BLOG

As a parent, you may already know about some of the basics about the Registered Education Savings Plan, commonly referred to as RESP. However, there is usually a lot more to RESP than meets the eye. And as parents, you can end up benefiting a lot more by practicing some of the ways to maximize the heritage education funds RESP.
To successfully get more out of your registered education savings plan, you must first educate yourself about the plan and how it works. Today, families can get up to and over $8,400 in RESP for each of their children. For the lower-income families, this amount could go up to even $10,400 per child. But how do you get more out of your child’s RESP plan? Keep reading to find out.

1. Watch those fees
As a parent, you might have also noticed just how much your child’s fees can dent into his/her registered education savings plan. And it can get worse if there are other charges on top of the fees. Charges like the annual administration, set-up, and enrollment are but a few of the fees that can quickly add up and eat up your child’s heritage RESP plan. You can, therefore, shop around for some of the best institutions in your area that do not charge these fees.

2. Seek help from friends
If you are in a position to contribute more to your child’s registered education savings plan, then you can qualify for larger grants. The Canada Savings Grant, for example, adds 20% for the first $2,500 of annual registered education savings plan contributions you make each year. In some cases, it may even be higher. And the total grant can go up to a maximum of $7,200 for each beneficiary. So, if you feel you are not in a position to reach the $2,500, you can always ask for financial assistance from your friends and family members so that you can maximize the grant.

3. Have a flexible plan
It is crucial to note that your child’s educational aspirations may not be what you planned for him/her. So, it is wise to look for an registered education savings plan that does not have any charge flexibility to change beneficiaries to one of your other children should one decide not to enroll to post-secondary education.

4. Save any free money you have available
Some RESP grants require you to contribute to qualify. You can take advantage of this and contribute any free money you have to be eligible for larger grants. This, however, depends on your net family income and your child’s age. And the only catch here is to open a registered education savings plan account.

5. Know who should open the RESP
It is always recommended that the youngest parent be the one to set up the heritage RESP so that the plan can stay open for much longer. So, by the time you consider closing your RESP plan, you will have a decent enough amount that you can transfer to the RRSP tax-free. This is, however, not possible if the subscriber is over 71 years for this is the age limit for registered education savings plan contributions.

Heritage RESP has proven to be a great way to plan for your kids’ education and, to a great extent, also helped parents save a decent amount that they can use later on in life. It is, therefore, wise to want to make the most of it when you can. And the points mentioned above show you how.

Read More >

As a businessperson, you may have all the right ideas or strategies that will revolutionize your business industry. And that alone is enough to catapult your business to the mainstream market. But then again, you find that there is more to it than just having some good ideas or great strategies. You also need to have a strong will and a business management consulting team backing you up to ensure you execute your ideas and strategies. So, simply dreaming big and having a great vision for your business but failing to execute it will get you nowhere. Studies have found that a massive portion of employees are always left in the dark and don’t know the strategy of the businesses they work for. It is this lack of understanding that can also lead even the good strategies and ideas to fail. To avoid this, we have compiled a list of steps that you can take to ensure you have a solid business implementation process.

1. Align Your Business Budget

It is essential to align your business capital budget to have one centralized budget. Doing this can then enable divisions and sectors of your business to independently allocate and manage their budgets and, thus, deliver division strategic initiatives. You can call it a way of delegating the work to smaller portions of your business to make your work easier and run the business more efficiently.

2. Manage The Business Performance

It is crucial that you stay on top of your organization’s performance as it is the backbone that drives the business. Measure your business performance against its strategic goals across the business, each division or sector, and employee and see where you lie performance-wise. The business performance initiatives should also be linked to its performance against its strategy. And this can include a combination of individual, staff, and corporate performance measures.

3. Engage Your Staff

Always take the initiative of preparing and including your staff in your business strategic processes. Keeping your staff and even shareholders in the dark about business strategies is just how your business will start going downhill. So, always ensure that you clearly communicate and engage your staff in your business strategic processes if you want to see your business grow further. After all, how will your staff help you achieve your goals if they are in the dark about what the goals are?

4. Monitor and Adopt

Change is the one constant factor that you must acknowledge in business. And that means that even a strategy acts more like a living, breathing document. This means that you need to have a strategy that is flexible and adaptable enough to respond to any changes that occur internally or externally of the business. It is, therefore, necessary that you hold regular strategic meeting throughout the year and make amendments wherever necessary to have your business headed towards the right path.

