In his early July testimony before Congress, US Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell. Mr. Powell stated that the Fed funds rate will be reduced, given lower than expected U.S. inflation.

This follows on the heels of President Trump’s demands for lower interest rates to help support the economy and more specifically the US stock market. As anticipated, in late July, the US Federal Reserve lowered interest rates for the first time in over ten years but at the same time signaled that there was no certainty that further rate cuts would occur during 2019 or beyond.

What does this mean for the average Canadian? First, let’s define some terms. NIRP is short hand for Negative...

A fire breaks out in a movie theatre. You’re there with your spouse and children, as are several local merchants. Who do you save first? The butcher? The banker? The hardware store owner? Their families? Or your family and yourself?

A ridiculous question. Of course you would save your family and yourself first. Then why don’t we use the same principles with our money? All too often the butcher, the banker and the hardware store owner get paid first and little or nothing is left for us.

The answer is amazingly simple and is contained in a short book, The Richest Man in Babylon.¹ It tells of simple steps to take to become comfortably affluent. The first and most important step? ’Part of all you earn is yours to keep.’ But how do you pay yourself first? Here’s how others are doing it:

Grant and Sarah are planning on retiring within the next two years. Paul and Linda, already retired, are thinking about making a move. Whether you are about to retire or are already retired and considering a change, you should consider:

1.) Where you want to retire is one of the biggest decisions you will make. Do you want to stay close to your hometown or venture somewhere new? How will this affect family and friends?

2.) Does the structured and secure atmosphere of a retirement community appeal to you, or would you prefer to be close to diverse groups of people, entertainment and cultural advantages?

3.) You cannot have too many facts or statistics before making such an important move...