Project in limbo as State Department weighs option BY SHELDON ALBERTS, POSTMEDIA NEWS; P rime Minister Stephen Harper made a personal pitch Friday for President Barack Obama to support a controversial $7-billion pipeline that could double the amount of Alberta oilsands crude exported to the United States. Harper confirmed he pressed Obama on Calgary-based TransCanada’s [...]
The costs of post-secondary education, however, are continually rising. According to Statistics Canada, one year of university can cost up to $13,000. Moreover, these costs are currently increasing faster than the inflation rate. What would that be in 10 or 15 years? A registered education savings plan (RESP) is an excellent opportunity for a service [...]
Rollover of RRSP proceeds to a registered disability savings plan Under proposed changes, as of July 1, 2011, for deaths occurring after March 3, 2010, the existing RRSP rollover rules will be extended to allow a rollover of a deceased individual’s RRSP proceeds to the registered disability savings plan (RDSP) of the deceased individual’s financially [...]
1. What is an RSP? A registered Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) is an investment account designed primarily for saving toward your retirement years. As a retirement savings vehicle, regulated by the Canadian government, RSPs have special tax benefits. Your annual RSP contribution can greatly reduce the amount of income tax you pay in that year, [...]
-By Sally Praskey, Editor, Insurance Canada ConsumerInfo You have a claim that you thought would be covered by your insurance. That’s why you bought your policy in the first place, right? Yet your insurance provider is insisting that your claim is not covered under your policy. What do you do? First, ask your insurance provider [...]
LIFE INSURANCE CHECKLIST Following are some key questions to ask your insurance provider BEFORE you purchase your life insurance. What is guaranteed in the policy and what isn’t? (This should include all aspects of the policy: the premiums you pay, benefits you receive, how and when “riders” apply, and so on). How long has your [...]
-By Sally Praskey, Editor, Insurance Canada ConsumerInfo No one looks forward to buying or renewing their insurance, but here are some tips that will make the process a little easier. Ask your insurance provider what the policy doesn’t cover. The perils that are not covered are called “exclusions,” and every policy has them. Find out [...]
Choosing an Insurance Provider Before you purchase your insurance, consider whether you want to buy through a “direct” insurer, an agent, a broker, or a group plan. What’s the difference? Agents and direct insurers represent one insurance company and offer only the products of that company. If that company has a range of products, then your needs will likely be [...]
By Sally Praskey, Editor, Insurance Canada ConsumerInfo When it comes to your list of interesting subjects, insurance probably ranks right up there with “101 creative uses for polyester.” But the truth is, we all rely on insurance–just as we do polyester!–throughout our lives. Whether you’ve just passed your driver’s test, moved into your own apartment, [...]
OSFI (The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions), the financial watchdog of the country’s banks and insurers is keeping a keen watch over banks as consumer debt has reached record levels, says a report. OSFI is asking lenders to do a more stringent assessment of risks that consumer debt can have on their balance sheets. [...]