5. Tracking

It is paramount that you always keep tabs on how your strategy is processing. This will ensure that it is always on the right track. You will be able to ensure that your business performance is aligned with its vision at all times through this process. Think of it more like using a compass to sail a boat to a planned destination.

6. Define KPI

You also need to determine your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The main reason for this is simply because they work. Your KPIs will keep you honest about your business progress and focused on the outcomes. Make your KPIs your beacons for implementing your business strategies, and you will see a remarkable difference regarding performance.

7. Reporting

After tracking your business strategies and progress, you can now easily record and report to your board members and executives. This will see to it that all the necessary personnel in the business is kept in the loop about the progress of the business and its strategies that are in play.

Read More >

When it comes to matters regarding money, you may end up being envious of how some people are just so successful. And what amazes more than the wealth itself is the dedication and discipline that these rich folks put to get to where they are now. It requires a lot of determination to do all the right things in an effort to accumulate wealth and possibly retire early.

You find that most people already know of most of the tactics that the filthy rich folks use. Only that most of them find it incredibly difficult to follow some of these strict rules. But if you are determined, disciplined, and patient enough, then you could be the next billionaire in the next few years. This article talks about some of the secrets that the filthy rich employ to amass more money each year.

1. Start early

One thing you would notice about the rich in the society is that most of them started building their empires early. And that’s is true for almost all the super-rich folks. If you take a look at their past lives, you find that most of them put the money they had then to work. And doing this gave their money more time to grow and become something much bigger.

2. Automate

The best way that you can curb this issue is to automate your savings. This means that you set up any recurring transfers from your checking accounts to your savings account on a regular basis. This will help you avoid getting tempted to use your money unwisely.

3. Maximize contributions

The filthy rich folks also maximize on their retirement account contributions early. Most of them start small and try to at least increase their contributions by at least 1% until the year that they max out. Start small and over time, you will see the benefits.

4. Never carry credit card balances

This is yet another factor that has crippled many people’s financial freedoms. Revolving high-interest debt can seriously drag you down and cost you thousands in unnecessary interest charges and fees. In essence, you will not have enough financial freedom to save more which also prevents you from being rich. Hunt for the best lenders and look for the best interest rates. www.northcash.com offer the best credit services and interests. Manage all your credits effectively and make sure all your loans have been repaid and in a timely manner.

5. Live like you’re poor

If you do a quick survey around where you live, chances are that you will find a few millionaires living around. And these guys may not be who you think. Or even act, talk, dress, or walk like you would have thought. This is because most of them like unassuming and modest lives. And that’s where they save more.

6. Avoid temptation

This point goes particularly to the impulse buyers who are always itching to buy something. How will you ever be rich if you are always using the money which you would have, otherwise, invested or saved?

7. Be goal-oriented

To achieve anything in life, you have to be goal-oriented. And that’s what the filthy rich do. They set goals and work towards achieving these goals no matter what stands in their way. Have a purpose and work towards achieving it.

8. Get educated

One thing you will always realize about the rich is their constant urge to want to know more. Their hunger for education. Study the key financial concepts and learn about the dos and don’ts when it comes to financial management. Also, you should learn from your mistakes and work on your strengths.

9. Diversify your portfolio

Another trait you will realize about the filthy rich is that they don’t put all their eggs in one basket. Or even two for that matter. But things like investing and businesses require them to minimize their risks by diversifying their portfolio. So, should one investment not yield profit, then the other accounts still stay untouched.

10. Spend money to make money

Yes! There is a price to pay even for wealth. You can do this by investing in a great team of financial professionals. These professional’s services will cost you, of course, but if you know you’ll make a profit out of it, then take the deal.

Read More >

Everyone in business is looking for a way to increase their wealth. This requires a comprehensive look at all the worthy investments. In Toronto, there have been so many talks about whether or not one should invest in condos and whether they are still a worthy investment. After taking a look at all the factors that are involved in deciding whether or not you should invest in Toronto condos, it will not take you long to see that you actually should. Here are five signs you should invest in Toronto condos.

1. The numbers

In Toronto, the rates of vacancy in apartments and condos are extremely low. This is because more and more people continue to move to the city to reside there. The numbers should let you know that you should definitely invest in Toronto condos. Far from that, there is a decent return on investments for those who have already invested in condos.

2. Increase in rented condos

Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of condos in Toronto that are being rented. It so happens that once a vacancy is created, it would take a maximum of three weeks for the average condo to find another tenant. This would mean that these units are rarely vacant. If you are looking to invest in condos, this should be a good pointer that you are making the right move.

