Insurance

Clarifying Beneficiary Rules for TFSAs, RRSPs and RRIFs

Learn how clearer beneficiary rules for TFSAs, RRSPs, and RRIFs help prevent estate disputes.

The Settlement Process – What Your Beneficiary Can Expect

Discover what your beneficiary can expect during the life insurance settlement process and learn how to ensure a smooth transition - read the full article to get informed and prepared.

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Drafting a Shareholders’ Agreement

If you own shares in a private corporation you should be no stranger to a shareholder’s agreement.

Protecting Your Estate

Discover effective strategies for funding taxes on your estate and learn how to protect your legacy - read the full article to find out more.

Life vs. Living Benefits: Consider the Differences

Insurers use different approaches to assess risk for life, disability, and critical illness coverage - read on to learn more about choosing the right protection for you.

Gene Editing and Your Health: What CRISPR Could Mean for Families

Explore how CRISPR gene-editing is changing medicine - read on to discover its remarkable progress and future promise.

Love and Money

Learn how smart money habits can help build a strong relationship and healthy finances - read on for practical tips to manage love and money.

Your 101 on How Canadians Are Taxed

Read this article to discover valuable tax tips and learn how to enhance your financial planning.

Choosing Insurance that Grows with You

Discover how choosing the right insurance plan today can help protect your income now and build wealth for your future - read more to find the coverage that grows with you.

Make Holistic Planning Your Goal When Looking to Your Financial Future

See how holistic financial planning can bring peace of mind and secure your family's future - click to learn more.

Five Common Misconceptions When Purchasing Life Insurance

Discover the truth about life insurance - read this article to clear up common misconceptions and protect your family's future.

How Insurance Provides Security – and Opportunity – For Your Business

Discover how insurance can protect your business, secure your family’s future, and unlock new growth opportunities in a tax-efficient way.

Insurance for Your Whole Life

Discover how choosing the right life insurance can safeguard your legacy and financial future.

Is Leveraging a Life Insurance Policy Right for You?

Discover how leveraging a life insurance policy can enhance your financial flexibility - see if it’s right for you.

Stress Less About Your Future with Life Insurance

Protect your loved ones’ future and gain peace of mind by exploring the life insurance options that fit your needs today.

Insuring Your Most Valuable Asset

Protect your most valuable asset—your income—by securing individual disability insurance today to ensure financial stability in the face of unexpected illness or injury.

Life Changes: Why Annual Insurance Reviews Matter

Keep your coverage up to date - click for a breakdown of the advantages of an annual review.

Life Insurance for the Modern Freelancer: Protecting Millennials in the Gig Economy

Discover how to build a flexible insurance strategy that grows with your freelance career; read the full article now for expert insights.

Have You Considered Life Insurance as an Asset Class?

Discover how life insurance can be a powerful tool in wealth preservation and estate planning-read this article to learn how it fits into your financial strategy and protects your legacy.

Effective Estate Planning: Ensuring a Smooth Transfer to Your Loved Ones

Discover how effective estate planning can protect your assets and ensure a smooth transition for your loved ones—click to read more.

Your Comprehensive Guide to Navigating the Insurance Process

From understanding your health history to the final policy delivery, read this guide on the insurance application process to gain a comprehensive view.

How to Manage Your Financial Wellness

What is financial wellness? Read this article for tips to help you manage your money better and work toward financial well-being.

To Farm or Not to Farm? A Question for the Next Generation

If you and your family own a farm, read this article to learn about tax-efficient strategies for transferring your estate to the next generation.

A Second Cup or More? The Caffeine Question

Caffeine! How would we get through our day without it? But how many cups are too many? Read more to find out about the benefits and detriments of caffeine.

6 Strategies to Create Financially Savvy Kids

You’ve worked hard to ensure your kids grow up healthy and smart, but have you prepared them for their future financial responsibilities?

Paying Attention to Climate Change

Global heat waves are now a regular occurrence, causing serious illness and even death. Learn more about the effects to your health here.

Disability Insurance Needs Calculator

If you have group disability coverage, is it enough, and will it pay for long enough? Or, what if you don’t have any at all? The best first step is knowing how much you need. Try this easy-to-use calculator to quickly find out, and let’s talk.

