy plays in the management of these complex issues.

After a 30-year bull market in bonds and a strong, multi-year recovery in equities following the global Great Recession of 2008-09, investors wonder what lies ahead for financial markets.

Not enough of us give our finances as much attention as we give our health. Yet, your financial wellbeing requires the same regular attention, particularly when it comes to preparing for life’s detours. Let’s call them the three Ds – death, divorce and disability.

Indexing, or passive investment management, is one of the more prominent investment strategies. We discuss why indexing has become so popular, the challenges of indexing, and when indexing is useful (and not useful) for private clients.