3. Safe investment

It has become clear that it would be much better in terms of monetary gain to invest in condos that it would be to invest in the stock exchange in Canada. The only difference is that condos in Toronto are a much safer and less volatile investment. So if you are an investor who is conservative in nature, it would be better and less stressful for you to invest in condos in Toronto.

4. Real estate growth

The real estate industry in Canada has not always been as established as so many other industries in the country. However, it seems to slowly be growing to claim its spot in the industries that are flourishing in the country. A large number of investors who are getting wind of this trend have continued to make strides to invest in condos in Toronto. There is no reason why you should be left behind as an investor.

5. Large student communities

Toronto happens to have one of the largest student communities in Canada. These students usually move from their home towns to come and reside in different cities because they are students in universities far from where they reside. They usually come looking for condos to rent. The number of students coming in every year is on the increase and this should be a good sign that you should invest in Toronto condos.

Read More >

When it comes to matters of finances and how to save money, you will always find that different people perceive it differently. There are, however, a few money saving methods and tricks that are more commonly used and most people would agree to. And that’s what this article will discuss today. Some of the best money saving tips that you can apply to your overall weekly routine.

1. Don’t pay any annual credit card fee

If you do enough research, you will never fail to find some cards that don’t always come with fees, but still, include the extras like travel insurance and warranty extensions. You can use these instead and end up saving more money overall. Plus, you won’t need to pay an annual fee.

2. Cut back on eating in restaurants

Instead of making going to restaurants a daily routine, you can, instead, start planning your meals. At the end of the day, you will end up saving a lot more money plus eat healthier meals. It will be like hitting two birds with one stone, right?

3. Switch to a VOIP provider instead of using your local phone provider

VOIP providers like Primus, Vonage, or Ooma are relatively cheaper than your local provider fees. You can do a lot more with a small amount with a VOIP provider than you can do with your local providers. Which basically means that you get to save more.

4. Get a quote on your insurance

To make sure that you are getting the very best deals and prices on home and auto insurance, you should consider getting a quote from each of the insurance deals you find. Sticking to one insurance company for a long period can sometimes get you a loyalty bonus which is all good. But the moment you realize that there is a cheaper company, then it might be time for you to put your loyalties aside.

5. Switch to CFL or LED lights

These types of bulbs will definitely cost more than your regular home bulbs. But if you think about it in the long-term basis, just one $3 bulb can end up providing you with close to $50 worth of energy savings in five years. That’ sounds like a pretty good deal.

6. Call your cell phone company

The moment you realize that your cell phone contract is about to end, you can try your luck by calling the cell phone company and tell them that you want to switch to a different provider. In most cases, you will end up with a sweet deal being offered to you just to try and keep you. That’s just another awesome way to save more, if you’re lucky, that is.

7. Make coffee at home

It has become kind of like a routine thing to buy coffee on your way to work every day. But what most people never seem to realize is that it costs a lot more to buy coffee at Starbucks or corner cafes than to make it at home then carry it if you must. You will also save a lot of line-up time and gas as you won’t have to make any detours on your way to work.

8. Review your cable TV package

Often a time, you find that there are many more channels in your package that you can do without. Why not downgrade at least one tier and save like $20 of your hard-earned money instead?

9. Use water filters for your drinking water

Instead of always buying drinking water, you can save quite a lot of cash by using a good water filter to treat and clean your drinking water. Just use a filter which you can always replace every six months.

10. Get a Nest programmable thermostat

A Nest programmable thermostat can save you up to $180 if properly set and maintained. You can even use its automation features to which makes everything a lot easier.

Thanks to technology you don’t need to be worried about keeping tracks of all these tricks. According to www.northcash.com utilizing the available budgeting and saving apps available on Google Store and  Apple store, can really help a great deal in terms of managing your finances.

Read More >

In the world we live in now, you find that most people never usually have enough money or funding to get them through the day, let alone help them achieve or meet their goals in life. Most people end up being forced to borrow money from lenders just to meet any of their needs and or get them going for some time. And that is where the loan www.northcash.com lenders now come in.

Technology has seen to it that the lending industry changes a lot with bank loans now taking less than a minute to be approved and disbursed and many cheap loan lenders popping up everywhere. That being said, here are 10 golden rules you should follow to ensure you land the best personal loan available.