Critical Illness Insurance Needs Calculator

You have options that may cover expenses not insured under your provincial healthcare and group or personal disability policies. Try this calculator and let’s talk.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Sleep Well, Breathe Easy

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and how can it affect your health? Read this article to learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of OSA.

Final Tax Bite

Use this calculator to estimate how much tax is owing on your estate and contact us to see how we can help you preserve and transfer it to your heirs intact.

Protect Your Business: How Insurance Delivers Security and Opportunity

How can insurance help to protect and grow your business while building assets? Read this article to find out.

SMART TALK... about shareholders' agreements

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you or your business partner died? A shareholders’ agreement is a great way to address some of these difficult questions.

Death, Taxes and Probate Fees

There is one sure thing in life, death and taxes! But is there such a thing as a death tax? Read this article to learn more about the probate process and how you can minimize these fees on your estate.

What You Should Know Before You Transfer Life Insurance

Transferring an insurance policy can get tricky. Read this article to understand the options and penalties of personal and corporate policy transfers.

The Value of Good Advice

Good advice from a financial professional can have a profound positive impact on your own, and your family’s, financial future.

Protecting Your Digital Assets

Have you ever wondered what happens to your digital assets - your travel photos, your social media platforms, etc. - when you die? With increased use of technology, digital assets are just as important as your physical ones. Read this article to learn how you can protect them.

What To Expect When You Apply for Insurance

What should you expect when you apply for insurance? From application to payment, we cover all the steps – learn more.

A Critical Step Towards Fighting Critical Illness

From motor vehicle accidents to contractible illnesses, it’s a miracle that we are willing to leave our homes at all.

Where There’s a Will, It Will Be your Way

Did you know that over 50% of Canadians do not have a will? While some don’t know how to get started, others believe they can’t afford it.

Donate, Don’t Surrender: What To Do When You No Longer Need Your Current Life Insurance Policy

Our lives are arguably the most valuable “possessions” we own and because we are quick to insure our cars, insuring our lives should be a no-brainer.

INFOclip: Exploring Capital Alternatives

What happens to your financial goals should you encounter an unexpected financial emergency? Watch this video.

Having a Drink: Is One Too Many?

How many drinks is too many? Read this article to find out about the limits of alcohol consumption for your health.

Passive Investment Income Calculator

See how Passive Investment Rules introduced in the 2018 Federal Budget impact corporate tax on active investment income.

Life Insurance Calculator

You've decided that you need life insurance, and that's a great start! But how much life insurance is enough?

The Complete Puzzle: The Benefits of Bundling

Sometimes individual life insurance is just not enough to protect you from all of life’s risks. Bundling your insurance to include life as well as living benefits can help you cover more bases. Read this article to learn more about bundled insurance.

You Have More Insurance Options Than You Think

If you have certain health conditions, guaranteed and simplified issue products can be a viable alternative to traditional life insurance coverage; they require no medical exams and ask few (or no) medical questions. Read this article to find out more.

Getting documents signed remotely: eSignatures

These days, something as simple as signing a document can be a challenge. This article will help you understand...

Greatest Hits 2023

The results are in! We’ve rounded up our most popular financial articles, videos, calculators and tools of 2023 – check them out here!

Empower the Enterprising Strength of your Family

Does your family run a business? If so, your family enterprise is one of more than 880,000 in Canada employing 6 million people.

What to Consider When Purchasing Corporate Insurance

Depending on your insurance needs, corporate-owned life insurance may be a good fit for you. Read this article to see if corporate-owned life insurance may be your best option.

Learning from Experience: Lars and Nora’s story

Explore creative corporate insurance solutions that can benefit you, your business, and your employees.

Alternative Minimum Tax Changes – What You Need to Know

What is Alternative Minimum Tax and how does it affect your tax planning? Read this article to find out more.

Is your Family Business Gaining from the Capital Gains Exemption?

Planning the future of your family business can be difficult. Will your children make wise decisions? Will the market be forgiving if they don’t?

How Corporate Insurance Can Benefit your Business

You own your own business and you have incorporated, but have you thought about corporate-owned insurance? Read this article to learn how corporate insurance can benefit you and your business.

