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There is a strong change that regulators may follow suit with Ontario and ban embedded commissions, which is how independant financial advisors get paid presently. Please visit this site for more information about the proposed changes to how financial advisors work and are compensated that will negatively affect clients going forward. 

People deserve choice and this proposed legislation removes it. Currently fee-for-service advisors exist and cater to high ...

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I'm happy to announce that as of the 1st of April 2015, I've acquired the Denis Aubrey's practice.  Denis has been working in the financial industry for over forty years throughout BC. He decided that the time was right to retire and we're quite honoured at J.Ford Financial to have been chosen to take over the financial guidance of his insurance and investment clients.

This will be a busy and exciting time but Denis will be working with us to ensure a smooth transition for all his clients to t...
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We all say it.  Some variation of "I need to make more money".  It often starts out as "if only I made more money, I could..." and then you insert your desired situation "save for retirement, get a bigger house, afford a vacation".  It's natural to focus on income when you're feeling strapped for cash but how about the other side of the equation - what you're spending.

The majority of the time people cannot control their income greatly. Yes, you may be able to work more hours or take on a se...

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*As published in the Spring 2014 issue of Life Cents Magazine

You bought a house or you’re renewing your mortgage at the bank. This means signing a litany of documents and amongst them a mortgage insurance application. Usually this is a one page form with a few medical questions and the monthly premium at the bottom. You’re in a daze of paperwork and of course the security of mortgage insurance seems to makes sense, so you sign at the bottom of the page. Done deal, right? Think again. Cred...

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*As published in the Winter 2014 issue of Life Cents Magazine

After years of saving a couple hundred dollars of each pay cheque into an RRSP you’ve got quite a bit of money accumulated. When your retire the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security will cover your basic needs, but your RRSP will allow you to actually enjoy your retirement: travel, relaxation and hobbies hobbies. Unless you got sick and I mean really sick like cancer or suffering a heart attack.

Suddenly you are off work. Your ...

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*As published in the Fall 2013 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

As the year comes to a close, it’s natural to reflect on what you’ve accomplished during the past year and what you want to accomplish in the year to come. When it comes to financial goals, the best advice is not to wait: the timing will never be perfect, you’ll always have bills to pay, but if you start now you can vastly improve your financial future.

Financial goal: Saving for your retirement
Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Securit...

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*As published in the Summer 2013 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

Picture it: bright sun, rolling waves and soft sand squishing between your toes. You are on holiday and life is good. You decide to try out surfing for the first time and during one of your falls, you hit the board awkwardly and crack your collarbone. Suddenly all you can feel is pain and you need to get to a hospital. One question first: do you have travel insurance?

Hopefully your answer is yes and this broken collarbone will not lead ...

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*As published in the Spring 2013 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

You are an entrepreneur. You’re working every day to improve and grow your business. Whether it’s because of your skills in sales, manufacturing or trade, the success of your business relies on you. So what happens if you are unable to work? How long does your business keep running without you at the helm? And if your business stops running, how long can you keep afloat without the income your business provides?

Disability insurance ...

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*As published in the Winter 2013 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

Does your group benefits plan include disability insurance? If so, how well do you know your coverage? It could contain gaps that leave you under-protected in case of a claim, putting your lifestyle in jeopardy. 

Here are some things to consider when looking at your group disability ins...

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*As published in the Fall 2012 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

No one thinks that they will suffer from a heart attack, stroke or cancer, especially when they’re young and healthy. Yet elite athletes like Lance Armstrong and Mario Lemieux are living proof that critical illness can effect even those that are young and in excellent physical form. Critical illness is life changing, and besides health, can take away people’s financial stability. The time and cost of treatment often results in a loss ...

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*As published in the May 2012 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

You’ve decided to purchase a life insurance policy to protect your family but you have no idea how much coverage you need. Five hundred thousand dollars, $1 million, or even $2 million? What amount fits your situation?

There’s no easy answer. If you ask a dozen different insurance brokers, you’ll likely get a dozen different answers. Every insurer has its own insurance needs calculator and while they usually take in the same factors (...

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*As published in the March 2012 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

While term insurance offers an economical solution in the short-term (see ”Can life insurance be affordable?”), in the long run, premium costs rise exponentially. For those who can afford higher initial premiums, permanent insurance can give them a better long-term value.

Permanent life insurance, like the name implies, covers you on a permanent basis. Unlike term insurance, the cost stays the same for life. Over time the cost of term...

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*As published in the Feb 2012 issue of FinanceWorks.ca

You’ve got insurance on your home, car, and possibly an extended warranty on your LCD television but do you have insurance on your greatest asset, yourself? If not, is cost your limiting factor?

Term life insurance, or life insurance that covers you for a specified length of time, is an inexpensive way to provide protection for you and your family. Typically purchased for periods of 10 or 20 years, term policies pay out should you pass aw...

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Spring is upon us and with the rains washing away the winter dirt, many people start cleaning and organizing their households.  One thing that often gets overlooked in this period of purging and simplifying is your household finances. This year grab all your papers, open up your online accounts and tackle spring cleaning your finances.

#1: So many insurance policies, questionable benefit
It might seem odd for an insurance broker to say that you might not need all the insurance you are paying fo...
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If you've visited my newsletter page, you'll notice that I haven't posted anything in about a year.  As much as I feel badly for neglecting to add new information to my own site, I'm happy to be writing for a great online financial magazine: www.FinanceWorks.ca

It offers fantastic articles on a variety of topics from budgeting, to mortgages, to insurance (by me!), to travel and more. And now it's available in Chapters and Indigo stores across Canada as well as online. 

Bryan, the creator and ow...

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As someone who is constantly watching the worldwide markets and business news reports, I sometimes feel like a ping pong ball: being hit back and forth between ‘it’s great’ and ‘it’s terrible’ versions of the same story.  I thought I’d show a couple examples of how analysts, experts, world leaders etc. conflict in opinions and change their stories over time. 

The Lost Decade

With the debt crisis in Europe continuing to plague the worldwide stock markets, there’s much ...

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We live on a society that operates on credit.  Gone are the days of our grandparents who saved up and purchased their homes, cars, and everything they needed or wanted cash.  It takes a half a lifetime to own a home now but everyone understands the need to get on the property ladder.  Home ownership goes hand in hand with having a mortgage.  If you are talking to a neighbor or friend and they say they own their home mortgage-free, are you not shocked and wonder to yourself "How?"  But getting...

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The saying is "Lies, damn lies, and statistics" but when it comes to planning your future and protecting your family, finding the probability of an outcome is key to painting an accurate picture and achieving your goals.  So let's take a look at some odds.

You buy a house.  It's exciting and probably the biggest purchase of your life, aside from the money for your retirement, so of course you insure it.  No question.  But do you know the odds of actually claiming on your house insurance by ...

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Today is April 30^th or tax d-day for all those earning an income in Canada.  Employees have taxes taken off at the source by their employers.  The payroll deductions should make it so that you don’t have any extra to pay on this day.  However, sometimes the payroll deductions aren’t perfect or you have other sources of income that cause you to owe more than you’ve paid in during the year.  If you’re facing a tax bill due today, then here are some tips to ensure that it doesn’t h...

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Thank you for visiting my website: www.jfordfinancial.com.  I hope to make this website more than a contact page but a resource for my clients.  I will continue to add interesting articles and useful financial calculators. But at the end of the day, planning needs a face-to-face consultation for me to be able to create a customized financial plan for you. 

Please contact me to arrange a sit down to get the planning process started: 250-808-5359 or jford@jfordfinancial.com. Whether you just ne...
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