Category: The Ride Podcast

Offsetting Taxes From Your RRSP: Facts About The RRSP Meltdown Strategy (Ep. 56)

Offsetting Taxes From Your RRSP: Facts About The RRSP Meltdown Strategy (Ep. 56)

The RRSP meltdown strategy has been saving our clients’ tax dollars for many years now, allowing for more savings and tax benefits.

In this episode, Kris Dureau unpacks the benefits and risks of this strategy along with ways you can reduce taxes during your retirement income in your early golden years. 

Kris discusses:

  • How to save money when taking out your RRSP
  • How to avoid paying large amounts of taxes when withdrawing from your retirement savings plan
  • Techniques to save money during your retirement years
  • The role of these RRSP strategies when it comes to your estate planning 
  • And more!

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6 Things To Avoid With a Tax-Free Savings Account (Ep. 55)

6 Things To Avoid With a Tax-Free Savings Account (Ep. 55)

Just the name Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? You can set aside money tax-free throughout your lifetime and it is a great idea… If you don’t make some simple mistakes. We need to be aware of the regulations around these accounts to avoid any painful mistakes.

In this episode, Kris goes through six simple steps you can check off in order to have a tax-free savings account as a valuable tool that benefits you. Your TFSA is a registered plan that could help you save a certain amount of money each year and grow it tax-free.

Kris discusses:

  • Why you should name your spouse as a successor holder rather than a beneficiary of your TFSA
  • The reason you should not use your TFSA as a high-interest savings account
  • The importance of planning when to withdraw money out of your TFSA
  • Factors to consider when looking to make a big purchase
  • And more

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Investing While Owning a Small Business with Gary Armstrong, CPA, CGA (Ep. 54)

Investing While Owning a Small Business with Gary Armstrong, CPA, CGA (Ep. 54)

You want to invest your money and we want to help you do so, but you have a small business. So, what are your options now? Do you invest through your personal assets or your corporation? 

In this episode, Kris sits down with Gary Armstrong from Green Private Wealth to discuss what both of these routes can offer you. They talk about things to consider before making this decision such as taxes, returns on investments, and how much cash you should have as liquid assets within your company and in your personal portfolio. 

Gary and Kris discuss:

  • How to identify investment risks as a young entrepreneur 
  • What redundant assets entail and how you can use them for investments 
  • The tax implications of each investment route 
  • And more

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About Gary Armstrong:

Gary Armstrong is a chartered professional accountant and certified general accountant (CPA, CGA) with a specialization in taxation through the In-Depth Tax Course offered by CPA Canada.  Before joining Green Private Wealth Counsel, Gary worked for almost ten years at a local accounting firm that focused on personal and corporate tax services for individuals and businesses of all sizes. Before that, Gary worked in 2 different large international accounting firms providing general accounting and US personal tax services.

An In-Depth Look At Your Canadian Pension Plan (Ep. 53)

An In-Depth Look At Your Canadian Pension Plan (Ep. 53)

One of the biggest cornerstones to retirement income planning is knowing the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and what your duties are associated with it. When planning for retirement, many people want to make sure they are setting themselves up for total security in their retirement. 

When it comes to retirement, its common to have questions like how much will you receive as your pension based on your contribution, the process of how much money from your current job is going into your retirement, and many more.

In this episode, Kris Dureau talks about the things you may not know about your retirement, helping you better understand what to look forward to once you decide to take out your pension. 

Kris discusses:

  • The reality of monthly payments once you start taking pension in your retirement
  • The meaning of Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) 
  • Your monthly CPP payment estimates and how to find that information
  • Contributing to your CPP while being self-employed
  • Factors that will affect your retirement
  • And more!

Resources:

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3 Ways To Set Expectations Before Sending Your Kids to College (Ep. 52)

3 Ways To Set Expectations Before Sending Your Kids to College (Ep. 52)

For many parents, there are a number of stressors that come along with sending your child to college. Whether they are leaving their childhood home or commuting to school, preparing yourself for this time will help ease the tension and allow you to offer your children advice for when that time comes. 

In this episode, Kris Dureau talks about the conversations you should be having with your children about finances prior to them leaving for college or university. Unfortunately, children are not taught financial literacy in high school or university, leaving them to figure it out as they make mistakes, which can be avoided with your new expertise in this area. 

Kris discusses:

  • The importance of setting clear expectations for your child before they graduate 
  • The benefits of living in a dorm and experiencing life independently during this age
  • The significance of maintaining good credit during those four years of school
  • Teaching your children to monitor cash flow ins and outs monthly
  • And more!

Resources:

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Celebrating 50 Episodes: Take A Walk Down Memory Lane With Us (Ep. 51)

Celebrating 50 Episodes: Take A Walk Down Memory Lane With Us (Ep. 51)

The Ride: Life, Work and Wealth has officially been running for 50 episodes. To celebrate, Kris Dureau is going through his top 6 most downloaded episodes, giving you an idea of what each one entails. 