Critical Illness Insurance… It Just Makes Sense

Critical illness insurance - what is it and how can it protect you and your family in times of trouble?

What’s in Your Capital Dividend Account?

You run your own business, but as your business grows, so do your tax issues. A CDA or Capital Dividend Account might be your answer!

Is Joint Insurance Coverage Right for You and Your Spouse?

You and your spouse may share a bank account, a home, or a business. How about an insurance policy?

Life Insurance for Financial Protection

If you’ve decided that you need life insurance, how do you know how much is enough to protect your family financially in the case of premature death?

Can the CRA Seize Life Insurance Proceeds to Satisfy Tax Debts?

The CRA can collect tax debts from property transferred to a family member, but does this apply to the proceeds of life insurance? Read this article to find out how you can safeguard your life insurance and ensure that it goes to your designated beneficiary, not the government.

Melanoma: Through Thick and Thin

What is melanoma and what are some common causes and treatments – read this article to find out.

Juvenile Insurance – Why You’re Never Too Young to Secure Your Future

Juvenile insurance can help your child achieve a stronger financial future. Read this article to find out more about securing your child’s wealth with juvenile insurance.

Needs Based Planning: It’s All About You!

You’re interested in insurance but don’t know where to start. Well, a needs-based assessment is a step in the right direction. Read this article to find out why needs analysis is vital in helping you find the insurance that is just right for you.

Canadian Financial Services Consumer Protection

Canadian financial services consumers can feel secure in knowing that Canada has a strong well-regulated financial services sector - learn about Assuris.

How your Life Insurance can Help your Favourite Charity

Whether you donate a policy to a charity while living or make the registered charity a beneficiary of the policy depends on your estate planning goals.

INFOclip: Building Lifetime Protection

Is your life insurance plan designed to last a lifetime? Watch this video to learn more about building a lifetime of protection.

Do Younger Canadians Need Insurance?

Even when you are young and healthy should you still consider acquiring life and living benefits insurance? Discover factors that might affect your decision and the benefits of planning ahead.

SMART TALK... about living benefits

If you are injured or sick, the last thing you need to worry about are bills. Living benefits, critical illness and disability insurance, will help protect you and your family from financial stress as you focus on recovery.

Sharing Your Wealth With the Next Generation

Planning for the transition of wealth to your children and grandchildren doesn’t have to be a daunting task.

Charitable Donations Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate the after-tax cost of charitable donations during your lifetime or upon your death.

If your business value declines, there are steps you can take today to reduce taxes later

During these unprecedented times, a decline in your business can be devastating, but there are steps you can take today to reduce your taxes tomorrow. Read this article to understand how an estate freeze could be valuable to you.

INFOclip: Gifting Your Life Insurance

If you don’t need it anymore, have you considered gifting your life insurance policy to charity? Click to learn more about your charitable gifting options.

Disability Insurance: Is Your Employee Coverage Enough?

Is your workplace insurance coverage enough to replace your income? Read more about replacing lost income with disability insurance.

Learning From Experience: Rimba’s Story

Estate planning and the distribution of valuables and family heirlooms. What could go wrong?

Avoid Underwriting Surprises

Being transparent about your current and historical health situation can minimize any underwriting surprises when it comes to applying for insurance – learn more.

The Best of Both Worlds: Term and Perm Insurance

What is Term/Perm blend insurance and how can it help protect you and your family? Read this article to find out.

SMART TALK... how insurance can help build your business

In addition to providing protection and mitigating risks, business insurance can also provide opportunity when it comes to building your business.

The Gender Risk: What’s the Difference?

When it comes to gender, is there a difference between men and women when determining the cost of insurance? Yes and no. Read this article to find out more.

Enhancing Your Benefits with Critical Illness and Disability Insurance

What’s more important, critical illness or disability insurance? The answer is both! Read this article to find out how insurance bundling can better protect you and your loved ones.

Evolving Dynamics in Planning for Sound Financial Futures

Women’s financial needs are often very different from those of men and your Advisor can help you to plan accordingly. Read this article to learn more.

Learning From Experience: The Carte’s Story

Estate planning and distribution of property. What could go wrong? The Carte’s story might stick in your mind as you plan for the future.