1. Don’t borrow more than you will be able to repay

Never live beyond your means. Only take a loan that you will easily be able to pay back. Banks are currently tripping over each other trying to attract businesses which make taking loans even easier. But don’t just take a loan, and a huge one for that matter, just because you can and it is available.

2. Keep your tenure as short as possible

Major loan lenders offer the maximum loan tenures at 30 years where you also find that the longer your tenure is, the lower your EMI will be. This concept alone makes going for the longer tenures the more enticing. But still, it is wise to go for the loan tenure which you can afford to avoid any complications.

3. Ensure timely and regular repayments

In any business or practice, you perform, it always pays to be disciplines and timely. And the same goes for the loan repayments and can take you a long way when it comes to making timely repayments. Be it a short-term or long-term loan, it pays a lot to make timely and regular repayments. This will also build your credit profile as well.

4. Don’t borrow to invest or splurge

Another one basic rule of investing is to never invest borrowed money. Most investments can sometimes not really be able to match the total rate of interest to enable you to pay your loan. And the investments that can do, like equities, are usually too volatile.

Also, try avoiding taking a loan for discretionary spending.

5. Take insurance with big-ticket loans

It is always wise to take insurance covers for loans like of cars or large homes as well. Also, you need to ensure you buy a term plan which will ensure your family doesn’t get saddled with any unaffordable debts should anything happen to you.

6. Keep looking for better rates

Ensure you always keep your eyes open and ears sharp for any changes on the market for better loan rates. Many lenders are popping up every day. Some with very attractive low rates which can be very enticing.

7. Understand the fine print

Many people never really take their time to read through the loan documents. You need to ensure you read and understand the terms and conditions carefully so as to avoid any unpleasant surprises later on.

8. Substitute the high-cost loans

In some instances, you may have too many loans running at the same time. The best idea is to consolidate all your debts under one low-cost loan. You can make a list of all your outstanding loans and see which high-cost ones you can substitute with the cheaper loans.

9. Never nix retirement by avoiding loans

Nobody wants to burden their children with loans that they took especially for the purposes of their education. These loans can impact your child’s life in the future. Like when you decide to use your retirement corpus to get your child through the education system. Plus, students also have options like scholarships and loans to help them fund their education.

10. Keep your family and spouse in the loop about your loan

Discuss with your family before you make any step to take a loan as the repayments will also impact the overall finances of your entire household.

Read More >

In the World we live today, more and more people need loans for automobiles, home mortgages and a host of other reasons. It’s also probable to secure a mortgage loan with bad credit, get a car loan with bad credit financing and even get a personal loan with bad credit. Keep these five tips in mind when shopping for a bad credit loan:

1. Explain your circumstances.

A good money provider is willing to consider circumstances surrounding your bad credit. Some bad loans come as a result of personal events like injury or divorce the lender may be more willing to listen. Be sincere, and a real explanation may get you the loans for bad credit that you need.

2. Be realistic about what you can afford.

It is always good to borrow something you can manage to pay. A bad credit loan may cost you more than a conventional loan, so consider this when you borrow. You may have to borrow less to ensure you can make your payments and then shop for a conventional loan down the road when your credit improves. By communicating what you are looking for, it becomes so easy and saves time.

3. Do your research.

Just like conventional loans, bad credit loans come with a range of interest rates, pre-payment penalties and clauses and loan terms. Shop around, and make sure you only borrow from a reputable lender. Check the Better Business Bureau and do a Web search for your bank to ensure that you aren’t dealing with a predatory lender.

4. Prepare for high rates and compromise.

In most cases, several money providers tend to charge people with huge interest rates so that they can be in a position to offset the increased risk. Be ready for the costly tariffs. You may consider a modest loan if you can’t afford to repay loans for bad credit at a high-interest rate. If you need any more information, We Loan Money may be able to provide you with further insights and resources.

5. Beware of predatory lenders.

Predatory lenders are a huge risk in the sub-prime loan industry. It’s okay to pay raised interest rates for loans for bad credit, but some lenders charge exorbitant rates or require unreasonable provisions to collect the debt if you default on your bad credit loan. Look out for early payment penalties, a predetermined interest rate for late payments, or sneaky collateral clauses that your lender doesn’t tell you about. Never sign anything you don’t understand. Make sure you understand everything regarding loan before proceeding. It is crucial to do background research that will enable one to make a mature decision.

With these powerful tips at your disposal, there should be no reason why you don’t get that big bad credit loan. It is always available upon request.

Read More >