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Investing


in-vest:

  • 1: to commit (money) in order to earn a financial return
  • 2: to make use of for future benefits or advantages

At its simplest, investing is just a way of making your money grow. When we invest in something, we do so with the anticipation and trust that the investment will return something to us. The same is true of investing in our education, our family, our health, and our relationships.

There are two key reasons why investing makes sense. Investments are a way to help you meet your financial goals and are a hedge against inflation. These goals may be short-term - which may require less money to achieve - or long-term, which generally involve some planning.

Investing requires that you:

  • have a timeline in mind
  • know how much money you're going to need to reach your goals
  • recognize that you may have some short-term financial needs
  • understand asset allocation

You must also determine whether the investment you are making is one that you will need to live off in years to come.

Your knowledge of investing - limited or sophisticated, your tolerance for risk, as well as your personality type - conservative, moderate, or aggressive... together influence your investing decisions. With the assistance of your advisor, all of these items will be addressed in such a way as to define a personal investment strategy just for you.

Selecting Investments

Thoughtful investing means creating a plan and selecting investments that meet all of your goals. Although most people would say that their primary reason for investing is for retirement, there are also reasons to make short-term investments.

Quick Tips:

  • Save and invest 5-10% of your income
  • Maintain a relationship of confidence with your advisor

Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) are intended to help you save for retirement - and by placing your investments within one (or more - there is no limit to the number of plans you may hold) - you create an immediate tax deduction, based on the amount of the contribution you have made. You also benefit from tax protection for any return you realize on these investments until you withdraw the funds at retirement age. You can select a wide variety of investments for your self-directed RRSP, including Treasury Bonds, Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GIC), stocks, bonds, mortgage certificates, and mutual funds.