INFOclip: Transferring Wealth to Future Generations

What is “cascading insurance” and how does it work to efficiently transfer wealth to the next generation? Check out this short video to learn more about this savvy tax-efficient strategy.

Speculating on Life and Death… and Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrencies. How could even holding those affect the underwriting of your insurance policy? Click here to find out.

Protecting Your Retirement with Critical Illness Insurance

You have some retirement dollars saved, but have you implemented the added step of protecting those investments in case of a severe illness? Read this article to find out more about the power of critical illness insurance and how it can safeguard your future.

Social Media For Your Business – An 8 Step Plan

Social media! Such a powerful modern marketing tool but as a business owner, where do you even start? Read this article for your 8-step plan on how to build customer relationships and grow your business on social media.

Why Small Businesses Are Making It Their Business to Investigate Life Insurance

If you are a small business owner, take the time to have a conversation with your life insurance advisor about protecting you from the risks.

Is Social Media Right for Me? A Few Things to Consider

Promoting your business on social media… a great idea, but is it right for you and your business? Read this article to find out what you should consider before promoting your business online.

The Story Of Insurance

What is life insurance and how do I know if I should have it? Learn all about it in this simple story.

Are Patient Wait Times Making You Impatient? You Have Options.

Having to wait for medical treatment is unnerving. The last thing you need is stress at a time that is already difficult for you and your family. Private, global medical insurance is a great option to curb wait times and receive the quality care that you and your family deserve.

INFOclip: Protecting Your Estate

Over the years, you’ve accumulated some savings and when you pass, you’d like to share your estate with your loved ones or a favourite charity. Watch this video and learn how to avoid daunting estate pitfalls and ensure that your money falls into the right hands.

Healthy Forgetting: Remember This

Not all remembering is good remembering. Read this article, part of our Risk Bits series, to learn more about healthy versus unhealthy memories and how they can impact you.

Learning From Experience: Bett’s Story

Estate planning and distribution of bank accounts. What could go wrong? Bett’s story might stick in your mind as you plan for the future.

INFOclip: Understanding Term Insurance

You know how important life insurance is, but do you know about the many advantages of term insurance and how it can help you and your family maintain peace of mind and security today and into the future? Watch this video today to learn more about term insurance.

Work-Life Balance: Tipping the Mortality Scale

Finding the right balance between work and home life can be a challenge. And if you’re working more than a normal work week, it can be downright dangerous to your health! Read this article and find out how striking the right work-life balance can be good for your health.

Social Media Platforms – What You Need to Know

You’re a business owner and want to promote your business online – smart! But there are just so many social media options – where do you start? Read this article to learn about the many modern marketing platforms available and decipher which ones might be right for you!

Resources to help preserve your memories!

Life’s beautiful memories need to be protected. STEP has created useful guides on legacy account settings and planning with your family to help preserve your digital legacy. Read this article to find out more.

INFOclip: Mortgage Protection

Do you own your own home? Do you wonder how you would continue to pay your mortgage during difficult times? Watch this video and find out how personal insurance can bring you the mortgage protection and peace of mind you need in the event of illness, disability or even death.

Building Connections Through Direct Response Marketing… More Than Just Social Media

Are you a business owner and wondering if there is any value in a social media presence to promote and grow your business? Read this article about direct response marketing and its many benefits, then hop online and get started!

Corporate Owned Life Insurance - Watch Those Beneficiary Designations!

Are you a business owner? Does your corporation have an insurance policy on your life? Read this article to find out why reviewing the beneficiary designations on that policy could help you avoid a taxable benefit!

INFOclip: The Value of Advice

There are many things to consider when planning for your financial future and doing it on your own can feel overwhelming. But have you considered working with a professional advisor? Watch this video to learn the many and ongoing benefits of professional advice.

Strengthening Your Safety Net with Critical Illness Insurance

We tend to carry an insurance safety net to break our fall so we can continue to meet financial obligations in case of unforeseen life events. Does your safety net have any weak spots? Use this tool to find out and learn more about the benefits of critical illness insurance.

Is an Estate Freeze Something I Should Consider for my business?

Estate freezes – what are they and should you consider implementing one for your business? Lots of factors to consider, so be sure to read this article to learn more.

