October 2018 Update
For many of our clients, one of the most frustrating moments of working with expert advisors is when you have this realization: There is rarely one “right” answer. Even when you process this initial realization, and think to yourself, “Sure, everyone is...
Book Review: Mindset: The New Psychology by Carol S. Dwek
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is the outcome of decades of research by Stanford University psychologist, Carol S. Dwek. Her findings produced the idea of fixed mindsets and growth mindsets. Dwek describes the Fixed Mindset as belonging to those who believe...
What to do when your parents haven’t planned
Your parents have been adults for as long as you can remember. They always had things in hand. They paid the bills, put a roof over your head, bothered you about cleaning up your room and doing your homework, and cried at your graduation/childbirth/other meaningful...
How CPP and Social Security Integrate
If you’ve worked in both the USA and Canada, you have likely contributed to both the USA’s Social Security program and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). How will CPP benefits impact your Social Security benefits? How will your US residency impact your CPP and...
So You Want to Have a Baby in 5 Years?
Before we jump in to helping you prepare your finances for parenthood, we want you to know one truth: you can be a phenomenal parent without being good at money. We didn’t put together this set of tips on how to prepare for a new baby just to add one more item to your...
August 2018 Update
Just before you slam your nose into the grindstone that September often brings - regardless of whether you have kids in school or work full time, it can still be a thing - let’s stop and consider: What is it you want to achieve in the back half of this year? What is...
A Week in the Life of Julia
This ended up being a week where I didn’t actually work on plans as much - next week, there is a lot of working on plans. This week was…. A lot of the other stuff I do... Monday, August 13 5:00amMy alarm goes off and I snooze it a lot. A lot. I was at the Jack White...
You Don’t Have to be Normal
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” ~ Maya Angelou We get pretty excited working with each unique individual, family, and business we encounter - and a lot of that is because you’re unique. We’ve never hoped to provide...
June 2018 Update
SUMMER!!! Despite the fact that our name is Spring, we have a strong affinity for summer. It’s what we often spend the spring season planning for - and now you can see just one of the reasons why the name resonates: we’re all about creating plans that work. Even the...
Withdrawing from RESPs
You’ve been diligently saving in your children’s (grandchildren’s, nieces’, nephews’, neighbour kids’) RESP accounts for years. You’ve maximized your contributions, you’ve collected those fabulous CESGs, provincial grants, Canada Learning Bonds, and deliciously...
A Week in the Life of Kathryn
Monday, May 7th 6:00amI wake up without an alarm (I have been an alarm rebel for 6 years since leaving the investment industry when I had to wake up at 4:45am every day) and today was an hour earlier than usual. Thank goodness, as I have numerous emails to respond to...
Book Review: The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist
The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist is not a personal finance book. It’s a book that will have you exploring your values, how you define money and how you use money. Twist’s work stems from 4 decades of experience in fundraising to eradicate world hunger. She has...
The RDSP: 10 Years in 2019
In December 2008, the federal government implemented the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), a tax-deferred savings vehicle designed specifically to help people with disabilities, and their families, plan for long-term financial security. An RDSP allows people...
April 2018 Update
Have you ever felt like everyone is working with the same set of information that you are - and therefore, sharing it would not be valuable? It’s a cognitive bias called “false-consensus,” which leads people to believe that their own values and ideas are “normal” and...
The Hierarchy of Financial Needs
In the world of financial planning, there are different kinds of planning, with different areas of focus and levels of complexity. At Spring, we divide that complexity up into Cash Flow, Comprehensive, and Advanced planning. But here’s a secret: It always comes down...
BC Real Estate Taxes
Owning residential real estate in British Columbia is expensive, as you well know, and thanks to recent changes on both a provincial and municipal level, it’s also a great deal more complicated. Most of the changes were brought about by BC’s 2018 Budget, but a few of...
Self-Employed & Corporate Income Taxes: Installments, Penalties, and Planning Ahead
Yes, it’s that time of year again. Your accountant, the tax software companies, and that place down the block have all been sending you endless lists of deductions, paperwork, and requests for information. It can feel a little daunting. If you’re self-employed, a...
Book Review: Wealthing Like Rabbits by Robert R. Brown
Note: this is not a sponsored post, but I did receive a free copy of the book. There’s no shortage of personal finance books out there, and so many of them are nearly indistinguishable from the rest. Which make sense: the rules mostly stay the same, with occasional...
Those February Markets
In December and January, we talked quite a bit about the perils of uncertainty and how to deal with them. Then - BAM - the February market came and showed us just what uncertainty looks like. So basically, our publishing schedule is a month or two ahead¹. What Do We...
Managing Uncertainty
Oh, January. The calendar New Year starts smack-dab in the middle of winter, and as much as we try to gear up and get excited about this first month, there’s something so exhausting about January. It’s cold. The bills from the holidays are rolling in. We had holidays...
The Three Certainties
At the end of the year, things get undeniably gloomy - particularly on the southern west coast, where we like to brag about our summers and lack of snow, brushing aside any mention of the solid six to eight months of grey skies and relentless rain that can only...
Introducing: Kathryn Mandelcorn
We are thrilled to announce the addition of Kathryn Mandelcorn to our planning team!
What happens if I don’t have a will?
Very few people get excited about estate planning, except for financial planners, and we’re admittedly strange folks. Talking about and planning for the moment of your death is not only dark and creepy but also kind of boring - unless you’re the type who gets super...
Is my pension… a pension?
“I have a pension through my employer,” says Tim*, in a recent call. “But I don’t understand it.” If you’re like Tim, you’re not alone. In Canada, we have many different potential sources for retirement income, with all kinds of different names. Pensions can be...
The Family Cottage
One of the great joys of summer for many Canadian families is a family cottage, cabin, or camp. No matter what name you may give the place where your clan gets together to enjoy the outdoors and each other, it’s often an important part of who you are, and how your...
Income Splitting with Spousal Loans
Ah, tax strategies. Eyed with hopeful suspicion by the uninitiated, a tax strategy can feel like a fun Spy Vs. Spy game - but that other spy? That’s the government. Many a newly minted spy would consider backing away from anything that might have you facing that...
Planning for Summer… Within Reason
Summer is pretty exciting for most of us here in Canada. No matter which province or territory you live in, the season is often short and spectacular. We save so many things for summer, from barbecues and weddings to vacation days and that book we always wanted to...
Life Insurance as an Investment
We get asked about this every once in a while. Life Insurance and its salespeople get a bad rap. Some of it is incredibly well-deserved, and some of it is just not. Here’s a breakdown of some life insurance basics that you should understand.
Women & Money ebook
On March 8, 2016, we released the Women & Money ebook in honour of International Women’s Day. It’s still relevant, and still free.
What do YOU want?
It sounds like an easy question.