Prudent Financial Services

If your great grandchild asked you if you could make him or her better, would you? Of course you would. See this opportunity as a way of protecting those you love. Knowing your family's genetic health history may save you suffering from, or preventing, undiagnosed yet predisposed diseases. Pay it forward a few generations by creating a Family Health History Tree. By knowing your family's health history you will be pro-active in discovering possible health problems earlier than later. Imagin

When your renewal comes in the mail most of us simply sign it and send it in. How do you know you are getting the best price possible? Shopping around is time consuming but can save you money if you are willing to work for it. There is nothing wrong with asking for discounts. Your agent should expect you to ask questions and if he/she is doing their job they'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Gone are the June and Ward Cleaver days from the show Leave it to Beaver. Our generation is changing quickly. We are getting married later in life. For women, it's around 31 and for men, it's about 34 years of age. First time marriages now have a 67% chance in surviving divorce. Now is the time to understand how to keep your credit at its best. Stay-at-home spouses, male or female, are often at a disadvantage in today's credit situations. 


Arm yourself with knowledge before hindsight leads you into saying could a, should a, would a, but didn't. Statistically, there is a 50% to 75% chance you will be repaying the loan you cosigned yourself. Trust, understanding all the variables accompanied by clear communication is a great way to start off your new relationship as consignee and cosigner of the loan.

Studies have found that the richest pay the lowest rates of all income groups. Ask yourself am I filing for every possible option that may entitle me to a greater refund? You are your own best advocate in helping yourself find every possible refund you may be entitled to.

What's the solution? You'll either need to increase your monthly after taxes income, or receive a low interest loan from a family member or close friend. Is Your Mortgage coming due? With interest rates as low as they are, this can present a huge opportunity. Merge outstanding high or medium interest debts into your mortgage and pay them off over a longer period of time, at a lower interest rate.

The Canadian government has really gotten behind the Tax-Free Savings account with an ambitious educational campaign. You can view their latest press release here. the introduction of the TFSA The Tax-Free savings has been called "the single most important personal savings vehicle since the introduction of the Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)". These accounts are truly an opportunity and shouldn't be passed up.

The deadline for 2012 RRSP deposits is Feb. 29. It's not uncommon for your bank to suggest an RRSP loan to reduce your taxes and get a leg up on meeting your retirement savings goals, pay back the loan. If you have no retirement plan at your place of employment or pension, it will be noted that this is an additional incentive for maxing out your RRSP contributions annually.

Canadians are still chalking up debt, but there is some encouraging news on the credit front. Canadians are starting to pay down their credit cards. This is according to a recent report from Equifax Canada. The report states that the average Canadian cut back 3.4 percent from their credit card debt this past year (2011).

The debit card can be so incredibly handy. You need something, you pop it into the machine and presto. You own that item. Did you know that if you look in the wallet of 9 out of 10 Canadians you'll find a debit card? And finding a debit machine has never been easier with more than 55,000 ATM's across Canada. Interac, an association founded in 1984 by the major banks for the purposes of generating ATM transactions, did a study recently. It was revealed that half of Canadians say debit is their