What becomes of the broken-hearted? Stress and the Human Heart

Heartbreak – a true facet of the human experience, but how does it affect heart health? Read this article to learn more about heart health.

SMART TALK... about choosing the right Insurance

Your advisor’s role is to analyze your particular situation and help you choose the best combination of coverage and payment options.

Insuring Your Greatest Asset with Disability Insurance

We often consider our homes or vehicles as our greatest asset – but are they? Try the Insuring Your Greatest Asset tool to find out why your earning power is truly your greatest asset and how to protect it.

SMART TALK... about insurance

A key ingredient to securing financial success throughout your lifetime is your insurance.

How to Build a Strong Social Media Network

If you’re a business-owner actively promoting your business online, you know how important it is to have a strong network of followers – but how do you attract the right followers? Read this article for essential tips on how to connect with your ideal audience on social media.

An Executor Checklist – A Few Things to Consider

The role of an executor comes with a great deal of responsibility and is not to be taken lightly. Before you shout yes, read this article highlighting the key duties and responsibilities of this role.

Debt Consolidation Calculator

The fact is, there’s no easy way to eliminate debt. However, consolidating existing debt can streamline your monthly budget and make your journey to financial freedom more manageable. Check out the Debt Consolidation Calculator today!

Exploring Your Life Insurance Options

You already know that life insurance provides you with a lump sum benefit payable to your beneficiary, but there are so many more benefits of life insurance, including favourable tax treatment. Check out this fantastic tool for your 101 on life insurance options!

The Ultimate Planning Tool: For prioritizing what you want when you want

Permanent life insurance – it’s a great planning tool that facilitates beneficial tax and estate planning opportunities and provides you with solutions throughout your lifetime. Use The Ultimate Planning Tool to see how permanent insurance can make a difference in your life!

Looking Good: Prostate Cancer’s Sharper Image

Prostate cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death among men, but with emerging medical technologies, mortality rates continue to fall – this is great news! Read this article to learn more and be sure to book your screening today!

Beneficiary Designations and the Importance of Transparency

Now more than ever, it’s important to be clear about your beneficiary designations. Read this article to learn more about Calmusky, Mak and the increasing uncertainly caused by these two cases.

Planning for Your Financial Future

A personalized plan can help to ensure that all of your financial tools are complementing one another and working together to support your future financial goals. Watch this video to learn more.

Shining a Light on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

With summer almost gone, days are getting shorter and darker. For many, seasonal affective disorder or SAD is a serious concern. Read this article to find out more about SAD and how to best manage your mental health over the coming months.

SMART TALK... about digital assets

When estate planning, you’ve taken your physical assets into account, but have you considered your digital assets? Your bank accounts, social media and online photos are important to you and your family. Read this article to learn how you can safeguard those digital assets.

The Family Divide: Policy Transfers Amongst Family

The transfer of an insurance policy between family members can certainly get a little tricky. However, there are some income tax rules that allow for a spousal or intergenerational tax-deferred rollover. This is great news! Read this article to find out more.

Loneliness – Hope on the Horizon

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many of us are starting to know the true meaning of loneliness and feel its negative effects. However, there is hope as the stigma of mental illness continues to lift and we continue to reach out for support. Read this article to find out more.

Critical Illness Insurance – Financial Protection Or Your Money Back!

Critical illness insurance is a win-win. It offers you the protection you need in the event of a critical illness and some plans allow you a refund of premiums paid should you live a long and healthy life. Read this article to find out more about CI and how it can benefit you!

Things to Consider When Renewing Your Term Insurance Plan

Term insurance offers many benefits including income replacement and the opportunity to pay off debts. However, when it comes time to renew your term policy, there are certain things you should consider – read this article to find out more about your insurance options!

Beneficiary Designations – Making Sure Your Money Goes Where You Want

Recent Ontario legislation has thrown the legitimacy of beneficiary designations into question, making it more important than ever to be clear and concise when it comes to choosing and documenting your insurance/registered plan designations. Read this article to find out more.

SMART TALK... about will planning and drafting

Will and estate planning can be a complicated yet important process. By focusing on your vision and working through each section individually, you can make your dreams a reality. Watch this video to learn more on will and estate planning for you, your family and your business.