Wearing 5 layers of clothes? Muddy footprints by the door? Spending your morning shoveling the sidewalk? Winter is here, but that doesn’t mean you have to be! Here are just a few of the best affordable winter vacations this season. Florida Keys This chain of islands connected to the mainland gives you all the benefits…
Category: Savings & Investments
A local success story, Jay and Sam Robinson
For Jay and Sam Robinson, the local Credit Union helped them realize their dream. Over twenty-five years ago, Jay and Sam wanted to start their own business, but major financial institutions were not interested in funding them. The local Wainwright Credit Union, now Encompass Credit Union, took a chance on the entrepreneurs, and lent them…
Holiday and Christmas loans, are they a good idea?
Obviously no one should try and take on debt that they cannot afford, and no one should put themselves into a hole they cannot dig themselves out of, based on their income or lifestyle. But there are times where a short-term personal loan, or a revolving line of credit is a perfect choice for upcoming…
Why Does My Mutual Fund Have ETFs in it?
The line between Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) has been blurred the past couple of years. You will now see mutual funds incorporating ETFs in order to gain exposure to a certain sector, country, or style without having to setup a new research department and hire a portfolio manager to make the decisions….
How to Prepare for Your Warm-Weather Winter Retreat
Everybody knows that Canadian winters are a brutal experience, and that’s why thousands of Canadians hang up their parkas every year to enjoy sunny locales abroad. If that sounds like you, here are just a few of the ways you can properly prepare for your winter getaway. Book Your Flight and Destinations Early You can…
Planning for the Unexpected
In life, it’s a bit of a given that we’re going to face some rough patches. I guess that’s why they say: “Into each life a little rain must fall”. Whether it’s an unexpectedly long patch of unemployment, an injury or long term disability that keeps you from working, or even just an extraordinary number…
Financial Literacy – Saving and Investing (Part 3)
We’ve looked at Term Deposits and RSPs and some of the features of each that you should consider when choosing how to handle your savings and investments. Today, we’ll zero in on Tax Free Savings Accounts and how financial planners can assist you in choosing the investments that are best for you. Tax Free Savings…
Financial Literacy – Saving and Investing (Part 2)
Welcome back! Last week we discussed Term Deposits and how to choose which one is best for you and your needs while still allowing you to earn some interest. This week, we’ll look at the ins and outs of Retirement Savings Plans. Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) A retirement savings plan is money you put away…
Financial Literacy – Saving and Investing (Part 1)
So, you finally have more than two nickels to rub together, now what the heck should you do with it? There are a lot of options out there, and financial institutions like Encompass Credit Union, will pay you to put your money in their institution. What? They just pay you? Yep. Simple savings accounts don’t…
What is Responsible Investing?
Investment management firms that are committed to Responsible Investing will try and help clients grow wealth while advancing the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance of publicly-traded companies. Responsible Investing seeks to generate sustainable value for investors, shareholders, for other company stakeholders and for society as a whole. This type of investing has been around…