This week, Kris details why each of these releases was such a hit, followed by important takeaways each one had to offer, giving you a crash course on his podcasting journey.

Kris gives an overview of:

  • What you should consider before making a big career decision
  • How to keep the cottage in the family and make sure you are saving on taxes  
  • Insight on when you should take your CPP payment
  • Why it is vital to write your life letters
  • And more!

Resources:

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Fixed vs.Variable Mortgages: Here’s What You Need to Know with Derek Gold (Ep. 50)

Fixed vs.Variable Mortgages: Here’s What You Need to Know with Derek Gold (Ep. 50)

Mortgage rates are on the rise. 

What should you do in this scenario?

Is it a good idea to get a fixed mortgage or variable mortgage? Do higher rates make it harder to qualify for a home loan?

In this episode, Derek Gold from Mortgage Scout joins Kris Dureau to unpack the different options you have when applying for home mortgages and repayments. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, Derek outlines the differences between fixed or variable mortgages to help you decide which option may work best for you. 

Derek discusses:

  • Fixed or variable mortgages — which people seem to pick the most
  • The different types of mortgages
  • The importance of finding the right lender
  • The new criteria for qualifying for a mortgage
  • Advice for those with an increased line of credit due to home renovations 
  • And more!

Connect with Derek Gold

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About Our Guest:

Derek Gold is a mortgage agent at Mortgage Scout. Derek brings over eight years of independent brokerage experience. With extensive experience servicing the residential needs of customers, Derek has structured sound solutions, from getting clients into their first home to helping them build their real estate portfolio and become rental investors. 



The Four Wealth Destroyers (Ep. 45)

The Four Wealth Destroyers (Ep. 45)

What reduces wealth — do you know? 

Find out in this episode, as Kris Dureau explains how taxes, inflation, fees, and overreacting to the market impact our savings, income, and investments. He also unveils ways we can avoid making common mistakes and make better decisions with our money.

Kris discusses:

  • The importance of working alongside helpful and supportive financial advisors 
  • Ways taxes, inflation, fees, and overreacting to the market impact our savings and investments
  • How to curb and overcome common wealth destroyers
  • The value of being aware of our emotions during times of volatility
  •  And more!

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The asset classes featured in this podcast are for illustration purpose only, this should not be viewed as a solicitation of buy or sell. Always talk to a professional before investing to know if the product is right for you. Past performance does not necessarily predict future results; each asset class has its own risks.



Parenting & Child Development in the Era of a Pandemic with Dr. Dona Matthews (Ep. 43)

Parenting & Child Development in the Era of a Pandemic with Dr. Dona Matthews (Ep. 43)

Throughout the pandemic, the main focus has been on jobs, working from home, and the change in our day-to-day activities. 

However, what about our children? How have they been coping with the ebbs and flows of the pandemic?

In this episode, Kris Dureau speaks with developmental psychologist and author Dr. Dona Matthews to unveil how child development has changed over the past two years while outlining the value of mental health support and resources for parents and children.

Dr. Matthews discusses:

  • Ways the pandemic has changed childhood
  • The importance of incorporating mental health resources for children dealing with behavioral and academic problems
  • The value of parenting support for teenage children
  • Maximizing time between working from home and children
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Dona Matthews:

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About Our Guest: 

Dr. Donna Matthews loves working with parents and kids, helping them figure things out so they can live their best lives. She also enjoys working with teachers, helping them find their own best ways to support children’s and teens’ learning and well-being.

Dr. Matthews has also co-authored co-edited several books: 

  • Being Smart about Gifted Learning: Empowering Parents 
  • Kids Through Challenge and Change
  • Beyond Intelligence: Secrets of Raising Happily Productive Kids 
  • The Development of Giftedness and Talent Across the Life Span
  • The Routledge International Companion to Gifted Education

She lives in Toronto with her husband Stephen Gross and their blended family of four kids—Robin Spano, Alex Gross, Erin Kawalecki, and Ashley Gross—and their amazingly perfect spouses, as well as their children, her cherished grandkids: Theo, Sasha, Zoe, Jackson, Devon, Simon, and Riley.

How To Keep Your Cottage in the Family and Reduce Your Future Tax Bill (Ep. 40)

How To Keep Your Cottage in the Family and Reduce Your Future Tax Bill (Ep. 40)

Are you thinking about selling or gifting your cottage to your kids? A lot of cottage owners want to keep this property in the family. But, too many of them get hit with a big tax bill because they don’t know how to make the transition. 

If you want to avoid tax mistakes, this one’s for you!

In this episode, Kris Dureau shares advice — as a financial planner and fellow cottage-owner — on how to reduce your cottage’s future tax bill. He also dives into the nuances of family dynamics to help you make a confident decision about which child to give or sell the cottage to.

Kris discusses:

  • Why cottage property values are surging and how that impacts estate planning
  • What to consider when deciding which child will receive the cottage
  • Major mistakes people make when selling or gifting a cottage
  • Top ways to reduce your cottage’s future tax bill
  • And more

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